Book 2 Post 2: Learning From Our Ancestors

The book I chose to read is The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World by Wade Davis. 

In my second post, I will be discussing two chapters that I found particularly interesting, followed by a personal reflection I had during spring break. 

Chapter 3: Peoples of the Anacondas 

The first chapter that caught my attention is chapter 3 named "Peoples of the Anacondas." The chapter describes the first European descent down the Amazon. The explorers encountered many hostile indigenous communities, including battles led by female tribe members. However, European publications refused to acknowledge the existing indigenous culture and civilizations, shielding most of the explorers' experiences from the general public. 

The chapter was interesting because it depicts the concept of "Eurocentrism" very well. The Europeans arrived at an unknown territory not with an open mind to learn, but with an arrogant attitude to conquer. Such mentality caused them to disregard the value of indigenous culture, refusing to believe that the original population had found a wise, harmonious way to co-exist with Amazon's dangerous yet fascinating nature. The Europeans continued to believe that their way was the best way, which inherently lacked respect towards nature. This mentality has proven problematic in the long term as Amazon continues to face serious issues of deforestation and exploitation of its ecosystem in modern society. 

Chapter 4: Scared Geography 

Chapter 4 talks about the indigenous culture in British Columbia, Canada. I really enjoyed this chapter because I grew up in the province of BC and have learned about Canada's indigenous history throughout high school. So it was interesting to hear about the author's perspectives. 

This chapter talks about the cultural differences in how natural resources are perceived. The settlers in BC, until today, have been exploiting BC's salmon rivers and forests for natural resources, turning resources into profit. This is because Europeans live in a resource-driven economy, where nature has no value unless it brings materialistic and practical benefits. However, indigenous people value nature in a much more spiritual and emotional way. I remember learning in school about how each animal represents different spirits and energy to the indigenous people. To them, animals have souls. They are not just food and fabrics to humans.  When I drive down the BC highways towards the indigenous reserved land, I often see people holding up signs to protest against companies and the government for dumping toxins into the rivers and exploiting the forests. I remember watching documentaries about how most water in these indigenous reserves is toxic, especially harming children and the elderly. 

While there has been increasing awareness surrounding indigenous culture and issues in our Canadian education system, there is still a lot of repair that needs to be made to preserve their natural land. 

Personal Reflection: My Trip to South Africa 

Over spring break, I took a trip to South Africa, visiting Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. I made a stop at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, and this experience reminded me of Davis' book. 

At the corner of the garden, there were two sections: the garden of fragrance and the garden of useful plants. In the garden of fragrance, I saw dozens of plants I had never seen before, each with its distinctive smell. These plants are used by the ancestors to cure many physical discomforts such as headaches, heatstrokes, and insomnia. The garden of useful plants displayed a lot of species that are used in traditional medicine for child labour, illness, and wounds. 

I don't think most people are even aware of the power that these plants have anymore, because South Africa has long been Europeanized and modernized given its colonial history. These plants represent the wisdom of the nation's ancestors, but most of them are lost and disregarded as useless.