Final, A Summer Along Four Mile Creek: a young adult

This topic submitted by Majida Al'Husaam, Melissa Hamman, Sarah Hayes, Luke King ( hayessl@muohio.edu, ) on 4/29/03. [ Rivers Team: Majida Al'Husaam, Melissa Hamman, Sarah Hayes, Luke King-Section: Blaisdell/Wolfe]

As Peter Kelley stated in lecture, environmental awareness in the general population peaks in the eighth grade. Our group explored a method of presentation alternative to the report format suggested. We strove to integrate aspects of natural science, culture, and social systems by presenting data and facts in a young adultÕs book format. The story is told through four characters: a grandma and her three grandchildren of varying ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Because of their varying life circumstances we were able to include subjects such as suburban sprawl, organic farming, urban Òsmart growth,Ó Native American spirituality, and acid rain in the Adirondac Mts. The interpretation of stream testing data and the actual charts of data are in the Appendices, and definitions of important terms are in the glossary. The hard copy of our book also includes additional information in the Appendices and illustrations by Marci Schwartz.
The following is the bulk of A Summer Along Four Mile Creek:

CHAPTER I.
GRANDMA
The river burst its banks, and ran feet away from the roots of the oak tree. The locals call it Four Mile Creek. My ancestors, the Twightwee, called it the Talawanda: running water. The fish made bubbles in the quieter pools, and the water crawlers cut graceful paths on the surface. I have lived by this river since my childhood. It sang in my heart, and the midmorning sun warmed my face. Like a map, the wrinkles there told of the happiness and trials of my life. They flowed across my forehead. They surrounded my mouth like a moat. Small ones branched from the corners of my eyes like old tributaries, but they were gone that morning because I smiled. What reasons could an old woman have to be so happy? Three: Eric, Lisette and Madeline. My grandchildren were coming to visit!
The gravel crunch of their approaching truck joined the chorus of sounds. Buck, the family dog, greeted them with slobbery kisses. Little Madeline and Lisette bounded from the truck shouting and laughing. I wrapped them up in my arms. Eric emerged, more composed, cradling a package.
ÒEric! ou hold that package like itÕs important, I would hug you but I donÕt want to crush it,Ó I said.
ÒAwÉitÕs just my testing tools to study the stream. Hugging you is more important.Ó He set them down and joined us.
I am proud of my grandchildren. They have keen environmental awareness and act to protect the earth from human disturbances. Lisette, for example, composes poetry to try to stop loggers from cutting down trees. Madeline is very interested in organic farming and conservative water use. Eric, who is almost in college, wants to be a biologist. Although my children scattered to many different parts of the nation, they did not forget their Miami heritage. They still respect nature as they did growing up along this stream. And they, in turn, have taught their children well.
I followed the children to the stream to play. We were together again after the long winter.

CHAPTER II.
ERIC
As I waited for a taxi to take me to the airport, I snapped some branches that were lying on the ground and threw them into the well-manicured lawns of my Albany suburb, Guilderland, New York. The branches were minor imperfections that would be easily overlooked on this flawless golf course-like green. I shuddered at the thought of all the chemicals that made this lawn what it was. ItÕs kind of sad how most Americans, including myself, have bought into the monoculture of golf course greens. Not only are the beautiful hues of wildflowers compromised, but tons of compounds are released into our waterways that donÕt belong there.
I recently tried to find a legitimate organization that reports U.S. pesticide use, but it was impossible. I found an article that stated, Òthere is no national pesticide use reporting system in place in the U.S. Instead, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture both provide estimates of pesticide use based on statistical sampling methods and/or survey. Ó I was proud of my home state when I found that New York passed the ÒPesticide Reporting LawÓ in 1996. This law made the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Pesticide Management Program at Cornell University responsible for its implementation. In 1998 alone, 29.4 million pounds and 4.5 million gallons of pesticide products were applied in New York. I found that suburbs like mine use more pesticides than farms like the one my cousin Madeline lives on in Farmland, South Dakota. It bothers me that I am part of this thing my grandma calls the Òurban sprawlÓ phenomena.
It sure seemed like it was taking the taxi forever to come to rescue me and take me to the airport. Soon, I would be back amongst the beautiful hues of wildflowers near my grandmotherÕs house on Four Mile Creek. While I waited, I couldnÕt help thinking about the fact that I have one of the coolest grandmas ever. I couldnÕt wait to see her. She always knows how to cheer me up with her intriguing stories. The thing that I love most about her though, is that she challenges me to think Òoutside the box.Ó She prompts me to contemplate important environmental and social issues.
I last visited my grandma in September. She asked me then, ÒEric, when did your crusade for water and environmental justice begin?Ó
ÒMy campaign for environmental integrity began a year ago when you encouraged me to read that editorial piece on environmentalism. I realized that my environmental concerns have existed for as long as I can remember, but this past year was the first time in my seventeen years that I felt compelled to do something about the problems the world has. During the past year, I have learned a lot more than I originally bargained for,Ó I replied. ÒItÕs all about footprints.Ó
ÒDo you mean shoe footprints in muddy ground?Ó she asked. She didnÕt understand what I was trying to say, so I continued.
ÒFootprints are what this fight is all about. You have to see whose footprints are damaging and try to undo that damage. I have learned to only take memories from Mother Nature and leave only footprints of the gentle sort. It is a something I learned from the ÔSubaru-Leave No Trace Traveling TrainersÕ when they came to Guilderland. They taught me all about Leave No Trace Ethics, and how I could get involved in other environmental organizations, Ó I explained. Grandma had an impressed look on her face, and this made me feel proud of the things I had learned.
My trip to GrandmaÕs that weekend was short, because I had to get back to New York to celebrate my birthday with my parents. On my birthday, September 17th, the headline in the Albany Times read: ÒACID RAIN- Ohio is a Leading Emitter of Pollutants that Cause Acid Rain. Ó This news was a real bummer on my birthday and I was furious about OhioÕs actions. Why wasnÕt the government doing anything about the resulting devastation? Then and there, I became genuinely concerned about the implications of coal burning.
The article discussed the effects of Ohio getting 90% of its electricity from coal burning power plants. OhioÕs coal releases incredible amounts of air pollutants that find their way to the Adirondack Mountains. Ranking number one in the nation for sulfur dioxide emissions and number three in the nation for nitrogen oxide emissions, Ohio had damaged their own resources as well as the ecosystem of the Catskill, Appalachian, and Adirondack Mountains. According to the article, all of the disgusting chemicals that go up in plumb of smoke in Ohio are polluting the air I breathe and the water I drink.
After reading the article, I was disturbed by the fact that I spend my summers in that awful state of Ohio. Not only are Ohioans polluting my air and drinking water, they are killing my opportunity to fish! It was absurd that the State of Ohio was getting away with this. Mr. Wilcox, my biology teacher, said we had to pick a controversial environmental subject to study for our next project. I knew that this would be my topic. I would have to venture to the New York State Library in downtown Albany to get some information.
Researching environmental and non-environmental material made me even more curious about these Òenvironmental issues.Ó I came across many government documents and internet sites that addressed the characteristics of rain in New York and Ohio. From all the acid rain hype in New York, I expected New YorkÕs sulfur levels to be much higher than OhioÕs. However, I found OhioÕs sulfur levels to be 2.08 mg/L in 2000 and 2.42 mg/L in 2001 while New YorkÕs were 1.2 mg/L in 2000 and 1.31 mg/L in 2001. Basically, Ohioans are hurting themselves a lot more than they realize.
I donÕt want to just jump to conclusions and blame someone who is not to blame for a problem. I also had to ask if the rapid growth of Guilderland, my suburban hometown, had affected riversÕ health. I researched some geologic records of Ohio to understand why their coal is the kind that is affecting New York the most, and how the composition of the OhioÕs rocks could turn Adirondack Mountain water acidic.
Over Winter Break, I went back to GrandmaÕs house. Ohio was the same as it always was; so many corn fields, overcast skies, and cold temperatures. My dislike for this place has continued to grow since I know that their lack of environmental regulations is degrading my home state. There is just really no reason why they cannot use more green energies. OhioÕs river laws are not up to par. I contacted my friendÕs father, a Congressman, about proposing some restoration projects and future legislation that would positively contribute to the river system of both states.
Grandma and I talked on the phone about what I can do while I am at her place this summer. I feel so lucky to have a grandma that wants to get involved in the things I do. To my benefit, the environmental project was a semester long. I could use my winter break to do further research in Ohio. Grandma put me up in her house and, as always, fed me well. She sure knew how to make me feel like a king for the week. I spent a wonderful week listening to GrandmaÕs tales of ÒNow, Eric, when I was a little girlÉÓ and waking up to beautiful sunrises over Four Mile Creek. During this time I also investigated the composition of OhioÕs bedrock.
ÒGrandma, look what I found!Ó I shouted from the basement. ÒOhio Shale accumulated in the latest Devonian time, about 360 million years ago, along the western edge of the Catskill Delta. Õ Ohio was just south of the Equator at this time. The approximately 600 feet sea was starved for sediment and became stagnant below a boundary layer known as a Ôpycnocline.Õ Although the upper waters in the sea were oxygenated, the bottom waters were foul. Black sludge high in organic matter slowly accumulated. It was in this environment that the concretions formed.Ó
ÒWhen I started to see Four Mile Creek getting murky from sediments, I began to do some investigation of my own,Ó Grandma stated. ÒI have found that evaluating the geomorphology is vital to comprehensively analyze a stream and thoroughly report its condition. Although the concretions formed in Ohio, other layers of less solidified sedimentary rocks formed above this region in many parts of the world as the earthÕs outermost layer of the crust. Most notable is the extensive protrusion of limestone and sandstone in Ohio. Naturally, the formation of these sedimentary rocks has led to an increased sediment load because of ease at which sedimentary rocks erode.Ó
ÒAnother article I found states that eighty-nine percent of all material transported to the ocean is transferred through streams. The present average dissolved load in an American stream is seventeen percent and the average suspended load is seventy-two percent. This, however, is drastically different from the majority of the earthÕs geologic past; it used to be nearly fifty/ fifty. Ó
I decided that it would be a good idea if Grandma and I would test Four Mile for its sediment load in different locations along the creek. We went to three different locations along the creek to try to get a feel for how large of a burden this river was carrying. We first decided to test after the Acton Lake dam within the Hueston Woods State Park boundaries. Further downstream, we would test before and after the water treatment plant to see what impact they had on the Four Mile watershed. Our hypothesis was that the Hueston Woods site would have the smallest sediment load since it had the largest riparian zone; however our findings contradicted our hypothesis.
When we saw that the Hueston Woods site carried 24,362.8 pounds of sediment per day, we decided that manÕs building a huge dam had a greater impact on sediment load than did natureÕs maintenance of a riparian zone. On the day of collection, grandma said that the dam was releasing water and that is why the stream velocity was so great; due to the increased stream velocity, the sediment load was much higher than any of the sites downstream where the cross-sectional area and the velocity didnÕt have high values. The site we tested before the water treatment plant passed 8,004.2 lbs. of sediment per day while the site directly after the plant 18,045.7 lbs. per day.
During that week with Grandma, I began to work on some suggestions for improvements that my generation can make in the 21st century. The world is at an environmental breaking point: either there is going to be a mass movement towards global environmental awareness, or people are going to further disconnect themselves from the exploitation. They will have an Òout of sight, out of mindÓ attitude. OhioÕs (and for that matter, New YorkÕs) energy problems can be minimized with an effective integration of green and renewable energy sources. You always hear the same ways to tap into renewable energy sources, but I have found some unique ones, too, including co-firing biomass, and biomass gasification.
The move towards green approaches to environmental issues would not only improve
the worldwide health of all species, but it would save us billions of dollars. In Ohio, execution of these efficient energy protocols would reduce the net electricity costs by $1,527 million by 2020.7 It is extremely disheartening to me to know that these issues are purposely ignored because of the fight between politicians for campaign funding. President George W. Bush is not going to minimize the use of heavy hydrocarbons when Òthe oil and gas industry contributed $13 to Bush for every $1 to Gore.
After the break was over, I went back to New York and began to write up my controversial environmental topic. I included many aspects of the Ohio vs. New York battle on who was responsible for the dying fish populations. During most of my trips to GrandmaÕs house, well for at least the last 10 years, my cousins and I would count to see how many fish we could catch in a tributary to Four Mile Creek called CollinÕs Run. I included the data from the most recent account that I did while on Spring Break at her house. I discussed how the most abundant species in Four Mile Creek were the ones that were the most tolerant of low water quality.
In my report, I bluntly stated, ÒI think that Ohio should not brag about their large populations of Central Stonerollers and Bluntnose Minnows. These species are very tolerant of poor stream health and the reason why they are flourishing is because the quality of Four Mile is decreasing. During all the summers and breaks at my grandmaÕs, I have not seen many people fishing. This is not a good sign; it means that Four Mile Creek lacks a high population of big game fish like the Smallmouth Bass.Ó
I squinted into the mid afternoon sun at the approaching yellow a taxi. During the upcoming summer on Four Mile Creek I want to encourage Lisette and Madeline to use the five steps of my ÒPlanning ProcessÓ to stop environmental degradation. These notable steps are: collecting and assembling facts, evaluating the facts, forecasting, decision-making, and allocating resources. Environmental awareness and my drive to better the world in which I live is an ongoing battle. I have become a River Warrior and I am ready for this continuous process. My planning guides implementation; implementation enlightens further planning, which leads to alterations in implementation, and then the process cycles.

CHAPTER III.
LISETTE
Every summer I leave the towering buildings of our home in the city of Queens, New York to visit Grandma. IÕm 14 years old now but I remember every summer like it was yesterday. My cousins, Grandma and I have the best times meditating and catching frogs with Little Brother, our familyÕs golden retriever. My grandmother tells me to thank the river for the fun it has provided by meditating on its beauty. She said ÒIf everyone remembered natureÕs blessings, they would not spoil it with trash and pollution.Ó
I wish that wilderness was now what it was when my grandmother was young, or even what it was long before any person came into contact with the land. The earth must have been very different then. Every time I look at my grandmotherÕs house, the roads along the creek, or a cleared cornfield, I think, Òthere were probably many trees there once, and now theyÕre all gone.Ó
I remember a wooded area next to the creek where Little Bro and I used to play fort, hide-go-seek, and tag. My mom and her brother and sister also used to play there when they were kids. We named it Gaia-too, because it was our own little earth-world. We loved and respected it. I learned the word Gaia from my mother. One day when we were visiting my grandmother, my mom called to me.
ÒLisette,Ó she exclaimed, ÒitÕs a beautiful day! DonÕt stay cooped-up in the house. Go out and enjoy the warmth of Gaia.Ó
ÒWhat is a Gaia?Ó I asked
ÒGaia means ÔEarth GoddessÕ in Greek,Ó she replied. ÒIt is a philosophy that says our earth is its own living organism that can take care of itself.Ó
ÒThen why does my teacher say that pollution is killing the earth? She says that we have to make sure that we do our part as human beings to stop that by recycling, not littering, and finding more earth-friendly energy resources?Ó
Mom took a deep breath. ÒEarth is like our bodies and we are like bacteria. There are good bacteria that help us to stay healthy and bad bacteria that make us sick, especially if they put into our bodies more toxins than we can get rid of. We want to be like the good bacteria and help earth to be strong and healthy.Ó
ÒWow, Mom. IÕm going to be a good bacteria!Ó
I slammed out the screen door and ran to the woods. They were alive. The air, water, wind, and land all worked in a balanced cycle that took care of itself. I decided then to name these woods Gaia-too, because I could see how they seemed alive. They took care of themselves and all that lived there without help or assistance. The white-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits run away when I came too close. There were also Smallmouth bass, crawfish, minnows, and all sorts of insects in the creek. There were the Sycamore and Eastern Cottonwood trees that provided shade for everything, even the fish that lived in the water. Little Bro and I belonged to a secret animal kingdom; a different living world that most people did not understand. Throughout the school year, I dreamed about our hideout in Gaia-too. I tried to bring Gaia-too to the park near our home, but it just wasnÕt the same. There were barely any trees, so many people, and no animals at all.
This summer when we arrived at our grandmotherÕs house I ran to Gaia-too. When I got there I noticed orange tags around certain trees. I thought that maybe other kids had tied them there. The next day I went back hoping to see those kids and make friends. Not only did I not see those kids, but the trees that had the orange ties around them were missing! Nothing but sad, broken stumps was left. I was dumbfounded. Who would want to hurt the trees? And there were new orange tags on other trees. If these kids wanted to be rude, disrespectful, and downright destructive to the trees, I would have to confront them.
The next morning I went to our secret woods at dawn. The roar of machines took over the woods. Grown men and women were cutting down the trees with the orange ties around them! I watched shocked. Little Bro even started to cry. After they were done cutting down the trees that we had grown up with, they proceeded to tie more orange ties around more trees. Once they had left I tore the orange ties down. I felt so much better when I was done. Little Bro and I played fortress for a while. We pretended that we were rabbits hiding from foxes and dug out holes.
My older cousin, Eric, always took me with him when he studied the creek. He played games with me even though he was seventeen years old! I would tell him about how I saved Gaia-too from the silly men and women who were trying to cut it down.
The next morning I woke up with the sun. Eric hadnÕt arrived yet, and Little Bro was still asleep, so walked to Gaia-too. I arrived just in time to see the people from the day before cutting down the trees. This time they were marking the trees with orange spray paint. I was so upset that I ran home to tell my grandmother. I went into the house crying and bumped right into Eric.
ÒLisette!Ó he picked me up in a hug and plunked me down on a chair. ÒWhatÕs wrong, my cousin?Ó
ÒThere are grown-ups chopping down the trees in Gaia-too!Ó I managed to choke between sobs.
He kind of smiled, which made me even madder. ÒTheyÕre cutting down those trees to build a housing development. Have you noticed all the new houses surrounding Gaia-too? Did you know that they had to cut down trees to build those houses?Ó
I swallowed and said, ÒWell, yeah,Ó but I really hadnÕt noticed. Each summer there were more and more houses, but I guess I had never thought that they would destroy that area; especially since it was so close to the creek and so beautiful.
ÒDo you know what suburban sprawl is?Ó He asked.
ÒNo I have not heard of that place,Ó I said.
He laughed a little. ÒSuburban sprawl is not a place, it is an activity where the human populations of cities spread out into other areas, like this rural area where grandma lives. The people who move out here usually want to escape city life and the problems that come with it, like crime, lack of space, and the lack of green nature.Ó
I understood that completely. Growing up in Queens, I always wished to get away to somewhere beautiful. I always dream of getting back to nature, but I didnÕt understand why people would want to move out here just to cut all the trees down. Eric said that he didnÕt understand why people destroyed so much of nature in order to build their homes. He also told me about the many problems that happen to the natural world and its balance because of issues such as suburban sprawl.
ÒUnfortunately little cousin, Butler County, the area that Grandma lives in, is becoming a hotbed for suburban sprawl. I did some research on this last year for a school project. The Butler County population rose about 14.2 percent in 2000. It is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Ohio.Ó
ÒSuburban sprawl destroys riparian zones near rivers and creeks such as Four Mile Creek. Riparian zones are the area of land and trees that run alongside the banks of rivers and creeks. They help keep the river healthy and balanced by acting as filters for excess sediment or water that might otherwise enter the river or creek,Ó He said. ÒIt even helps absorb pollutants, such as salt runoff from the road or fertilizers from farms that would cause major damage to the creek, as well as to the wildlife around the creek.Ó
ÒAnother major issue of suburban sprawl is the problem of water shortage. I read a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council that said cities like Atlanta and Boston are losing billions of gallons of water a year because that loss of soil and dirt to concrete areas. The report also said that 365 acres of forest, farmland, and other open spaces are lost to suburban sprawl every hour!Ó
ÒIts very apparent along Four Mile Creek. Do you remember last year or the year before when you went out with me to sample the creek water, and I was measuring the amount of forest on both sides of the creek?Ó He asked.
ÒYes, I remember,Ó I replied.
ÒWell, I was measuring the amount of riparian zone at the three sites. The first site, which was in the Hueston Woods Park, measured 512m east and 3,630m west. This was the site furthest away from Oxford. The next site that we tested was closer to Oxford, before the water treatment plant. Its riparian zone was 35.8m east and 429m west. The last site was after the water treatment plant. It was closest to the City of Oxford.Ó
ÒWhat was its riparian zone?Ó I asked.
Ò37.7m east and 3.1m west. It was very small,Ó he said sadly.
ÒYou know Lisette, New York used to have nature everywhere. It used to have trees and all types of beauty. It was probably more beautiful than anything around here, even Gaia-too.Ó He sighed and covered his face with his hands. I knew he was telling the truth. I was too tired and upset to think anymore, so I went upstairs to take a nap. As I was going upstairs he said,
ÒHey Lisette, cheer up. Madeline is coming tomorrow, and IÕm sure that sheÕll have a few things to say about this.Ó
My cousin Madeline lives on a farm in South Dakota and is one of my best friends. She has also taught me a lot about the environment, and just seeing her would put me in a better, more hopeful mood.
When I awoke from my nap, there was a book on my nightstand with a note taped to it. The note read, ÒHere is a book that IÕve been reading. IÕm sure youÕll find the subject matter interesting. Remember, even when you are down, you are not powerless. I love you. Grandma.Ó I smiled. My grandmother always knows how to cheer me up. She receives a bunch of environmental books for free through the organization that she founded called Grandmothers for a Healthy Future.
Little Bro wagged his tail, begging for me to read to him. The book was called The Environmental Ethics and Policy Book. I turned to the chapter called ÒThe Ethics of Respect for NatureÓ to find some insight on how to deal with the individuals who kept chopping down the wood. I had already decided that I was going to say something to them. I just wasnÕt sure how to say it. The first line of the chapter said, ÒWe share with other species a common relationship to the Earth.Ó
The article went on to say that if we keep treating the planet Earth this way that we will become extinct like to dinosaurs. Even though we Òsometimes speak of the dinosaurs as failures; there will be time enough for that judgment when we have lasted even for one tenth as longÉÓ I thought that maybe I could use this argument to show the people destroying Gaia-too that they were destroying their connection to nature. I wrote them a poem about suburban sprawl and the problems that it causes to the natural environment. I spent all night looking up facts about the creek and asking my grandmother, mother, and cousin questions about the land. By the time that I was ready for bed, I was also ready to fight for what had been my familyÕs home since before my grandma could even remember. I was so excited I could barely sleep.
The next morning, I arrived at Gaia-too before the workers. As I was going over my speech for what felt like the one-hundredth time, the workers showed up. One of the men, told me as he hoisted his chainsaw from a truck, ÒHoney, you should play somewhere else. Grown folks got to clear this place.Ó All of a sudden I felt intimidated. I wondered if I should just be like everyone else and let the land and its creek be taken from us without a fight. I looked back behind the trees next to the creek and I saw my grandmother, Little Bro, Eric and Madeline. I felt brave and supported. I stood on a rock along the creekÕs bank and recited my poem:

Small and simple
But vast and wide is your place in my heart
I had always hoped
That we would never part

But those who know not your value
Want to take you away
Instead of understanding
The important part to nature you play

At this point, many of the workers stopped what they were doing and began to stare at me. Many of them looked really confused, but my family was smiling. They looked really proud of me, so I kept going.

Four Mile Creek
You have long been my best friend
Some place to go to
When my house is not a heaven

My grandmother says
On your banks many indigenous tribes did roam
She says that fish and insects
And other life forms call you their home

But if humans keep destroying your riparian zone
A riparian zone that filters out the abundance of nutrients and pesticides
Along with too little shade, soil erosion, and the destruction of natural habitats
Endangered fish such as the pirate perch and the brook trout will surely die

One of the workers who had a ÒI love to fishÓ t-shirt on looked up at me then and looked concerned, probably about the future of his hobby. I continued.

For those of you who might say
That nature is not here in our own backyard
That in order to find serenity
We must go out and camp in a national park

I say nature is found everywhere
Even in a well-manicured lawn
And that we need to protect it all
Because for protection it is us that nature depends on

It is our responsibly
To be one with our Earth
Because if we do not
It is ourselves that we will ultimately hurt

By the time I was done, all the workers were silent. Many were puzzled, but many were also smiling sheepishly. After a long pause one of the men spoke up.
ÒTheyÕre just trees, Sweety. And weÕre just doing our job.Ó
ÒThey are not just trees! YouÕre not listening to me!Ó I exclaimed. ÒThey protect the creek and house the animals. My grandmother once told me legendary indigenous American Chief Seattle said, ÔHow can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can we buy them? All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. One thing we know. Our God is the same. This earth is precious to Him. Even the white man cannot be exempt from this common destiny.Õ This land means a lot to me and my family, and it should mean a lot to you too!Ó
The slam of a truck door rang through the air. An important looking man stomped angrily towards us, yelling about deadlines and pay cuts. I jumped when he turned his mean, little eyes on me.
ÒYouÕre d

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