Informatics Studies

Every part of the earth, each shining pine needle, every sandy shore, the mist in the dark woods, the clearings, and the humming insects are all; sacred. The sap flowing through the trees carries the essence of life that existed here. We are intertwined with the earth, and the earth with us. The fragrant flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horses, and the mighty eagles our brothers. The sparkling water in streams is more than water; it is the blood of our ancestors. The air is precious, for all living things - animals, trees, and humans breathe the same air. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also carries his final sigh. The earth is our mother; whatever happens to the earth affects its children. The earth is not something man owns; rather, man belongs to the earth. Everything is connected, like the blood that links a family. Man did not create the web of life; he is just a single thread in it. Whatever he does to the web, he ultimately does to himself.  - Chief of Seattle Tribe (1854)