The man raises the conch shell to his mouth and blows into it, its haunting sound saluting the spirits as he turns to the six directions. Turning with him, women in embroidered blouses and long skirts raise smoking incense burners to the east, west, north, south, earth and sky. This call begins the ancient ritual of the temazcalli, or Aztec sweat lodge. Before entering the lodge, the women say a prayer and brush each person with incense smoke.
…What would forest conservation be like if we were engaging with the natural world as beings that we're related with? Many people have heard, for example, that some Native people who live in this country now, refer to the natural world as "all my relations."
