4. How does a word like manitu change its meaning?
5. What other Native words have changed their meaning? How does this impact the understandings of Native language speakers and others?
6. What’s the main difference between “realistic” fear of things in nature and the “fear of nature” that the European settlers had?
7. How do the Lakota people pray to Father Sky and Mother Earth? What kinds of prayers are these?
8. What are some of the specific experiences that have “chipped away” at the reality of being relatives of Sky and Earth?
Learn FROM (deep sharing, transformation)
1. Has your family ever “owned” land? Did you value that land in ways that went beyond the “dollar value” of the property?
2. Can you imagine a scenario in which the physical land was seen in the same way as the air we breathe is seen… as “free to all”? What do you think might happen if that were the case tomorrow? How might it be different if the land had always been viewed that way?
3. Have you ever felt a “relational” connection to a particular piece of land? If so, how did that relationship come to be? What are some details of your relationship?
4. Do you have any fear associated with “wilderness” areas or “wild” places? What is the source of those fears?
5. Do you think much about the prospect of your own death? What sorts of things do you think about if you think about dying?