- There would come a time when the Earth would be ravaged of it's resources, the sea blackened, the streams poisoned, the deer dropping dead in their tracks.— with Atarangi Muru and 40 others.
Just before it was too late, the Indian would regain his spirit and te...ach the white man reverence for the Earth, banding together with him to become Warriors of the Rainbow.
There was an old lady, from the Cree tribe, named "Eyes of Fire", who prophesied that one day, because of the white mans' or Yo-ne-gis' greed, there would come a time, when the fish would die in the streams, the birds would fall from the air, the waters would be blackened, and the trees would no longer be, mankind as we would know it would all but cease to exist.
There would come a time when the "keepers of the legend, stories, culture rituals, and myths, and all the Ancient Tribal Customs" would be needed to restore us to health. They would be mankind's' key to survival, they were the "Warriors of the Rainbow". There would come a day of awakening when all the peoples of all the tribes would form a New World of Justice, Peace, Freedom and recognition of the Great Spirit.
The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would spread these messages and teach all peoples of the Earth or "Elohi". They would teach them how to live the "Way of the Great Spirit".
They would tell them of how the world today has turned away from the Great Spirit and that is why our Earth is "Sick".
The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would show the peoples that this "Ancient Being" (the Great Spirit), is full of love and understanding, and teach them how to make the Earth (Elohi) beautiful again. These Warriors would give the people principles or rules to follow to make their path right with the world. These principles would be those of the Ancient Tribes. The Warriors of the Rainbow would teach the people of the ancient practices of Unity, Love and Understanding.
They would teach of Harmony among people in all four comers of the Earth.
Like the Ancient Tribes, they would teach the peoples how to pray to the Great Spirit with love that flows like the beautiful mountain stream, and flows along the path to the ocean of life. Once again, they would be able to feel joy in solitude and in councils. They would be free of petty jealousies and love all mankind as their brothers, regardless of color, race or religion. They would feel happiness enter their hearts, and become as one with the entire human race.
Their hearts would be pure and radiate warmth, understanding and respect for all mankind, Nature, and the Great Spirit. They would once again fill their minds, hearts, souls, and deeds with the purest of thoughts. They would seek the beauty of the Master of Life - the Great Spirit! They would find strength and beauty in prayer and the solitudes of life.
Their children would once again be able to run free and enjoy the treasures of Nature and Mother Earth. Free from the fears of toxins and destruction, wrought by the Yo-ne-gi and his practices of greed. The rivers would again run clear, the forests be abundant and beautiful, the animals and birds would be replenished. The powers of the plants and animals would again be respected and conservation of all that is beautiful would become a way of life.
The poor, sick and needy would be cared for by their brothers and sisters of the Earth. These practices would again become a part of their daily lives.
The leaders of the people would be chosen in the old way - not by their political party, or who could speak the loudest, boast the most, or by name calling or mud slinging, but by those whose actions spoke the loudest. Those who demonstrated their love, wisdom, and courage and those who showed that they could and did work for the good of all, would be chosen as the leaders or Chiefs.
They would be chosen by their "quality" and not the amount of money they had obtained. Like the thoughtful and devoted "Ancient Chiefs", they would understand the people with love, and see that their young were educated with the love and wisdom of their surroundings. They would show them that miracles can be accomplished to heal this world of its ills, and restore it to health and beauty.
The tasks of these "Warriors of the Rainbow" are many and great. There will be terrifying mountains of ignorance to conquer and they shall find prejudice and hatred. They must be dedicated, unwavering in their strength, and strong of heart. They will find willing hearts and minds that will follow them on this road of returning "Mother Earth" to beauty and plenty - once more.
The day will come, it is not far away. The day that we shall see how we owe our very existence to the people of all tribes that have maintained their culture and heritage. Those that have kept the rituals, stories, legends, and myths alive. It will be with this knowledge, the knowledge that they have preserved, that we shall once again return to "harmony" with Nature, Mother Earth, and mankind. It will be with this knowledge that we shall find our "Key to our Survival".
This is the story of the "Warriors of the Rainbow"See More
Monday, July 30, 2012
A Cree Legend - "Warriors of the Rainbow"
Sunday, July 29, 2012
"Heart Song" CD by Elk Whistle Bill Neal Reviewed with Year 2000 Biography
by Bill Neal
[Ed. note: This was written in the year 2000 - a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then.Some information such as the email address given in the article are no longer valid. - BN 7/29/2012]
White Path Music offers "Heart Song" by Elk Whistle. With solo Native American
flute music and sounds of the natural world to which the instrument is so
closely akin (birds, wind, crickets, wolf calls), "Heart Song" is a powerful CD
with strong reviews: "Heart Song" by Bill Neal (Elk Whistle) is an excellent
example of traditionally-rooted Native American flute music performed by an
artist of exceptional technical ability, inspired by the power of
spirit."
"Heart Song" was released nationally in June 1998, with cover
art by acclaimed Oklahoma Cherokee artist Dorothy Sullivan and liner notes by
teacher and guide Billie Nave Masters, Oklahoma Cherokee and Sac & Fox.
Elk Whistle (Mah-na-che-a-shun), also known as Bill Neal, is a performer
on the Native American flute, a recording artist, storyteller, teacher, and the
director of the Elk Whistle Ensemble. Neal, whose native ancestry is Cherokee,
plays the plains-style cedar flutes of the Lakota, Kiowa, and Comanche Nations
and the river cane flutes of the Choctaw and the Cherokee. He was honored in a
naming ceremony when the Tongva tribe (called "Gabrieleno" by the Spanish), the
original people of the Greater Los Angeles area, gave him the name
"Mah-na-che-a-shun". In the Tongva language, "Mah-na-che-a-shun" means "He Sings
With His Heart". He was also honored to sing for a number of years with the Red
Spirit Singers, a northern traditional powwow drum group which was based in
Southern California before moving back to Oklahoma.
Elk Whistle first heard his songs in the forest and mountains listening to the songs of the birds,
the whispers of the wind in the trees and across the land, and the voices of the
many-legged. The traditional songs of the drum gave him the phrasing and
vocalizations of his flute songs. He has no formal music training, he plays only
the songs he hears from within. He has been spoken of as the 'Keeper of Songs'.
He considers the music a gift given him by Creator, the Great Mystery, to
strengthen his connection and those of his listeners with Mother Earth/Father
Sky and the Universal Circle of Life.
For 22 years Bill Neal did professional environmental work, including 10 years with the U.S. Forest
Service, teaching forestry and natural resource management at Mt. San Antonio
College, and consulting in alternative energy and urban forestry, waste
management, and composting and recycling. He has worked with a variety of youth
programs. He co-led survival therapy expeditions for a program based in Northern
California that took incarcerated youth into the wilderness for 30-day treks. He
has been a field naturalist for an outdoor science education program for the
Orange County Unified School District in Southern California. He has fulfilled
leadership, supervisory and teaching roles for the California Conservation
Corps, the Young Adult Conservation Corps, and the CETA Youth Program.
All of this work came out of his realization as a young man of the
interconnectedness of all life and his conviction that the two-leggeds must
change their relationship to the natural world to which they belong.
Today Elk Whistle/Bill Neal performs about 300 times per year offering
concerts and educational programs to major performing arts venues. As a solo
performer and as director of the Elk Whistle Ensemble, he has been featured at
major theaters such as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the John Anson Ford
Amphitheater in Los Angeles, the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa
Mesa, the Martha Knoeble Dance Theater at California State University at Long
Beach, and KCET Public Television in Los Angeles. Elk Whistle has been a
featured performer in successive years at music festivals such as the Millpond
Traditional Music Festival in Bishop, California, and the Idyllwild Native
American Cowboy Jubilee in Idyllwild.
Elk Whistle has returned year after year to perform at museums such as the Autry Museum of Western Heritage
and the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles and the Museum of Man in San Diego, at
county fairs such as the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa and the National
Orange Show in San Bernardino, and at festivals such as the Swallows Festival at
the San Juan Capistrano Mission.
Since 1997 the Elk Whistle programs have been offered to schoolchildren through the "From the Center" program at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Since 1998 the Elk Whistle family program
has been offered to parents and their children at the Los Angeles County Public
Libraries.
The Elk Whistle Ensemble is listed by the Public Corporation for the Arts as one of the 100 cultural organizations in the City of Long Beach in their "Arts 100" program and in September 2000, Elk Whistle began performing
in a Laguna Playhouse production of "The Sign of the Beaver" from the book of
the same name by Elizabeth George Speare that has toured to many of the schools
in Southern California.
Elk Whistle has been a special guest performer at innumerable Native American gatherings such as the Sherman Indian High School Powwow in Riverside, California, the UCLA Powwow, and the Southern California
Indian Center Powwow in Costa Mesa, the largest Native American gathering in
California. He is particularly pleased to participate in the gatherings of the
California Indian people who are still custodians of their ancestral land.
He performs in correctional facilities where he shares the medicine of
the flute with his incarcerated Native American brothers. He is frequently
called upon to participate in weddings and other important private family
ceremonies. He offers his time and his talent to support environmental, social
and economic justice and programs that combat racism, violence, and elder and
substance abuse.
Since 1994, Bill Neal has been featured on a number of American Indian television programs in the Southern California area as well as on the "California's Gold" program with host Huell Houser, shown on all the
public television stations and in all the schools in California. He has
performed in a national satellite television broadcast to benefit the American
Red Cross Earthquake Relief Fund after the Northridge, California, earthquake in
1994. He provided original compositions for the soundtracks of exhibits on
Native American basketry and weaving for the Museum of Man in San Diego in 1995.
The Elk Whistle music is currently broadcast on a variety of radio stations such
as 90.7 KPFK-FM public radio in Los Angeles and WMPG in Portland, Maine, radio
stations in Portugal and Russia, and the World Music Radio Society that
broadcasts on the internet.
Most recently, Elk Whistle was very pleased with the opportunity and the honor to have participated in the 1999 World
Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles with the Dalai Lama. He has been
featured in the documentary film produced from this event which has aired
repeatedly on Los Angeles PBS television. He was included in a two-CD
compilation of music from the festival. (Both the documentary video and the
two-CD set are available to the public. Sales benefit the Tibetan refugees who
cannot go home to their sacred mountains. Contact Bill Neal at
elkwhistle@whitepathmusic.com to order.)
The first recording by Elk Whistle, titled "Songs from Turtle Island", was made live under the oak trees
using the power of the Sun. It is one of the very first solar-powered recordings
available anywhere. His third recording, "Beyond Time" has been completed in
collaboration with Elk Thunder (a student of Rolling Thunder who was a
well-known and well-respected native doctor).
Others have said: "A few months ago I was fortunate enough to catch Bill "Elk Whistle" Neal at a
performance.......Bill was utterly amazing, both as a person with a full heart
and a story to tell, and as a Native American flutist. One characteristic of his
playing technique is the most incredible breath control. His bending and shaping
of notes and vibrato are truly beautiful."
"I usually go to the Orange County Fair most every year, but this was the first year that I heard
you.......I greatly enjoyed your performance. Even on stage, you come across as
a person of high character, with a deep respect for your origin and ancestry.
Since then, I have heard the voice of "Grandfather Stone" talking many
times......."
Awards
As Director of the Elk Whistle Ensemble, Bill Neal was nominated March, 1996, by the Greater Los
Angeles Dance Resource Center for the Lester Horton Dance Award for "Outstanding
Achievement in Staging Traditional Dance" for a performance at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater.
Memberships
American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
International Native American Flute Association
South Coast Storytellers Guild
California Presenters
[Ed. note: This was written in the year 2000 - a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then.Some information such as the email address given in the article, memberships, etc., are no longer valid. - BN 7/29/2012]
flute music and sounds of the natural world to which the instrument is so
closely akin (birds, wind, crickets, wolf calls), "Heart Song" is a powerful CD
with strong reviews: "Heart Song" by Bill Neal (Elk Whistle) is an excellent
example of traditionally-rooted Native American flute music performed by an
artist of exceptional technical ability, inspired by the power of
spirit."
"Heart Song" was released nationally in June 1998, with cover
art by acclaimed Oklahoma Cherokee artist Dorothy Sullivan and liner notes by
teacher and guide Billie Nave Masters, Oklahoma Cherokee and Sac & Fox.
Elk Whistle (Mah-na-che-a-shun), also known as Bill Neal, is a performer
on the Native American flute, a recording artist, storyteller, teacher, and the
director of the Elk Whistle Ensemble. Neal, whose native ancestry is Cherokee,
plays the plains-style cedar flutes of the Lakota, Kiowa, and Comanche Nations
and the river cane flutes of the Choctaw and the Cherokee. He was honored in a
naming ceremony when the Tongva tribe (called "Gabrieleno" by the Spanish), the
original people of the Greater Los Angeles area, gave him the name
"Mah-na-che-a-shun". In the Tongva language, "Mah-na-che-a-shun" means "He Sings
With His Heart". He was also honored to sing for a number of years with the Red
Spirit Singers, a northern traditional powwow drum group which was based in
Southern California before moving back to Oklahoma.
Elk Whistle first heard his songs in the forest and mountains listening to the songs of the birds,
the whispers of the wind in the trees and across the land, and the voices of the
many-legged. The traditional songs of the drum gave him the phrasing and
vocalizations of his flute songs. He has no formal music training, he plays only
the songs he hears from within. He has been spoken of as the 'Keeper of Songs'.
He considers the music a gift given him by Creator, the Great Mystery, to
strengthen his connection and those of his listeners with Mother Earth/Father
Sky and the Universal Circle of Life.
For 22 years Bill Neal did professional environmental work, including 10 years with the U.S. Forest
Service, teaching forestry and natural resource management at Mt. San Antonio
College, and consulting in alternative energy and urban forestry, waste
management, and composting and recycling. He has worked with a variety of youth
programs. He co-led survival therapy expeditions for a program based in Northern
California that took incarcerated youth into the wilderness for 30-day treks. He
has been a field naturalist for an outdoor science education program for the
Orange County Unified School District in Southern California. He has fulfilled
leadership, supervisory and teaching roles for the California Conservation
Corps, the Young Adult Conservation Corps, and the CETA Youth Program.
All of this work came out of his realization as a young man of the
interconnectedness of all life and his conviction that the two-leggeds must
change their relationship to the natural world to which they belong.
Today Elk Whistle/Bill Neal performs about 300 times per year offering
concerts and educational programs to major performing arts venues. As a solo
performer and as director of the Elk Whistle Ensemble, he has been featured at
major theaters such as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the John Anson Ford
Amphitheater in Los Angeles, the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa
Mesa, the Martha Knoeble Dance Theater at California State University at Long
Beach, and KCET Public Television in Los Angeles. Elk Whistle has been a
featured performer in successive years at music festivals such as the Millpond
Traditional Music Festival in Bishop, California, and the Idyllwild Native
American Cowboy Jubilee in Idyllwild.
Elk Whistle has returned year after year to perform at museums such as the Autry Museum of Western Heritage
and the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles and the Museum of Man in San Diego, at
county fairs such as the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa and the National
Orange Show in San Bernardino, and at festivals such as the Swallows Festival at
the San Juan Capistrano Mission.
Since 1997 the Elk Whistle programs have been offered to schoolchildren through the "From the Center" program at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Since 1998 the Elk Whistle family program
has been offered to parents and their children at the Los Angeles County Public
Libraries.
The Elk Whistle Ensemble is listed by the Public Corporation for the Arts as one of the 100 cultural organizations in the City of Long Beach in their "Arts 100" program and in September 2000, Elk Whistle began performing
in a Laguna Playhouse production of "The Sign of the Beaver" from the book of
the same name by Elizabeth George Speare that has toured to many of the schools
in Southern California.
Elk Whistle has been a special guest performer at innumerable Native American gatherings such as the Sherman Indian High School Powwow in Riverside, California, the UCLA Powwow, and the Southern California
Indian Center Powwow in Costa Mesa, the largest Native American gathering in
California. He is particularly pleased to participate in the gatherings of the
California Indian people who are still custodians of their ancestral land.
He performs in correctional facilities where he shares the medicine of
the flute with his incarcerated Native American brothers. He is frequently
called upon to participate in weddings and other important private family
ceremonies. He offers his time and his talent to support environmental, social
and economic justice and programs that combat racism, violence, and elder and
substance abuse.
Since 1994, Bill Neal has been featured on a number of American Indian television programs in the Southern California area as well as on the "California's Gold" program with host Huell Houser, shown on all the
public television stations and in all the schools in California. He has
performed in a national satellite television broadcast to benefit the American
Red Cross Earthquake Relief Fund after the Northridge, California, earthquake in
1994. He provided original compositions for the soundtracks of exhibits on
Native American basketry and weaving for the Museum of Man in San Diego in 1995.
The Elk Whistle music is currently broadcast on a variety of radio stations such
as 90.7 KPFK-FM public radio in Los Angeles and WMPG in Portland, Maine, radio
stations in Portugal and Russia, and the World Music Radio Society that
broadcasts on the internet.
Most recently, Elk Whistle was very pleased with the opportunity and the honor to have participated in the 1999 World
Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles with the Dalai Lama. He has been
featured in the documentary film produced from this event which has aired
repeatedly on Los Angeles PBS television. He was included in a two-CD
compilation of music from the festival. (Both the documentary video and the
two-CD set are available to the public. Sales benefit the Tibetan refugees who
cannot go home to their sacred mountains. Contact Bill Neal at
elkwhistle@whitepathmusic.com to order.)
The first recording by Elk Whistle, titled "Songs from Turtle Island", was made live under the oak trees
using the power of the Sun. It is one of the very first solar-powered recordings
available anywhere. His third recording, "Beyond Time" has been completed in
collaboration with Elk Thunder (a student of Rolling Thunder who was a
well-known and well-respected native doctor).
Others have said: "A few months ago I was fortunate enough to catch Bill "Elk Whistle" Neal at a
performance.......Bill was utterly amazing, both as a person with a full heart
and a story to tell, and as a Native American flutist. One characteristic of his
playing technique is the most incredible breath control. His bending and shaping
of notes and vibrato are truly beautiful."
"I usually go to the Orange County Fair most every year, but this was the first year that I heard
you.......I greatly enjoyed your performance. Even on stage, you come across as
a person of high character, with a deep respect for your origin and ancestry.
Since then, I have heard the voice of "Grandfather Stone" talking many
times......."
Awards
As Director of the Elk Whistle Ensemble, Bill Neal was nominated March, 1996, by the Greater Los
Angeles Dance Resource Center for the Lester Horton Dance Award for "Outstanding
Achievement in Staging Traditional Dance" for a performance at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater.
Memberships
American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
International Native American Flute Association
South Coast Storytellers Guild
California Presenters
[Ed. note: This was written in the year 2000 - a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then.Some information such as the email address given in the article, memberships, etc., are no longer valid. - BN 7/29/2012]
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
First Annual Eagle and Condor Intertribal Powwow 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
N.O.M.F.O.L. Director Kristina Lloyd Says
Dear Bill,
Thank you so much more than you know, and from the bottom of my heart, for being part of the amazing N.O.M.F.O.L. cast. Not only as an actor have you been amazing (you must continue to act!), but your musical contribution has been beyond what I could have hoped, and you have been instrumental in helping me to shape this piece. I am so grateful for all your input, research and laughs [ed. note: see http://elkwhistlebillneal.blogspot.com/2012/01/cherokee-booger-dance-by-eric-orr.html] in putting it all together.I hope we can take this farther, and hope to keep working together. You are so talented! Thank you. Wado!
Love,
Kristina
Thank you so much more than you know, and from the bottom of my heart, for being part of the amazing N.O.M.F.O.L. cast. Not only as an actor have you been amazing (you must continue to act!), but your musical contribution has been beyond what I could have hoped, and you have been instrumental in helping me to shape this piece. I am so grateful for all your input, research and laughs [ed. note: see http://elkwhistlebillneal.blogspot.com/2012/01/cherokee-booger-dance-by-eric-orr.html] in putting it all together.I hope we can take this farther, and hope to keep working together. You are so talented! Thank you. Wado!
Love,
Kristina
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Jaisey Bates Comments on "NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND!"
I LOVE THIS PLAY and this weekend is YOUR VERY LAST CHANCE to see "NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND!" at the Secret Rose Theater in North Hollywood!
Friday & Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Tickets are $22, $17 for seniors, and $10 for stud...ents under 26. The reservations number is 818-782-4254. Tickets are also available via Goldstar.
If you don't believe me :o), here's just some of the AMAZING reviews:
"As for bringing the Trail of Tears to a stage play, Writer Art Shulman and Director Kristina Lloyd do so eloquently, with a balance of acting and dialogue by a cast that no longer appears to be acting. There is nothing to intellectualize here. It is honest, raw, and extremely emotional." – Corine Roberts, Theater in LA News
“… a high-energy epic and one of the most amazing historical theatrical productions I have seen in a long time. Anyone interested in Native American History will be engrossed by Art Shulman’s fascinating and well-researched play…” - Topanga Messenger
"Moving and powerful..." - Tolucan Times
"The cast itself is remarkable..." Linear Cycle Productions
"Kristina Lloyd’s direction is passionate and realistic..." Patch.com
"… you need to see it." - Curtain Call
"…a spectacle one can envision on a giant screen with surround sound, battle scenes to curl your hair and extras by the thousands." - WillCall Theatre.
Friday & Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Tickets are $22, $17 for seniors, and $10 for stud...ents under 26. The reservations number is 818-782-4254. Tickets are also available via Goldstar.
If you don't believe me :o), here's just some of the AMAZING reviews:
"As for bringing the Trail of Tears to a stage play, Writer Art Shulman and Director Kristina Lloyd do so eloquently, with a balance of acting and dialogue by a cast that no longer appears to be acting. There is nothing to intellectualize here. It is honest, raw, and extremely emotional." – Corine Roberts, Theater in LA News
“… a high-energy epic and one of the most amazing historical theatrical productions I have seen in a long time. Anyone interested in Native American History will be engrossed by Art Shulman’s fascinating and well-researched play…” - Topanga Messenger
"Moving and powerful..." - Tolucan Times
"The cast itself is remarkable..." Linear Cycle Productions
"Kristina Lloyd’s direction is passionate and realistic..." Patch.com
"… you need to see it." - Curtain Call
"…a spectacle one can envision on a giant screen with surround sound, battle scenes to curl your hair and extras by the thousands." - WillCall Theatre.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
"NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND!" - A Review By Corina Roberts
You know it’s coming. No story told about the Cherokee that purports to interpret history from the late 1700s to 1839 could escape the Trail of Tears. That may be the only predictable element in NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! , a play which bounds across half a century of the life and times of Major Ridge, one of the most controversial figures in the history of the Cherokee people.
I wondered how that kind of suffering and tragedy could be handled with any semblance of accuracy on a stage at the Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood.
Why Major Ridge was, and remains to this day, revered and hated, becomes immediately obvious with the opening scene. He was a strong minded man of considerable intelligence and occasional arrogance, facing challenges that would become increasingly complicated and violent throughout the course of his years.
A cast of seventeen, most of whom play multiple roles, bring a rich body of energy to the stage and allow the audience to experience the dynamics of life in a tribal environment, where the impact of one’s decisions affects many. The cultural diversity of the cast cements the storytelling in reality. When the young Cherokee women stand and talk amongst themselves, you witness a scene as organic as you will find at any place in Native America today.
The props are minimal. A front porch provides a fluid setting where Erika Stone first appears to introduce the audience to the story of Major Ridge, and where most of the interaction between Ridge (Joseph Runningfox) and his wife Sehoya (Donell Morgan) takes place. It is also the cabin of white settlers on Cherokee land. Opposite is Washington D.C. and other civilized places, their glory captured with a slightly raised floor, a white wall, and a single, imaginatively stately piece of furniture. Between them, the spirit world exists on a wooden platform.
The costume design allows the audience to quickly identify over forty characters, some of whom play both native and non native roles, with convincing presence. There is no attempt made to accurately characterize clothing of the era, but if you know what to look for, you will find surprises. BIll Neal (whose roles include Black Fox, Sequoyah and a Cherokee elder) wears not a costume but his own regalia. Ancestral spirits blend stage garments and powerful medicine.
The true genius of NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! is in its portrayal of the internal conflict tearing at the hearts and minds of Native American leaders in the southern United States, responding to the invasion of their sacred homelands by European settlers who considered themselves the discoverers, and therefore the owners, of the land. What begins as a relatively simple concept - a “just say no” campaign embraced by nearly all the Cherokee, quickly becomes complicated as Indian people form alliances with these new inhabitants, fight alongside whites against other Indian people, and embrace the idea that in order to live among Europeans, they must learn to think like them.
As Major Ridge slowly accepts the belief that only by leaving the land of his ancestors will the Cherokee Nation survive, the young, energetic, mostly European John Ross puts his faith in the hands of the United States government, and the rift between the two as lifelong allies is forever changed.
NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! allows the audience to interpret for themselves whether Major Ridge was a savior or a traitor. In a time period when the scholarly were debating if Indians had souls, and whether or not they were actually human, writer Art Shulman interprets the Cherokee experience with an impassioned understanding of the deep philosophical, moral and intellectual challenges facing them as they sought to make decisions that would ultimately determine the future of their entire nation.
As for bringing the Trail of Tears to a stage play, Writer Art Shulman and Director Kristina Lloyd do so eloquently, with a balance of acting and dialogue by a cast that no longer appear to be acting. There is nothing to intellectualize here. It is honest, raw, and extremely emotional.
Today the Cherokee Nation is the second largest Native American tribe in the United States. NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! examines a piece of America’s history that is heart-wrenching, pivotal, and controversial to this day.
NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! is in its final weeks at the Secret Rose theatre, with the last play taking place April 1, 2012.
For tickets and further information call 818-782-4254.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
TECUMSEH'S WAY
"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people and grovel to none.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."
-Tecumseh
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
NEW CHEROKEE HISTORY PLAY! (and I'm in it!)
Written and produced by Art Shulman, NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! will be performed at the Secret Rose Theater in the Los Angeles area. Kristina Lloyd is the Director, an award winning stage and film director. The play opens in February, and we'd love you to be a part of it.
NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! follows the life of the most controversial Cherokee Indian who ever lived, a man still considered a traitor by many in his tribe, but a savior by others. His name was Major Ridge, and he lived through one of the most shameful episodes in our nation's history, an event called The Trail of Tears, in which the United States government forced the Cherokee tribe to move from their ancestral lands in the South to west of the Mississippi.
Imagine that! A whole tribe, thousands of people, not allowed to stay in their homes and on their land, but evicted through military force. It actually happened, in the mid-1800's. Thousands of Cherokee perished on this long and often wintry journey, fully 25% of the entire Cherokee Nation.
The producer and director have lined up some terrific actors, including many fine Native-American actors, and intend to put up a first-class production that will run for 8 weeks and hopefully will gain the attention it deserves because it covers how our nation, at one point in its past, dealt with a minority group that was "inconvenient" to the majority population.
This is an important story we are telling. It is based on a life of the most controversial Cherokee who ever lived. It describes how he was involved in a shameless episode in out nation's history -- the forced removal of Native-Americans from the land they'd lived on for centuries, the home of their ancestors, to other land a thousand miles away.So, please support our production of NOT ONE MORE FOOT OF LAND! It is gonna be a great show!
You can help us by publicizing our project. If you think our project deserves your support, then your friends and relations may think so too!Cherokee Booger Dance by Eric Orr
Darkness blankets a chilly fall Southern Appalachian night in Big Cove, NC. Tucked away in a quiet hollow lies a small handmade house. It was built in a single day. Not because it was shoddily thrown together or because corners were cut. But because that’s what good neighbors do for each other. They give freely. When cold is setting in and a family needs shelter, they all do their part.
Inside smoke hangs like spider webs. In the heart of the room, a fire burns low, beating back autumn frost, warming a stone hearth. Fire light illuminates the face of a tight-knit community. Most all the men, women, and children are here. They dance and socialize without restraint, awaiting the evening’s festivities. There’s a bench against one wall. Sitting on that bench, six men lead the affair. They’re known as callers. Five of them play rattles made from gourds, and the head caller beats a Cherokee water drum. It’s made of hollowed buckeye with a head of brain-tanned deer skin. The beater is carved from a good length of hickory, straight and strong as the chief himself. The drum is filled with water. It resonates soulfully like no other drum.
The callers play six songs and then, one by one, the boogers stomp into the room. There are seven, all sloppily dressed. Some wear tattered European clothes, and others have bed sheets and quilts draped over themselves. One of them carries a dead chicken on a string. All are wearing masks. Each mask is different, resembling either white men or Indians. One is a hollowed hornets’ nest. The others are made from buckeye, basswood, and gourds. Some look silly and some scary. Paint and animal fur represent eyebrows and hair. A couple of the booger masks have long thin gourd necks for noses. Possum fur has been attached to the bases of the gourds. These are meant to look like penises.
After the boogers make their entrance, they move clumsily about, lurching at the spectators, groping for the women and girls, chasing them across the room. The girls giggle at being chased. A few of the boogers fall to the floor pretending to be stricken by convulsive seizures. Some of them wear gourds between their legs, occasionally thrusting them towards the women and releasing the water held within. Soon the boogers settle down and take seats against the wall.
The host announces the arrival of the new guests and then converses quietly with the booger chief. He whispers a series of questions… “Who are you? Where are you from? Where are you going?” The host repeats the chief’s replies for everyone to hear. The boogers have come from a land far away, and they are heading southward. The foreign chief whispers in the strictest of confidence that his dead chicken is a wild turkey. The audience jeers with laughter. When asked what they want, the boogers all reply, “Girls!” Then they ask for a fight and the host responds, “We are a peaceful people and do not wish to fight you.” So the boogers ask to dance, and they are granted permission.
Each is called by name and performs his own solo dance. There are Cow’s Tail, Sooty Anus, Black Buttocks, Sweet Phallus, Penis, Rusty Anus, and Big Testicles. Most of the dances represent the boogers’ names in some way. It’s mostly just chaotic motion and groping. The clumsy display brings to mind a white man imitating an Indian dance. The dancers cough, growl, and frequently expel flatus.
The boogers finish their dances, and the host invites the booger chief to choose another dance. He indicates that he and his boogers would like the Eagle Dance. Now they take a break and run outside, probably stirring up some unseen trouble. A few minutes pass and the boogers make their re-entry. The music makers sing a song and request tobacco. A pipe is lit and passed among them. After all of the callers have partaken, the pipe is retired. The host lays a deer skin before the eagle hunter in an act of reverence. The spectators take an opportunity to honor this man by offering gifts for his skill and medicine. He has spent several days alone in the wilderness, executing the rites necessary to take this special bird. Among the gifts are tobacco, a buckskin for moccasins, an iron knife, various pins, buttons, and other personal adornments.
The ensuing dance is the pinnacle of the evening’s ceremony. The boogers take female partners, dancing side by side or face to face in sexual burlesque. They finish dancing, having completed their quest for women and vanish into the cold night to fulfill the last leg of their mission. The ceremony ends with a Friendship Dance.
There seems to be some controversy regarding the meaning of the Booger Dance. Frank Speck and Leonard Broom have given the most commonly known interpretation. Their informant, a Cherokee man named Will West Long, said the dance originated from the same source of all dances, indicating it existed in ancient times and has been passed down through generations. He said it’s only used for fun now, but it was once a formal ceremony. It supposedly was given to the Cherokee people as tool to help them cope with the stresses of adversity. According to the Speck and Broom theory, the ceremony reduces the Cherokee enemy to something psychologically manageable. The offending boogers represented real threats to the Cherokee. Speck and Broom concluded that the masks symbolized Europeans and the diseases they brought. The white man happened to be the most imminent threat of that era, but in earlier times it may have been dangerous animals or enemy tribes. The dance eased threat through the use of humor and mockery. They also used it as a ceremony to eradicate foreign diseases.
Anthropologists Raymond D. Fogelson and Amelia B. Walker feel like Speck and Broom have oversimplified the meaning of the Booger Dance. They claim the masks are symbolic of tensions, emotions, or character traits. Many of the booger masks, they say, are painted and carved with wrinkles, and topped with gray hair. They are meant to resemble the wisdom of elderly Indians, while others represent the young man and his preoccupation with sex. The mask allows the dancer to experience a particular trait or quality. Some boogers portray the clumsy overindulgence of youth. Others might imitate the arduous gait of an old man. Through the Booger Dance, the young man is wise and mature. The old man reclaims his youthful vitality. They both get a chance to explore the tension that exists between them. Each fears and envies the other’s powers.
Still, some masks clearly resemble whites, blacks, Asians, and others. Fogelson and Walker assert that the Cherokee audience gets a glimpse of another culture through the dance. The culture they see is one they don’t understand; a culture built on ethics and morals completely foreign to the Cherokee. A group of strangers barges into a home demanding women and war. They are disrespectful and offensive, and they leave only after making fools of themselves.
All we can do is speculate on the origin and meaning of the Booger Dance. The Cherokee are a people of mystery. Most of their history has been recorded only in their minds, passed down verbally from father to son, mother to daughter.
But I’m holding fast to the Speck and Broom theory. I have absolutely no legitimate evidence other than what they’ve published. I just like that story. It makes perfect sense to me. It demonstrates the strength of a small community. What better way to dispel a demon than to laugh in its face? It may do no other good than to offer comic relief. Our political demons certainly can’t be slain by mockery, any more than the white man could be driven off by the Booger Dance, but it sure sounds like fun. And I can’t help but dream about a modern Booger Dance…
Boogers crash the party. The masks are mostly the same. Except one. It’s not unlike a monkey’s face. Instead of a dead chicken, this booger carries a dated assault rifle, capable of offing a man a couple hundred yards away. In the strictest of confidence he quietly confides, “This is a nuclear warhead, capable of leveling an entire nation.” The audience jeers with laughter. When asked what the boogers want, they all cry, “Oil!” Folks, can we be just a little more discreet when we pick our boogers.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
My Story About Alvino Siva, Cahuilla Elder and Bird-Singer
In 1997 and '98, a Native American Cowboy Jubilee was held in the San Jacinto Mountains town of Idyllwild in Southern California with both Native American and cowboy performers on stages all over town. The first year, I was asked to perform in the jubilee by Alvino Siva, an elder of the Cahuilla people for whom Idyllwild was ancestral land. Alvino was a storyteller, a teacher, a leader of the bird-singing tradition of the Cahuilla, one of the last of the Cahuilla-speaking people. His sister, Katherine Siva Saubel, a tremendously-respected elder, founded the Malki Museum on the Morongo reservation in Cabazon and authored books on the Cahuilla language and their ethno-botany. Their nephew, Ernest Siva, carries on their work and their tradition today with the Ushkana Press and the Ushkana Foundation. I was very honored to be invited by Alvino to play my flutes and tell my stories - himself a storyteller, Alvino could be fierce in his critique of the latter-day inhabitants of California. Before the first jubilee began, Alvino approached me and asked me for a favor - he held in his safe-keeping a 100 year-old Crow war-bonnet that was passed to him by the son of a man who was gifted with the bonnet by its original bearer - or at least that is what was explained to me by Alvino. After consulting with a spiritual leader of their people, Alvino had been told that, once a year, the bonnet needed to be brought out and worn by a suitable person so that it would not lose its power. So, he asked me to wear it while I performed - me! I was at once struck by a sense of pride in the honor being bestowed on me by Alvino and also by a huge sense of trepidation since I had not earned the right to wear those feathers, nor were war-bonnets a tradition of the people of my ancestry, the Cherokee. I might be accused of 'chiefing' like the Lakota-style buckskin-clad bonnet-wearers who haunted the sidewalks of the Cherokee tourist town of Cherokee, North Carolina, at Qualla Boundary - to be paid for having their pictures taken with unwitting tourists. I didn't want that to happen.
When the day came, I wore the bonnet as briefly as possible without offending Alvino. When a wind came up and it became difficult to wear the bonnet correctly, I removed it with as much respect as it deserved, hopefully before any photos were taken - but I was too late. Some years later, a painting surfaced on the internet, prints of the painting being sold on various fine art websites. It was titled "Elk Whistle" and was obviously painted from a photograph of me in my regalia, holding one of my flutes, and wearing the 100 year-old Crow bonnet. That is the story of the painting that graces my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BillNealElkWhistle and my blog page at elkwhistlebillneal.blogspot.com/. About two years ago I attended the memorial service for Alvino at the Malki Museum with all the others who came to pay their final respect for a man who had a long, meaningful life of work on behalf of his people and I wondered to whom that war-bonnet had been passed again for safe-keeping. I hoped that it had found its way back to the Crow people where it was meant to be.
December Solstice Traditions and Customs
The December solstice has influenced the lives of many people over the centuries, particularly through art, literature, mythology and religion. The December solstice is also known as the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere.
In the northern hemisphere, the December solstice occurs during the coldest season of the year. Although winter was regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days after the winter solstice brought on a more festive mood. To many people, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle was continuing.
Solstice’s influence on Christmas
In modern times Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas, which falls on December 25. However, it is believed that this date was chosen to offset pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti. Some believe that celebrating the birth of the “true light of the world” was set in synchronization with the December solstice because from that point onwards, the days began to have more daylight in the northern hemisphere.
Christmas is also referred to as Yule, which may have derived from the Norse word jól, referring to the pre-Christian winter solstice festival. Yule is also known as Alban Arthan and was one of the “Lesser Sabbats” of the Wiccan year in a time when ancient believers celebrated the rebirth of the Sun God and days with more light. This took place annually around the time of the December solstice and lasted for 12 days. The Lesser Sabbats fall on the solstices and equinoxes.
The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun. A Yule or Juul log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god Thor.
A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year’s log. In England, Germany, France and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm and or as medicine.
French peasants believed that if the ashes were kept under the bed, they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated in the bonfires associated with the feast of Juul.
Saturnalia in Ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome the winter (December) solstice festival Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held to honor Saturn, the father of the gods and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten while businesses, courts and schools were closed. Wars were interrupted or postponed and slaves were served by their masters. Masquerades often occurred during this time.
It was traditional to offer gifts of imitation fruit (a symbol of fertility), dolls (symbolic of the custom of human sacrifice), and candles (reminiscent of the bonfires traditionally associated with pagan solstice celebrations). A mock king was chosen, usually from a group of slaves or criminals, and although he was permitted to behave in an unrestrained manner for seven days of the festival, he was usually killed at the end. The Saturnalia eventually degenerated into a week-long spree of debauchery and crime – giving rise to the modern use of the term 'saturnalia', meaning a period of unrestrained license and revelry.
Other Cultures and Modern Day Celebrations
In Poland the ancient December solstice observance prior to Christianity involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. It was a tradition that can still be seen in what is known as Gody. In the northwestern corner of Pakistan, a festival called Chaomos, takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. It involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires and festive eating.
Many Christians celebrate St Thomas’ Day in honor of St Thomas the Apostle on December 21. In Guatemala on this day, Mayan Indians honor the sun god they worshipped long before they became Christians with a dangerous ritual known as the polo voladore, or “flying pole dance”. Three men climb on top of a 50-foot pole. As one of them beats a drum and plays a flute, the other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believed that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer. Some churches celebrate St Thomas’ Day on other days in the year.
The ancient Incas celebrated a special festival to honor the sun god at the time of the December solstice. In the 16th century ceremonies were banned by the Roman Catholics in their bid to convert the Inca people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia Indians in Cusco, Peru, revived the festival in the 1950s. It is now a major festival that begins in Cusco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away.
Native American Ceremony
The winter solstice to Native Americans is a time of transition, of looking back at the old year and looking forward to the new. Like many cultures around the world, they have celebrated the winter solstice for hundreds, even thousands of years as they watched the days grow shorter and waited for the sun to return. In their own ways, Native Americans honor the cycle of life, endings and new beginnings as their ancestors did before them.
Some Native American tribes saw this unique celestial event in a different light. Among the Iroquois, it was a time of dreaming. Rather than staying up all night to celebrate the dawn, the People of the Longhouse turned in early, to sleep, to dream. As Mother Night reigned supreme, in dreaming they walked between the worlds of light and darkness, gathering great meaning from what The Great Mystery illuminated for them.
At first light, the entire tribe would gather and each tribal member -- men, women, to the smallest child -- would stand and relate what visions they saw on this special night. The dreams would be discussed at length by the entire tribe for each vision's meaning -- for the individual, about the world, for the tribe. Sigmund Freud wasn't the first to explore or discover the importance of nightly dreaming any more than Columbus "discovered" the New World. The Iroquois practiced this annual event for 1,000 years before the first European set foot on these shores. French Jesuit missionaries in the 1600s marveled at the Iroquois' annual event, writing about them in letters and journals, especially the aspect of the tribe "acting out" various dreams.
It is a powerful awakening each year, this night of dreams, to be approached in sacred manner. In shamanism, the "gift" of a vision is not realized until acted upon, manifested or "danced" into this reality. That is the Great Truth of our walking between the worlds, at any time of the year, but especially during this time.
What the Iroquois knew, and Westerners would not "discover" for hundreds of years, is that the line between waking "reality" and nightly dreaming is not so impermeable. What the Creator instructs in dreams can be the very "reality" of health, insights, group dynamics, and individuality within a community, revealing not only the dreamer's world, but the shared vision -- and lessons -- for a people.
The Pueblo tribes celebrate the Winter Solstice with rites focusing on Spring and rebirth. The Hopi Indians' Soyal ceremony lasts for 20 days and includes purification rituals, blessings and feasting. Other Native American winter celebrations include the Bear Dance, the Feather Dance and the Navajo Night Chant.
In the northern hemisphere, the December solstice occurs during the coldest season of the year. Although winter was regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days after the winter solstice brought on a more festive mood. To many people, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle was continuing.
Solstice’s influence on Christmas
In modern times Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas, which falls on December 25. However, it is believed that this date was chosen to offset pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti. Some believe that celebrating the birth of the “true light of the world” was set in synchronization with the December solstice because from that point onwards, the days began to have more daylight in the northern hemisphere.
Christmas is also referred to as Yule, which may have derived from the Norse word jól, referring to the pre-Christian winter solstice festival. Yule is also known as Alban Arthan and was one of the “Lesser Sabbats” of the Wiccan year in a time when ancient believers celebrated the rebirth of the Sun God and days with more light. This took place annually around the time of the December solstice and lasted for 12 days. The Lesser Sabbats fall on the solstices and equinoxes.
The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun. A Yule or Juul log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god Thor.
A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year’s log. In England, Germany, France and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm and or as medicine.
French peasants believed that if the ashes were kept under the bed, they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated in the bonfires associated with the feast of Juul.
Saturnalia in Ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome the winter (December) solstice festival Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held to honor Saturn, the father of the gods and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten while businesses, courts and schools were closed. Wars were interrupted or postponed and slaves were served by their masters. Masquerades often occurred during this time.
It was traditional to offer gifts of imitation fruit (a symbol of fertility), dolls (symbolic of the custom of human sacrifice), and candles (reminiscent of the bonfires traditionally associated with pagan solstice celebrations). A mock king was chosen, usually from a group of slaves or criminals, and although he was permitted to behave in an unrestrained manner for seven days of the festival, he was usually killed at the end. The Saturnalia eventually degenerated into a week-long spree of debauchery and crime – giving rise to the modern use of the term 'saturnalia', meaning a period of unrestrained license and revelry.
Other Cultures and Modern Day Celebrations
In Poland the ancient December solstice observance prior to Christianity involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. It was a tradition that can still be seen in what is known as Gody. In the northwestern corner of Pakistan, a festival called Chaomos, takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. It involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires and festive eating.
Many Christians celebrate St Thomas’ Day in honor of St Thomas the Apostle on December 21. In Guatemala on this day, Mayan Indians honor the sun god they worshipped long before they became Christians with a dangerous ritual known as the polo voladore, or “flying pole dance”. Three men climb on top of a 50-foot pole. As one of them beats a drum and plays a flute, the other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believed that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer. Some churches celebrate St Thomas’ Day on other days in the year.
The ancient Incas celebrated a special festival to honor the sun god at the time of the December solstice. In the 16th century ceremonies were banned by the Roman Catholics in their bid to convert the Inca people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia Indians in Cusco, Peru, revived the festival in the 1950s. It is now a major festival that begins in Cusco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away.
Native American Ceremony
The winter solstice to Native Americans is a time of transition, of looking back at the old year and looking forward to the new. Like many cultures around the world, they have celebrated the winter solstice for hundreds, even thousands of years as they watched the days grow shorter and waited for the sun to return. In their own ways, Native Americans honor the cycle of life, endings and new beginnings as their ancestors did before them.
Some Native American tribes saw this unique celestial event in a different light. Among the Iroquois, it was a time of dreaming. Rather than staying up all night to celebrate the dawn, the People of the Longhouse turned in early, to sleep, to dream. As Mother Night reigned supreme, in dreaming they walked between the worlds of light and darkness, gathering great meaning from what The Great Mystery illuminated for them.
At first light, the entire tribe would gather and each tribal member -- men, women, to the smallest child -- would stand and relate what visions they saw on this special night. The dreams would be discussed at length by the entire tribe for each vision's meaning -- for the individual, about the world, for the tribe. Sigmund Freud wasn't the first to explore or discover the importance of nightly dreaming any more than Columbus "discovered" the New World. The Iroquois practiced this annual event for 1,000 years before the first European set foot on these shores. French Jesuit missionaries in the 1600s marveled at the Iroquois' annual event, writing about them in letters and journals, especially the aspect of the tribe "acting out" various dreams.
It is a powerful awakening each year, this night of dreams, to be approached in sacred manner. In shamanism, the "gift" of a vision is not realized until acted upon, manifested or "danced" into this reality. That is the Great Truth of our walking between the worlds, at any time of the year, but especially during this time.
What the Iroquois knew, and Westerners would not "discover" for hundreds of years, is that the line between waking "reality" and nightly dreaming is not so impermeable. What the Creator instructs in dreams can be the very "reality" of health, insights, group dynamics, and individuality within a community, revealing not only the dreamer's world, but the shared vision -- and lessons -- for a people.
The Pueblo tribes celebrate the Winter Solstice with rites focusing on Spring and rebirth. The Hopi Indians' Soyal ceremony lasts for 20 days and includes purification rituals, blessings and feasting. Other Native American winter celebrations include the Bear Dance, the Feather Dance and the Navajo Night Chant.
December Solstice 2011
This day is the December solstice - the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. The December solstice will occur at 05:30 UTC on Thursday, December 22, 2011. Copy and paste this URL address into your browser to use the World Clock to determine when it takes place where you are: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Time+of+the+December+Solstice&iso=20111222T0530.
Native American Dream Analysis: Iroquois
by Libby Pelham
Most Native American tribes have always held dreams in high regard and given them much respect. To them, dreams are very spiritual and a way of gaining great insight and wisdom as well as guidance for day-to-day life. Most Native Americans believed ancestral spirits would visit them between the hours of midnight and 2:00 a.m. (which may have been during the deepest stages of sleep) to offer them guidance.
A Strong Influence
The Iroquois felt very strongly that dreams guided all aspects of their lives – hunting, fighting, even marriage. Dreaming had a big affect on their proceedings during war. If one person had a dream of failure before a battle, they would retreat, viewing the dream as an omen. French missionaries noted that the Iroquois totally submitted themselves to their dreams. Believing the dreams were concealed instructions from their soul, they felt obligated to live out what they dreamed or feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. Through their dreams, they felt they could contact their highest sacred power, Orenda.
To ignore their dreams was madness to them, sure to result in disaster. It also went against the wishes of the god within. They felt dreams could heal them, curing both physical diseases and mental illnesses. The Iroquois would often act out their dreams with those involved in the dream. They would tell others about their dreams, known as dreamsharing, as a way to understand and interpret the dream.
Festivals
The Iroquois also held several festivals related to dreams and the dream world. The False Face Society festival was an important healing ritual in which the members wore wooden masks in order to invoke the dream world. Members were either those healed by the society or those who dreamed they should be a member. Another important Iroquois festival that focused on dreams was the Midwinter Festival. The Midwinter Festival was held around New Years and featured dreamsharing, dream interpretation, and dream renewal. The men of the Iroquois tribe often ventured out themselves in search of particularly powerful dreams. The men would fast for a period of time, sometimes as long as thirty days, in hopes of having a powerful vision or dream.
Making Note
The importance of dreams to the Iroquois has oft been documented through the years. One example is that of Chief Cornplanter of the Seneca Iroquois. He had a dream that he did not quite understand, so he asked members of his community for interpretation. One such interpreter told Cornplanter that his name was now Onono and he was to give up his position as chief. Chief Cornplanter was convinced this was the correct interpretation and handed his tomahawk and wampum to a friend, thus making him chief. It is said that Cornplanter never regretted his decision, feeling it restored harmony with the Great Spirit.
Another documented case of dream importance to the Iroquois was the dream of Ely Parker’s mother, Elizabeth. Ely Parker was an Iroquois chief who ended up drafting the final terms of surrender for the Civil War. When Elizabeth was still pregnant with Ely, the young Iroquois woman had a dream that she did not understand. It was that of a broken rainbow. She visited a dream interpreter who told her she was pregnant with a son and that son would be a very wise and great peacemaker.
Native Americans such as the Iroquois saw dreams as real and felt real life was often the illusion. Perhaps it would be in our best interest to take note of their beliefs and give our dreams more credit in helping guide our lives to a healthier place.
A Strong Influence
The Iroquois felt very strongly that dreams guided all aspects of their lives – hunting, fighting, even marriage. Dreaming had a big affect on their proceedings during war. If one person had a dream of failure before a battle, they would retreat, viewing the dream as an omen. French missionaries noted that the Iroquois totally submitted themselves to their dreams. Believing the dreams were concealed instructions from their soul, they felt obligated to live out what they dreamed or feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. Through their dreams, they felt they could contact their highest sacred power, Orenda.
To ignore their dreams was madness to them, sure to result in disaster. It also went against the wishes of the god within. They felt dreams could heal them, curing both physical diseases and mental illnesses. The Iroquois would often act out their dreams with those involved in the dream. They would tell others about their dreams, known as dreamsharing, as a way to understand and interpret the dream.
Festivals
The Iroquois also held several festivals related to dreams and the dream world. The False Face Society festival was an important healing ritual in which the members wore wooden masks in order to invoke the dream world. Members were either those healed by the society or those who dreamed they should be a member. Another important Iroquois festival that focused on dreams was the Midwinter Festival. The Midwinter Festival was held around New Years and featured dreamsharing, dream interpretation, and dream renewal. The men of the Iroquois tribe often ventured out themselves in search of particularly powerful dreams. The men would fast for a period of time, sometimes as long as thirty days, in hopes of having a powerful vision or dream.
Making Note
The importance of dreams to the Iroquois has oft been documented through the years. One example is that of Chief Cornplanter of the Seneca Iroquois. He had a dream that he did not quite understand, so he asked members of his community for interpretation. One such interpreter told Cornplanter that his name was now Onono and he was to give up his position as chief. Chief Cornplanter was convinced this was the correct interpretation and handed his tomahawk and wampum to a friend, thus making him chief. It is said that Cornplanter never regretted his decision, feeling it restored harmony with the Great Spirit.
Another documented case of dream importance to the Iroquois was the dream of Ely Parker’s mother, Elizabeth. Ely Parker was an Iroquois chief who ended up drafting the final terms of surrender for the Civil War. When Elizabeth was still pregnant with Ely, the young Iroquois woman had a dream that she did not understand. It was that of a broken rainbow. She visited a dream interpreter who told her she was pregnant with a son and that son would be a very wise and great peacemaker.
Native Americans such as the Iroquois saw dreams as real and felt real life was often the illusion. Perhaps it would be in our best interest to take note of their beliefs and give our dreams more credit in helping guide our lives to a healthier place.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Gifting and Give-Aways: Compassionate Intention
"At this time of year, it’s especially clear that how and where we direct our intentions—and our dollars—has immediate impacts on ourselves and the causes we support.
Researchers in the field of consciousness studies have found that giving is good for you—for your health, your happiness, and your sense of purpose!
Consciousness research, which has been studying the science of giving for decades, has taught us that giving and receiving are among the most healing expressions that humans can make. They can help heal the separateness we often feel from ourselves, each other, and the environment.
According to IONS-sponsored research [Institute of Noetic Science], acts of altruism can elicit a positive immune system response:
• Dr. Jeff Levin, an epidemiologist, found that a correlation exists between almost every dimension of love and patients’ descriptions of better health, more positive emotional well–being, higher self–esteem, and a sense of personal control in their lives.
• Results of IONS’ Compassionate Intention Study suggest that loving or compassionate intention can influence a person’s physiology, ranging from brain activity measurements to skin conductance.
Research by IONS colleague Dr. Stephen Post, professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University and president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, suggests a strong correlation between a person’s well-being and their inclination toward altruistic acts.
An especially compelling study conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish demonstrated that feelings of increased interconnectedness with others can change gene expression, making relationships critical to health and well–being."
- from the email newsletter of the Institute of Noetic Science, December 18, 2011
Researchers in the field of consciousness studies have found that giving is good for you—for your health, your happiness, and your sense of purpose!
Consciousness research, which has been studying the science of giving for decades, has taught us that giving and receiving are among the most healing expressions that humans can make. They can help heal the separateness we often feel from ourselves, each other, and the environment.
According to IONS-sponsored research [Institute of Noetic Science], acts of altruism can elicit a positive immune system response:
• Dr. Jeff Levin, an epidemiologist, found that a correlation exists between almost every dimension of love and patients’ descriptions of better health, more positive emotional well–being, higher self–esteem, and a sense of personal control in their lives.
• Results of IONS’ Compassionate Intention Study suggest that loving or compassionate intention can influence a person’s physiology, ranging from brain activity measurements to skin conductance.
Research by IONS colleague Dr. Stephen Post, professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University and president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, suggests a strong correlation between a person’s well-being and their inclination toward altruistic acts.
An especially compelling study conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish demonstrated that feelings of increased interconnectedness with others can change gene expression, making relationships critical to health and well–being."
- from the email newsletter of the Institute of Noetic Science, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Give-Aways Aren't Enough
Within the next few hours, I will be connected to over a thousand professional folks in various fields on the LinkedIn social media. More than my other social media pages including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Blogger, Iparte, The Red Nation Society, and the Native Spirit Tribal Community, the intrinsic value of these professional connections on LinkedIn is still somewhat ambiguous to me. There are reasons for that. My purpose on other pages like FB, etc., is very clear to me - to communicate with as many like-hearted and like-minded spirits as possible, to sound a call, to help move us into a changed world that is unlike what has so far taken place on this earth. Most of what I post, especially my blog posts, have this recurring theme.
But on LinkedIn I am connected to chairpersons and councilmembers of Indian nations across Turtle Island, plus those who work for them and with whom they do business, as well as media moguls, arts presenters, and performing, graphics, and fine artists. This is different than on the other social media pages.
I have several purposes and several means of achieving those purposes. My dilemma on LinkedIn is more a matter of having too many directions in which to communicate with the professionals with whom I've connected. I hope you can help me with your perspective.
As a performing artist and musician, storyteller, teacher, writer, actor, and activist, I use my talents for education, for social, environmental, and economic justice, and I hope along the way that my efforts are recognized enough to be supported in what I try to do, that I can stay busy and, through that busyness, also manage to pay my bills.
I have also been a Native American Spiritual leader in a women's prison who has tried to help deal with many of the issues that brought many of those women to prison - issues like substance abuse and domestic violence, especially against Native women, issues like low self-esteem, intergenerational trauma, and the historical residues of the cultural genocide of Native Americans. I have worked with the White Bison Wellbriety training programs to improve my skills in doing so and to help others gain those skills. I still work to apply that experience where it is needed.
Before all this, I worked for 22 years as an environmental professional, gaining a great deal of experience that's especially useful in today's push toward a green and sustainable future - experience that includes:
* wildland and urban forest management for multiple uses including silvicultural reforestation and fire hazard reduction through various means including prescribed and controlled burning, computerized inventories of street and park trees and long-range management planning for urban trees;
* handling and processing of biomass materials for energy production and nursery plant production from sawmill residues, industrial agriculture, urban green waste including tree-trimming and removal, large-scale land-clearing, and construction and demolition debris;
* siting, design, and permitting of solid waste materials recovery facilities, transfer stations and landfills;
* hazardous materials inventories for hazardous materials management planning;
* conduct of phase I environmental site assessments for property transfers;
* preparation of industrial stormwater run-off pollution prevention plans:
* co-founding and management as vice-president and general manager of a biomass fuels processing company;
* preparation of environmental documents including environmental assessments, environmental impact reports, and environmental impact statements according to CEQA, NEPA, and the federal Clean Water Act including the first EIR ever written in the state of California for a billboard; and the
* establishment and management of various recycling and composting programs including biomass, waste paper, and beverage container redemption.
I guess that, environmentally, I think of myself as a sustainability advocate and consultant.
But, when I communicate with professionals on LinkedIn in all these fields, which do I pursue? Where are my skills and experience most needed and most effectively applied and in what area am I most likely to be able to be financially successful enough to continue to work and my family to thrive? I provide as much support as I am able to worthwhile causes, hopefully without my family having to sacrifice more than it already has - but give-aways have to have a limit, and my give-aways are consistent across the board. I do need to be practical. Tell me what you think I should do.
But on LinkedIn I am connected to chairpersons and councilmembers of Indian nations across Turtle Island, plus those who work for them and with whom they do business, as well as media moguls, arts presenters, and performing, graphics, and fine artists. This is different than on the other social media pages.
I have several purposes and several means of achieving those purposes. My dilemma on LinkedIn is more a matter of having too many directions in which to communicate with the professionals with whom I've connected. I hope you can help me with your perspective.
As a performing artist and musician, storyteller, teacher, writer, actor, and activist, I use my talents for education, for social, environmental, and economic justice, and I hope along the way that my efforts are recognized enough to be supported in what I try to do, that I can stay busy and, through that busyness, also manage to pay my bills.
I have also been a Native American Spiritual leader in a women's prison who has tried to help deal with many of the issues that brought many of those women to prison - issues like substance abuse and domestic violence, especially against Native women, issues like low self-esteem, intergenerational trauma, and the historical residues of the cultural genocide of Native Americans. I have worked with the White Bison Wellbriety training programs to improve my skills in doing so and to help others gain those skills. I still work to apply that experience where it is needed.
Before all this, I worked for 22 years as an environmental professional, gaining a great deal of experience that's especially useful in today's push toward a green and sustainable future - experience that includes:
* wildland and urban forest management for multiple uses including silvicultural reforestation and fire hazard reduction through various means including prescribed and controlled burning, computerized inventories of street and park trees and long-range management planning for urban trees;
* handling and processing of biomass materials for energy production and nursery plant production from sawmill residues, industrial agriculture, urban green waste including tree-trimming and removal, large-scale land-clearing, and construction and demolition debris;
* siting, design, and permitting of solid waste materials recovery facilities, transfer stations and landfills;
* hazardous materials inventories for hazardous materials management planning;
* conduct of phase I environmental site assessments for property transfers;
* preparation of industrial stormwater run-off pollution prevention plans:
* co-founding and management as vice-president and general manager of a biomass fuels processing company;
* preparation of environmental documents including environmental assessments, environmental impact reports, and environmental impact statements according to CEQA, NEPA, and the federal Clean Water Act including the first EIR ever written in the state of California for a billboard; and the
* establishment and management of various recycling and composting programs including biomass, waste paper, and beverage container redemption.
I guess that, environmentally, I think of myself as a sustainability advocate and consultant.
But, when I communicate with professionals on LinkedIn in all these fields, which do I pursue? Where are my skills and experience most needed and most effectively applied and in what area am I most likely to be able to be financially successful enough to continue to work and my family to thrive? I provide as much support as I am able to worthwhile causes, hopefully without my family having to sacrifice more than it already has - but give-aways have to have a limit, and my give-aways are consistent across the board. I do need to be practical. Tell me what you think I should do.
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Well, the waters got higher and higher. Finally everything was flooded except the hill next to the place where the sacred red pipestone quarry lies today. The people climbed up there to save themselves, but it was no use. The water swept over that hill. Waves tumbled the rocks and pinnacles, smashing them down on the people. Everyone was killed, and all the blood jelled, making one big pool.
The blood turned to pipestone and created the pipestone quarry, the grave of those ancient ones. That's why the pipe, made of that red rock, is so sacred to us. Its red bowl is the flesh and blood of our ancestors, its stem is the backbone of those people long dead, the smoke rising from it is their breath. I tell you, that pipe, that *chanunpa*, comes alive when used in a ceremony; you can feel power flowing from it.
Unktehi, the big water monster, was also turned to stone. Maybe Tunkshila, the Grandfather Spirit, punished her for making the flood. Her bones are in the Badlands now. Her back forms a long high ridge, and you can see her vertebrae sticking out in a great row of red and yellow rocks. I have seen them. It scared me when I was on that ridge, for I felt Unktehi. She was moving beneath me, wanting to topple me.
Well, when all the people were killed so many generations ago, one girl survived, a beautiful girl. It happened this way: When the water swept over the hill where they tried to seek refuge, a big spotted eagle, Wanblee Galeshka, swept down and let her grab hold of his feet. With her hanging on, he flew to the top of a tall tree which stood on the highest stone pinnacle in the Black Hills. That was the eagle's home. It became the only spot not covered with water.
If the people had gotten up there, they would have survived, but it was a needle-like rock as smooth and steep as the skyscrapers you got now in the big cities. My grandfather told me that maybe the rock was not in the Black Hills; maybe it was the Devil's Tower, as white men call it , that place in Wyoming.
Both places are sacred. Wanblee kept that beautiful girl with him and made her his wife. There was a closer connection then between people and animals, so he could do it. The eagle's wife became pregnant and bore him twins, a boy and a girl. She was happy, and said:
"Now we will have people again. *Washtay*, it is good."
The children were born right there, on top of that cliff. When the waters finally subsided, Wanblee helped the children and their mother down from his rock and put them on the earth, telling them: Be a nation, become a great Nation – the Lakota Oyate."
The boy and girl grew up. He was the only man on earth, she the only woman of child-bearing age. They married; they had children. A nation was born.
So we are descended from the eagle. We are an eagle nation. That is good, something to be proud of, because the eagle is the wisest of birds. He is the Great Spirit's messenger; he is a great warrior. That is why we always wore the eagle plume, and still wear it. We are a great nation.
It is I, Lame Deer, who said this.
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