Camp Fire Adult Weekend takes place every year, the last weekend of February on Vashon Island at Camp Sealth (named for Chief Seattle, the head of the local Indian tribe in the mid-1800’s). During the weekend, adults get to sample many crafts, activities, and subjects.

This year the theme was “Around the World in 36 Hours” and I was asked to teach a two-hour Esperanto mini-course. Later my students presented two Esperanto songs during the lunch hour and also took part in the inspirational meeting on Sunday morning. My daughter Beth and I took turns reading from a speech given by Chief Seattle in 1856 when he was asked by the US government to sell the land that the tribe called home. Beth read the English parts and I the Esperanto:

Message to the Modern World

How can you buy or sell the sky — the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. Yet we do not own the freshness of the air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us?

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people.

Mesaĝo al la moderna mondo

Kiel oni povas aĉeti aŭ vendi la ĉielon – la varmecon de la lando? Tio estas stranga ideo por ni! Ni ja posedas nek la freŝecon de la aero nek la trembrilon de la akvo. Kiel vi povas aĉeti ilin de ni?

Ĉiu parto de tiu grundo estas sankta por miaj tribanoj, ĉiu brilanta pinglo de pino, ĉiu sabla bordo de lago, ĉiu nebuleto en la malhelaj arbaroj, ĉiu saltetanta kaj zumanta insekto estas sankta por la memoro kaj la vivsperto de miaj tribanoj.

This was a fitting message since the camp sits in the midst of 400 wooded acres abutting Puget Sound. Not only did the class members get a taste of Esperanto, but so did approximately 100 other participants.