GAIA: Earth Mother
Not to be confused with Gaia from Greek mythology, Kerri Mullen’s poem, “Turtle, Earth Mother” refers to the Native American creation story of Turtle Island – the name given to Earth, or more specifically North America by some Nations.
The original inspiration for her poem stemmed from a visit with her littles to the Ithaca (New York, USA) Children’s Garden. The Children’s Garden is a beautiful spot and has a large garden landscaped on the back of a giant snapping turtle sculpture. It was very thoughtfully designed to acknowledge and pay tribute to the creation story of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) indigenous people of the area. You can read more about the larger-than-life turtle sculpture here: www.ithacachildrensgarden.org/visit-the-garden/about-the-garden/gaia-the-turtle/
Kerri was also inspired by the Turtle Island creation story in Robin Wall Kimmerer‘s book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants. Robin is a fellow scientist, specifically a botanist, and also a member of the Potawatomi nation.
Have you visited the Ithaca Gildren’s Garden or read BRAIDING SWEETGRASS?
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