Salmon spawning from Wikimedia Commons
“Reciprocity, the ceaseless give and take, the flow that moves in two directions — this is the real teaching of the salmon. It is the foundation of any real ethic: give unto others as you would have them give unto you.” ~ David Abram, Reciprocity and the Salmon
In the article linked to above, David Abram explains how salmon are integral to the places they inhabit; examples of reciprocity in action, through their relationship with forests and bears especially.
The Great Bear Rainforest on Vancouver Island in British Columbia is home to the Indigenous Haida Gwaii peoples, as well as huge black bears. Every year, the salmon swim upstream to spawn and create new life. The bears, considered a “a keystone species,” eat the salmon and then spread their remains in the forests to nourish the land. If this reciprocal process is disrupted through excessive logging or dammed rivers or bear hunting, everything gets out of balance.
The First Nations peoples, who call this place home, see the salmon as the gift that they are and pay homage to them through ceremonies. They speak to them as important figures, deserving of respect and offer thanks for their teachings of reciprocity.
You may not have salmon spawning where you live, but I hope that last week you were able to recognize some of the other gifts that your place has to offer. I noticed gifts of tree blossoms, of colours, of warm air, of birdsong, and food. Asparagus is in season now! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at different ways that we can give back for the unearned gifts from our places, beginning this week with simply giving thanks.
Giving Thanks
You’re already paying attention to the other than human inhabitants of your place and attention is a form of love. It says, “I see you. You’re important to me.” The natural next step is to offer gratitude, some expression of thanks, whether through rituals, traditions, ceremonies, or celebrations. For our purposes, let’s look at each of these in terms of how they show up in our particular places.
Rituals are regular practices that bring attention and care to something in the moment. They’re not formal and can be done singly or in groups; daily or weekly or just occasionally. Examples include giving thanks before a meal or watering a plant or greeting the dawn. I take a daily walk as a way of listening to my place (and for my own health).
Traditions are tied to the culture or unique characteristics of a place. These are customary actions, often passed down from one generation to another. There are family traditions, like playing a certain game, or religious traditions, like attending a weekly church service. But, we’ll look at traditions that are particular to your place, like an annual new year’s day icy plunge in the lake or an annual beach cleanup.
Ceremonies are more formal and may be offered less frequently, for example, in my place there was an event to mark the opening of a new park to commemorate the Black history of my place. There is a ceremony each November to remember veterans of war. Ceremonies for other than human inhabitants are not as common.
“Ceremonies, large and small, have the power to focus attention to a way of living awake in the world.” ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
Celebrations are gatherings that honour or mark an event or transition or a living being. As humans, we celebrate birthdays, new babies, marriages, and even deaths (a celebration of life). Community festivals are celebrations that can mark a significant event or time of year. For example, in my place, we have monthly festivals to honour the fruit harvest. There is a strawberry festival in June, cherries in July, peaches in August, and, of course, grapes in September.
“Does the place where we are actually make some difference to who we are?” ~ David Abram, Reciprocity and the Salmon
Practice
For this week, think about how your place has shaped your particular rituals, traditions, ceremonies, and celebrations. How do you say thank you for the unearned gifts from your place? Remember that just noticing a gift and saying thank you is an important ritual on its own.
What are some rituals you do regularly, related to the place where you live?
Which traditions were passed down to you that you still practice and have significance with regard to your place?
Are there any formal ceremonies you adhere to in your place?
How do you celebrate the gifts of your place?
Pledge to add one new ritual, tradition, ceremony, or celebration as a way of giving back to your place. Say thank you more often.
Resources
In traditional Haudenosaunee culture, the Thanksgiving Address is spoken at the opening and closing of important cultural events, including traditional Haudenosaunee ceremonies, meetings and gatherings. It acknowledges the people, the earth, the animals, and the Creator, and reflects their interconnectedness and interdependence with everything on earth.
See a short video on it or read it here.
On Salmon and Reciprocity: Reciprocity and the Salmon by David Abram, How Salmon Help Keep a Huge Rainforest Thriving (BBC), and Coyote Thunder on IG
On giving thanks to wounded places: Uncommon Gratitude by Trebbe Johnson (Orion Magazine)