23.07.2006
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The Grief of a Fisherman
The watery life-force carried our lives, carried our dreams,
Supporting life generously, and in abundance
A multitude of fish teemed through its waters,
Wildlife sped across its surface and sought nourishment and shelter
The fertile soil at her banks kept it green and lush
The River supported all life and livelihood
Living in harmony with nature’s tremendous power.
The River was our lifeline
She flowed freely from Tibet
Through the basin of Shan State
I have lived here since birth
I and my father and our boat
In the middle of the water
We went out to catch fish
For the market each day.
All this had ended
When they built the dams
Many fish had died
Many no longer spawned
The river is empty
Of natural life we once knew.
My mother collected kai
By the banks of the River
For selling at the market.
Now there is no more kai
The soil is now mud
Covered with oil and debris
From the big Chinese ships.
Now my wife and I
Are old and tired
Our sons and daughters
Work in factories
They will never know
How it used to be
How good it was
By the River.
We pray for the River
We pray for our lives
We pray for the people
Who live by the River.
FERAYA NANGMONE
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"Cry of the Earth"
The Great Spirit based us here to take care of this land and life for Him/Her through prayer, meditations, ceremonies and rituals, and to lead a simple life close to the Earth. That's what we have been doing. Governments talk all the time about human rights, equality, justice, and all those things, but they have never done anything for the native people. Never. So it's time that they do that- live up to their talk - otherwise nature is going to take over.
Earthquakes, flooding, destruction by volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, things like that. It's already happening, and it takes that kind of thing to wake up many people who are controlling this land by money and power and just ripping everything from the Earth. They are doing something that is not right in the law of the Great Spirit and the law of nature.
(by Thomas Banyacya, Hopi Elder.)
NOTE: _
Kai is a nutritious river seaweed.
LINKS;
SouthEast Asia Rivers Network: SEARIN
Undercurrents: Shanland
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Comments
Min said _
Really good poem. Actually, Salween is a very important river of Burma. We should never abuse it. But sadly, it's been polluted for so long as much as I can remember.
Your Comments here_
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