This morning, we helped put up a tipi. We learned about traditional ceremonies of various Native American tribes. And we planted a tree. We took the kids to an event called Rainbow Warriors Camp for Kids, in Austin, Texas.
We learned that the nomadic people of the Great Plains tribes carried tipis like this one across the countryside. The women usually raised these tipis while the men went away to hunt and gather food. Larger tipis were used for ceremonial purposes. These tipis require lodgepole pine poles of 30' or taller, and they comfortably hold 30-40 people seated in a circle around a central fire.
One of the messages that was resoundingly clear during the event is this: We all have indigenous heritage. The definition of indigenous is: originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native. Understanding this is key to the “Rainbow Warrior” calling to accept all people of all nations as our brothers and sisters, red, yellow, black, and white. As a call of brotherhood, we say the Lakota phrase: “Aho Mitakuye Oyasin,” which translates to this: “I honor all of my relations.”
Personal Thoughts On Indigenous Peoples' Day
I can appreciate the long-standing holiday we called Columbus Day, which was designed to recognize the virtues of exploration and adventure, I think. I personally cannot judge whether or not this man named Christopher Columbus was a hero or a villain, but I can sympathize with the Native people who feel offended by a holiday that celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas.
That said, I love the idea of celebrating the indigenous people of our nation. All my life, I've had friendships with members of the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, and Shoshone tribes. I grew up in central Wyoming, in a small town that bordered the Wind River Reservation. More recently, ventured to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota as a video journalist, in order to help document the Standing Rock Movement. And this year I became a member of the Native American Church of the Americas (NAC), where I'm learning to find my own indigenous culture.
Personally, I thank God for the rise in my own awareness about the presence of the Native American culture, still surviving and thriving on this continent. There is so much to be gained by embracing the relationships of our “Greater Family,” which is all of us together. It can lead to world peace, really. Let's work on it. Aho Mitakuye Oyasin.
