Power

 

Shantagsha’s Blog

We as humans have an attachment to a certain place. Just by closing our eyes we can explain vividly every detail that is precise to us. In Fact we can go into a depth of detail describing the smell, the sound, the touch, the taste and what we actually hear. Just like that, it all can become so clear with the use of our memory. This place of attachment can be from their childhood, their hometown, their country or even some place simple as a skating ring. In class we read some novels on the destruction of  nature caused by harsh and hefty construction vehicles like a tractor. We also watched a short documentary video that brought  the word  destruction to life. When I close my eyes I can recall the documentary: Native Americans fighting for long lasting peace on the reservation where they lived. The government was trying to build pipes throughout the reservation transporting oil that would eventually take most of their water supply away. The Native Americans poured out their hearts and shed so many tears depicting their compassion for the love of their land. Can you imagine something in which you love so much being taken? The reservation is more than a place in which they lived. The reservation is the land that is apart of them and their identity. I remember in the beginning of the documentary, a Native American Indian woman described what the water meant to her people: “It’s the native peoples blood that flows throughout the land making them one with nature. They correspond with nature that surrounds them every morning they wake up.” Another woman in the documentary said that her son was buried in a place that the government was going to dig up to place the pipe. Unfortunately she her family and friends couldn’t do anything because they were just powerless.

Hoping that you were able to take a moment and imagine that special place of attachment. Similar to the Native American Indians, I now want you to imagine the government crashing a bulldozer, ripping the place of attachment from your very grip. Can you imagine? The one place you feel at peace, being taken away from you forever! You cry out, you scream in protest. You beg, you plead for the rights of your special place to remain untouched. But even then, your voice goes unheard. The government has all the power. They can do what they want with your special place. Leaving you to feel weak and powerless; however, you  still try to deter the destruction of your special place as long as possible. Deep down you know that not taking action is staying neutral and that is siding with the powerful. "Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral. ”―Paulo Freire . How would you fight for your special place? This makes me think. I wonder if the entire BSU community were to stand up against the government from taking our university would we still be the powerless or become the powerful? But then again what makes you powerful?