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Horses embellish a landscape

The title of the book comes from the words of the holy man Lakota Lame Deer:

We knew nothing of the strange animal that we received from the white man: the horse. So we call him sunka waken, “holy dog.” For bringing us the horse, we could almost forgive him for bringing us whiskey. Horses make a landscape look more beautiful.

Horses embellish a landscape is a small volume of poetry written by noted writer and activist Alice Walker. The play is a powerful collection of poems that are raw, honest, and celebrate the ability to celebrate life and deal with injustice and abuse.

In fact, the horses beautify the landscape. It is a joy to see them grazing and in communion with the land and with their flock. European settlers, including my own ancestors, also brought other diseases, violence, and the forcible expulsion of native peoples from their tribal lands. Yet amid this devastation, Lame Deer honors the horse’s return to the Americas, saying it was almost worth it.

“Holy Dog” comes home

Interestingly, we know that Eohippus, or Dawn Horse, the ancestor of the modern horse, lived about 58 million years ago. The horse is one of the few Ice Age animals that still survives today and originated in the forests and swamps of North America. Especially prevalent on the Great Plains, Eohippus was only about 14 inches tall. More like a dog than a horse, EM Ensminger describes Eohippus as “a small, graceful animal, just over a foot tall with a slender face, an arched back, short neck, slender legs, and a long tail. adapted to live in swamps. “

Amazing adaptation

When the swamps dried up 18 million years ago, Eohippus adapted by developing a longer neck for grasslands, a single toe or hoof, longer legs, and eyes with nearly 360˚ vision to detect predators. The ability to change food as tall grasses replaced the swamp habitat allowed the horse to survive. Other large animals that survived the Ice Age and drastic climate changes became extinct because they could only eat certain foods that were not available.

Evidence suggests that the descendants of Eohippus crossed the land bridge from the Great Plains to Europe and Asia. 10,000 years ago, horses had disappeared from the United States. Ironically, the descendant of the horse that died in the Americas was returned to the home of its ancestors by conquerors and European invasions.

Holy companion

Lakota’s use of “Holy Dog” to refer to horses is interesting, especially since their ancestor Eohippus was similar in size to a dog. Holy captures the spiritual or otherworldly nature of the horse, while the dog confers the special companion relationship. The words “Saint” and “Dog”, when put together, become a sacred companion.

Is beauty enough?

Lame Deer talks about the beauty of horses and how they enhance the landscape. About fifty years ago, horses lost their jobs in transportation, agriculture, and the military in the Western world. Today it is expensive and time consuming to care for horses that are no longer in “practical” use on the farm, for transport or for war. However, more and more women are becoming horse owners and jockeys. Is the beauty of horses enough to ensure their care and survival, in a culture that values ​​youth, productivity and usefulness?

Hundreds of thousands of women are voting “yes” with their money, their time and their love of horses. Perhaps you are looking for a Sacred Dog, a sacred companion to accompany you on life’s journeys.

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