Walking Spirit in a Native Way

  It’s a Skunk! ! OMG ~ It's a Skunk! By: James B. Beard aka Noodin A common resident of the New England woods is Skunk. Monadnock State Park is no exception to this fact and has a well rounded population. It is not uncommon to hear a noise rummaging through food supplies or sniffing around a campsite and realizing that your visitor is Skunk. The first time I encountered Skunk was while going up the mountain at night on a rescue several years back. I saw two eyes looking at me from up the trail as my headlight focused on Skunk. I stopped and waited for him to mosey off the trail before proceeding up the mountain. One evening as I was walking around the campground area in the early evening to make sure everything was quiet. I looked over at a family enjoying their meal at the table in a site. They sat at one end of the table and were completely unaware that Skunk was at the other end of the table enjoying his meal as well. I went in to the campsite and pointed to the ...

Honouring those that honour you! by James B. Beard, author     anishinaabe water walkers Authors note: The feeling I had as I watched the people pack and leave the ceremonial area after Spring Ceremonies in Manitoulan Island.   They are going home today!   They came to visit with the people honouring them. On the first night they visited some of the people in the ode swan / sweat-lodge, and helped the people to heal. The next morning 🌅 the people gathered to greet the sun and a new day. A new 🆕 day, a new beginning. They were pleased to see all the people gathered to honour them. There would be much work for them to do to help the people. They listened to the prayers and intentions of the people and were happy. As the ishkode 🔥/ fire awoke, they came to stand amongst the people. They watched as the people worked to make preparations to ask for renewal and oshkibimadzwin🧬 / new life. All the people did, was to honour them and prepare, they the people, for renewal...

  Awhile back I received a call from a woman in Southern New Hampshire. She wanted to know if I would do a memorial service for her son.  She explained to me that her son had been killed in a drug related shoot out about a year before and that she was seeking closure. Her son was part Micmac, and she wanted a ceremony done in a more traditional indigenous way. I referred her to an Elder, but the Elder declined for health reasons. The Elder then suggested that I do the ceremony for her son. I told her I would do it but would need to meet her and her family before any ceremony to make sure we were on the same page. She invited me to come to her home for dinner and to talk, as well as meet the family. The day I arrived at her home I was greeted at the door by her and her seven-year-old daughter. Before I stepped in the door her daughter looked up and said, "you are the one who is going to do ceremony for my brother.". I answered that I was and she asked' "what is ceremo...

  I really don't like to promote my book I think people will see the title and want to read the message that it carries. I know it doesn't work that way but I wish it did. I was checking the comments on some of the adds I post and came upon a re-post by my niece, Neemin. What she posted melted my heart. It reminded me of the closeness of family, even by adoption. It brought back so many memories of Neemin growing up in Sault Ste. Marie.  Here is what she said: "This book written by my uncle James beard is a must read!!... James is a life long friend of my grandpa Larry Matrious and my dad Brian Matrious... so most of the teachings you will read about in this book come from my family... James not only is a life long friend of my family but he has earned the trust of my misho and my dad to share these teachings.. James became our uncle brother and son to my family years ago...  it makes me so proud to have my grandpa's teachings an my father's together in this book.....

  Gardening with Respect - A Seven Grandfathers Teaching   Garden / Gitigan     The Seven Gifts:: Wisdom , Respect , Honesty , Humility , Love , Courage , Truth     When I was young, I remember my mother always keeping a garden. She would plant lettuce, carrots, beans, peas, corn, potato, tomato, beets, and all sorts of vegetables in the garden. My Dad would go out in the early Spring and turn the soil down to about fifteen inches so that the ground was broken up and would drain well. This was the way to prepare a garden. Mom and Dad would spend weekend s in late May putting in the seeds.    As the garden plants began to grow so did the weeds. We would all go out to weed out the garden throughout the summer. It was a never-ending job. I think we produced more weeds than vegetables. We did have wonderful vegetables to eat and enjoy.    My parents lived from 1903 into the 1970’s. Gardening was a normal part of living for them. When ...