Sarah CortezWe come from many places, and we claimour heritage as “First.” Wemay carry within us stark desert night, or soaring rock pinnacles, or dense forest,or bluish ice. Many of usremember the sacrednessof our ancestors’ places, the wisdomof those who’ve gone before.Some of us are a partof grassy prairie, some a partof the tropical canopy of warm forest,or the grit of wide beach. Someof us have been led here by Turtleor Raven, others by Creator,or the Holy Supreme Wind.As children we may havelearned near the bright comfortof a stream, or near the springtimerage of a swollen river. Wemay have played in pueblo dirt,or in drought-ridden dustas fine as talc. We may havelearned on hard concrete or porousasphalt.We may have listened toour mothers’ voices and songsor grown up in a bereft worldof no song.We may still liveon our homeland, or it may bea place we carryinside our hearts so deepthat no one can touch itand survive the scorching.Yet, wherever we come fromwherever we will go when we die,however we cook or eat or sing,we are First. Todaywe come together – in allthe sepias, beiges, burnished bronzes, pinks, blacks, ivories,and olives – all the sun-warmedcolors of the splendid human rainbow.Proudly, we standshoulder to shoulder heart to heart,ready to honor each other as brother and sister. Each to eachraising a glorious voiceas we work together
A poem has been offered for the Mother Earth Day commemoration:
Differences Aside
by Sarah Cortez
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