Chelsea Gilbert-Landscapes of the Sacred

"The Lakota was a true naturalist-a lover of nature. He loved the earth and all things of the earth, the attachment growing with age. The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth."--page 79 I feel like this statement perfectly sums up the characteristic Native American. Native Americans were always seen as being more in touch with nature than any other ethnic group. They lived in nature, originated by hunting and gathering in nature, and breathed the outside air. To this day you can still see the love Native Americans have for their cherished land. Native American families still perform rituals and hold traditions that are similar to those hundreds of years ago.