Ecological Studies Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Throughout history, humanity never stopped thinking about the Creator and the Creation. As a consequence, the belief systems of today’s world are in fact not quite new; however, they have one crucial difference from the former prominent belief systems of human history. Today, leading societies and religions create disciplines that are less interrelated with nature. These belief systems disregard and restrict the reciprocity of nature. However, in the past, there were societies who believed that humanity should be living in a way to fit with nature. For them, humanity being deprived of its natural roots was not natural. They believed that building a civilization that is in reciprocal relation with nature was possible. Native Americans, for example, were true lovers of nature. They based their belief systems on nature and emphasized the importance of being closely interrelated with nature. Native American theologies might be monotheistic, polytheistic, animistic, shamanistic, pantheistic or any combination thereof, but they were all in balance with nature. They were “in balance with all creation, be it the environment, be it nation-to-nation” (Pesantubbee 97). For Natives, all the creations such as animals and plants are linked to their creator spiritually and intuitively and they are existing in a set of relationships. Today, these Native ideas are quite different from the leading belief systems. Christianity, for example, is not interpreted as requiring a strong interrelation and harmony between nature and civilization. In Genesis, the rest of creation is described as having to submit to humankind. It says, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (New International Version, Gen. 1.28). Rather than an attempt to create balance between creatures, Christianity supplants humanity by ego and anthropocentrism. In this paper, such different perceptions of belief systems about the interrelatedness of nature and civilization are going to be examined through theology and ecocriticism. I will use Louise Erdrich’s Tracks and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony to examine Native American religious elements, their ways of approaching nature and the differences with today’s belief systems. Both novels demonstrate the struggle of Native Americans keeping their values and beliefs alive while being forced to evolve into Christian belief systems. Thus, I will use these works to reflect the tension between two different belief systems. I will compare religious methodologies of Natives and Christians to argue that the domination of Christian disciplines parted humanity from the rest of creation that has been living in constant harmony with the spiritual nature. Lastly, I will come up with possible solutions that can restore the former harmony between humankind and the rest of creation.