The Spirit plate makes out recognition and gratitude visible to the beings who are making a gift of their seed history, and when properly addressed they can become actively involved in an ongoing life path through other agents, namely ourselves. Their seed histories, with cultural family trees grounded in the natural world that make contributions of inestimable value and tensile strength to the DNA of any bonding entity, are at least as hugely long and venerable as ours.
Most of these connections and contributions are beyond our ken, but heartfelt gestures of gratitude and respect for these living things are ours to express through remembering our connections to the best of our abilities—where and when they lived and grew, who harvested them, how they were handled and for what purpose and by whom. The questions are always, what do we have to do that these things will live?
The Spirit plate is prepared by selecting very small and representative pieces of each feast food on the table ... mindfully collected with the left, offering hand, taken outside, and offered with a prayer of recognition and gratitude ... I like to raise the plate and turn it to the seven directions, lastly approaching the Mother Earth four times before lowering the plate to the earth ...Shewen dagzewin! A blessing is visited upon us this day!
We enter the fourth quarter of the Medicine Wheel on a resonant completion chord of our Nishnabé Creation Story and the seasonal Star Map…it is by these original gifts, teachings and certain things that we do find our WAY.
BIBOON
This season of Biboon brings the gathering and harvesting season, which invites us to celebrate the harvest and the preceding year’s labors and gifts with remembrance, gratitude and honoring words. This season seats but one of the times within which we may individually or collectively consider setting aside four days of ceremony…for we would remember that if one can take one’s life into four days of dedicated, personal ceremony, we can change it. How? For moving into a dedicated structure of this kind. These days can and will lead us, through feasting, speaking, dance and song, onto a renewed path connecting us with the mind of Giche Manidoo and the original dream of life that opened a vital chord for us to travel to this Sacred Land.
The Original Thanksgiving
The honoring memories and words are fused with the hearts, minds, bodies and Spirits of Sekmekwe, Gizes and all of the other Powers, Directions, Colors: the elemental helpers of the noden (wind beings), mine (water beings), sen (rock beings), shkodé (fire beings) and the skebyak (green beings). The ones that fly, swim, crawl and walk as well as those sentient and insentient beings of which do not or cannot know or name. These ones that came into original agreement with the sacred emissaries of Jijak (the crane), Maak (the loon), to receive and support those of us making a petition to Giche Manidoo for a place to live.
Mother Earth by Minisa Crumbo Halsey
Jijak and Maak
It is for these things that we make the gratitude and recognition prayers. These two beings were the first of the physical celestial beings which journeyed from their constellations and their star bodies are among those that announce the changing of the seasons. Jijak, known as the Summer Cross, and Maak, known as the North Star. Other winter constellations are Ajik Negos, known as Fisher, or Ursa Major, and Majo Negos (moose), known as Pegasus.
Ponde’se’ Negos
WINTER MAKER OR THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION
It is Winter Maker, with the three sacred center stars known as the Belt of Orion, that positions itself to be easily seen in the early night sky, riding above the southeastern horizon. This constellation unmistakably announces to all that winter has arrived.
The winter migrations are complete. Mko the bear has made the fat and sought the winter dream time hibernation deep within the resting body of Sekmekwe.
The Neshnabé Creation Story is who we are and what we have. We “make marriages” with these gifts and by doing so, “we are breathed alive.” By doing so we breathe with all of Creation. When we took two-legged physical form, as Spirit Beings living within the concept of duality, we are told that there were two things we wanted. Firstly, we wanted to know. Secondly, we wanted things to do. From these things, we lived and grew.
There are many, many Creation Stories, blessed and given by the Creator to the myriad individuals, tribes and cultures upon Sekmekwe mine Gizes, for which the various peoples may live and grow in peace, truth and beauty, now and forever more. For these things we are grateful and raise voices of praise and connection with you, of which many are the names by which you are known, Creator.
The Seven Grandfather Teachings
These teachings and the story are inextricably intertwined in beauty for all wisdom and knowledge are encoded in the heavens, earth and being of every being.
Some would suggest to now, to consider telling or thinking the Creation Story back to source, thereby completing the sacred hoop, the original sacred Medicine Wheel…and then, to return home again to the center of our personal Medicine Wheel upon Sekmekwe as the sacred two-legged beings that we are. To gather this season by the deep internal fires, to feed the Shkodé (fire) a tobacco offering — that the fire spirit has everything it needs to live in “a good way,” to count, sort, bless and pray over the seeds of the coming season…tell the stories, sleep, heal, make fat and laugh…for this is the time, way and ceremony of the past, the now and of the coming Mnokme or Spring.
AHO! IGUIEN…MAMOGOSNAN, FOR ALL OF THE GIFTS.
CHI MIGWECH, WEWENE MIGWECH
The following books are available in the CPN gift shop to learn more:
Inhabiting the Earth, by Leonard and Mary Moose Nishnabé Creation Story
Note: Minisa wishes to thank Justin Neely, CPN Language Department and staff for all ongoing and outreach programs; Dolores and Don Neaseno Perrot; and Kyle Malott, Pokagon Band Language Department, for his Bode’wadmi Nengo^sek Star Chart and gracious support.
Bozho and Greetings, Dreamers and Vision Questers,
In four days one's life can be changed through a personal, dedicated Vision Quest Ceremony.
Water was one of the first elements that the Creator 'breathed life' into what would become the first, most beautiful and enduring of Mother Earth's gifts, followed by light and fire. These gifts became the cultural foundations of many creation stories and the framework of the medicine wheel. Earth, air, fire and water emanating from an enduringly vital center point ... with which we are all invited to discover and perhaps to occupy ... a point which some would view as a 'sacred flowering tree'.
As in so many internal 'creation stories', there may be an unpredictable combination of past, present and future ... gently known as the 'eternal present'. These elements may appear in the personal gardens we then plant, tend, water, weed and harvest as 'farmers of our lives'. A good vision quest can have a long life. Perhaps as long as the four seasons it takes our mother earth to cycle through ... then again as short as 24 hours or ... four days.
We are the 'vision quest farmers' of our lives. We water the inner gardens and fields with our sacred blood, sweat and tears. Ahh.
Harvest is both a new beginning and renewal. This or any season's seed harvest carries both an ancient provenance and an unpredictable performance for which we must be prepared, for the vision quest is a mystery tour with we see or must be prepared to see 'something that is not yet known'. The Seeds of new life for the plant beings also follow their original instructions and move with 'choice as a sacred choice'.
We pray for our walks to be fused with bravery, courage, forgiveness, loyalty, love and endurance ... for these walks and powers to be with us ... on each, every and all of these, our most sacred and precious life journeys ... nourished by these teachings of the Seven Grandfathers which have guided, encouraged and taught us the 'good ways' to live, from a long time back ... now and forever more, all ways, all days ... Creator, Grandmother, Grandfather and all of the others, named and unnamed, known and unknown ... we offer gratitude for all of the gifts. Chi migwech, wewene chi migwech. Thank you.
AHO! Bama mine, Dawn Woman Citizen Potawatomi Nation
The Spirit plate makes out recognition and gratitude visible to the beings who are making a gift of their seed history, and when properly addressed they can become actively involved in an ongoing life path through other agents, namely ourselves. Their seed histories, with cultural family trees grounded in the natural world that make contributions of inestimable value and tensile strength to the DNA of any bonding entity, are at least as hugely long and venerable as ours.
Most of these connections and contributions are beyond our ken, but heartfelt gestures of gratitude and respect for these living things are ours to express through remembering our connections to the best of our abilities—where and when they lived and grew, who harvested them, how they were handled and for what purpose and by whom. The questions are always, what do we have to do that these things will live?
The Spirit plate is prepared by selecting very small and representative pieces of each feast food on the table ... mindfully collected with the left, offering hand, taken outside, and offered with a prayer of recognition and gratitude ... I like to raise the plate and turn it to the seven directions, lastly approaching the Mother Earth four times before lowering the plate to the earth ...Shewen dagzewin! A blessing is visited upon us this day!
Let us sit beside our inner fires, warm ourselves and listen to the heartbeat
and song of Sekmekwe - Heart Beat of the Mother Earth.
-- Dawn Woman
Meaningful Teachings of the Drum
As First Nation’s People, we have always been told that the first drum beat we hear, is when we are inside our mother. That drumbeat we hear is known as the heart of our mom. In cultures all over the world, there is known to be a drum that is significant to them.
Drums have always been a part of human life since the beginning and have great importance in First Nation culture. There are many stories as to how the drum came to be but for now, we will focus on just a few for today.
We enter the fourth quarter of the Medicine Wheel on a resonant completion chord of our Nishnabé Creation Story and the seasonal Star Map…it is by these original gifts, teachings and certain things that we do find our WAY.
BIBOON
This season of Biboon brings the gathering and harvesting season, which invites us to celebrate the harvest and the preceding year’s labors and gifts with remembrance, gratitude and honoring words. This season seats but one of the times within which we may individually or collectively consider setting aside four days of ceremony…for we would remember that if one can take one’s life into four days of dedicated, personal ceremony, we can change it. How? For moving into a dedicated structure of this kind. These days can and will lead us, through feasting, speaking, dance and song, onto a renewed path connecting us with the mind of Giche Manidoo and the original dream of life that opened a vital chord for us to travel to this Sacred Land.
The Original Thanksgiving
The honoring memories and words are fused with the hearts, minds, bodies and Spirits of Sekmekwe, Gizes and all of the other Powers, Directions, Colors: the elemental helpers of the noden (wind beings), mine (water beings), sen (rock beings), shkodé (fire beings) and the skebyak (green beings). The ones that fly, swim, crawl and walk as well as those sentient and insentient beings of which do not or cannot know or name. These ones that came into original agreement with the sacred emissaries of Jijak (the crane), Maak (the loon), to receive and support those of us making a petition to Giche Manidoo for a place to live.
Mother Earth by Minisa Crumbo Halsey
Jijak and Maak
It is for these things that we make the gratitude and recognition prayers. These two beings were the first of the physical celestial beings which journeyed from their constellations and their star bodies are among those that announce the changing of the seasons. Jijak, known as the Summer Cross, and Maak, known as the North Star. Other winter constellations are Ajik Negos, known as Fisher, or Ursa Major, and Majo Negos (moose), known as Pegasus.
Ponde’se’ Negos
WINTER MAKER OR THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION
It is Winter Maker, with the three sacred center stars known as the Belt of Orion, that positions itself to be easily seen in the early night sky, riding above the southeastern horizon. This constellation unmistakably announces to all that winter has arrived.
The winter migrations are complete. Mko the bear has made the fat and sought the winter dream time hibernation deep within the resting body of Sekmekwe.
The Neshnabé Creation Story is who we are and what we have. We “make marriages” with these gifts and by doing so, “we are breathed alive.” By doing so we breathe with all of Creation. When we took two-legged physical form, as Spirit Beings living within the concept of duality, we are told that there were two things we wanted. Firstly, we wanted to know. Secondly, we wanted things to do. From these things, we lived and grew.
There are many, many Creation Stories, blessed and given by the Creator to the myriad individuals, tribes and cultures upon Sekmekwe mine Gizes, for which the various peoples may live and grow in peace, truth and beauty, now and forever more. For these things we are grateful and raise voices of praise and connection with you, of which many are the names by which you are known, Creator.
The Seven Grandfather Teachings
These teachings and the story are inextricably intertwined in beauty for all wisdom and knowledge are encoded in the heavens, earth and being of every being.
Some would suggest to now, to consider telling or thinking the Creation Story back to source, thereby completing the sacred hoop, the original sacred Medicine Wheel…and then, to return home again to the center of our personal Medicine Wheel upon Sekmekwe as the sacred two-legged beings that we are. To gather this season by the deep internal fires, to feed the Shkodé (fire) a tobacco offering — that the fire spirit has everything it needs to live in “a good way,” to count, sort, bless and pray over the seeds of the coming season…tell the stories, sleep, heal, make fat and laugh…for this is the time, way and ceremony of the past, the now and of the coming Mnokme or Spring.
AHO! IGUIEN…MAMOGOSNAN, FOR ALL OF THE GIFTS.
CHI MIGWECH, WEWENE MIGWECH
The following books are available in the CPN gift shop to learn more:
Inhabiting the Earth, by Leonard and Mary Moose Nishnabé Creation Story
Note: Minisa wishes to thank Justin Neely, CPN Language Department and staff for all ongoing and outreach programs; Dolores and Don Neaseno Perrot; and Kyle Malott, Pokagon Band Language Department, for his Bode’wadmi Nengo^sek Star Chart and gracious support.
Let us sit beside our inner fires, warm ourselves and listen to the heartbeat
and song of Sekmekwe - Heart Beat of the Mother Earth.
-- Dawn Woman
Meaningful Teachings of the Drum
As First Nation’s People, we have always been told that the first drum beat we hear, is when we are inside our mother. That drumbeat we hear is known as the heart of our mom. In cultures all over the world, there is known to be a drum that is significant to them.
Drums have always been a part of human life since the beginning and have great importance in First Nation culture. There are many stories as to how the drum came to be but for now, we will focus on just a few for today.
Bozho and Greetings, Dreamers and Vision Questers,
In four days one's life can be changed through a personal, dedicated Vision Quest Ceremony.
Water was one of the first elements that the Creator 'breathed life' into what would become the first, most beautiful and enduring of Mother Earth's gifts, followed by light and fire. These gifts became the cultural foundations of many creation stories and the framework of the medicine wheel. Earth, air, fire and water emanating from an enduringly vital center point ... with which we are all invited to discover and perhaps to occupy ... a point which some would view as a 'sacred flowering tree'.
As in so many internal 'creation stories', there may be an unpredictable combination of past, present and future ... gently known as the 'eternal present'. These elements may appear in the personal gardens we then plant, tend, water, weed and harvest as 'farmers of our lives'. A good vision quest can have a long life. Perhaps as long as the four seasons it takes our mother earth to cycle through ... then again as short as 24 hours or ... four days.
We are the 'vision quest farmers' of our lives. We water the inner gardens and fields with our sacred blood, sweat and tears. Ahh.
Harvest is both a new beginning and renewal. This or any season's seed harvest carries both an ancient provenance and an unpredictable performance for which we must be prepared, for the vision quest is a mystery tour with we see or must be prepared to see 'something that is not yet known'. The Seeds of new life for the plant beings also follow their original instructions and move with 'choice as a sacred choice'.
We pray for our walks to be fused with bravery, courage, forgiveness, loyalty, love and endurance ... for these walks and powers to be with us ... on each, every and all of these, our most sacred and precious life journeys ... nourished by these teachings of the Seven Grandfathers which have guided, encouraged and taught us the 'good ways' to live, from a long time back ... now and forever more, all ways, all days ... Creator, Grandmother, Grandfather and all of the others, named and unnamed, known and unknown ... we offer gratitude for all of the gifts. Chi migwech, wewene chi migwech. Thank you.
AHO! Bama mine, Dawn Woman Citizen Potawatomi Nation
The Spirit plate makes out recognition and gratitude visible to the beings who are making a gift of their seed history, and when properly addressed they can become actively involved in an ongoing life path through other agents, namely ourselves. Their seed histories, with cultural family trees grounded in the natural world that make contributions of inestimable value and tensile strength to the DNA of any bonding entity, are at least as hugely long and venerable as ours.
Most of these connections and contributions are beyond our ken, but heartfelt gestures of gratitude and respect for these living things are ours to express through remembering our connections to the best of our abilities—where and when they lived and grew, who harvested them, how they were handled and for what purpose and by whom. The questions are always, what do we have to do that these things will live?
The Spirit plate is prepared by selecting very small and representative pieces of each feast food on the table ... mindfully collected with the left, offering hand, taken outside, and offered with a prayer of recognition and gratitude ... I like to raise the plate and turn it to the seven directions, lastly approaching the Mother Earth four times before lowering the plate to the earth ...Shewen dagzewin! A blessing is visited upon us this day!
We enter the fourth quarter of the Medicine Wheel on a resonant completion chord of our Nishnabé Creation Story and the seasonal Star Map…it is by these original gifts, teachings and certain things that we do find our WAY.
BIBOON
This season of Biboon brings the gathering and harvesting season, which invites us to celebrate the harvest and the preceding year’s labors and gifts with remembrance, gratitude and honoring words. This season seats but one of the times within which we may individually or collectively consider setting aside four days of ceremony…for we would remember that if one can take one’s life into four days of dedicated, personal ceremony, we can change it. How? For moving into a dedicated structure of this kind. These days can and will lead us, through feasting, speaking, dance and song, onto a renewed path connecting us with the mind of Giche Manidoo and the original dream of life that opened a vital chord for us to travel to this Sacred Land.
The Original Thanksgiving
The honoring memories and words are fused with the hearts, minds, bodies and Spirits of Sekmekwe, Gizes and all of the other Powers, Directions, Colors: the elemental helpers of the noden (wind beings), mine (water beings), sen (rock beings), shkodé (fire beings) and the skebyak (green beings). The ones that fly, swim, crawl and walk as well as those sentient and insentient beings of which do not or cannot know or name. These ones that came into original agreement with the sacred emissaries of Jijak (the crane), Maak (the loon), to receive and support those of us making a petition to Giche Manidoo for a place to live.
Mother Earth by Minisa Crumbo Halsey
Jijak and Maak
It is for these things that we make the gratitude and recognition prayers. These two beings were the first of the physical celestial beings which journeyed from their constellations and their star bodies are among those that announce the changing of the seasons. Jijak, known as the Summer Cross, and Maak, known as the North Star. Other winter constellations are Ajik Negos, known as Fisher, or Ursa Major, and Majo Negos (moose), known as Pegasus.
Ponde’se’ Negos
WINTER MAKER OR THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION
It is Winter Maker, with the three sacred center stars known as the Belt of Orion, that positions itself to be easily seen in the early night sky, riding above the southeastern horizon. This constellation unmistakably announces to all that winter has arrived.
The winter migrations are complete. Mko the bear has made the fat and sought the winter dream time hibernation deep within the resting body of Sekmekwe.
The Neshnabé Creation Story is who we are and what we have. We “make marriages” with these gifts and by doing so, “we are breathed alive.” By doing so we breathe with all of Creation. When we took two-legged physical form, as Spirit Beings living within the concept of duality, we are told that there were two things we wanted. Firstly, we wanted to know. Secondly, we wanted things to do. From these things, we lived and grew.
There are many, many Creation Stories, blessed and given by the Creator to the myriad individuals, tribes and cultures upon Sekmekwe mine Gizes, for which the various peoples may live and grow in peace, truth and beauty, now and forever more. For these things we are grateful and raise voices of praise and connection with you, of which many are the names by which you are known, Creator.
The Seven Grandfather Teachings
These teachings and the story are inextricably intertwined in beauty for all wisdom and knowledge are encoded in the heavens, earth and being of every being.
Some would suggest to now, to consider telling or thinking the Creation Story back to source, thereby completing the sacred hoop, the original sacred Medicine Wheel…and then, to return home again to the center of our personal Medicine Wheel upon Sekmekwe as the sacred two-legged beings that we are. To gather this season by the deep internal fires, to feed the Shkodé (fire) a tobacco offering — that the fire spirit has everything it needs to live in “a good way,” to count, sort, bless and pray over the seeds of the coming season…tell the stories, sleep, heal, make fat and laugh…for this is the time, way and ceremony of the past, the now and of the coming Mnokme or Spring.
AHO! IGUIEN…MAMOGOSNAN, FOR ALL OF THE GIFTS.
CHI MIGWECH, WEWENE MIGWECH
The following books are available in the CPN gift shop to learn more:
Inhabiting the Earth, by Leonard and Mary Moose Nishnabé Creation Story
Note: Minisa wishes to thank Justin Neely, CPN Language Department and staff for all ongoing and outreach programs; Dolores and Don Neaseno Perrot; and Kyle Malott, Pokagon Band Language Department, for his Bode’wadmi Nengo^sek Star Chart and gracious support.
From left, Mko (bear), Jijak (crane) and Maang (loon) images by Minisa Crumbo Halsey
By Minisa Crumbo Halsey
GAA BIBOON KED
Winter Wisdom Teachings
Ahau and Bozho nikanek,
We enter the fourth quarter of the Medicine Wheel on a resonant completion chord of our Nishnabé Creation Story and the seasonal Star Map…it is by these original gifts, teachings and certain things that we do find our WAY.
BIBOON
This season of Biboon brings the gathering and harvesting season, which invites us to celebrate the harvest and the preceding year’s labors and gifts with remembrance, gratitude and honoring words. This season seats but one of the times within which we may individually or collectively consider setting aside four days of ceremony…for we would remember that if one can take one’s life into four days of dedicated, personal ceremony, we can change it. How? For moving into a dedicated structure of this kind. These days can and will lead us, through feasting, speaking, dance and song, onto a renewed path connecting us with the mind of Giche Manidoo and the original dream of life that opened a vital chord for us to travel to this Sacred Land.
The Original Thanksgiving
The honoring memories and words are fused with the hearts, minds, bodies and Spirits of Sekmekwe, Gizes and all of the other Powers, Directions, Colors: the elemental helpers of the noden (wind beings), mine (water beings), sen (rock beings), shkodé (fire beings) and the skebyak (green beings). The ones that fly, swim, crawl and walk as well as those sentient and insentient beings of which do not or cannot know or name. These ones that came into original agreement with the sacred emissaries of Jijak (the crane), Maak (the loon), to receive and support those of us making a petition to Giche Manidoo for a place to live.
Mother Earth by Minisa Crumbo Halsey
Jijak and Maak
It is for these things that we make the gratitude and recognition prayers. These two beings were the first of the physical celestial beings which journeyed from their constellations and their star bodies are among those that announce the changing of the seasons. Jijak, known as the Summer Cross, and Maak, known as the North Star. Other winter constellations are Ajik Negos, known as Fisher, or Ursa Major, and Majo Negos (moose), known as Pegasus.
Ponde’se’ Negos
WINTER MAKER OR THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION
It is Winter Maker, with the three sacred center stars known as the Belt of Orion, that positions itself to be easily seen in the early night sky, riding above the southeastern horizon. This constellation unmistakably announces to all that winter has arrived.
The winter migrations are complete. Mko the bear has made the fat and sought the winter dream time hibernation deep within the resting body of Sekmekwe.
The Neshnabé Creation Story is who we are and what we have. We “make marriages” with these gifts and by doing so, “we are breathed alive.” By doing so we breathe with all of Creation. When we took two-legged physical form, as Spirit Beings living within the concept of duality, we are told that there were two things we wanted. Firstly, we wanted to know. Secondly, we wanted things to do. From these things, we lived and grew.
There are many, many Creation Stories, blessed and given by the Creator to the myriad individuals, tribes and cultures upon Sekmekwe mine Gizes, for which the various peoples may live and grow in peace, truth and beauty, now and forever more. For these things we are grateful and raise voices of praise and connection with you, of which many are the names by which you are known, Creator.
Winter Maker by Minisa Crumbo Halsey
The Seven Grandfather Teachings
These teachings and the story are inextricably intertwined in beauty for all wisdom and knowledge are encoded in the heavens, earth and being of every being.
Some would suggest to now, to consider telling or thinking the Creation Story back to source, thereby completing the sacred hoop, the original sacred Medicine Wheel…and then, to return home again to the center of our personal Medicine Wheel upon Sekmekwe as the sacred two-legged beings that we are. To gather this season by the deep internal fires, to feed the Shkodé (fire) a tobacco offering — that the fire spirit has everything it needs to live in “a good way,” to count, sort, bless and pray over the seeds of the coming season…tell the stories, sleep, heal, make fat and laugh…for this is the time, way and ceremony of the past, the now and of the coming Mnokme or Spring.
AHO! IGUIEN…MAMOGOSNAN, FOR ALL OF THE GIFTS.
CHI MIGWECH, WEWENE MIGWECH
The following books are available in the CPN gift shop to learn more:
Inhabiting the Earth, by Leonard and Mary Moose Nishnabé Creation Story
Note: Minisa wishes to thank Justin Neely, CPN Language Department and staff for all ongoing and outreach programs; Dolores and Don Neaseno Perrot; and Kyle Malott, Pokagon Band Language Department, for his Bode’wadmi Nengo^sek Star Chart and gracious support.
Bozho and Greetings, Dreamers and Vision Questers,
In four days one's life can be changed through a personal, dedicated Vision Quest Ceremony.
Water was one of the first elements that the Creator 'breathed life' into what would become the first, most beautiful and enduring of Mother Earth's gifts, followed by light and fire. These gifts became the cultural foundations of many creation stories and the framework of the medicine wheel. Earth, air, fire and water emanating from an enduringly vital center point ... with which we are all invited to discover and perhaps to occupy ... a point which some would view as a 'sacred flowering tree'.
As in so many internal 'creation stories', there may be an unpredictable combination of past, present and future ... gently known as the 'eternal present'. These elements may appear in the personal gardens we then plant, tend, water, weed and harvest as 'farmers of our lives'. A good vision quest can have a long life. Perhaps as long as the four seasons it takes our mother earth to cycle through ... then again as short as 24 hours or ... four days.
We are the 'vision quest farmers' of our lives. We water the inner gardens and fields with our sacred blood, sweat and tears. Ahh.
Harvest is both a new beginning and renewal. This or any season's seed harvest carries both an ancient provenance and an unpredictable performance for which we must be prepared, for the vision quest is a mystery tour with we see or must be prepared to see 'something that is not yet known'. The Seeds of new life for the plant beings also follow their original instructions and move with 'choice as a sacred choice'.
We pray for our walks to be fused with bravery, courage, forgiveness, loyalty, love and endurance ... for these walks and powers to be with us ... on each, every and all of these, our most sacred and precious life journeys ... nourished by these teachings of the Seven Grandfathers which have guided, encouraged and taught us the 'good ways' to live, from a long time back ... now and forever more, all ways, all days ... Creator, Grandmother, Grandfather and all of the others, named and unnamed, known and unknown ... we offer gratitude for all of the gifts. Chi migwech, wewene chi migwech. Thank you.
AHO! Bama mine, Dawn Woman Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Most of these connections and contributions are beyond our ken, but heartfelt gestures of gratitude and respect for these living things are ours to express through remembering our connections to the best of our abilities—where and when they lived and grew, who harvested them, how they were handled and for what purpose and by whom. The questions are always, what do we have to do that these things will live?
