*Photo credit goes to Dancing Earth
“It’s never too late to become indigenous to where you live.”
~Julie McIntyre
Those words hit me hard. And I carry them with me everyday.
For many years I complained and felt immense sadness about witnessing the loss of indigenous wisdom to my generation.
I’d compare it to an eternal ache that a child might feel being separated from her mother.
I came across others who felt the same as me, powerless, as if we were living in an invisible cage that kept us from stepping out of our own perspective.
Hearing those words freed me from that limiting belief...and in one flash of insight...I became indigenous.
I know...some will argue that it’s disrespectful to claim to be indigenous.
But who put them in charge of deciding this?
It’s the same with those ecological purists who claim only native plants are beneficial to the local ecosystems...when what I see is that even “domesticated” or “invasive” plants have their beneficial medicines to share.
Sure, maybe I’ve descended from “domesticated” and perhaps even “invasive” humans, but Earth is my home. And I can be her remedy.
I have indigenous blood running through my veins.
I know how to speak the language of plants and animals through feeling with my heart. And you do too!
We knew this...before we were “schooled” into “thinking” we are somehow separate and superior to other life forms. And that OUR form of communication and intelligence is what defined consciousness. And that plants and animals were here to be exploited for our needs.
It really gives me hope to witness my own children, who have never been taught these things, connect with all life forms with a sense of kinship.
I used to think...I want to teach my children the indigenous ways. Little did I know that THEY would be the ones teaching ME.
My daughter, Sage, greets the plants on our walks by saying, “Nice to meet you.”
And before taking anything from them, a flower or a leaf, she asks for permission, “May I please have a gift?”
We are also learning to always give something in return, something as simple as a kind intention, a tender caress...or a soul-full song from our hearts.
Creating meaning for ourselves and our children, appreciating the sacredness in the most mundane and seemingly inanimate objects, is a vital, responsibility that is up for claiming.
When we learn to cultivate the intelligence of the heart, we not only tap into our human instincts and spiritual guidance, but it’s as though we also tap into the dreaming of Gaia herself. And those who have experienced this, know exactly what I mean. 😉
We belong here!
How does that feel to say it out loud?
It doesn’t matter where you live or who you are, it’s never too late to indigenize!
And just as we teach our kids to become civilized, so can they teach us to remember our interconnectedness to all of life through the invisible heart strands of Aloha.
There’s no rule that says we can’t both be civilized AND indigenous. And besides, it’s about time we make up our own rules. The ones we’ve been following have proven to be devastating to our Mother planet.
“The earth will support anything that supports life. What I have found after a soul retrieval is that one cannot "numb out" anymore. Each and every one of us must make personal and planetary decisions to stop abusing life.”
~Sandra Ingerman
Who’s up for a free soul retrieval, facilitated by Gaia herself?
All my love,
❤️Pachee
If this resonates… feel free to mosey on over to my website. 😀
Pachee
*Photograph by Dancing Earth