Writing Assignment #3: Global Engagement/Deep Ecology

Deep Ecology, Wolves, & The Sacred Hoop 

Deep Ecology is an ecological philosophy about the ways human beings interact with each other and with nature. It draws on diverse sources of ecological wisdom like Buddhism & Native American philosophies so, like any healthy ecosystem, Deep Ecology embraces diversity as a philosophy that draws knowledge from all religious and philosophical traditions. 

The essay What is Deep Ecology is in 3 parts: Deep Experience, Deep Questioning, Deep Commitment. These 3 parts describe a process of experience that leads to a new awareness that causes us to ask fundamental questions about how we view and relate to nature. Ultimately the result is a deeper commitment to live in harmony and balance within your ecosystem. 

Deep Experience ~ Aldo Leopolds realization as he observes the dying wolf is his Deep Experience that leads to questions for him. So this experience is transformative; he no longer can live the way he’s been living up to that point because his experience has shown him a dimension of reality that call on him to change the way he lives.

Deep Questioning ~ In The Sacred Hoop videos, Larry Salway wants us to engage in deep questioning of ourselves, our relationships with creation & with each other. What are we committed to and how do we show our commitments? Are we committed to consuming, are we committed to pleasure, are we committed to our own desires? Or are we committed to living in beauty, harmony, & wisdom with creation? What do our actions reveal about our values? What we do reveal our values more truly than what we say. I can say I believe in living in balance with nature, but if I keep consuming at typical American levels, my actions are not consistent with what I say, so my actions reveal more about my values that what I claim. Ultimately, Larry Salway is challenging us to ask ourselves what “happiness” is in the deepest sense. Does buying more stuff really lead to happiness, or does our happiness lie in other areas of our lives like friendships, appreciation of nature, loving others and the world around us, and learning about that world.

Deep Commitment ~ Ultimately Deep Experience & Deep Questioning lead to deep commitment, as we see with Leopold and with the Grampa in the poem Birdfoots Grampa. Both men seek to live in ways that show their deep commitment to the beauty, the harmony, and the value of all beings in an ecosystem. 

WHAT TO DO: Using ideas from What is Deep Ecology, Birdfoots Grampa, Larry Salway’s discussions of The Sacred Hoop, and the video on How Wolves Change Rivers, respond to these questions: 

Part 1) Deep Experience:

(a) As a result of his deep experience, what changes take place in Leopold in terms of how he sees and experiences the wolf, the mountain, and how he now understands his place in nature? Be specific.

(b) At first Aldo Leopold has the same sense of nature as the Grandson in Birdfoots Grampa. After his experience with the dying wolf, Leopold becomes more like the Grandfather in the poem. In what ways do the actions and words of the Grandson and the Grampa in Birdfoots Grampa, show Leopolds transformation towards a life of Deep Ecological Commitment?

(c) Deep Ecology identifies the idea of intrinsic value as the most basic moral value that defines our understanding of all things in nature. What is meant by intrinsic value, and how do we see Leopold and Grampa express their belief in intrinsic value? Be specific.

Part 2) Deep Commitment: 

Deep commitment is the culmination of the process of deep experience and deep questioning. Why is Deep Commitment so crucial? Because if I say, “I believe in living a truly sustainable life,” those are just words. But our actions reveal our true commitments, so if our commitment changes, then our lives change as well. So if I believe in living a sustainable life, then I would change the way I live, consume, etc. to reflect that commitment. Deep Ecology talks about getting beyond ego-self to the more expansive ecological-self. Where ego-self is focused on “what I want or need or desire,” the ecological-self sees things in more expansive terms – it is not just about me, my desires, my needs, my convenience and comfort. The ecological-self identifies with nature much more fully and, like Grampa, takes it as a given that the lives of the toads have a value we should respect and protect. Larry Salway talks about “walking in Harmony on the Red Road” of the Sacred Hoop – living life in that balance and harmony. Doing this isn’t easy, and it can’t happen overnight because it takes time to change our lives in harmony with new values. 

(a) What does it mean to live in Deep Commitment? In what ways do Larry Salway’s ideas about The Sacred Hoop, and the Grampa in Birdfoots Grampa, show us how to live in Deep Commitment to nature, ourselves, and others? Be specific.