North American Indian Spirituality
Yesterday evening a thought wandered into my mind that amazed me very much at how demonstrative it was of our old spirituality. That old way and thought was so connected and sensitive to the spirit world.
I remembered a time when I was just a cute little boy seeing and hearing dogs cry and howl when a member of the community died. This was a time when we didn’t have medical services such as we have today. The dogs seemed to be sensitive to what was happening around the community and therefore knew when the spirit of the person that died left. Thinking back on it, I think it brought us all comfort hearing the manifestation of the spirit world as it received our loved one into that world.
Now the dogs wander around the community having had their sensitivity of things spiritual bereft from them. Every so often though, they still demonstrate they haven’t altogether lost this ability, and it makes us warm knowing from them our loved one is where they should be. When my mother died over 10 years ago, one of the dogs she cared for came to her funeral wake. I believe to give its last respects. The people who were there just left her alone and didn’t bother her. One of my sisters also said that eagles came that day to fly over where her remains were.
I missed my mother when these remembrance came yesterday.
As we, as the first people of this land, begin in ernest to retake who we are, our ways, our lands, our self determination, let us also not forget to reestablish our spirituality by strengthening our friendship with the world around us and use it to lift up the name of Jesus our Creator. The people who came from elsewhere can join us in this.
Amen..
