Water 2000 - Water Conservation, Yesterday and Today
A story of history, culture and politics: Part 3 of a 5 part series.
For some tribes, nature had an intrinsic value unto itself, beyond whatever physical benefits it provided humans. Some tribes even attributed thoughts and feelings to animals, plants, stones, and springs. More than a physical reality of various categories - water, minerals, plants, and animals - nature formed an interconnecting web, with the boundary between the human and nonhuman not always clearly drawn. Some tribes believed that humans, through their efforts or machinations of others, can take on the form of rocks or become trees, coyotes, fish, ducks, or other creatures.