Some people, it seems, have a very hard time reconciling the hunting and eating of meat with a people who love the land and live with it. The NA way is to hunt and eat meat. Is this cruel? No. All things are living, and each serves a different purpose. But turn the argument around...plants are also living beings, and whether we are vegetarian, fruit eaters, or omnivores as Man was designed to be, we will be killing in order to eat. The difference, I believe, that is the most important thing, is that an Indian will not kill for no reason, and they will do their best to use every portion of the animal that is killed. We also give respect to the animal in question, if animal it is. That respect is paramount and is something missing in the society in the US, no matter what is eaten.

If people weren't meant to eat meat, they would not have been born omnivores, and would not be able to digest meat. So I'll go on happily munching on a nice thick juicy red steak, no matter what others are eating. Because I am Homo sapiens sapiens...others can try to distance themselves from their species if they wish, that is their business. I simply will not.

I have no problem with hunting as long as you eat what you kill. My husband is a hunter, and we usually have venison, squirrel, and rabbit in our freezer. And we eat it. What we can't eat is either buried for fertilizer or donated for other purposes. The guts we give to our friends for their gardens, the fur to local artist who make things with them for charity, and the bones to the neighbors' dogs. I have also gotten my husband into the habit of thanking the animal for dying so that we can live, and leaving a small gift for the earth.

Personally though, I can't hunt myself. I tried it, and I cry every time I kill something. It is really bad. I just get all caught up in the big brown eyes, and soft fur thing. They are sooo cute.