HANTA
HO
"CLEARING THE WAY"
Rap Song: "The First 90 Seconds"
Vocal: Bailey
|
Keep climbing, the grass is green there, the water gentle and clean, the air filled with the fragrant scent of nature; the stately guardians (trees) await you. As do, the flyers, swimmers and four-leggeds. Dance and Drum with them, for they truly know the meaning of what it is to be in harmony with each other, and remember SING like everyone is listening! Wilwilaasyk, All My Relations.
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Abraham | Steve | George | Jonathan | Justin |
 |
 |
|||
| Rodney | The original art is on the right, Nathan's copy is on the left. He has a truly amazing gift! |
|
Remember the lyrics to the Rap Song we wrote together, "The First Ninety Seconds." (Lyrics printed below). The words are powerful and ones to take with you as you climb your sacred mountains. If you feel your feet slipping, grab the medicine bag you made, hold on and count rhythmically to 90. You know what you have to do, you know how to walk in the world in a manner that pleases your Ancestors. You know this......Just do it.....oh yes, and have some good fun on the way. Go in peace, my precious young brothers, remember, our people need you. Wilwilaaysk, All My Relations Elder, Shannon Thunderbird
|
|
WANIYETU WOWAPI
(WINTER COUNT CALENDAR) - LAKHOTA The Lakhota used the Winter
Count Calendar to record important events in the daily life of the
tribe, snowfall to snowfall, or one year.
Waniyetu
means 'year', Wowapi
means anything that is recorded on a flat surface, most often a
piece of animal hide. A further interpretation of
Wowapi, is
anything that could be counted or read. The
Waniyetu Wowapi,
along with other artifacts, as noted, such as the medicine wheel
supported the vast oral histories of each tribe. Here is a photo of
an original Calendar.
I decided that the boys should create their own sacred symbol of daily life.
Their version depicts some of the things they relate to.
Starting in a clockwise direction, I drew the calumet (top left) and
explained to the boys that by placing a Native pipe (calumet) on the
hide, it now becomes a sacred artifact and that that only the truth
can be told in pictorial form. Drawings such as the barbell to
represent the workout room, microphone and musical notes because of
their love for rap, the heart for love.
Photo Left: On one visit, which happened to be September 11, 2011 (the 10th anniversary of the great tragedy in the United States), Kate and I discussed with the boys the value of freedom, the responsibility that comes with it and asked for their views on why this happened. Their responses were quite profound. I cannot reveal them here, because they were spoken in sacred circle. I suggested that each of them draw a picture about 9/11, and what you see in the photo is nothing short of fabulous, very moving, emotional and powerful. Photo right: As you can see it is moving along, as the boys add things they are thinking about, i.e., hallowe'en!
|
|
TEACHING FOR THE YOUTH "Our people have made and used these bags for
thousands of years. They can be worn around the
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Steven | George | Abraham | Beautiful Medicine Pouches made by Darryl, Eric, Forest, Jesse, Matthew, Nathan, Roger, Stephen |
|
THE FIRST NINETY
SECONDS Vocal: Bailey The Rap Song you are listen to came out of a number of discussions we had on how to control bubbling negative emotions within the first ninety seconds of something happening. Studies show that how you react in those first 90 seconds is how a situation can escalate or de-escalate. For example, if your immediate response is one of blinding rage, at the end of the 90 seconds, your adrenalin starts to fade and you fight hard to retain the initial anger, but it is very difficult to hold onto it. Ask yourself, "will a negative reaction to this situation harm me in the short and long-term?" If the answer is yes, say, "If I can make it through the next 90 seconds, I have a chance to change my energy and avoid possible catastrophic results for me." This conversation struck a chord with my young brothers and they were very thoughtful in their responses. I suggested they write a rap song about it, and they laughed when I said I was the world's worst rapper, so they have been trying to teach me. We've called our animated rapper, "Sixty Cents" (due to inflation!).
Bailey (Vocal) - He did a fabulous job with no rehearsal.
The First Ninety Seconds is the
challenge To get past rage to find my balance If I can wait for this time to pass Then I have a chance to make peace
last I can respect the time for writing
this rhyme And realize the line that I walk is
fine I push through the struggles like a
breeze through wind chimes Seein' the world through calm and
clear eyes Thunder don't have to be anger and
rage It can clear my mind and set the stage To honour myself for restraint of
action As I go through the first Ninety
Seconds by relaxin' Livin' through the first ninety
seconds of rage Even though we are shut down, locked
in a cage We still can make a change, and turn a
new page and abstain from pain and honour our
names
|
|
A sweatlodge is a time of quiet, reflection and teachings. It is a serene time for all of us as "my boys" put into practice Hanta Ho while in the lodge. When we are finished, we re-hydrate with strawberries, biscuits and power drinks. The kitchen prepares a ceremonial meal for the whole facility on the "high" ceremonies, that is, the Summer and Winter Solstices. A sweat lodge was originally created for men, so that they could experience the peace of spiritual, emotional, physical and mental cleansing and purification that women naturally experience on their moon time. Much later the sweat lodge ceremony was extended to women as long as women sweated by themselves, as did the men; Modern sweat lodges now allow for 'mixed' sweats. In one form or another, the sweat lodge pervaded cultures from the Alaska south to the land of the Mayans. The purpose, in most cases, went beyond getting the body clean. It provided a cure for illness, revitalization for aching muscles, a connection to the Ancestors and a sense of both cultural and spiritual identity. A chance, in other words, to reconnect to both the seen and unseen worlds. Sweating rids the body of wastes and gives the body an almost magical and very thorough cleaning. In this modern sedentary age that includes lack of regular exercise, air and water pollution, artificial environments, and synthetic clothing, a sweat lodge opens clogged skin pores and stimulates the healthy flow of a body's own natural sweat. A Navajo who fought in World War II once said that he had came back for a sweat "to rid himself of evil accumulated during war."
|
|
K'OOL GYET (ALL ONE PEOPLE) LODGE
Chaplain Andy who Kate, Sandy and I absolutely adore and missed terribly
while he was on medical leave, gave us a room to
convert into a Longhouse! After speaking with my young brothers, we decided
that the room should be for everyone. The boys and I enjoyed the
space because it had a magical, healing spirit. On top of
everything else, the room was just steps away from the Sweatlodge site.
Very, very cool. \ |
 |
 |
 |
| Kate (my Sister) & some beautiful posters that Andy contributed - Great Spirit Pray, Seven Grandfather Teachings. | Big Drum - made as a gift by an Elder from Six Nations of the Grand. | Warrior Shields & words from influential people from all races. |
 |
 |
|
| Eastern Wall representing the Yellow (Asian) Race. Symbols on the plaque mean "Love". | The lodge is a restful room where we can write stories, that I intend to publish as soon as we have amassed a body of them. |
|
POET'S CORNER (copyrighted) - Poetry by Matthew |
|
| TEMPERAMENT SKIES | HESITENTLY HOPEFUL |
|
Skies of green and purple hues Painting colours on my temperament Playing with my playing thoughts Storming in they make it shine Skies of blue and yellow nights Cover up the black and greys And pull me deep into the pain Within green and purple hues BLUE OR GRAY My eyes are blue, but they feel gray The only depth to see through My eyes see gray but they see you Only when they focus through My eyes see depth, but only gray Only when they focus, blue. |
Hesitant, as I turn to the right Arising, as I turn to the dark Enraged, as I reach out to touch Restless, as I walk to the dream Anxious, as I turn to the left Withering, as I look to the light Apathy, as I reach out to harm Restless, as I turn to the dream Hopeful, as I look straight ahead Fearless, as I act with no mind Enraged, as I think with one more Restless, as I walk through the dream Conscious, as I want to look back Confused, as I talk to the dark Apathy, as I turn to the right Reckless, as I wake from the dream Restless, as you look at my change Pointless, as I start straight ahead Loneliness, as I reach out once more |
| WHERE | FAMILY |
|
Where did I go Can't find my way Reaches out for you Show me away Wxtend my hand Reach out for this Where did it goe Can't find a way Where did you go Can't stay away Reached out your hand So far away |
I have walked through the fire To help walk two away I have gone through torture To help walk two away I have gone though the pain To help walk two away You have fought all you can To help guide me away But, I walked through the fire To help walk two away |
| CHILD OF THE DARKNESS | CHILD OF THE DARKNESS, CONTINUED |
|
Within the present of my essence The child of the spirit Internal messages of my power The child of the fire Raging demons of my souls The child of the cage Counting ones that stand with me The child of the legion Voices screaming at my eyes The child of the change Desirable violence inflicting harm The child of the apathy Irreconcilable sense of self The child of the family Visions of the thing's to come The child of the dream Conscious memories of the lost the child of the truth Enraging everything with a cost The child of the demond Replacing everything I have to hold The child of the forsaken Within the forest of the damned The child that will liberate Holding tightly to what is mind The child of the selfish An added feral touch to the rain The child of the serene Unobtainable pieces of my puzzle The child of the whimsical Untouchable madness to be released The Darkness of the child An unexplainable serenity |
The peace of the child An uncontrollable state of mind The change of the child A painful touch of love and life The family of the child A visionary man of rage and hate The cage of this child Contemplation of his fate The dream of the child Anxiety built from somewhere within The fear of this child A painless touch that The hands of the child Soundless songs that must be sung The voice of the mind Sightless passings through the soul The shadow of the child Destructive nature's of the mind The flames of the child Insanity that dwells in love The sight of the child Unreachable close to something new The faces of no smiles Untouchable danger to be released I am that child the Child of the Darkness |
