Walking Spirit in a Native Way

  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 structure, healing and medicine and even our social life… they all exi

  It was a dream! by James B Beard aka Noodin, September 2013 The first day the sun came up white. No one noticed all that much. Some greeted it as they do each day. The second day the sun came up yellow. People seemed to go on in their normal way. Many would pick up their weapons of choice. The third day the sun came up red. M ore people seemed intent on hurting one another. The fourth day the sun came up brown.   The people felt bitter and discouraged. The fifth day the sun came up green. The people stopped and wondered. The sixth day the sun came up black.  The clouds were filled with soot from fires, pollution from modern technologies,  ash from volcanoes, smoke clouds from explosions of war. The earth  scorched and bare. Animals were few and birds did not sing. The people were fearful. The seventh day the sun came up blue. The people put down the weapons and gave thanks. James Beard aka Noodin                Cultural Storyteller, Educator, Speaker,                Author