‘It’s how we used to do it’ — natural burial and walking toward the end

Death is something that’s sure. It’s also something many of us avoid. Certain people, though, have made facing death part of their everyday life.

In an opening feature, we visit Larkspur Conservation – one of the only conservation burial grounds in the

Courtesy of Lindsey Baydoun

Lindsey Baydoun and her father, Cory Fite

country as we say goodbye to one man’s son. Then we speak with a woman who recently buried her dad at Larkspur as well as ordained ministers from different traditions about how they are plugging into, and guiding us through, the dying time.

First up: @ Us!  We answer a couple of questions about our Native Roots episode and talk about a poem our guest Anita Smith shared with us after our recent episode on domestic violence, “He Gave Me Flowers Today.”

Guests: 

• Lindsey Baydoun, photographer who recently lost her father, Cory Fite
• Becca Stevens, speaker, social entrepreneur, author, priest, founder of 10 nonprofit justice initiatives including Larkspur Conservation, and president of Thistle Farms
• Chaplain Omarán Lee, pastoral counselor, chaplain at Nashville General Hospital at Meharry
• Rev. Jeannie Alexander, co-founder and co-director of No Exceptions Prison Collective, death doula in training

More:

• A documentary on Larkspur will be available on PBS beginning April 18. Learn more here.
• See more photos of Cory Fite’s burial ceremony that is featured in the documentary here. Photos by John Brown and courtesy Lindsey Baydoun.