Some might think making the transition to a post carbon life is all about the technical aspects of how we wean ourselves off oil. And yes, much of it is technical, but it’s more complex than that because we have had over a century of industrialization built on cheap fossil fuels. The irony here in Cornwall is that a renewable energy source – the hydro dam, along with its benefits, also wreaked so much heartache and desecration of the land.
I attended two art events at our beautiful, world class Cline House Gallery last month. The first was, Gardening Tips and Other Family Heirlooms. The second was to learn about and layout a labyrinth. Don’t let the names fool you as these were powerful experiences!
The first exhibit provided a vehicle for stories to emerge. I heard a story about an airline pilot who, when flying over the area, said he could feel that the soil was sad. Another poignant story was about a man whose farm had been inundated by the power dam built in the 1950’s and when people asked him how the fishing was, since he took a boat out each day, he said he wasn’t fishing, he was just visiting his land – his former home. The people of Akwesasne are still living with the impact of the inundation – the loss of farmland and an abundant fishery. The industries that came for the cheap power and the easy dumping of pollutants into the river have moved offshore leaving others to clean up the mess. Stories were told about Cornwall still living with and trying to remediate the lands and waters that have been polluted by various industries.
In the second event – learning about and laying out a labyrinth on the lawn in front of the Gallery – participants, in walking the labyrinth, found that they were able to connect with themselves and the land and let go of some of the heaviness in their hearts as well as finding their energy levels increase.
So how does this relate to transition? Well, in order to once again feel confident and optimistic about our future we need to heal from the traumas of the past. We need to heal the soil and the water as well as the broken hearts. This healing can’t come from just ‘moving on’ or ‘forgetting the past’ or even just more economic development. It will require an acknowledgement of what happened to the area and the sadness it wrought. One of the most powerful ways this can be done is through art. By that I mean ‘art’ in all its forms – celebrating culture, painting, music, drama, dance, sculpture, photography, writing and poetry.
Like any stage actor we need to act from a mindset of confidence! To that end we need a massive local effort in all of the arts to acknowledge and provide all the possible avenues to bring back a positive spirit and healing to the land and to ourselves. This power of art was so clearly demonstrated through the art and story-telling and the experience of walking the labyrinth.
So my challenge to us as citizens is this: Pour as much effort – money and time – as it takes to ensure we support several art and culture venues in the city, like the Cline House Gallery, Aultsville Theatre and the future Arts and Culture Centre; that we support art, music and drama programs in schools and local groups like the Seaway Theatre Company; and that we support festivals that celebrate the rich culture we have inherited. These are the ways we can tell the stories that connect us to the past and carry us toward a healing and hopeful future. Only then will we be able to make that bold transition of the spirit, shed the old feelings of insecurity and forge a new positive view of ourselves and our land.
For more information: transitioncornwall.com
