Native Americans Celebrate Coming of Fall(posted Oct 16) At the invitation from Clermont resident Heather Barrett, Rainbow Eagle conducted a Native American Fall ceremony to honor the elders. The Oct 14 ceremony transpired inside and around a tepee that was constructed at Clermont Lions Club Park. Rainbow Eagle received a vision about 23 years ago that he is to teach the Native American culture to all people. The purpose of the fall ceremony is to prepare us for winter as Mother Earth also prepares to recharge herself for the Spring awakening. It is a celebration of community gathering before the winter hiatus that draws everyone indoors into more of a time of solitude. The ceremony first began by praying in six directions; starting from the west, to the north, to the south and to the east. The fifth prayer is down to earth and the sixth prayer is up to cosmos to honor the Creator who is in all aspects of life no matter the location. The prayer to the universe supports Mother Earth. It gives us order and purpose. It invites "all relations" to come from the past and present including animal, plant, sky and earth. Rainbow Eagle explained each direction has its own color which can vary depending upon the tribe. The colors can be found in the medicine wheel which is the wheel of life, a spiritual journey. The prayer to the west honors circle of life, the womb. The circle is a strong symbolic shape that is considered sacred. It represents the spiritual journey with the Creator, who created round objects like the Sun, Moon and Earth and stars. The north prayer honors the elders in hopes of receiving wisdom and knowledge. The prayer to the east is about new beginnings and finding our place in the community. The prayer to the south teaches us to trust our Creator and to embrace new experiences with an attitude of hope and joy. The group also placed "red ties" (red ribbons filled with pinch of tobacco) into a basket for the purpose of spiritual growth. The tobacco holds the prayer until it is burnt. The smoke then becomes the medium to carry prayer to the Creator. According to Barrett, the ties could not be burned that day without smoking the pipe that Rainbow Eagle chose not to use. Rainbow Eagle explained that he decided against using the pipe because of the many non-Native Americans present whom were not familiar with the traditions. The ceremony consisted of several prayer rituals including burning sweet grass to connect to the good spirits or to what others would refer to as angels. The sweet grass is braided to represent the hair of Mother Earth. Sprinkling water on the Earth and then in the hair represents giving wisdom. Water is an important part of the ceremonial prayer because it represents the life blood of Mother Earth. Without it, life would not exist. The burning of cedar is a prayer of gratitude and to connect with those whom have walked before us. It also symbolizes the Creator's gift of everlasting life. The Native Americans believe that prayers do not have a one stop destination, but "prayers go in a 1000 pathways to all of creation because all of creation holds the Creator. Cedar has that potential," Rainbow Eagle said. Cedar represents everlasting life because it remains green in all four seasons. Rainbow Eagle compared and contrasted Christianity to Native culture. He noted native Americans do not carry a fear factor in need of seeking the Creator's protection like the Europeans when they "crossed the waters". The Native Americans believe the Creator is within and everywhere and is always there to protect. He cited a story similar to Noah and the Ark where an Indian had a dream of ascending to the heavens. In the dream, he was warned that a great snow was coming that would end all life. The snow depths would be higher than the trees, but the dream also said that life did not have to end if he would build a huge tepee and invite all to seek shelter. One of the big differences between the two cultures is the Native American spiritual leader's side kick. Rainbow Eagle's side kick, Brother John, has been distracting and interrupting ceremonies for 23 years. Rainbow Eagle explained the relevance of the distraction. "There is a place in the ceremony even for the weird ones. The Creator gives love for all kinds of people. It is about accepting people where they are in life and to love them as the Creator loves them," Rainbow Eagle said. Rainbow also explained the tepee's ceremonial etiquette to the novice participants. The tepee's opening faces the east because the Sun gives healing energy. To enter, one scratches the tent's side. It is prohibited to block or sit by the entrance so as not to obstruct spirits to freely enter and exit. Inside the tepee, the fire keeper watches over the fire pit. He is allowed to move at anytime to attend to the fire as part of honoring the Creator's Fire. The Creator's Fire wants to give warmth and to be near us. The ceremonial ends with participants backing out of the tepee to keep connected to the fire. |
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