Upon the burning of our land
Upon the burning of our landUpon the Burning of Our Land
On a hot and steamy day, the sun’s rays of heat relentlessly beat down on the cool grassy plains of the earth. All the heat is accumulated onto a spot on the dry ground, and it starts a tiny flame that forms on the earth. The tiny blaze seems harmless, but it is potentially dangerous. Soon the tiny blaze begins to paint the earth with yellow and red flames. More of the sun’s heat begins to beat down on the lush, green earth, causing more flames to erupt. The fire spreads quickly, devouring all that is in its path. The fire is only stoppable by the ending of land and earth. Many fall victims to this raging inferno, but the fire still burns on. When there is nothing left to burn, the fire goes out, leaving a devastating trail of destruction.
A large and destructive wildfire is comparable to the settling of American soil by foreigners from afar. In a letter he wrote to the president, Chief Seathl explained how settlers came to this land, and negatively affected almost everything they saw, including the land and its native people. Chief Seathl showed the effects the settlers had on the land as more land and people were “burned away” for the settlers’ consumption. Chief Seathl spoke of issues that were argued for many years, and which still have relevance in our lives today. Through remarkably poetic penmanship, Chief Seathl’s letter to the president also showed the great respect that he and other Native Americans had for this land, but that the white settlers didn’t.
The letter written by Chief Seathl was one of the most powerful combinations of poetry and prose. “His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert. The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the redman. But perhaps it is because the redman is a savage and does not understand.” Through wonderful imagery, Chief Seathl shows us how the settlers of America negatively affected the land and its indigenous people. The settlers had no right to take away what was not theirs. Perhaps it was not the redman that was the savage and didn’t understand, but instead it was the white man.
Our lives have had extreme relevance to the writings of Chief Seathl. Chief Seathl said that one cannot harm the earth. Most would have agreed with all Chief Seathl had to say, but everything that Chief Seathl was against, we have promoted. Chief Seathl was against the building of cities, yet we may have...
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