Contemporary Connections: Joy Harjo and Human Disconnect from Nature

All photos in this blog post by Eric L. Hu (Instagram: @ericlhu)

In her poem, “When the World as We Knew It Ended,” Joy Harjo comments on the advancement of technology and how disconnected the human race has become from nature and the Earth. She immediately opens up with a vivid scene of industrialism: “Two towers rose up from the east island of commerce and touched the sky. Men walked on the moon. Oil was sucked dry by two brothers. Then it went down. Swallowed by a fire dragon, by oil and fear. Eaten whole.” She clearly and immediately expresses a disconcerting, troubled perception of the growth of industrialism, following up with the explanation of their culture watching industrialism progress right before their eyes, sometimes in places as close as from the kitchen window. Her people could tell that troubling times were coming in the flight patterns of the birds; they knew the dominance of industrialism was coming, but there was no way to prepare. The end of the world as they knew it had come — no longer was man as respectful and loving towards nature as before, building and expanding man-made structures at any cost to nature deemed necessary. Harjo notes the glimpses of inspiration that motivate her and her people to continue persisting, however: The seeds that still need planting, the babies that still need nurturing, the culture that still needs to be preserved and continue growing. 

Take into thought modern American society as a whole: We, along with so many parts of the rest of the world, have made significant technological advancements in such a short period of time, regardless of whether you view it in comparison to the beginning of industrialization, the Medieval era, or even the very beginning of the Earth's existence. Technology is used to build and expand cities, assist us in our daily lives, communicate with others across the world, discover and travel extraterrestrial locations, and so much more. But to what degree have we as a collective society allowed technology and industrialization to desensitize our lives? The millenial generation, and even baby boomers,  have experienced a phenomenon that has never truly been realized in previous generations -- That is, the impact that modern technology can have on an individual right from the very moment they come out of the womb. Of course, technology has affected us even before childbirth in the circumstances of hospital equipment monitoring a fetus' growth and so forth, but I am specifically referring to the technology we personally use ourselves. So many of our parents watched us grow up with computers and TVs, often placing blame on them for "melting our brains" because they grew up playing outside with their friends, riding bikes, and so forth. Us millennials might disagree with the negative connotation our elders associate with computers and TVs, yet we ourselves are confounded when we see five-year-olds casually walking around with iPhones and iPads, their eyes glued to the screens. When they're old enough to understand the larger concept, what will today's five-year-olds think of the generation that follows them? Is technology really improving our lives as much as we think, or are we headed through a swift, debilitating downward spiral?

This is a piece like a fine wine; it'll only get stronger and better as it ages.