It is evident from numerous North American short stories that the environment and nature is a dominant force in North American literature. Short stories such as, "Kill Day on the Government Wharf," "The Loons," written by Margaret Laurence, "The Old Woman" written by Joyce Marshall, "Copper Woman" and "Daughters of Copper Woman," written by Anne Cameron all portray this. These recurring themes include respect for what the environment and what nature has given us, the continuous deterioration of cultural and natural environment due to other more dominant cultures' influence and the effect that the environment we live in can have on us. Native Americans believed that the spirit world was a part of the natural world. Therefore they treated everything in the natural world with the utmost respect. This is a large influence in North American literature and can be seen through shorts stories such as "Copper Woman" and "Daughters of Copper Woman," written by Anne Cameron. "Copper Woman" presents the world as a pure and natural environment. The overall message of this story is to respect and accept whatever the environment and what nature has given us. "The magic women told her not to feel shame accept even this most gross evidence of her own mortality...when body secretions flow, are holy and sacred times. In this passage the view that the spirit world is alive in the natural world is evident. Furthermore it shows that gifts from nature should be accepted regardless of how gross it may be. The North American short story "Daughters of Copper Woman" gives details of how the tribal women were taught to care for and enjoy their bodies as well as how to respect themselves. "Who cannot love herself cannot love anybody. Who is ashamed of her body is ashamed of all life. Who finds dirt or filth in her body is lost. Who cannot respect the gifts even before birth can never respect anything fully." "Daughters of Copper Woman expresses the strong vie