Fran Dancing Feather

As children we lived among other Tribes. We were taught dances from our own Haudenosaunee people and also from the local Tribes near our home. One dance I really liked is called the “Backwards and Forwards Dance”. It originated from our family’s Tribe. As stories are told and retold from one generation to the next, they may change a bit so I hope to be able to tell the story of this dance in a way that is respectful to it’s origin. Read the rest of this entry »

“Our past is our greatest asset.” I was told that statement early in my recovery when I was complaining to an elder about the impossibility of overcoming such a horrific life-history. At the time I couldn’t comprehend how this could possibly happen. Dark days and nights homeless in the city streets, unable to read or write, years of causing problems on the reservation, dishonoring my family and our culture and living in a state of self-loathing at the end of my years of drinking and drug abuse had all taken their toll. I was beaten and devoured by the disease of addiction. I sat in meetings wondering why I was even trying to get sober. What would become of me? I had become hopeless and helpless. After a horrific withdrawal and DTs, my health began to return and the mind began to clear. I was weak and thin but the pain ended and I began to relax. The early Springtime found me sitting on a lawn chair under a shade tree gazing at the deep blue lake across the road. The earth was covered with light brown pine needles that crunched under my bare feet, occasionally interrupted by tender new grass. I was surrounded by the stoic strength of the huge old pines of the sacred mountain. The warm sun brought the refreshing scent of pine oil and a gentle breeze moved long shiny clean hair across my shoulders. It was hard to believe I had really quit drinking and drugging after all those years.  Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the holy land! People sometimes ask me why I say that when they come here. They look around at the land and the surrounding mountains as if there might be a printed sign somewhere nearby with the words “Holy Land” painted on it but they see nothing out of the ordinary. That’s because there is nothing here that is out of the ordinary. There are no big places of worship, tall buildings or extraordinary wonders of the world. The place is very rural and the nearest incorporated township is a half hour away, on the other side of the reservation. Older homes sit on acreage or half-acre parcels. It’s pretty quiet except for the sounds of dogs and chickens, or an occasional goat or horse who may be vocally expressing themselves. We are off the well beaten track out here in the holy land. So why is it holy? It is holy because we can feel a conscious contact with the loving Force of Creation. Read the rest of this entry »

Sanctuaries of the physical world are places of refuge or protection or “consecrated places” like temples or buildings designed specifically for worship. A sanctuary may contain an altar or icon of anything that represents a deity or Creator. We may think of our home as sanctuary from the outside world. We feel safe and relaxed in the place we live. We trust our surroundings to bring relief and healing. We are protected and private within our homes. Some people have altars to various belief systems inside their homes. They are special places where they pray or meditate. When I was fairly new to recovery I attended a woman’s retreat. One of the speakers suggested that in our homes we should surround ourselves with things that nurture us and bring a sense of well-being. We do not need expensive art or sculpture in order to feel nurtured but rather simple things and colors that we find soothing. Since I enjoy the blue of the sky and green of the trees some of the rooms are painted sky blue or forest green with clean white trim around windows and doors. In our older home these colors feel rich, relaxing and serene to me. The color brings a wealth of spirit and a feeling of sanctuary. Read the rest of this entry »

The Great Mystery is one way to translate the name of the Creator from a Tribal language. This name “Mystery” reminds us that we cannot fully understand the nature of God, no matter how much we think we may know about Him. Among the Tribes on this continent the Creator has many names in various languages. There are as many Creation stories as there are names for the Great Mystery of Creation. People have been arguing about the nature of this Mystery since we humans first learned to speak. Disagreements do not bring a clearer vision of the supernatural workings of the universe but they keep human beings busy talking. Constant talking is highly over-rated. Sometimes prayer is nothing more then a sense of wonder at the extraordinary interconnection we share with each other and the Greatness of all things. There is a mystical time each day just before the sunrise. The light hasn’t really arrived and yet the darkness is slowly giving way. To grasp this moment and hold it inside the heart would be a perfect poem of gratitude. Read the rest of this entry »

As the fog lifts, we can see the world more clearly. The colors of the sacred earth come to life in stages as the misty morning gives way to the light of a brighter day and a sustaining future filled with hope and renewal. The ways of the earth remind us that our soul cycles just like the seasons of time. When we first enter recovery, the future is dimmed by the fog of unknowing. We are told to put one foot in front of the other and stay focused on today. We learn to walk in the moment and live just one day at a time. Entering recovery is a solemn commitment. It requires courage. Read the rest of this entry »

Many indigenous peoples around the world believe that we can help each other heal from any affliction of the body, mind or spirit by using prayers, natural medicines from the earth and other components of ceremony. These beliefs for many of us, are older than any of us can remember. The skills of healing ceremonies have been carefully guarded and passed from one generation to another throughout the ages for thousands of years. The words and actions of various rituals have been held sacred and very private for most Tribal members and extended families. It is insulting, dangerous and disrespectful when these rituals are copied and corrupted by others who attempt to steal them for profit and recognition. Just last year, a non-native man from our area was arrested for attempting to imitate a Native American ritual that was performed outside Tribal or even Inter-tribal protocol without consulting local Tribal elders. As the result the innocent attendees were charged nine thousand dollars apiece and instructed to trust his leadership without question. Three of them died! The fake “spiritual guru” was jailed and the native community spoke out harshly against his actions in the media. This was a great tragedy and a valuable lesson for everyone. Ancient Tribal culture is not a game or a fantasy. It is to be practiced only under the direction of the Tribal elders being represented. Read the rest of this entry »

Kateri Tekakwitha was one of the victims of the genocide imposed by the early settlers of New England around the year 1660. Her people received blankets that were infected with smallpox and she fell ill and nearly died at the tender age of four years old. The outbreak of the disease killed her brother and both parents and many others of her Mohawk Tribesmen and women. She recovered but her face was severely disfigured and she was left with other resulting physical problems as well. At her Catholic baptism, she was given the name Kateri Tekakwitha, which means “one who puts things in order”. Kateri was shunned by members of her Tribe because of her conversion but she loved the Creator and did not back down to criticism. She devoutly practiced her Tribal traditional spirituality in combination with Catholicism. The virtues of her Tribal loyalty combined with Catholic obedience have served as an ecumenical bridge for many native Americans who feel shunned or discriminated against by early Christians. She is the patron of the environment and ecology, a cause for which many American Indian people, is the very root of our spirituality. She died April 17, 1680. Miraculous events occurred at the moment of her death which qualified her to be considered for Sainthood. Pope Benedict XVI approved her canonization and this year she will become an official Saint. Read the rest of this entry »

The droning sound of powerful jet engines changes to more of a whine as the plane makes it’s final descent over a land of hundreds of deep water lakes and pristine wilderness areas into the airport of a city divided by one of the largest rivers in the country. We will travel by car across a thousand miles of Indian reservations from here into a small native community in Canada. The entire journey is one of great purpose that will nurture me throughout time, in ways I could never imagine. I have no idea of the events that lay ahead or why I would be taken through such a powerful rights-of passage in just a few short days. The driver who would pick me up at the airport knew but I did not. The younger native man is tall with short hair and he meets me at the luggage claim area, carrying a cardboard sign with my name painted on it. I laugh to see my name appear this way and the grin on my new friend’s face. I had wondered why I was asked to make this long trip ahead by land, in a car, instead of flying directly into Canada. I had been asked to serve the people in a particular way and I was concerned but had surrendered to a new adventure. Now it is in the hands of my Creator. Read the rest of this entry »

Before European contact the people lived in harmony with the seasons of the year. The four seasons of the earth each present unique degrees of difficulty. In today’s modern world ,we have lost the awareness and necessity of honoring the cycles of nature. Little effort is needed to move with the heartbeat of Creation. Read the rest of this entry »