A Land Remembered

In the book, A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith, I chose the character Solomon MacIvey.  This character is from the first chapter and takes place in Miami, Florida in 1968.  This character is an older man who is wealthy based on his empire-building career.  He built hotels and banks and other kinds of businesses.  He has a half brother who is Native American that lives on a reservation.  MacIvey's father was Native American and his mother was white.  He chose to make his career based on his mothers side to build on the land instead of preserving it.  Towards the end he knows that he was wrong by building all of the buildings that he created instead of preserving the land and the animals.  Towards his last few days he returns to this cabin that his father built.  On his way there he stops and visits his half brother Toby Cypress and makes peace with him.  MacIvey tells him that he made a mistake building his empire on the land and destroying it.  MacIvey's role in this novel is to make a point to people that building on a lot of land can hurt it and the animals that live on it.

http://nativeappropriations.com/2012/02/bon-ivers-towers-a-tribute-to-native-american-preservation-land.html 

The relationship between MacIvey and the environment is that he has a sensitive feeling towards it and cares about it.  He knows that in the end he made a mistake by building his empire on the land and how it affects people like his brother who is Native American.  His brother lives on a reservation because of all of the building that were created on their land.  MacIvey is sad in the end that he was a part of destroying the land that the Native Americans once lived on and the animals as well.  The relationship between MacIvey and the natural world is also a closed feeling.  This world has a lot of reservations now because of people like MacIvey creating more and more buildings on the land and basically took over the Native American lives.

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/reservation/ 

The character MacIvey experiences his strong sense of place when he knows he only has a few days left to live.  When he knows he is going to pass soon, he realizes that his real sense of place is not in his mansion in Miami, but in his fathers cabin out near the reservation that his brother lives on.  There he feels most comfortable and at home.  The legacy that MacIvey left behind to others was that building these empires on the land of Native Americans isn't right.  Making them move and live on a reservation is just simply wrong and unfair.

http://www.glogster.com/mmacquarrie/indian-reservations-in-the-u-s-/g-6lg7nisunokv8mmf9ov1ua0 

I relate to the character MacIvey because  I also do not think it is fair or right to take the land of Native Americans and put them on reservations to live.  In the end we think about the land, the animals, the Native Americans and how it isn't fair to do what we have done to them now.  If they own a certain type of land then we should leave it be.  We can build on other sections of land because we need to live too.  But this doesn't mean to take all of the land away from the Native Americans and the animals and plants that live on it already.

http://foremostcanada.com/environment-responsibilities/

The Land Ethic

"His instincts prompt him to compete for his place in the community, but his ethics prompt him also to co-operate."  (Leopold 60)

I agree with this quote mainly because it's basically saying that the land ethic implies that we learn to co-exist and co-operate with others so that we can make this world better.  It's respect for the land owners as well as the community that surrounds it.  We all fight for land that we want to make ours but we also have to consider the outcome that others can live in the same community.  This doesn't just imply humans but we also have to consider the fact that we have wildlife living amongst us.  If a certain area is being protected because of the certain species living in it, then we must reevaluate our living arrangements. 

                                  Community coming together across the globe.  Photo by Extension.



"Ornithologists jumped to the rescue with some distinctly shaky evidence to the effect that insects would eat us up if birds failed to control them." (Leopold 65)

I definitely believe that birds should be taken seriously not only because they would help us with the insect problem, but the fact that they should be a biotic right.  The absence or presence of theses birds shouldn't matter if we are economically unstable.  Preferably songbirds are slowly disappearing.  This should be taken into effect if we can do something about it.  We shouldn't just let them completely disappear when we could help.

                                                   Songbird. Photo by Mountain Denver.


"If the private owner were ecologically minded, he would be proud to be the custodian of a reasonable proportion of such areas, which add diversity and beauty to his farm and to his community."  (Leopold 66)


Some people aren't nature lovers. Yeah this guy might live on a farm but maybe because he might have too due to family or economical problems.  He is probably stuck where he is and he has to make the best out of it. He might not like the whole nature background so he tries to tear everything down or take away that type of background.  Now if he is ecologically minded, then he might be happy to provide and nurture the ecologically land he has, but he probably just prefers not to have it.

                              Farm with mountains in the background. Photo by Steven Ahiquist.


"The ecological fundamentals of agriculture are just as poorly known to the public as in other fields of land-use."  (Leopold 75)

This to me is an opinionated statement.  Only because I believe differently about our agriculture workers. I believe they are working as hard as they can and they provide us with food that we need.  To me that's enough if everyone is getting food.  I think that the fundamentals of agriculture is greatly known and they are doing a sufficient job. Agriculture is progressing and providing us with enough supplies.

                                           Tractor plowing crops. Photo by John Boehner.

Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment

"Those who walked in the nature preserve performed better than the other participants on a standard proofreading task.  They also reported more positive emotions and less anger."  (Hartig 7)



This statement makes a lot of sense to me.  Of course someone who chose their activity in a nature setting would feel more peaceful and good about themselves then they would watching T.V. or listening to music.  I know when I am cooped up in my room I start to over think things and feel bored.  When I'm outside laying by the pool or studying outside cause the weather is nice, I feel great inside.  I feel more happy and alive.  Our attention span is better when we are outside in nature then it is when we are inside.  Maybe it's because we have different things to look at and their beautiful because it's unexplainable.

  

Girl studying outdoors. Photo by GettyPhotos.

  

"Positive influence of near-home nature on concentration may be more pronounced for girls than for boys."  (Louv 8)

I don't necessarily see how they can say that girls have a more positive attitude towards life than boys do.  I think it would be equal not gender oriented difference especially because it's nature.  Nature is everywhere and influences everyone, boys and girls.  I believe everyone that steps out into nature are going to have a more positive influence on concentration.  We all concentrate more when we are surrounded by nature rather then be indoors.  We get distracted more when we are inside because of the T.V. or eating or listening to music.

                                        Photo of little kids playing with nature. Photo by Webmaster.

"The society that has disengaged the child from nature is most certainly disordered." (Louv 11)

This couldn't be any more from the truth.  I think this society is more reliant on technology making their kids happy or better test scores in schools rather then having recess for exercise.  Either way this society is forgetting all about nature and children that should be experiencing it.  Taking nature away from a child is utter nonsense.  We are becoming a society who is lazy and too relied on technology.  I think a lot of people are forgetting about nature and the importance of being active and experiencing the outside world around us.  

                                     Photo of kids with technology indoors. Photo by aupairusa.


"Encourage girls to study or play in rooms with a view of nature."  (Louv 9)

If they encourage just girls to be by a nature-viewed setting when they are studying or playing then why shouldn't boys do the same?  I thought it was weird that they didn't mention boys.  I don't agree with the fact that we should be encouraging just girls to be placed near nature.  I think boys should be too.  Boys and girls are the same learning wise and shouldn't be broken up into two groups when it comes to this example involving nature.

 

Children learning nature.  Photo by islandwood.