as an indigenous person that has been connected to nature my entire life, This is mainly about land itself and native land, i give this info to anyone that will need or use this info as I’ve seen lots of disrespect for nature (specially native land. Whether good intentioned or not) which can turn out very badly for anyone who does not respect the laws that spirits, natives, and the land sets and abides by and I myself have witnessed incidents.. those that are non BIPOC should be particularly careful of these, some things are high later to bring extra attention to what I am saying and meaning and are important takeaways. in no particular order these are some things you should keep in mind:
trust your gut feeling.. if you have a feeling that you do not belong somewhere (specially in nature such as in the hills, forests, beaches, islands etc) then leave, go no further, this is not a place for you, thank the spirits and the environment around you for setting boundaries and letting you know it is not for you in a calm manner
Always thank the earth and the plant you take from, “give back when you take” is what I have always been told, giving back is typically thanking the earth and the plant whether outloud or in your head
If you are to go hiking, exploring, or anything of that in an area you are unfamiliar with it’s wise to look for info online or from locals of which native peoples and tribes land it originally was and to learn the indigenous laws of the land (such as how they give thanks, locations to avoid, hunting and how hunts they have thanks after hunts, collecting of plants etc), along with better info of the land and mapping coming from those that first had the land, also wise to do even in your hometown or the area you live in/around, the natives of the land have had contact with the lands spirits longer then anyone else, if you cannot find anything on the local indigenous peoples/tribes then ask the spirits of the deceased natives at whatever location you may want to explore if you can, I’m sure you can imagine being slaughtered by someone of a specific group then having the descendants of those same murders trample through what was once your land wouldn’t be nice
on land that is not yours be sure to always leave things as you found it, do not take or move anything that you do not have permission to use, even things such as rocks, if you so much as accidentally kick a rock you should try to move it back to where it was and apologize as to not anger the spirits (though most will understand it was a mere accident, not all will)
If the land, the spirits, or the natives refuse to tell you something about somewhere then do not push instead avoid the area
Respect all living things, from the trees to the animals, animals have long been guardians of the land and will continue to be, some of these animals can even act as speakers for the land and the plants around the land, do not think of yourself as above these animals, do not tease, antagonize, or pester these animals in any way, if they ignore you then be mindful of them but do not interact until they do, when they have made initiation you may ask for guidance and safe travels but be mindful they do not owe you anything and can ask you to leave whether they do it politely or aggressively
There are spirits and things in certain areas and on certain land that we avoid for reasons, do not think that you are special and do not go out searching for these things, you most likely won’t be the one to deal with the consequences of reaching out to these things and it is extremely dangerous
Do not go out into forests, woods, or even on the plains late at night near or on native land, it is not safe for you, and the land and spirits may tolerate it, but they do not like it and will not put up with it forever, there are special journeys that people have to go through for the land and spirits to finally accept those that sit there late in the night and embrace them, these journeys can be anything from succeeding in protecting sacred land to a native child getting their first successful hunt to saving lives and more. Respect the area. Leave it to those that have completed these journeys and have the peace and safety of being in these lands at night
Some might be wondering how the land or spirits may speak to them.. the leaves blowing or crunching, marks in the dirt/brush/gravel/grass, the way the trees look and move and feel, the sounds, the way you feel, the way animals interact with you.. be wise, be open, have good intentions, show you are not a threat, but there are so many more ways.. you’ll know
sort of a reiteration of what I’ve said earlier BUT. if indigenous people tell you not to go somewhere or make contact with something then LISTEN. I don’t care what the city/state/federal government law says, the government law can say you can go up that mountain but if the indigenous people tell you that you cannot then you need to listen and abide by what they tell you or you need to learn that not only are you insulting the land, the spirits, the people and the animals, but that you are most likely putting yourself and others in serious life or death danger and the natives will not be there to save you, we cannot play savior when we have given warnings that are not followed, nor will we take the fall for something you were told not to do or where not to go.
Some more things.. I apologize if some of this is the same thing over and over again or doesn’t make sense but I’m tired and I haven’t slept in 24 hours so excuse me 😂
the whole cottagecore aesthetic, as a native it makes me cringe personally because most these people that talk about how they love cottagecore and could live in nature blatantly disrespect nature daily and don’t even realize it, not to mention other problems with it.. other natives are fine with it and that’s okay, and of course most the time it’s just an aesthetic but these things still apply and I think would also help those that wanna actually live the cottagecore lifestyle because I have seen people buy houses on indigenous land cause they wanna live cottagecore and they don’t even know it and don’t even do the research.. while there’s nothing inherently wrong with the cottagecore aesthetic if you are going to be inhabiting land to live your cottagecore aesthetic dreams I ask of you.. know where you are please 😬
And please be respectful and leave native land alone in October, November, and December, especially around the weeks of the holidays
