Writer Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder examines the prophecies and histories of violence in the American Great Plains. Explores sand hills prairies, General Sherman's role, Union Pacific Railroad's influence, family memories, fragile sandhills ecosystem, and embracing the wind and immersing in the Niabriara River.
The collision of the prophecies of Manifest Destiny and the Ghost Dance on the Great Plains shaped the destiny of the land and its people, leaving a legacy of violence and displacement.
The concept of wilderness has evolved throughout history, with words playing a profound role in shaping our perceptions and interactions with the land.
The sandhills ranching community plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the grasslands through responsible land management practices, ensuring the survival of these vital ecosystems.
Deep dives
The Sandhills Prairie: A Landscape of Intact Ecosystems and Human Stewardship
The sandhills of Nebraska's Sand Hills Prairie is the largest sand dune system in the western hemisphere and the largest intact temperate grassland in the world. With 80% of the ecosystem remaining intact, it supports a diverse community of life, including 700 plant species, 400 bird species, and 55 mammal species. The ranching community plays a crucial role in land management, implementing grazing rotations and prescribed burns to maintain the health of the grasslands. While threats like the invasive eastern red cedar and fire suppression persist, the presence of people and their active stewardship have kept the grasslands relatively healthy.
The Collision of Prophetic Visions and the Fate of the Bison
The prophecies of Manifest Destiny and the Ghost Dance collided on the Great Plains in the 19th century, with profound consequences for the land and its inhabitants. Manifest Destiny fueled the colonization and expansion of the West, leading to the near extinction of the bison as a means of clearing land and removing indigenous peoples. On the other hand, the Ghost Dance offered hope and resistance to Native American tribes, envisioning the imminent arrival of heaven on earth and the exodus of the white man. The clash of these prophecies shaped the destiny of the land and its people, leaving a legacy of violence and displacement.
The Power of Words and the Evolving Concept of Wilderness
The concept of wilderness has evolved throughout history, shaped by religious, political, and cultural beliefs. Initially, wilderness was seen as something to be conquered and controlled in the pursuit of manifest destiny. However, the American attitude towards wilderness shifted in the 19th century, emphasizing preservation and the idea of an untrammeled natural community. Yet, the very concept of wilderness has often contributed to the separation between humans and the land, creating a false distance. The power of words to shape our perceptions and interactions with the land is profound.
Voices of the Wind and the Call to Remember
The wind-sculpted dunes of Nebraska's Sand Hills Prairie, shaped over millions of years, speak to a deeper connection between humans and the land. The constant presence of wind and its impact on the land's formation calls us to listen and remember our intimate connection to the cycles of ecosystems. Immersed in the windswept river and prairie, there is a longing to belong, to hear forgotten voices, and to unlearn the separation between ourselves and the wilderness. The land's prophetic voice can guide us towards wholeness.
Reimagining Wilderness: The Role of Humans in Grassland Conservation
The idea of wilderness as an uninhabited and uncultivated space is challenged by the grasslands of the sandhills. Prairies have coexisted with humans for thousands of years, and their survival today relies on the active participation of people. The sandhills ranching community plays a crucial role in maintaining the grasslands' integrity through responsible land management practices. While challenges like conversion to cropland and invasive species persist, the presence of humans and their relationship to the land can ensure the continued existence of these vital ecosystems.
How do words shape our world? In this week’s narrated essay, writer Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder visits the wind-sculpted dunes of Nebraska’s Sandhills, considering the prophecies that collided across the American Great Plains in the nineteenth century. Tracing the histories of violence, conquest, and degradation that have played out there, Chelsea locates the points at which human and wilderness were separated. Wondering what words, what prophetic voices are needed to guide us out of an entrenched dualism, she calls us to remember that we have always been intimately linked with the cycles of our ecosystems.
