Among giving meaning to life, affecting their relationships and changing their worldview, the core of indigenous identity is their spiritual connections with the world around them. In what ways do these spiritual connections influence their worldview specifically, and how can they influence the way we think and live? Spiritual connections have positive effects on a person’s worldview, allowing them to be more open-minded, appreciative of nature, and have a stronger sense of integrity and belonging.
To begin, people tend to be more aware of the world around them when they have strong spiritual connections. In Richard Wagamese’s essay, “Freeing the Pike,” he describes his experiences spending time appreciating nature. He highlights his ability …show more content…
Wagamese always paid attention to the river, “even as a kid [he] understood that the presence of small predator fish meant the presence of huge predator fish (46).” Through connecting with the river and paying attention to it, Wagamese learned the art of fishing. By understanding the river, he learned the patterns of the wildlife that resided within. This can be applied to things such as food. Connecting with the land and wildlife can help us uncover what nature has already discovered for us. By simply observing the wildlife around us, we can identify which plants are safe by avoiding the same plants animals tend to avoid, which methods are best for hunting by observing natural predators, and where to find the best or best fish, as in Wagamese’s case, by observing the patterns of habitation. In science, this act of studying and imitating strategies found in nature is called “Biomimicry” and we can see examples of how connecting with nature benefits people’s daily lives through simple inventions and engineering. An example of scientists taking inspiration from nature is modelling wind turbine wings in the same shape as the fins of the humpback whale to decrease drag and increase efficiency. Without connecting with nature, we lose out on valuable information and opportunities to learn and grow as individuals and as a society, as the best inventions have come
To begin, people tend to be more aware of the world around them when they have strong spiritual connections. In Richard Wagamese’s essay, “Freeing the Pike,” he describes his experiences spending time appreciating nature. He highlights his ability …show more content…
Wagamese always paid attention to the river, “even as a kid [he] understood that the presence of small predator fish meant the presence of huge predator fish (46).” Through connecting with the river and paying attention to it, Wagamese learned the art of fishing. By understanding the river, he learned the patterns of the wildlife that resided within. This can be applied to things such as food. Connecting with the land and wildlife can help us uncover what nature has already discovered for us. By simply observing the wildlife around us, we can identify which plants are safe by avoiding the same plants animals tend to avoid, which methods are best for hunting by observing natural predators, and where to find the best or best fish, as in Wagamese’s case, by observing the patterns of habitation. In science, this act of studying and imitating strategies found in nature is called “Biomimicry” and we can see examples of how connecting with nature benefits people’s daily lives through simple inventions and engineering. An example of scientists taking inspiration from nature is modelling wind turbine wings in the same shape as the fins of the humpback whale to decrease drag and increase efficiency. Without connecting with nature, we lose out on valuable information and opportunities to learn and grow as individuals and as a society, as the best inventions have come