A River Runs Through Us

 

“Life in us is like the water in a river.” – Henry David Thoreau

 

Born and raised less than a mile from the Susquehanna in Northeast Pennsylvania, I spent much of my youth fishing and exploring in and around the river. The same neighborhood Little League field is still in the shadow of the dike that keeps the river within its banks, as is the nearby elementary school that we attended through grade seven. We spent hours at the river exploring nature, foraging, building forts, developing our outdoorsman skills and genuinely feeling like we were the first to tread in this natural playground and wilderness habitat.

 

Our young minds were mostly unaware that years earlier, these same river banks were inhabited by Native people, most recently the Susquehannock Nation, who fished and trapped for food and trade at the very spots where we would cast our lines. They were preceded by other Native communities along the Susquehanna Valley dating back centuries.

 

The mighty river passes grandly through the heart of Harrisburg, splits York and Lancaster counties and is part of the fabric of our region, which is rich in Native American history and culture. This month marks the formal recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 9, and as part of that celebration and every day, we honor all of the Indigenous people who occupied this land we now call home. Check out our Inspiration department this month, which discusses ways you can celebrate and honor the contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, and search the interactive map that identifies the location and history of lands inhabited by Indigenous peoples around the world.

 

In this month’s feature article, we acknowledge and share traditional healing wisdom from around the world, noting that, “88 percent of all countries are estimated to use traditional medicine such as herbal remedies, acupuncture and shamanism. The contribution of these practices is increasingly being recognized by Western medicine, especially in collaboration with integrative, holistic and regenerative medicine.”

 

Western medicine and modern technology are a blessing and save lives, mine included. I am encouraged and grateful to be part of a community that provides me the opportunity to also experience ancient healing techniques designed millennia ago that naturally support the innate healing capacity of the human body, and invite a mind-body-soul-health connection.

 

We each have our own unique quest in life; and yet we’re all on a similar journey as humans whenever we seek wisdom to stay healthy and heal ourselves and as we strive daily to feel good, live simply and laugh more.