Ancient Earth and the First Ancestors: A Cultural and Geological Journey

Book excerpt: In this sequel to the award winning Talking Rocks an earth scientist and an Ojibwe elder travel across Minnesota exploring the ancient rocks that make up a large part of that state.As the geologist describes how these rocks formed and brings to life the ancient worlds they created, the elder, through Native American stories, oral history, culture, and science illustrates how his people had an intimate understanding of,and respect for, these ancient rocks and the land they gave shape to.Traveling from Ely, Grand Portage, Gunflint Lake, and Isle Royale in the northern part of the state south to Jeffers, Mor¬ton, and Blue Mounds State Park the two find themselves discussing such diverse topics as the nature of science, holistic geology, mining, science and spirituality, the legacy of the furtrade, significance of the Little Spirit Tree, and much more. Ancient Earth and the First Ancestors not only tells a fascinating story that spans billions of years, but is also a wonderful chronicle of two people from different cultural and scientific heritages learning to understand, appreciate,and see the value and importance in each other’s way of viewing this land and the planet we all call home.