Walking Spirit in a Native Way

Moment of Peace On a warm sunny summer day back in 1954, as I recall. I was nine years old and was very bored that day. There was no one around to play with and my mom and dad were busy working around the yard, so I decided to go for a walk and look for friends to play with. There was a place about two miles away from my home that was owned by the Catholic Church. They ran a home there to care for people who were invalids. Maybe the people there were veterans from World War II or something. I really never did know for sure what they did there. It was a property where you just were not supposed to go. The place was a big old estate, thirty or forty acres of land, and was surrounded by a large, forested area. At the back of the estate was a small cottage where one of the nuns lived with her dog. The dog was a beautiful golden retriever who we called Rex because we really did not know his name. I thought by walking down to the cottage maybe I would find Rex and play with him. Rex alway...

Noodin & Nish Nung on Medicine Tracks Radio     EPISODE DESCRIPTION We called out to the traditional territory of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibway to catch up with Noodin (James Beard) and his mentor Nish Nung (Brian Matrious) who gift us with this conversation of stories and a beautiful indigenous perspective. Brian talks about the teachings his Grandfather gave him while "Walking The Traditional Life".  All during the conversation eagles gathered on the snow covered lake and flew above which made a beautiful image in our minds eye! Music Credits: CD, Alive Inside The Tank with Mysteries of the Night; To The Stars, My Love Is Here and CD Keepers Of Secrets with Steven Rushingwind, Rushingwind Track from High Spirits Flutes and Crow Suncloud, Poems on the Edge Of Time , we hear Eldership, self-released find more info about Noodin and NishNung at: www.northeastcultural.com northeastcultural.blogspot.com Moccasin Tracks is heard weekly on community and student rad...

M’naa den d’mowin (respect). Respect everyone, all humans and all things created. Regard each with esteem and consideration. Allow others to believe in their own reality. One of the Seven Gifts of the Seven Grandfathers according to the stories of the Anishinaabe people. Wisdom, Respect, Honesty, Humility, Love, Bravery, Truth ~ Mashkode bizhiki~ Totem Animal ~ [buffalo] Buffalo carries himself with a quiet authority, teaching respect through his actions rather than words. He reminds us that all life is deserving of honor — the Creator, the self, the people, and every being who shares this world. From Buffalo we learn that respect is not a single act, but a way of walking. WALKING SPIRIT IN A NATIVE WAY by James B Beard Buy this at stores her e! Please share this article

In 1962 I entered the military services. At that time, I put up my hand and swore that I would support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It was a proud moment in my life.   I did not see a lot of action while on active duty. I was stationed on a Destroyer, The USS Warrington, DD 843, out of Newport, Rhode Island and our patrol duties included the Cuban Crisis and intermittent duty off the shores of Vietnam. The Navy saw to it that I was trained to handle what would come at me in service. The real battle began the day I was released back to civilian life. No one prepared me for that. The p rotests against the Vietnam conflict were happening all over the country. R ace riots were going on in major cities across the country and only blocks from where I lived in Buffalo NY. Veterans were being harassed on college campuses and in the workplace. I came home in 1967 to a different United States of America than the one I h...

It is believed in the indigenous culture that guides me! When one passes in this world, they begin a four-day journey to travel on into the next realm of their being. That person walks during the night and rests during the daytime. The night is daytime in Spirit world. Friends and family will light a fire to last for the four days of the persons walk. It is to help Guide and support the person as they travel.   Recently a friend of mine began his walk into Spirit world. He did not follow traditional ways yet was very Spiritual. In his time, he was a Episcopal Priest and a Jun-gist disciple.    In my way a four-day fire is kept to help guide one who has begun their walk. I chose to do that for him. The second night of the fire something interesting happened. Most people probably would not have noticed. At 1:30am I set two logs down to burn low and long so I could take a nap. Then I set my alarm for 4:00am, figuring I would resupply the fire with more wood then....