During the winter, a lot of stuff is thrown out the windows of vehicles onto highways all over the North; because we don't want to be caught with it, or just out of laziness, don't want to be bothered to make a drop-off at bins in rest areas. The things we throw out in the summer and are an instant eye-sore, but not so visible during the winter till the spring. The Earth has a natural way of cleansing itself with natural elements of sun, wind, rain and air, provided it is natural waste.

Today everything comes with a tag, wrapped, receipts, bagged with a coupon thrown in, to encourage us to do a repeat. With the arrival of spring, the Earth reveals our litter, saying, to us that it's deliberate, so you pick it up. The hardy souls of our human species who have picked up this message got our world leaders to recognize April 22 as Earth Day. It's a message on the calendar that further triggers local residents together in a rally to do our part.

In this case, Behchoko volunteers have organized a barbecue to kick off a cleanup along the highway leading up to the junction. The only requirement is a pair of gloves, good walking footwear and a good attitude.

In the old days in the bush before contact, there were special sites where people visited to make an offering to ask the Earth to peek into the future. The Earth would provide a sign or make a noise in acknowledgment that she is comfortable with you, and you will get to see your grey hairs. If the signs were not there, there was no need to panic; it meant that you need to make a greater effort in how you lived in harmony with land, environment, animals and people. You could always come back and ask again.

Earth Day can be used to re-evaluate and make adjustments in our life, so we can live in the world. We can contribute by ensuring that the waste we produce is discarded in a way that respects the Earth on a daily basis. Getting together volunteers to help pick up litter is really about a community coming together, to remind ourselves that we have a responsibility to our environment.

It is a form of community education at its best that we are responsible for our actions and we are capable of making decisions to make improvements to our communities and way of life. It is a time to groom Mother Earth to let her know we care, something we would like to share with our future generations. The Earth will continue to be comfortable with us.

• John B. Zoe is the acting executive director with Tlicho government and former land claims negotiator. He holds an honorary doctorate of law.