Native

I was recently reading (and right after, immediately re-reading) a book called Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough & Michael Braungart, and one of the points the authors make is that Mankind often treats the earth as if we were not native to it. As if we have the ability to use up all of our resources and then get in a big spaceship and head off to Mars or the moon to consume what’s there. Someone who is truly native to a place expects to always live there and treats it with respect making sure that nothing is wasted and living is sustainable.

And this got me to start thinking about Nantucket. A lot of people here make a big deal about the word “native.” But how many of us really treat the island as if we are native to it? As if we plan to be here for generations. How many of us make no impact on the island with regard to its resources? How many of us are willing to make changes to the island that are not sustainable?

Maybe its time we all became Native Nantucketers.