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Los Angeles—The Hoop in a Great Urban Center
We are sitting in a circle of twenty chairs in a beautiful
new building housing the Commerce Office of the Los Angeles
Torres-Martinez Tribal TANF—we have just finished viewing
the documentary video of the first two Journeys. Although
we are in Southern California, the words of Mary Lodge Pole,
an Elder we met in 1999 on Hoop Journey I in Rocky Boy, Montana,
are echoing strong: "What will happen to them when
they go into the cities?" (Please see the Companion
Story)
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"We've
even created descriptive words for those who live away
from the Reservation and those who stayed. Urban Indians.
Rez Indians. Putting these labels on one another has,
at times, divided us more than the miles between the
Reservation and the City."
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The
Circle talked for quite some time after viewing the video.
Since we consider the Talking Circle to be Sacred—what
you hear here, who you see here, leave it here—we will
not talk about exact conversations or quotes from that Circle.
But later that evening and during the next day's event at
the Southwest Museum,
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| (Left
to Right) Aaron Tidwell, Leya Hale, Emanuel Winston, Don
Coyhis, Malinda Reino, Frank Checkcinco, Tawny Hale, participants
in the Talking Circle in Los Angeles on June 17. |
we heard the same sentiments over and over. "It is hard
to connect to Mother Earth when you live in a concrete jungle."
"It is difficult to learn the traditions and ceremony when
you live away from the Reservation." "When we go back home
to our Reservation, we are sometimes treated like outsiders
like we don't belong there."
It's a long story with a beginning in the Relocation Era of
the 1960's. The U.S. Government visited many of our American
Indian Reservations and offered "opportunity" to those who
would relocate to cities. The Relocation of individuals from
the Reservations to large cities during that time means that
today we have Children and Grand Children who have never lived
on a Reservation. Many have never heard their language, their
stories, or learned the old ways of ceremony and medicines.
They aren't familiar with Talking Circles or Smudging. They
might even live in a neighborhood where there are no other
American Indian Families, much less another member of their
Tribe. We've even created descriptive words for those who
live away from the Reservation and those who stayed. Urban
Indians. Rez Indians. Putting these labels on one another
has, at times, divided us more than the miles between the
Reservation and the City.
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"The
entire Circle was filled with People wanting to connect
and reconnect with Traditional Teachings and to come
together as a Community. There were six amazing young
people there. Young people with old Spirits."
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The
Gifts of the Sacred Hoop of 100 Eagle Feathers—Forgiving
the Unforgivable, Unity, Healing and Hope—these gifts
live in Los Angeles. They were alive in the Talking Circle
on the evening of the 17th of June. The entire Circle was
filled with People wanting to connect and reconnect with Traditional
Teachings and to come together as a Community. There were
six amazing young people there. Young people with old Spirits.
There were those there willing to teach them the Old Ways.
These young people were excited about the Wellbriety Movement.
They were excited to have their picture made with Don. But
truth be told, I believe it was Don who was the most honored
and excited to be with them. They are the hope of all our
tomorrows.
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| Ben
Hale gives a Welcome and Introduction to the Gathering
at Wellbriety Day at the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles
on June 18. To his right is a photo of Ingrid Washinawatok
El-Issa, to whom this year's Journey is dedicated. |
When
we gathered the following day at the Southwest Museum it was
also exciting. We were in the very courtyard where the 2nd
Journey of the Sacred Hoop had begun—the Walk from Los
Angeles to Washington D.C. in 2000. And we were welcomed back
to this site by Ben Hale (Navajo). As coincidence will have
it, Ben is the man on the documentary film Healing of a
Nation who is offering Prayers for the Walkers and the
Sacred Hoop as we left on that 4,000 mile Journey in April
of 2000. Standing next to Ben in that video is one of his
daughters—she had been at the Circle the night before.
And here we were coming full circle as we returned to Los
Angeles on a Journey focused on Healing Women and Children.
Ben's prayer had been inspiring for all of us who went on
that long walk in 2000, and again he inspired us with his
words about the Sacredness of Women and Children.
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| Barbara
Arvi, Melva M. Big Bear, Evie W., and Kay D. carrying
the Sacred Hoop during the opening ceremony at the South
West Museum at the start of Wellbriety Day. |
Don
Coyhis smudged the four Women who Carry the Sacred Hoop.
And as they circled the courtyard of the Museum, many people
followed behind them. Don shared the Story of the Hoop and
the purpose of this Third Journey with all fifty people who
were gathered on this beautiful day.
When
it came time for the telling of the Story of Brandy Jo, the
little 5 year old girl from Cheyenne, Wyoming, murdered by
her Mother's boyfriend and represented by a red silhouette
provided by the Silent Witness program, there was another
experience of how paths cross on this Journey we call Life.
Riley (Creek/Seminole) had driven all the way from Tucson,
Arizona to join us for the Talking Circle and today's event.
Riley had been with us on much of the Walk from LA to Washington
D.C. in 2000 and was happy to be with all of us again—including
Brandy Jo. We were glad to run across some old friends and
also pleased that there was a group of young people from a
nearby school who just happened to be at the Museum and joined
us for the Event. This seemed to be a time and place for our
Children and Grand Children.
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"The
Wild Horse Singers sang the Honoring Song for Ingrid
Washinawatok El-Issa as we all stood holding hands in
a circle around the Hoop. Ingrid's spirit was with our
gathering in LA that day."
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We
were blessed to have the Wild Horse Singers come to
sing the songs for us on this beautiful day. Richard Yanez
is one of those involved parents. His son is a member of the
Drum Group and Richard didn't just drive him to the gathering
and drop him off, he stayed and supported his son and the
rest of the singers. When the Wild Horse Singers sang an Honor
Song for Ingrid, you could feel the pride of this parent for
his child. They had that kind of relationship where they could
just look at one another and "have a conversation without
words."
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| After
sharing the Story of the Sacred Hoop and the Journey for
Healing of Women and Children, Don Coyhis speaks out about
domestic violence as he tells the story of Brandy Jo,
held by Riley of Tucson Arizona. |
The
Wild Horse Singers sang the Honoring Song for Ingrid Washinawatok
El-Issa as we all stood holding hands in a circle around the
Hoop. Ingrid's spirit was with our gathering in LA that day
as Don said, "We should honor her Spirit because the Spirit
lives on so she is still here for us to honor her life and
her work." (Please see issues number
1 and 3 about Ingrid's life
and work.)
We
heard an Elder—Bill Iron Moccasin, from South Dakota—say
in this very courtyard in April of 2000 at the start of Hoop
Journey II, "I want to apologize to the young people for
the mess we have made of their world. They will be the ones
who will have to clean up the damage we have created for them.
It is not their fault how it is in their families and communities,
it is ours. I pray every day for our young people to heal
and to be strong so that they can walk in a good way and have
a better life than the one that we gave to them."
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| The
Wild Horse Singers, Jorge Lechuga, Adrian Phoenix, Julian
Phoenix, Tsa Tso Yanez, Darryl Montana, Mike Rifal, sing
an Honor Song for Ingrid (pictured in the background). |
Today
we could say to both Bill Iron Moccasin and Mary Lodge Pole—There
is Hope! We witnessed our future in Los Angeles—our
Children and Grand Children are on the Red Road to Wellbriety.
Mary
Lodge Pole and Hoop Journey I
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When
the Sacred Hoop was taken on the first Journey in 1999,
among the many American Indian Colleges where we held
events was Stone Child College in Rocky Boy, Montana.
It was there that we met a beautiful Elder by the name
of Mary Lodge Pole. At that time Mary counted 152 Children,
Grand Children, and Great Grand Children. For those
of you who have viewed the White Bison video documentary
Healing of a Nation, you may have spotted this
Grandmother in the video and heard Don Coyhis say, "Mary
Lodge Pole was a powerful influence on this Journey."
To see Mary, a small unassuming humble figure seated
on the bottom row of the bleachers of the gymnasium
of Stone Child College, powerful influence might
not be one's first impression.
Sometimes
power and influence come in unexpected ways and from
surprising sources. Maybe part of that is because we
have forgotten what real power is. Perhaps we are impressed
by, and influenced by, people, places and things that
are actually of little consequence or purpose in our
lives and our search for meaning and purpose.
After
speaking only briefly with Mary Lodge Pole, we asked
her if we could video tape an interview with her. In
her humility she seemed surprised and honored that we
would ask. In our awe, we were honored that she would
agree. It is this way with those who hold real power––they
don't need it. They don't even recognize it
in themselves. Mary Lodge Pole holds a powerful Medicine.
Perhaps the most powerful of all the Medicines. She
holds strong, unconditional Love. For her Children and
Grand Children, and all of the Grand Children from the
Four Directions. For her People, and for all of the
People of the Four Directions.
At
the end of the video interview, Mary said, "I
worry about the Grandchildren. What will the world be
like for them? What will happen to them when they go
into the cities? Will they forget about the sweetgrass
and the medicines? What will the world be like for them?
Who will help them to learn the songs and the stories
of their People? If they come and ask me I will tell
them. I will tell them everything I know… but they
have to come… they have to sit down with me and
I will do anything I can to help them."
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