Hi Terry,

Thanks for coming by, it is so good to see you again, I have missed you so much. Also the rose is so beautiful.

Hugs,
Myrna

"That's the way the Indians do it..."

by Daniel Crowfeather

In today's mainstream society, there is a growing interest in Aboriginalculture and spirituality, and in a return to simpler ways and times.However, as people begin to search out information about these cultures,many have a tendency to take any facts they learn and apply themto all Aboriginal cultures, as though there was only one universalAboriginal culture across all of North America and Meso-America.

In truth, there was and is a rich variety of Aboriginal cultures.From the peoples of the Northwest coast with their distinctive artand dependence on the sea, to the Plains peoples and their tipis,to the Innu people and their kayaks and igloos, each Nation developedin a way that suited their location and resources. In addition,each Nation received from the spirit world those ceremonies andtraditions that they needed in order to live their lives in thebest possible way for them. While there are many common threadsthat connect these cultures and traditions, there are many smallnuances that make them special and unique to each people.

As an example, consider the simple Medicine Wheel. Here is a symbolthat is found in the traditions of many First Nations, and whichhas come to be a generally-recognized symbol of Native cultures.The concept is simple: a circle divided into four quadrants, eachwith one of the four colours of man: Red, White, Black and Yellow.However, there are nuances: in the Mi'kmaw culture, whose traditionsI follow, the colours are placed as follows: White to the East,Yellow to the South, Red to the West, and Black to the North. OtherNations, however, place them in a different order; still othersadd Blue and Green for the sky and earth; and some nations do nothave the Medicine Wheel symbol at all. In each case, the tradition(or lack of it) is appropriate for that Nation, and is not consideredincorrect by any other Nation. In my experience, each culture honoursthe differences of the others, and enjoy comparing beliefs as away to understand and appreciate each other more deeply.

In a way, it is surprising that we can be so quick to paint everyonewith the same brush. Consider Europe: it occupies a much smallerarea than North America, yet we know that it is full of vibrantand distinct cultures. We do not expect people from France to bethe same as people from Norway or Germany or Greece; we know thatthey have their own cultures and traditions. By the same token,we should not expect the Sioux to be the same as the Cree, or theNootka to be the same as the Hopi; each is its own culture, withits own traditions and practices.

The main problem, of course, is that much of mainstream societybases their understanding of native cultures on movies and television.We must remember that most of this material is intended purely forentertainment, and usually very little effort is devoted to ensuringthat the culture is being portrayed accurately. As I have said onmany occasions: any resemblance between the Hollywood First Nationand real life is purely coincidental!

Unfortunately, this problem even extends into many of our FirstNations. Here in Canada, many Nations lost much of their traditionalknowledge thanks to the infamous government boarding schools. Now,as these Nations try to reclaim their heritage, many are adoptingceremonies and practices that rightfully belong elsewhere. Thiscan lead to further loss of their own culture, and to a great dealof confusion caused by potentially conflicting beliefs. As an example,there is a growing circle of Mi'kmaw people who have adopted theSundance from the plains Nations. The Sundance was originally intendedto honour the buffalo, which we have never had here in the Maritimes.Because the Sundance tradition is not strongly rooted in the Mi'kmawculture, it is also being changed by the adoption: I have hearda Mi'kmaw Sundancer claim that nobody can become a Medicine Personfor the Mi'kmaq unless they have completed a full commitment tothe Sundance. Apparently the Mi'kmaq have been doing it wrong forover ten thousand years. However, in the Plains culture there isno such belief attached to the Sundance. In this case, the adoptionof someone else's tradition has created confusion and, worse yet,has created rifts between different segments of a Nation.

Thus, we must always remember that each First Nation had its ownunique culture, and we should not assume that any other Nation hadthe same beliefs, traditions or practices. The desire to learn iswonderful, but we must treat each facet of each culture as belongingto that culture alone, unless we know for certain that it applieselsewhere. We must learn to deliberately look for and celebrateour differences, so that we learn to appreciate the uniqueness ofour own cultures, and those of others. If we can all do that, wewill never again hear someone say, "That's the way the Indiansdo it."

All my relations!