GATHERING THE WISDOM OF ALL NATIONS

Elders and youth celebrate four days of drums, song, ceremony, teachings, new friends and laughter...

Summary
David Courchene (Nii Gaani Aki Inini)
September 17, 2006

The drum quickly became the centre. The old songs were sung, inviting the ancestors and the Grandfathers into our gathering of the people. As the drum sounded and the singers sang there were moments when you were transferred way back in time, when our ancestors were living the life of peace and closely connected to the land.

On this sacred site, you could not help but feel the presence of the ancestors joining us in our efforts to find ourselves as a unique and beautiful people. You could feel the dancing of the ancestors as songs were sung at the petroforms. As the teachings were being delivered by the elders, it felt so good to be hearing the truth being spoken.

With the building of the Petroform of the Turtle, this experience literally took us back to the time when our ancestors left markings on the Earth. Today we have left ours, signifying our search for the Truth and our return to the sacred site of our people.



The most noticeable thing was the excitement that everyone was showing as they searched for rocks to form the petroform. As it was being built to its near completion, one of the grandmothers called me over and told me to look in the direction of the back of the Turtle. What I could see was an Eagle emerging from the back of the Turtle. The elder seemed to be so excited. One had to be there to witness and feel what was being done as an event that reached beyond our minds' comprehension.

During the four days, little baby turtles kept appearing; this would happen on each day. Each day they would be taken to the river, and released. This one day, a little turtle was found and it seemed that it was not alive, so it was decided it would be taken back to the shore of the river. This was when the evening healing ceremony was about to begin. As the little turtle was about to be laid on the shore, the sound of the drums beating began in the Elder's Lodge. Suddenly, one eye of the turtle opened. It was alive, but it seemed barely alive. As it was laid on the ground, and the drums were beating in the lodge, the baby turtle immediately came alive and ran towards the sound of the drums. This again offered a sign to the people. The little turtle represented the child, and we were all being shown that somehow we are destroying the spirit of our children. When the little turtle came alive and went towards the sound of the drum, what this meant, the elders said, was that the drum represented the awakening to a way of life that could nurture and help build the spirit of the children. The drum was calling for everyone to return to the sacred lodges, and sacred sites of our people.
What has taken place in one of our most sacred sites known as Manito Api has been nothing less than historical. Not only have we initiated the gathering, but now we will also write our own history as it happened, from our perspective. We will not rely on anyone else but ourselves to begin the writing of our own history.

The event that has occurred here upon this sacred site has deep significance and ramifications for the future.

The strong presence of the elders ensured a special gathering. Through their knowledge, wisdom and leadership, the gathering became a true spiritual experience. It was spiritual in the sense that the environment they created through ceremony and song was truly loving and peaceful.

The protocol of elder influence was reflected in the gathering, as it had been in the old days. As the elders led the gathering, we felt at ease, knowing and feeling that things would run the way they were meant to be. To the elders, the beginning of the day was always most important and that was giving thanks and gratitude to the Great Spirit and the Grandfathers.

More Images from the Gathering

The evening when the drums from the four directions sounded, the sound of the drums, you instinctively knew, would carry the collective voice of the people. The voice of the people wanted life; they wanted peace. The way of the drum has always been to carry the wishes and the dreams of the people. That evening, whoever was present knew that at that time, in this special sacred place, this Centre, these drums would be a part of an awakening that was happening around the world. What made it even more spectacular and eventful was that it was fulfilling prophecy: The Red Man would initiate this movement; it would be the light from the East, a new beginning. What was real and evident was the four directions were present to celebrate life in a most sacred place, Manitou Api, the "Place Where the Creator Sat". Many had wondered why the temperature dropped so quickly and the wind became so strong. The elders knew. It was the arrival of the ancestors; they came in with the wind. The cold was only there to show and make us feel their presence. It was very difficult to contain oneself, when the drums were sounding and the people dancing.






On the third afternoon, gifts and tobacco were offered to the elders to seek direction: What happens next? The elders selected one of the tipis and took it into ceremony. All that can be said about this time was simply put by one of the grandmothers: What was started here in this sacred site must continue. There was full blessing from the spirit in ceremony, which was endorsed and sanctified by the elders present.


The elders gave their commitment in continuing to help in whatever way they could. It was agreed we would move forward and plan for next year's gathering. The final words of the elders were: This is going to grow...