Light Gathers in Pools

Momaday, as both Thoreau and Dillard and many others, finds beauty in the land. However he is far more interested in the love of land than either Dillard or Thoreau. Thoreau is definitely of the mind that land is for use/ownership as well as for beauty, and Dillard is closer to Momaday’s mindset, but the difference in culture here is very apparent. Momaday knows that the land belongs to no one and holds an inexplicable quality of beauty and life. Dillard also notes this beauty and mystery, but also notes the more macabre aspects of Nature, which is not apparent/present in Momaday’s piece. Native Americans value the land for what it is, not what it could be as the American culture views it. We destroy the Earth for our own production, while Native Americans try their best not to harm the Earth and love Nature and will use every part of an animal that they consume while Americans cultivate animals and keep them in atrocious conditions, with no regard for Nature or the spirit of animals (Anohni, a Native American, sings to lament the separation of people from the Earth as Americans have driven a stake between harmonious coexistence to ownership). Dillard, as someone who lives in a culture that does not value Nature for what it is, tries to bring back a respect for the land as Momaday describes, though perhaps not to the same level. She has an attention to detail that rises to the level of respect that Native Americans hold, and seems to allow Nature to go about as it always has, marveling at things as small as particles in water and things as big as the flood. These almost seem to rise to the level of spiritual experiences that it seems the people Momaday describes would have. 

Momaday helps us to see that Dillard’s project is definitely, if only partially, to bring an aspect of love back to the viewing of the land. The way Momaday and Native Americans such as the Kiowa and Pueblo describe land is very similar to the way that Dillard does, using art and poetry/song whereas Dillard is very poetic in her writing and uses various literary elements to create the same sense of belonging in Nature that Momaday describes. Momaday’s piece also shows that Dillard’s view of the land is not one of ownership or of the mindset of “what can I use this land for for my own selfish human wants” but rather closer to that of a Native American; she does as times tamper with Nature (bringing praying mantis egg sacks, etc back to her home to observe closer) but mainly seems to want to let Nature go on as it will. Momaday’s piece also seems to highlight the fact that Dillard is amazed by what Nature has to offer, both big and small. 

Almost every environmental writer seems to notice some quality of beauty in Nature, though Dillard and Momaday take this to a whole new level. They also offer new perspectives on life and the inexplicable. Nature holds a sense of wonder and mystery that environmental writing can help open our eyes to, and Dillard in particular does a wonderful job of this, going so far as to focus purely on Nature to the point where we don’t even realize that she lives in a neighborhood in the suburbs. This even shows that one can find Nature no matter where they are and they should seek it out and spend time observing and harmonizing with Nature.