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Shoot, I am a total mongrel. The last one of my ancestors that came over was in the 1840s, the first European ones were here in the 1600s and the Native American ones, well, depending on your point of view, have either been here from the beginning of creation to 15,000 years ago or so ( Read more... )

For my Grampa on the day after his 100th birthday, wherever he is ( Read more... )

In my younger years, one of my struggles was reconciling the two spiritual paths I was put on, traditional Roman Catholicism and traditional Native American ways. Over the decades I finally put that struggle to rest and found a way for the two to make peace in my soul. It was about focusing on the common ground rather than the differences, and then ( Read more... )

For me honoring the ancestors works. Not in material or power gain, because I am not asking for that. But I gain a sense of being watched out for, the way a parent does. You still scrape your knee, but they try to keep you from playing in traffic. You still want all the toys in the Christmas catalog, but they focus on keeping you fed, warm, ( Read more... )

A question asked: "It sounds like many of you are Americans who draw on the traditions of your non-Native, European ancestors. Do any of you feel in your own practice or that of others that your area or region in the US is developing its own tradition(s)? How much do you feel the area you call home (either where you live right now or where your " ( Read more... )

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One of the lists I belong to has been discussing how Americans may have troubles coming up with a way to live on the land here, given that Americans overcame the indigenous Native Americans to take the land, and haven't lived here all that long themselves. This has always been a sore point on all sides ( Read more... )

Today is Thanksgiving, also known to many as "Turkey Day." In my Ioway-Otoe tribal language, "turkey" is either "wayin'xanje" (big-bird) or "tagrogro" (an onomatopoeic word which sounds much like the gobble of a turkey ( Read more... )

I enjoy learning about languages. I have studied many other than English, but I am not fluent in any of them. Currently I am studying Irish. Mainly because my Mom was interested because her grandson (my nephew) is half-Irish and speaks some Irish because his father is a teacher of the Irish language. I am also interested because of the folklore and ( Read more... )

Part of the traditional way of life is animism, the spirits of the land, the Land itself. But the way I was taught, that was only one corner of the triangle. The other two are the Creator and the Ancestors. Today I am posting some songs from the Mills Brothers, favorites of my Grandma and Grandpa, both passed on now. We listened to these songs when ( Read more... )