early stages of the dead River Community forest
Perhaps it could be imagined that a place has a soul. The psyche of the land. The waters, humans, and more-than-human beings in that place coalesce into some mysterious field that are not solely acted upon, but perhaps feel and respond, too.
Mary Oliver exclaims: ‘To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work’. & Robin Wall Kimmerer adds ‘To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it."
Indigenous cultures tied to land know and understand this. New academic fields such as terrapsychology and ecopsychology may study this, deep ecology and environmental justice as well. Our healing and Earth's healing is woven together. The way forward may be then connecting deeply to the earth and its patterns, the mysteries present, and coming home to these places where we labor and rest.
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There is a place in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula which could be argued has a rather strong psyche. That place is defined by its waters. One Ojibwe name for the body of water is Jiibay-Manidoo-Ziibi, meaning river of spirits or the river of ghosts. Some stories have it that the spray in the gorges of the river seem to resemble ascending spirits. There are also said to be burial mounds along the river near present day Tourist Park. Another Indigenous name for the river is Noquemenon-Ziibi, or river of the berry patch of the Noque people. This likely refers to nearby blueberry patches of the Noque people. When French settlers arrived they translated the name to Rivière des Morts or River of the Dead. The waters are now known as the Dead River.
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Collected here are glimpses of the Dead River Community Forest, the Dead River Watershed, surrounding geographies, waters, and landscapes. Here are images of people who have lived along its banks and cherished it as best they knew how. There are images of species who have been here for some time, and others who have just arrived. There are trees whose mysteries and lives far outlive our own. There are portals into the an animated world that is offering itself to us. What links these images together is a deep reverence, an acceptance of our place in this story, and a true gratitude for what remains. In a culture of forgetting, may these images make us remember. May we be reminded that we are indeed not in control. May we learn from the river, which is never the same twice. May we tend to these stories, lands, and waters as people of place. May we lead with accompaniment, deep compassion, and greet our beloved earth with curiosity and wonder.
