Returning to our Roots

LAND-BASED HEALING FOR MINDFUL LIVING Writing and graphic by Arella Warren, Deputy Editor

For many of us, the Digital Age is all we know. Yet, research suggests that the urbanization of the mid-20th century has caused us to move quicker than our evolutionary biology intended.1 As we’ve submerged ourselves in the technological landscape, we’ve neglected to nurture our relationship with the traditional one.

When Europeans first came to the West, they were fueled by dreams of expansion. Inidgenous peoples looked at the land as something to live alongside, but colonists looked at it as something to be conquered. This was furthered by the spread of panentheistic religions such as Christianity, entitling Western society to commodify and exploit the natural world—a mindset that has driven us far from our ancestral, hunter-gatherer roots.2 For those of us looking to reconnect with those roots, there is a potent solution that lies in our lifestyle habits and mentality: Land-based healing. Land-based healing originates with Northern Indigenous culture, which believes in the centrality of Spirit in all things, positioning wellness as a conversation with the elements.3 As the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation describes, “A commonly held belief is the interconnectedness of all life, which includes human persons and all Creation (animals, plants, rocks, visible and unseen forces of nature, the universe) that coexist in balance, harmony, respect and care.”4 On this view, wellness is not only about personal growth, but connecting with our surroundings to

1. Arash Javanbakht, “To feel happier, we have to resolve to the life we evolved to live,” The Conversation, Jan. 2, 2019. 2. Charlie Flores, “The disconnection between humans and nature,” Center for Humans & Nature, May 30, 2019. 3. Ibid. 4. “Land for Healing,” Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, 2018. sustain the health of the greater community and land. Every piece of land holds a story, and we can start this healing process by learning more about the stories close to our home. Dane County occupies the ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk Nation, who originally named this land Teejop (Dejope), meaning Four Lakes. However, the Ho-Chunk tribes were forcibly removed from their territory in 1832.5 In recognizing the historical significance of the land we live and work on, as well as the suffering that led to its acquisition, we can take steps to remedy our ignorance and heal collective traumas.

Another aspect of Land-based healing is living locally to promote identity and community development.6 One way to do this is by familiarizing ourselves with our landscape’s native foods and wildlife. Traditional Wisconsin foods include a variety of berries, fish, maple syrup, potatoes, wild rice, venison and—what is often called “The Three Sisters”—corn, beans and squash.7 Some great ways to eat locally include shopping at farmer’s markets or signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture program. CSAs allow people to purchase food directly from a farmer by purchasing seasonal shares—you can find more information on Madison-based programs at the FairShare CSA Coalition website.8 By living and working within our communities, we promote better social, economic and environmental feedback loops. Studies on happiness find that the greatest sources of joy come from Nature, family and community-based living—identifying a

5. “Land Acknowledgement,” University of Wisconsin-Madison, accessed Oct. 2021 6. “Land for Healing,” Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, 2018. 7. “Traditional Foods in Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, accessed Oct. 2021. 8. “About,” FairShare CSA Coalition, 2019. profound connection between human wellness and spending time in the natural environment.9 While we derive short-term pleasures from wealth and material possessions, humans are wired to live in Nature. Spending time outdoors is not only central to Land-based healing, but proven to boost our mental health and wellbeing.10 One can never go wrong with an afternoon walk, but there are other ways we can incorporate nature into our lives in a more exciting way on an everyday basis. Some fun ideas include ditching the gym for an outdoor exercise at home, picking up seeds and planting native flowers (a great way to attract butterflies and honeybees!) and spending time decorating a garden, which is also a great way to build a personal, outdoor haven. For those of us who like to draw or write, nature offers an endless supply of inspiration. Even if you don’t identify as creative, spending a few minutes outdoors writing in a journal, reflecting on your surroundings, breathing deeply and tuning in are fantastic ways to release stressors and ground yourself in the present moment. Many of the things we can do to make ourselves feel happier and more revived on a daily basis involve turning to the land—in fact, our bodies are still adapted to the hunter-gatherer way of life.11 Today, we’ve become trapped in the holdings of ownership and material possessions, but to live mindfully and create a more harmonious global community, we need to start looking for purpose in the interconnectedness of natural life. ■

9. Mark Waghorn, “Happiness comes from family, community, nature,” Study Finds, March 8, 2021. 10. Ibid. 11. Daniel E. Lieberman, “We Still Have the Bodies of Hunter-Gatherers,” The New York Times, May 16, 2011.