More than 150 years after brutal slaughter, a small tribe returns home
After losing much of their ancestry, the Wiyots are learning their traditions in preparation for a renewal ceremony
The dancers will endeavor, as Hernandez put it, “to heal the world of all the wars we’re having now, all the atrocities — to make everything fall into place.”
The dances won’t be based strictly on Wiyot tradition.
“No one knows what the Wiyot dances were like,” Hernandez said. “We’ve lost that memory. So we are learning from a Yurok dancer. We’re figuring out how to do it.”
None of this will ruin the ceremony for Seidner, however.
“The world has changed,” Seidner said, “and the Wiyot have changed with it. We don’t live in redwood slab houses anymore, but we still need our traditions. We need something to hold on to. And when we gather on Indian Island, we’ll be saying, ‘We’re here, and we’re trying to put the pieces of our culture together.’”Read the rest of the article on Al Jazeera.
In truth, we all suffer the same 150 year old loss. We should join them in this much needed time of of renewal. Perhaps we can achieve the standing we need to make and be at peace with all peoples of this Earth.
--Joe
No comments:
Post a Comment