Walking Spirit in a Native Way

  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.....

  TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE   1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!   First, we survived being born to mothers  who smoked and/or drank while they were  Pregnant.  They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,  Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.  We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,  locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode  our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.  As infants & children,  we would ride in cars with no car seats,  No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day w as always a special treat.  We drank water  From the garden hose and not from a bottle.  We shared one soft drink with four friends,...

Excerpt from book: Walking  Spirit in a Native Way                                                       Man or Spirit Drawing by Brian Matrious aka Nish Nung Ojibwe Elder It was still dark out.  I thought I heard something outside my tent and awoke with a start.  What was that I wondered?  Then I heard a crackling of a fire and saw light on the side of my tent.  The crackling was close.  That is my fire!  I had put it out last night so how could it have started up with no wood.  I heard someone pick up a piece of kindling and put it into the fire.  It couldn’t be the kids?!  “This is my camp!” I said, in as strong and firm a voice as I could muster.  “Can I help you?”  I tensely waited for a response. A quiet, yet also strong, male voice came back.  “Are you looking f...

James B. Beard’s New Book “Walking Spirit in a Native Way: White Mocs on the Red Road” A  journey, guided by the teachings of Ojibwe Elders and rooted in the values of balance, wellness, and natural spirit, is deeply meaningful especially in today’s world where many are searching for peace, direction, and reconnection. https://fultonbooks.com/books/?book=walking-spirit-in-a-native-way   Available at these on-line stores    Please Repost This Article! James Beard aka Noodin                Cultural Storyteller, Educator, Speaker,                Author         Available in stores and online! Walking Spirit in a Native Way shares timeless teachings from Native Elders that remain as meaningful today as ever. For over thirty years, Jim has learned from Ojibwa/Chippewa Elders, presenting their wisdom to schools, communities, and Native tribes across North America. R...

  What do you mean you’re going to Ceremonies?   December 1, 2009, by Bob Goulais     “I’m going to ceremonies.”     If you work for an aboriginal organization or around First Nations people, chances are you may have heard the phrase .  You may even know a few people that take time off every few months in order to attend ceremonies.   But what does that mean :  “ going to ceremonies?”   Here’s the answer from an ethnographic, socio-anthropological point-of-view.   But please understand that this article is a plain-language, nuts and bolts overview of a very rich and diverse way of life .  It certainly does not depict the intense spiritual and intellectual traditions of the Midewiwin way of life.   The Midewiwin is holistic in it’s being .  Meaning that birth, formal education, higher education, family life, marriage, parenting, value systems, vocations, governance and leadership, laws, the clan system, social st...