(MODERN THINKING ~ ANCESTRAL THINKING)
In our quest to reclaim and co-create ecological civilization today, rejecting western thinking and embracing indigenous mind is an important part of the journey! Our legacy of western values began as a patriarchal ideology that viewed the land, elements and creatures as objects to be owned, and went on to perpetuate the rule of all that is mechanistic, disembodied, material and subject to control. As Empire evolved in the western world we were taught to ignore the holistic connections, to sort things into the appropriate categories, and to divide and conquer our own reality. The logic of domination placed human beings and their needs in the superior position, and enabled conquest and ecocide all over the world. And unlike indigenous societies, the western worldview that we have inherited is lacking in true care or responsibility to Earth Community. It may be difficult for us to reclaim an earth-rooted identity after centuries of being told that western civilization is the only way to live, or that we cannot exist without the cultural treasures, benefits and amenities of the western world. And it may be a daunting task to know ourselves as indigenous beings dwelling in an animistic universe once again. But the outcome is clear that by rejecting Empire in principle and deed, we naturally align with the sacredness of the Earth, and reaffirm our deep love and respect for nature at the heart of our worldview(s). Challenging the entitlement of western mind means shifting to a renewed focus on all that is compassionate, intuitive, empathic and grounded, both in our physical bodies and the land. The emergence of holistic thinking in our time is an essential re-indigenization process, and the necessary rebalancing that is needed after centuries of fractured, separatist western empiricism .
Beyond our world of modern complexity and technology, the truth of the tribal human soul and the touch of the tribal human hand continue to manifest, and the guiding forces are already in place for the collective recovery of our Ancient Spirit and our return to eco-soul. We have eternal access to a deep well of ancestral knowing, the divine pattern lives on in the DNA, and Gaia’s matrix and the Web of Life sustain all beings with an everlasting restoration of healing and new growth! And even though urbanized humanity seems to be able to live with the illusion of separation from the natural world, and it may appear that we have given up on the Earth, the harmonic intelligence and Great Heart in nature is waiting, and the Earth has not given up on us.
The essence of Natura, the Green Goddess, or “veriditas” 1 is the irreducible principle that all things rise again in perennial growth, and that the green soul of the entire Earth Community is blessed with renewal and rebirth. Remaining in place as a timeless, thriving and ever- rejuvenating mystery, the power of life itself is eloquently described by Dylan Thomas as “the force that through the green fuse drives the flower, drives my green age.” 2 The unfailing themes of abundant life and green growth on Earth continue to manifest, even as we move into an unpredictable future. The beauty and timelessness of ancestral wisdom is an unstoppable force, as rewilding and recovering indigenous mind become the goal for all people. And even though we have ancient models to follow, with the shift to ecodigenity we are entering new ground, and it is simplistic to suggest that we can renounce ourselves completely as modern people. It may be more helpful to identify the foremost components of modern mind, and then set out to reclaim the opposite in whatever shape and form that takes, keeping in mind that our critical thinking and analytical skills continue to be powerful gifts we can apply as informed and enlightened human beings.
Our journey will come full circle in a surprising paradox, with our primal return, or re-indigenization, becoming the “future primitive” wave of the future!
Knowing the Earth to be the source of spiritual wisdom allows indigenous mind to unfold, and to perceive that there are a million ways the living magic and primal matrix of The Sacred is trying to come back into the world. Tribal sounds fading in and out, the ancient shadows, the hidden meanings…...the etern al archtypes that weave natural law into human life continue to arise. Perhaps the answer lies in the embodiment of our own root culture and the principle that all indigenous cultures share, which is to be deeply bonded to the more-than-human world. As we acknowledge all beings as our relatives - our brothers, sisters and kindred spirits in the dance - we become devoted to the balance and harmony of the entire Earth Community. The gentleness, love, respect and care we feel means that we are incapable of using or abusing nature past the carrying capacity of the land, and in the end, these are the mindful qualities that will translate into sustainable societies and well-being for all.
We are the Ancestors of the future, and this is how Ancestors live! Learn the Old Ways of your people and find or adopt a piece of land to love with all your heart. Re-embrace your true home and become empowered to hold space for decolonizing community to arise. Carve out a natural lifestyle, listen to what the earth is telling you, celebrate and honour the land, and praise the land. Create the ceremonies, rituals, artistic expressions, crafts, stories, songs and feasts that convey your interaction with the spirits of the land. Practice the sacred activities that dovetail with the cycles and the Great Wheel of the Year. Plant when it is time, harvest when it is time, rest when it is time, and respect the living things - the plants and animals that have given their lives for your existence. Root your heart to the earth where it can stay strong, stay your face to the moon, your skin to the sun, your hands to the soil, your eyes to the beauty of nature, your heart to the creatures, your gratitude to the Green Fuse, your wonder to the interconnectivity of it all, and your soul anchored in the deep dreaming of the land that will hold you in loving embrace throughout your long revolutions of birthing, living, dying and being born again. “
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The following WESTERN MIND ~ INDIGENOUS MIND visual aid is not comprehensive as a universal human study, but sets out certain aspects of western mind that we may want to revise or discard, and elements of indigenous mind that we may want to encourage or embrace.
Modern Thinking/ Western Mind Human separate from nature. Bounded by the ego, set apart from others. Self-absorbed. Material and having a sense of linear time. Linear thinking “gets the job done” but linearity interferes with the natural ability to experience life and emotions in a holistic way. Over-rational, over-analytical, over- verbal. Subject-object relations, seeks utility. Dualistic “either/or” and fragmented thinking. The emphasis on reductionism, over- thinking and verbal aquity can limit freedom and authentic reflection or exploration. Learning is forced through curriculum, supervision, instruction and discipline. Sense of self is sociallyconditioned. Restless mind, living in the past and future. Focused on facts, figures and explanations. Eager to control and acquire. With an egocentric bias, western society produces minds that are dysfunctional, immoral and immature. The belief that intelligence only comes from logic and linear thinking.
Ancestral Thinking/ Indigenous Mind Human as part of nature. Connected, empathic, resonating with others. Physically grounded and embodied. In the now, time is perceived spirally. Cyclical thinking based on spirit connectivity, natural processes, creativity and peace, rather than singularity, ownership or dominance. Nonverbal, cogent, integrated, transcendent. Ancestral mind evoked when in nature. Non-dualistic holistic thinking. Words are limiting, behaviors speak louder than words, one is connected to creation through the heart, the intuition and intelligence of the senses. Learning is purely experiential, one is empowered to acquire knowledge at own pace in own way. Identity is based on experience and self-reflection. Restless mind suspended, spiral and cyclical thought. Vibrant and present in the field of mindfulness and awareness. Sense of the mystery, wonder, awe. With an ecocentric foundation, indigenous societies integrate self- discovery, soul, wisdom and responsibility. All intelligences are combined, and our holistic potential as a “true human being” is fulfilled .
NOTES 1. “Veriditas” is the spiritual term coined by German Abbess, composer, herbalist and mystic Hildegard von Bingen (1098 –1179), to describe her vision of the green power of nature and the unity of all creation. 2. Dylan Thomas, “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower,” The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas, J.M. Dent & Sons, 1957.
QUOTATIONS ~ ON RECOVERING INDIGENOUS MIND “Everyone needs to get back to their o wn I ndigenous Knowledge.” James Dumont, Anishnaabe Elder & Traditional Teacher, “Biimaadiziwin,” Elders and Traditional Peoples Gathering , Trent University, Peterborough, ON, February 12-14, 2010
“All humans are indigenous to planet Earth and every one of us has the ability to awaken indigenous mind, which is the innate ability to become aware of the Earth at an intimate and dynamic level and respond to messages and stimuli from all beings and life in the moment. Accessing indigenous mind means a commitment to slowing down, remembering and re-conceiving on a smaller scale, to reclaim intimacy with nature and its layers of species as an aspect of our own essential nature .” Kaylynn Sullivan TwoTrees, “Indigenous Mind,” Hope Beneath Our Feet: Restoring Our Place in the Natural World, North Atlantic Press, 2010
“The elders remind us of the importance of the long view when they say ‘pin peyeh obe’ – look to the mountain. They use this phrase to remind us that we need to look at things as if we are looking out from the top of a mountain, seeing things in the much broader perspective of the generations that are yet to come.” Gregory Cajete, PhD (Tewa), Words of Power: Voices from Indian America , edited by Norbert S. Hill Jr., Fulcrum Publishing, 1999
“Connectedness with Ancestors and future generations lifts us out of the microplots of ‘business as usual’ and places us in a truer and more expansive story. In life’s epic journey, every one of our Ancestors lived long enough to pass on the spark of life. This ancestry extends back in time far beyond the reaches of our human past. With the shift in identity to our ecological self, we discover that the entire span of recorded history is just a fraction of a page in a more extensive volume .” Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re In Without Going Crazy , New World Library, 2012
Embracing earth-wise traditional knowledge will “help us learn to lovingly and patiently attune our hands to the heartbeat of the land, teaching us anew the Ancient Ways. Beckoning us onward is the reenchantment of Earth.” Kenny Ausubel, Dreaming the Future: Reimagining Civilization in the Age of Nature , Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012
“Some would call it a reawakening to the spiritual wisdom of our ancient past. Others might liken it to the sense of awe at the wonder and beauty of life that follows a near- death experience. However we choose to characterize it, the Great Turning is opening the way for an evolutionary leap to a new level of human, social, intellectual and spiritual possibility. A unique and epic opportunity is presently at hand.” David C. Korten, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community , Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006
INDIGENOUS MIND ~ EDUCATION Indigenous Mind Masters and PhD Programs are offered at The Wisdom School of Graduate Studies at Ubiquity University , Mill Valley, CA www.wisdomuniversity.org Curriculum developed by Apela Colorado, PhD (Oneida), scholar, wisdom keeper and founder of the Worldwide Indigenous Science Network, Lahaina, HI. www.wisn.org “Recovery of indigenous mind involves an honest examination of the historical process that has split the Western mind. It means grieving the genocidal patterns of colonialism and confronting patterns of internalized oppression. It requires ending one's personal and cultural addiction to ‘progress.’ It calls for honoring spirits that have been neglected for centuries. It means facing the discomfort of uncertainty - a recognition that our knowledge of community, healing, and nature is incomplete. We invite people who seek authentically to recover an authentic indigenous mind and life. The program is for those who see the importance of preserving and passing on traditional worldviews, and for those who long to recover and re-establish the lifeways and values of their indigenous ancestors lifeways that teach responsibility for reversing the destruction of the planet .”
RESOURCES AND LIVE LINKS Archer, Naomi (Ana Oian Amets). Awakening the Horse People – Decolonization, Ancestral Recovery & Indigenization: Writings and Resources for People of European Heritage. Acclaimed work on white studies, Settler decolonization, re-indigenization and authentic cultural recovery. http://awakeningthehorse.wordpress.com www.facebook.com/awakeningthehorse Berger, Illana, PhD. Remembering the Indigenous Mind: A Journey of Healing and Transformation. Scribd, April 18, 2013 www.scribd.com Berger, Illana, PhD. The Snake and the Four Winds, Nachash v' Arba Ruchot: Jewish Entrances into the Indigenous Mind, A Journey of Memory and Healing. CreateSpace, 2010 Bioneers Indigeneity Program . “Bioneers Indigeneity Set.” Compilation of 12 plenary sessions by renowned native authors, activists and wisdom-keepers highlighting the most pressing issues in Indian Country. www.bioneers.org Crowe, Raine. Regenerative Culture - Magic - Decolonizing . Artist, facilitator and cultural visionary focused on serving the interdependence of life, supporting the resilience, imagination and intimacy of diverse communities, and collaborating in the embodiment of an emerging culture, rooted in the re-membered and relational practices of the Ancestors. https://raincrowe.wordpress.com Durant, John. The Paleo Manifesto: Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health. Harmony, 2013 Elpel, Thomas J. Primitive Living Skills. Educational programs, resources, articles, journal, links and directory of wilderness survival, primitive living and nature awareness schools in North America. www.hollowtop.com Also, Thomas J. Elpel's Web World Portal: Connecting the Dots from Wilderness Survival to Sustainable Living . Eyers, Pegi. Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community . Stone Circle Press, 2015 www.stonecirclepress.com
Fina, Fabio. Culture Seed: Center for Ecopsychology, Social Justice and Indigenous Wisdom. Decolonization, healing, rewilding, rituals, healing walks, earth rights and restorative justice. “To cultivate seeds of cultural hope in a time of great transition .” http://greenfabiofina.wix.com/culturalseed Gedgaudas, Nora T. Primal Body, Primal Mind: Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life. Healing Arts Press, 2011 Godesky, Jason. The Fifth World. Roleplaying game based on a neotribal, ecotopian future with participants maintaining the traditions of the Ancestors and web of relationships, both human and other-than-human. http://thefifthworld.com Hargrave, Tad. Healing Whiteness: An Exploration into the European Indigenous Soul . “A collage of thoughts, reflections and articles relevant to the decolonization process as it exists for white folks, with a focus on those of Celtic descent .” http://tadhargrave.blogspot.ca Herman, Louis G. Future Primal: How Our Wilderness Origins Show Us the Way Forward . New World Library, 2013 Hillyer, Carolyn. Sacred House: Where Women Weave Words into the Earth . Seventh Wave Books. 2010 Jenkinson, Stephen. Orphan Wisdom/Orphan Wisdom School . “Teaching and learning house for the skills of deep living and making human culture, rooted in knowing history, being claimed by ancestry, and working for a time yet to come.” http://orphanwisdom.com Kremer, Jürgen Werner and R Jackson-Paton. Ethnoautobiography: Stories and Practices for Unlearning Whiteness, Decolonization, Uncovering Ethnicities. ReVision Publishing, 2013 http://ethnoautobiography.net Larsen, Willem. The College of Mythic Cartography: Every Place a Riddle, Every Riddle a Poem, Every Poem a Spirit, Every Spirit a Place. “Animism, Rewilding, Decolonization & Storyjamming.” www.mythic-cartography.org Lily. “We Were All Indigenous, and Can Again Become.” Unsettling America: Decolonization in Theory & Practice, May 26, 2011 and Green Anarchy #19, Spring, 2005 https://unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com Meredith, Jane. Rituals of Celebration: Honoring the Seasons of Life through the Wheel of the Year. Llewellyn, 2013 Plotkin, Bill. Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World . New World Library, 2008 Prechtel, Martin. The Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic: The Parallel Lives of People as Plants, Keeping the Seeds Alive. North Atlantic Books, 2012 Robinson, Walter. Primal Way and the Pathology of Civilization .
iUniverse, 2012
Seruntine, Cliff. Seasons of the Sacred Earth: Following the Old Ways on an Enchanted Homestead. Llewellyn Publications, 2013
Shepard, Paul. Coming Home to the Pleistocene . Island Press, 1998 Toko-pa , (blog). Author, artist and musician offering dreamwork, ancestral healing, mysticism and the recovery of Indigenous Mind. http://toko-pa.com Walla, Nala. “The Farmer and the Witch: Reclaiming the Seeds of Indigeneity.” Ecosomatica: Integrative Arts and Ecology (blog), May 20, 2013 http://ecosomatica.wordpress.com/tag/neoindigenous Yaotl, Tlalli (Recovering Wasi’chu/Wetiko). “Decolonizing Our Hearts & Minds: Part I: Preliminary Thoughts & Explorations.” Article on Settler re-indigenization. Unsettling America: Decolonization in Theory & Practice , January 7, 2011 http://unsettlingamerica.wordpress.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Visual artist and writer Pegi Eyers sees the world through a spiritual lens, and is a devotee of nature-based culture and all that is sacred to the Earth. Author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community she examines the interface between Turtle Island First Nations and the Settler Society, social justice, Rejecting Empire, animism, rewilding, the Old Ways, earth rights and the holistic principles of sustainable living. She is also an advocate for our interconnection with Earth Community, and the recovery of authentic ancestral wisdom and traditions for all people. Pegi Eyers is a member of the Celtic mtDNA-based Helena Clan (world clans descended from “Mitochondrial Eve” as traced by “ The Seven Daughters of Eve” ), with more recent roots connecting her to the mythic arts and pagan traditions of both England and Scotland. She lives in the countryside on the outskirts of Nogojiwanong in Mississauga Anishnaabe territory (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada) on a hilltop with views reaching for miles in all directions. www.facebook.com/pegi.eyers www.facebook.com/AncientSpiritRising
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