Healing Relationships 2 of 2.

Though we may experience intense feelings of loneliness that are very real, We are never actually “alone”.

Though it may feel like we are isolated without relationships in the world, the reality is very different.

relationships2
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We are descended from recent ancestors, as well as our original peoples of place, who are still present in some form and seek continued relationship with us.  We are also living ancestors in relationship with future generations who depend on us to protect the Earth they inherit.

Our ancestral peoples have lived in deep, inter-connected, cultural relationship with animals, plants and other living relatives for millennia. These relationships of mutuality gave us our Indigenous languages, cultures, and lifeways. These relatives seek our healing so we can have a healthy relationship again and continue to create living history of culture together.

And we are always in relationship with the mysterious Spirit of all life that is ever connected and communicating with us!

As we break the false isolation of colonial culture, we begin to heal, and can turn our compassionate intelligence to healing relationships with indigenous people in resistance to colonialism, the land we have settled upon, as well as the land, peoples, and relatives still remaining in our ancestral homes.

WHAT INSPIRED THIS POSTER?  It sucks to feel alone. And its even harder to feel alone in movements that are all about reawakening relationships to Life and to a People/s.

Unfortunately, we can’t snap our finger and make things the way we want them to be. In this case, it takes emotionally and spiritually hard work. It takes persistence.  It takes courage. And it takes unlocking our imagination so we can see what is truly possible.  A thousand Indigenous elders can tell you what needs to be done, but if a person cannot see what they are saying is even possible – the window for transformation probably remains locked.

I am reminded of the story of the Indigenous woman who was locked inside of a log house by men who meant to do her harm. She felt afraid, but she also trusted her way of life.  So she began to sing to the animals to help her. 

Beaver came. Woodpecker came. Red deer came. Moose came. Squirrel and mouse came. The creepy crawly insects came. All of the animals of the forest heard her song and came to aid a Life that had been imprisoned inside of this box.

The ferocity they displayed in ripping apart this house filled the air, and at times the woman was afraid the creatures wanted to eat her too!   But when the animals were done, they stepped back and invited her outside into freedom again. She tasted the air and the smells of all of her relatives that had come to her aid. And she laughed.  Together, they walked back into the forest never to see those men again.

We are never alone.  We simply need to turn towards Life so that it can turn towards us and make freedom possible once again.

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