[Between de lines: Are you reading for a multilayered renaissance?] or betta yet, How does ritual recover memory?
Ritual provides not only healing but also de recovery of memory en de reaffirmation of each individual’s life purpose…..When we focus our attention on de energetic aspects of individuals en of nature that animate en motivate us, we become aware of images en emotional impressions that are unusual, extremely compelling, en as a result, captivating in terms of de amount of attention they demand.
Inside ritual en sacred space where energies are being woven, people’s imagination en consciousness can be moved through time backward or forward. It is as if de awakened psyche is pulled toward those materials it was not able to recall otherwise. This is a shamanic journey, en it can be a very useful tool for entering these depths of time en space without actually having to expend energy en move physically. The kind of memory that we are talking bout here is something very personal, very compelling, en very transforming……
One’s purpose, which among indigenous people is found through remembering, is linked to both de physical dunia en to de Spirit World. We look to de Spirit dunia for de ultimate helper who assists de individual in fulfilling her, hir or his purpose. This spirit is seen as something like a guardian angel would be seen in de West, en we (Dagara people) call dis spirit the Siura.
We look to de physical dunia, de community of people, for help in remembering our purpose. Purpose is not something that is assigned to a person by his or her community. Purpose is something dat the individual has framed en articulated prior to coming into a community. This purpose is known to de kijiji even before de individual’s birth……
Nia/purpose begins with de individual, en de sum total of all de individuals’ nia creates de community’s nia. The community thus takes upon itself de responsibility of nurturing en protecting de individual, because de individual, knowing her, hir or his purpose, will then invest energy in sustaining de community. There is certain reciprocity at work here, because de community recognizes that its own vitality is based in de support en protecshun of each of its individuals, especially in de constant support en reminding of each individual of his, hir or her nia. The individual, knowing this, in turn delivers to de community de zawadis that de community has successfully awakened in themselves…..
Ritual, community, en healing – these three are so intertwined in de indigenous dunia that to speak of one of them is to speak of them all.
Ritual, communally designed, helps de individual remember his, hir or her nia, en such remembering brings healing both to de individual en de community. The community exists, in part, to safeguard de purposes of each person within it en to awaken de memory of that nia by recognising de unique zawadis each individual brings to this world. Healing comes when de individual remembers her, hir or his identity – de nia chosen in de dunia of ancestral wisdom – en reconnects with de world of Spirit.
Human beings long for connecshun, en our sense of usefulness derives from de feeling of connectedness. When we are connected – to our own purpose, to de community around us, en to our spiritual wisdom – we are able to live en act with authentic effectiveness.
In order for ritual to manifest its full powah, it must be connected to de dunia of nature…to attend to de dunia of Spirit, for indigenous people is to attend to de geography in which you find yourself. We must try, therefore, to overstand de indigenous experiences of nature.
De Healing Powah of Nature
Nature is de foundashun of indigenous maisha. Without nature, concepts of community, nia, en healing would be meaningless…..Nature, kwa hivyo, is de foundashun of healing, en de type of nature that surrounds a community at de time of doing a ritual determines de type of ritual that are appropriate en de content of these rituals. We are talking bout a way of dealing with an energetic dunia en energetic issues that borrows from wot already exists, not wot has been invented, manufactured or created by humans to satisfy some material purpose.
under de migumo tree
In other werds, every tree, plant, hill, mountain, rock, en each ting that was here before us emanates or vibrates at a subtle energy that has healing powah! whether we know it or not. So if something in us must change, spending time in nature is a good mwanzo (beginning)……
To many Westerners, indigenous people’s reluctance to disturb de balance of nature has looked like failure to use de raw materials that are jus waiting to be harvested en developed. For indigenus people, by contrast, nature is profoundly intelligent as it stands, en human beings would do well to re/learn from its wisdom. An example from Dagara philosophy illustrates this point.
The Source of all, de Dagara believe. Has no werd. It has no werd because meaning is produced instantly, like a constant en timeless awareness. So to de Dagara, there is an understood hierarchy of consciousness.
The elements of nature, especially de trees en de plants, are de most intelligent because they don’t need werds to communicate. They live closer to de meaning behind language…..wise men en womben in de indigenous world argue that humans are cursed by de language they possess, or dat possess them. Language, they insist, is an instrument of distance from meaning, an unfortunate necessity that we can’t live without but that is so hard to live with.
For indigenous people, to utter means two things: first, it signifies nostalgia for our true home, because language tempts us with de possibility of returning nyumbani to meaning. And where does meaning reside in its fullness? In nature. So language implies nostalgia for our true home, which is nature. The word nostalgia here should not be taken lightly. It implies that languageas we have it is a vehicle toward de Source but should neva be mistaken for de Source itself.
Second, to utter means to be in exile. indeed, to de Dagara, every time we speak, it is though we are confessing our own exile, our distance from de Source. The ability to utter testifies to de fact that we are far removed from de vast array of meaning that is our home. For if we were home, we would not feel de need to journey there. At de Source, werds would not be necessary, for meaning would be produced instantly. We couls see, feel, en touch de results of someone’s thought instead of relying on werds to give us a picture of it.; thought would instantly produce de ting. This is perhaps de indigenus version of de biblical “et verbum carum factum est,” “and the word was made flesh.”
But de good news is that using language also means that we are on our way back home, journeying to de source of meaning. Those who can’t stand being trapped in a place where language tends to distort move into poetry, chant, rhythm, en ritual to speed up their journey nyumbani. Poetry en ritual evoke de world behind werds, de dunia of meaning that resides, in its fullness, in nature…….ase.
[This is why we re/create. This is why we choose to speak. This is why we choose to survive. In other werds, this is why we (growing) in love wid tdot renaissance so….ese.]
Excerpts from The Healing Wisdom of Africa – Finding Life Purpose Through Nature, Ritual, and Community by Malidoma Patrice Some
De main ting I see at dis point is community – building communities where you can trust one another, where you can help a mama who is
crying because she has a pikin who is crying en she doesn’t know wot to give her.
You know, in de village, when you get up in de morning, de first ting you do is to go outside. But here, one day I was sitting all day inside without going out, en it occurred to me that this was de first time in my life I’d ever done that, except I wasn’t feeling well.
To get up in de morning en not go out among people is absolutely inconceivable to somebody in de kijiji. Because when you stay all day inside, it means that something isn’t going right with you, en people worry bout you. And so we begin by going outside, talking to our neighbours en helping each other out.
It’s small steps like dis. It’s like wot we say: If you have a baby, you don’t throw her away because she’s small. You keep her en keep nurturing her, knowing dat one day she’s going to be a grown-up. So these are de kinds of smart tings we can do, nurturing many small relationships so dat one day community can happen….
It is as difficult for indigenous people to conceive of life without a community as it is for most Westerners to imagine life in a community.
To create a community dat will work for people here, there is a need to look carefully at some of de fundamentals of a healthy community – spirit, children, elders, responsibility, gift-giving, accountability, ancestors, and ritual. These elements form de base of a community. And it doesn’t have to start with alot of people. I’d rather have a circle of good friends en be a community with them than just get lost in a crowd of people who don’t care at all.
Intimacy, de natural attraction of two human beings to each other, is something that de
elders say is actually prompted by spirit, en spirit brings people together in order to give them de opportunity to grow together. That growth is directly connected to de gifts that two people are capable of providing to de kijiji. And this is why when a couple is in trouble, the whole kijiji is in trouble….
When we start to feel a problem, we tend to think it’s jus two people who are involved en we forget about the fact that spirit is there. We tend to forget that we have allies who can bring us strength. We forget to ask for help from rafikis or family members.
In de village, it’s easier for people because every morning when you wake up somebody will come and ask you, “Did you hear something sweet last night?” and if you remain silent or you say no, then de person will get worried because something is wrong. If you didn’t hear something good, it means that something sour must have taken de place of good. They will then get to de bottom of that problem before it gets out of control….
In other [indigenUS] werds,
…Plains Native men en women are aware of an oral legacy of holy men en women unknown to outsiders.
Memories of ancestors en their spiritual accomplishments are combined with personal experience to shape a view of de spiritual present. Holy womben who were ancestors continuously come to light….For de tribal peoples of dis land, dis balancing between two worlds can be very precarious, both spiritually en physically.
Popular Western culture loves to borrow things from de indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Although it is possible that such “ceremonies” as “Native” drumming and sweat baths help people to get back in touch with de natural world, they are imperfectly lifted from a continuum of religious ceremonies that carry indigenous peoples from birth, through life’s struggles, to death en beyond.
What many of today’s medicine men, womben en two-spirit people do most is help people who are “injured” by living as a colonized tribal people. In effect, they doctor depression, lack of positive identity, suicidal behaviour, drug abuse, alcoholism, family crises, spouse abuse, en stress-related illnesses that are effects of colonization. They also doctor “standard” types of illnesses such as cancer as well, but most “obvious” problems are left to run their course or are treated by a white physician.
To overstand, at any level, de meaning of these ceremonies en their relationship to de religions from which they are borrowed requires a fairly deep understanding of their true cultural context, which includes knowing those mythic hadithi of creashun, ancient
god/desses, en tricksters that are used to shape en de young in indigenous worlds…..
A seeker of spiritual understanding would not be able to understand Judaism, en de beliefs en ceremonies that go with it, without reading de Old Testament. We must understand de origin of de metaphors acted out in de ritual, to understand de place en use of that ritual within that particular belief system. For indigenous peoples (around dis dunia), de beginning is told in their own unique “tribal” creashun hadithi, kama…
Ihan’bla: To Dream
Plains Native/Indian pikin raised close to tradishun learn to listen to en interpret de dream world, which is de lasting en sacred dunia. De ability to acquire de clear memory of ndotos, to discriminate between significant en insignificant dreams, to remember them in detail., en to interpret them satisfactorily must be acquired in
childhood. The amount of time it takes to interpret or understand a dream might be moments, or it might be a lifetime.
Most of de traditional crafts of Plains Indian womben are tedious en repetitive, leaving a great amount of time for reflection en contemplation. Both men en womben use dreams to re/learn bout de sacred world. For some it is a lifetime of exploration en learning de ukwelis of de universe.
Some womben in their special capacity as “dreamers” are called upon, by de clarity en regularity of their dreams, to warn people of impending problems en to predict en possibly alter de outcome of events by overstanding what their dreams are about…..
Womben who become “doctors” are in essence no different from any other womban in de community except that they have an additional role to fulfill. It is important to realize that they are not considered strange or necessarily exceptional. Though de powah of their ceremonies may command deep respect, in most instances their role in de family en community life are de same as those of other womben…..
In Lakota society, de spiritual en economic powahs of womben were not only acknowledged but well respected. When a man took a wife, he lived in her camp. When de Lakota traced their ancestry, while acknowledging en respecting their father’s relatives, most took de band name of their mothers. These patterns still exist.
Because Lakota society is more balanced with regard to male, female and two-spirit forces than other societies, it is little wonder that there are two commonly told legends about de end of de world – one female-based, de other male. Here is a female version told to Tilda Long Soldier by de late Lucy Swan, a respected Lakota elder, in de mid-1970s.
There is a very old womban who sits on de edge of a tall bluff. She is quilling a beautiful design on a buffalo robe. The womban is very old, so she tires easily. Besides her sits an ancient dog. He is so old that he has very few teeth. Even though he is old, he is still playful.
Every day the womban quills that buffalo robe. Soon she is tired en falls asleep. When she rests at night, de dog unravels all that she did de day before. If that dog forgets to unravel those quills, or gets too old, de old womban will finish de robe. That will be de end of de world.
This is a male version that Tilda heard from her grandmama, de late Dora (Little Warrior) Rooks, in de 1970s.
At one time there was a young [buffalo] bull. He had four strong legs. As de first three ages passed, he lost three of his legs, one by one. Every year he loses one hair.
Grandma Dora told me, “The white people are descended from de spider people. They have learned to use electricity. That electricity once belonged only to de Wakinyan [Thunder Beings].
To do this they up wires on poles. They send these wires all over. As electricity covers de earth, it creates a huge spider web. One day this spider web will cause a great fiya. This will cause de buffalo to lose its last leg en fall to de earth. This will be end of de world.
There are versions that do not refer to electricity, but always de buffalo is brought down by man’s mistake. Grandma Dora’s version gives clear insight into beliefs held by some Lakota……Fafanua.
[remixed en reposted with overflowing upendo] from The Spirit of Intimacy – Ancient African Teachings in The Ways of Relationships & Walking in The Sacred Manner
Healers, Dreamers and Pipe Carriers – Medicine Women of the Plains Indiansby Mark St.Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier.
[I yam deeply grateful for sages like Sobonfu Some, honourable teachers who share ukweli na wisdom en spread upendo, hope and positivity in abundance. Give thanks for de continued guidance en protecshun of wahenga we know, those we don’t know, en those that know us deeper than we know ourselves. Check dis map to mlangos of sankofa! ]
….The words gay en lesbian do not exist in de village, but there is de word gatekeeper. Gatekeepers are people who live a life at the edge between two worlds – de world of de village en de world of de spirit. Though they do not marry in this world, they say have partners in other dimensions.
What they do, they don’t like to communicate to anyone. It is their right to keep it to themselves. Everybody in de village respects that because without gatekeepers, there is no access to other worlds. Most people in de West define themselves en others by sexual orientation. This way of looking at gatekeepers will kill de spirit of de gatekeeper. Gatekeepers in dis village are able to do their job simply because of strong spiritual connecshun, en also their ability to direct their sexual energy not to other people but to spirit.
The gatekeepers stand on de threshold of de gender lines. jenda bendas. They are mediators
among genders. They make sure there is peace en balance between women en men. If the two genders are in conflict en de whole village is caught in it, de gatekeepers are the ones to bring peace. Gatekeepers do not take sides. They simply act as “the sword of truth en integrity.”
There are many gates that link a kijiji to other dunias. The only people who haves access to all these gates are de gatekeepers. I should mention here that there are two different kinds of gatekeepers.
The first group has de ability to guard a limited number of gates to de other world, specifically, those that correspond to de Dagara cosmology – wota, earth, fiya, mineral en nature – because they vibrate de energies of those gates.
The second group of gatekeepers, which is our focus here, has de responsibility of overseeing all de gates. They are in contact not only with de elemental gates but also with many others. They have one foot in all de other dunias en de other foot here. This is why the vibration of their body is totally different from others. They also have access to other-dimensional entities such as de kontombile, small beings who are very magical en knowledgeable. They are known as leprechauns in de Irish tradition.
Now, what would happen if you’re dealing with a culture that doesn’t care about these gateways? What happens is that a gay/lesbian/two-spirit person cannot do their job. Gatekeepers are left unable to accomplish their purpose. This is one of de most distinguishing factors about ‘gays/shogas’ in de village. Now, as to their sexual orientation, nobody cares about this question; they care only about their performance as gatekeepers. I figure if they want people in de village to know about their sexuality, they will share it with them.
I once heard that one of de reasons why gatekeepers are able to open gates to other dimensions is in the way they use their sexual energy. Their ability to focus their sexual energy in a particular way allows
them to open en close different gates…
In de kijiji, they/we are not seen as de other. They/we are not forced to create a separate community in order to survive. People do not put a negative label on them; they are regarded no differently than any other pikin of de village. they are born gatekeepers, with specific purposes, and are encouraged to fulfill the role they’re born to in de interests of de community…..
In de kijiji homosexuality is seen very differently than it is seen in de West, in part because all sexuality is spiritually based. Taken away from its spiritual context, it becomes a source of controversy en can be exploited. In de kijiji, you would neva see gatekeepers,
or anybody for that matter, displaying their sexuality or commenting on de sexuality of others.
Gatekeepers hold de keys to other dimensions. They maintain a certain alignment between de spirit world en de world of de kijiji. Without them, da gates to de other dunia would be shut.
On de other side of these gates lies de spirit dunia or other dimensions. Gatekeepers are in constant communication with beings who live there, who have de ability to teach us how to deal with ritual. And gatekeepers have de capacity to take other people to those places.
A gatekeeper’s or librarian’s knowledge is different from de knowledge of mentors en elders. This is because elders do not necessarily have access to all de gateways. De gatekeepers, on de other hand, have access to all de dimensions. They can open any gate. Although their knowledge is very broad, elders will call upon gatekeepers to help them open a particular gate or help them betta understand what de spirit world is about…..
I have seen people in de West who have lost their identity trying to usurp de role of gatekeeper once they learn about de powah! it involves. They do this for their own benefit, without really knowing wot it means to be a true gatekeeper. Being a false gatekeeper is not helpful to anyone. It can only be harmful to de usurper.
These people need to overstand that in de kijiji a person doesn’t become a gatekeeper out of a desire for powah or even because of sexual orientation. No. Gatekeeping is part of one’s lifepurpose, announced before birth en developed through rigorous initiatory training to ensure that de powah is not misused. A gatekeeper is responsible for a whole village, a whole tribe. Gatekeeping is not a game……
For those who are interested in spirited intimacy, listen more to de ancestors, to de spirit, to de trees, to de animals. Focus on ritual. Listen to all those forces that come en speak to us that we usually ignore….I want to thank every reader for taking time to commune with de sacred. This is not a trivial subject; therefore it cannot be exhausted in (an excerpt of) a small book. Your response to
dis blog post, to de call of its subject, is proof that you feel deeply de crisis in which intimacy has been thrown en de necessity of bringing it to a radical healing.
Barka (au Asante au Ese) that means thank you.
[remixed from The Spirit of Intimacy: Ancient African Teachings in The Ways of Relationships by Sobonfu Some]
[There`s a story I know bout how dis ting called ubuntu initiated Molisa into de world wide web en healing/arts for social change movements kept dis blog here. I yam deeply grateful for divine collectives kama tdot renaissance, for when werds are not enough, there are true hadithi from simbas speaking. Oga I beg, check dis litanies of survival by sistas I love, respekt en admire so, en be inspired o!
Iyan, de rock existed in a void; it was dark en lonely there. Iyan wished to create something other, so that he would not be lonely en so that he could have some powah over something other than himself. He pierced himself, en his blood, which was blue, flowed out until he was shrivelled, hard en powerless. What came from him formed Maka Ina (Mama Earth). De blue also formed de oceans, but de released powahs could not reside in de wota, so they formed de blue sky dome en called it Mahpiyato [blue sky].
The energy given up by de rock, now hard en powerless, is Taku Skan Skan, that which moves all tings. This powah was now diffused into de female earth, de male sky en de wotas.
Mahpiyato, creates Anpetu Wi, de Sun of de day, en Hanhepi Wi, de Sun of de night, or Mwezi [moon], to share his world with him. They marry, en there is constant daylight. S/he creates Tate’, de Baba, Igwe, or “chief” of all winds.
Created next are de Pte’ Oyate’, humans who live under de ground. They are created to serve de god/desses. They are called de Pte’ Oyate’ or Buffalo Nation; they become us, de Lakota. Their Igwe is Wazi [Old Man], en his wife is Wakanta [Old Womban].
They have a daughter, Ite’ [face], who grows up to be de most beautiful of de Ikce’ people. Ite’ is admired by Tate’, de Wind en eventually marries hir. Wakanka is not satisfied dat her daughter is married to a god, Tate’ en dat her children are de four winds. She wishes her beautiful daughta to be married to Wi, de Sun. She wishes for herself, her husband, en her daughta to have de powah of de god/desses en conspires with Iktomi, the Spider [trickster], to get what she wants.
He promises to help them, if they help him in his plan to make people look ridiculous forever. Iktomi tells Wi that he should have a feast to show everyone how proud he is of de Pte’ womban Ite’. He then helps Wakanka construct a magic charm for Ite’, so she will soon become so beautiful dat it will make Wi fall in love with her daughta.
Later, Iktomi sees Hanhepi, clothed in all her beauty, heading towards de feast. He tells her dat Ite’ has
been invited en dat she has made for herself a special dress. He encourages de Moon to return to her lodge en put on a mo beautiful face. Afraid to be embarrassed by a mere human, she agrees.
According to Iktomi’s plan, dis puts Ite’ at de feast of de god/desses before de Moon. iktomi tells her dat de empty seat beside Wi is for her, en she sits down next to de Sun. Then Wi, de Sun, takes one look at her en falls in love. Soon Hanhepi arrives to find her husband staring longingly at Ite’, a mere human. Ite’ sits wid Wi, ignoring her own husband, Tate’, de Wind. De Moon is shamefaced en storms off.
Angered, Mahpiyato, de Sky, calls de spirit together en punishes them for their foolishness. He banishes Ite’ to de earth, making one side of her face forever ugly, en tells her, “From now on you will be known as Anukite’, Double Faced Woman!” She is pregnant by Tate’ with their fifth child. Because of her mischief, Yummi, Whirlwind, is born playful en childlike. He will neva grow up. Sky sends Wakanka en Wazi to de far edges of de world, where they will wander forever. Tate’ is giv en custody of all five “wind” pikin en sent to de face of de earth, where he is to await a messenger, who will be Whope’, daughta of Mahpiyato himself.
Wi is told that because of his betrayal he will neva see his wife again. Hanhepi is told that because of her shame, she will constantly turn her
back on her husband en will neva look at him directly again. This begins de second time, night, en initiates de day-night cycle, en the third time, de “changing” moon or months.
Over time, Anukite’ comes to be lonely for Ikce’ or human nation. In spite of Mahpiyato’s admonition that she neva reside with her people, she begins to scheme. Drawn both by her desires en by his own for a lil mischief is Iktomi, also banished to earth for his part at de great feast. He is tired of teasing de animals en wishes to have mo fun, if only he en Anukite’ can
entice the Pte’ Oyate’ [humans] to de surface of de world. They decide that Iktomi changes his form to that of a wolf and, with de wondrous tanned en quilled robe of de buffalo en some roasted meat, heads for de cave known to connect de surface world with de underworld. He will leave de buffalo robe en meat near de entrance to entice de Ikce’ people to de surface.de smell of freshly roasted buffalo meat will entice them out of their cave. Anukite’ kills a buffalo, prepares de meat, en decorates the tanned robe with de quills of a porcupine.
Tokahe’ [First Man], chief of de Pte’ Oyate’, or Buffalo Nation, asks de spider to lead them to de surface world, where he finds de wondrous zawadis (gifts) en brings them back underground en shows them to the People. Six men and six women are convinced that Tokahe’ has found a betta place to live and follow him en his wife to de surface.
Here they become de ancestors of de Oceti Sagowin [Seven Fiya Places] that make up de Lakota, Dakota, en Nakota peoples – de People who are today called Sioux by de whites.
Soon de seasons changed, en de People wished to escape de cold that was sent by North Wind to torture them. They searched for de cave entrance but could not find it. Tokahe’, no longer Pte’ People but now only Ikce Oyate’ [common people], became frightened en ashamed; he cried for help. Wazi, now called “the Wizard”, en his wife, Wakanka, now known as “the Witch” because of her ability to predict the future, will take pity on de humans, teaching them many tings that they will need to know to live on dis changing dunia. Thus de people learned to make their homes on earth.
(Originally told to Mark St. Pierre by Colleen Cutshall, Lakota artist and educator)
[remixed from Walking in the Sacred Manner / Healers, Dreamers, and Pipe Carriers – Medicine Women of the Plains Indians by Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier]
De terms of de vision quest of maisha require dat you master de ability to walk in balance between those two worlds without getting caught between them. To a certain extent, it will be necessary to internalise de dunia of de Great Mama, for her perfect silence en solitude will not always be physically available to you. One way to ensure her constant presence in your moyo is to perform a simple daily ceremony……
Times will come when you can physically return to de wilderness en again hold communion with de moyo of Granmama Earth. But neva will you go to her to escape. You will go because you seek to return to e human world wid de benefits of her teaching en empowerment. She will offer you temporary asylum en will send her messengers to validate and clarify your life purposes. She will give you further insight into de resources available to you. Treat her with reverence en she will reverence you.
There will be many times when you stumble and fall, when you are certain no one in the human world knows or cares. Then you will want to crawl back to your power place en begin all over again. Remember that these are de times of greatest potential, when you are looking your dragons square in e eye. When all is said en done, only you know what you have hidden away, growing steadily en surely with its magical roots in your subsoil. As you grow, de vision grows. There is no other way.
[remixed excerpts from Kitabu ya The Vision Quest: Personal Transformation in the Wilderness by Steven Foster with Meredith Little]
En so goes dis love letter to Tdot renaissance. Nakupenda o! Werds are lacking in how to say asante to you.
Ire, Ire, ire!
Ire aiku, ire aya, ire omo, ire owo, ire isegun l’ori ota, ire alafia.
Blessings of long life, good health, obedient children, prosperity, victory over your enemies and peace of mind.
“I Am because We Are; and because We Are, therefore I Am!”
[Words fail me. I’m deeply grateful others have them. Nashukuru pia realities kama RASCOM – Afrika’s own communications satellite.]
The news of the killing of Colonel Gaddafi in the battle to take Sirte marked one more episode in this NATO war in Libya and North Africa. The killing has all of the hallmarks of a coordinated assassination, synchronized between NATO aircraft and forces on the ground. The reports are that Gaddaffi was attacked when he was attempting to leave Sirte in a convoy. The convoy was attacked from the air. The National Transitional Council has announced that the war is over but the very nature of this execution guarantees that this uprising will not end soon.
This execution comes one day after the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of the United States openly called for the political assassination of Col Gaddafi, the Libyan leader. “We hope he can be captured or killed soon,” This statement guaranteed that although Gadhafi was captured alive he was killed while injured.
The very management of the news of this execution represented efforts to influence the continued political/military struggles within the divided forces. The hijacking of the body and its transportation to Misrata was one more indication of the internal struggles in the NTC and Libya.
It is still urgent that the African Union and the United Nations work for the demilitarization of Libya and for the work to organize an inclusive government in Libya. The execution of Gaddafi comes in a week of heightened military action in parts of Africa, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and the Horn.
This remilitarization of Africa and new deployment of Africom is a new stage of African politics. Remilitarization, killings, and death will not answer the cries for democracy, peace, and food in Africa and other areas of the world where the exploited and marginalized are raising their voices against oppression. A new revolutionary energy is sweeping the world manifest in the current general strike by workers in Greece and the massive occupy wall street movement with 900 manifestations all over the world last weekend.
In every case over several decades, examples of militarization and remilitarization have increased the anguish of those living on the margins of wealth and power. I am certain that careful investigation will expose the callous disregard for human life, what in NATO and Western Military language is called “collateral damage.” Given the cloud that hangs over this killing that it was most likely a coordinated execution – those of us who are on the side of peace and justice asks the following questions:
Why did the West want him dead?
Did they have something to hide?
The answers to these and other questions now lie with the corpse of a man who was more friendly to capital than to his people.
Peace and justice forces must work harder to end wars, plunder and western military interventions in Africa.
[asante Baba] * Horace Campbell is professor of African-American studies and political science at Syracuse University. He is the author of ‘Barack Obama and 21st Century Politics: A Revolutionary Moment in the USA’. See horacecampbell.net, and a contributing author to African Awakening: The emerging revolutions. He is currently Visiting Professor, Department of International Relations, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Paukwa! Pakawa! There are stories we know en more that we’re relearning in de spaces between Imagine Native and Pan-Afreekan hadithi.What assumptions do we need to challenge in diasporic journeys from our true true homes to global vijijis in Tdot (Kobe Island)?
Hadithi? Hadithi? Who among us carry the sage secrets of loving? What is it we’re not (used to) seeing (anymore)? What’s the next level of thinking of we need to do? If our success was completely guaranteed, what bold steps might we choose in working on our own unity first?
Consider this hadithi bout de visionary in US….
SEVERANCE
Waiting. If you are sincere,
You have light en success.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross de great wota.
I Ching, “Waiting” (Hexagram 5)
Referring to de Greek mysteries, of which he was an initiate, Aristotle maintained that it was “ not necessary for the initiate to learn anything, but to receive impressions and to be put in a certain frame of mind by becoming ‘worthy’ candidates” (Eliade, 1967).
In other werds, it is not as important for you to master a certain body of knowledge about de vision quest as it is for you to be open about “impressions” (messages) that engender an inner attitude that claims: “I am a worthy candidate.” It is indeed necessary for you to become worthy of the next life stage. By de time you cross the threshold you must be capable of assuming de tasks en roles de new status will require.
From de moment you commit yourself, you begin to set your nyumba (house) in order, square yourself with your friends and loved ones, and review your former life as if it had come to an end. From de standpoint of severance, your life story or value system will stand in bold relief against de background of past events. You will recognise what is no longer meaningful to you – and what is. That which is still relevant will enrich de placenta, de yolk, upon which you will feed while you are in de “uterus” of de threshold passage. This placenta must have time to develop……
THE SACRED TIME
Now you stand alone at de gates of sacred saa (time). Before you lie de features of eternity.
By y/our own efforts you have become a worthy candidate. Now de cord binding you to your former maisha (life) must be severed. You will cut de cord by actually entering de passage. This is an auspicious and powerful moment.
An invisible door stands before you. This door opens beyond de former borders of your ego. In a literal sense, your border crossing will be undramatic. You will simply open de door and step through it. you may want to ritualise this crossing by paying formal respects to de spirits and life forms of dis sacred place, asking for safe passage en de blessing of vision……..
THE VISION
….De vision you seek, and need, can be many different tings. Vision is wisdom. Vision is insight into de nature of tings. Vision is de ability to see de future. Vision is de ability to dream. Vision is de surging upward of creative energy. Vision is one’s life work. Vision is a marrow of deep feeling, a knowing, a recognition of self, a realization of wot you can do. Vision is transcendent, mystical knowledge-cosmic consciousness. Vision is de sight of de sun rising in de east to answer de hope that another day will come. Vision is a a series of “ahas!” about wot your life has been and could be…
A mnyama is both animal and spirit. A mlima is both a mountain and a quest. A nyota is both a star en an angel. A direcshun walked is both a trail en de way. A ndoto is both a dream en a divine visitation. A mbu is both a mosquito en a messenger.
De hadithi is always different, depending on de life that is telling it. but no matter how de episodes differ, there is a basic, underlying similarity among them, a kind of archetypal plot or dynamic. This dynamic energy energizes countless heroic myths, ancient en modern, en stands at de head of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, en many other religions. Joseph Campbell (1970) identifies it as de “mono-myth.” (it be an ancient concept o…)
De mono-myth itself is a kind of story: and then de s/hero left everything behind en went alone to a sacred place on de body of de Great Mama. There the s/hero was tried by de monsters of hir life (or karma) en visited by a spirit guide, a malaika (an angel), God/dess, de Great Spirit. Through a long dark nite of de soul, de seeker was rewarded with wisdom, strength, en over standing. S/he was revived, reborn, inner eyes were opened, a vision was granted. But de main condition of de gift received was that de protagonist had to return to de mortal world with de vision of healing or regeneration.
Such is de basic mythical foundation of de vision quest. Likewise, de modern s/hero leaves everyting behind en goes off to a wild place on Mama Dunia. There s/he is tried through a long, hard time, seeking a glimpse of de visionary treasure. s/he returns with zawadis (gifs) to give away, seeds to sow.
In dis correspondence between mono-myth en vision quest lies de essence of de therapeutic formula that underlies all passage rites: “As in de rite of passage, so in life.” De mono-myth is not only de basic myth of de vision quest; it is also de basic myth of maisha. De vision quest merely provides de chance for modern individuals (heroes and heroines and two-spirited folk) to live dis basic plot in a formal ceremony and setting, matching their sense of who they are against archetypal motifs of de mono-myth….
THEN YOUR EYES (MACHO) WILL BE OPENED. YOU WILL SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO.
De gift to give, de trail to follow, is revealed to de s/hero when de eyes are opened en de quester sees with de eyes of eternity. De name of de zawadi is no secret (siri): de zawadi of upendo (love). But it is one ting to know love; it is another to see with de eyes of eternity.
The modern s/hero, living in a mythically impoverished culture, is nevertheless capable of experiencing mystical insight….
[Remixed en reposted with deep gratitude from The Book of The Vision Quest, Personal Transformation in The Wilderness by Steven Foster with Meredith Little]
World vision: Bredrin and Sistas in Solidarity (B.A.S.I.S)
Paukwa! Pakawa! Hapo (si) zamana (sana) ya kale a collective of god/desse/s gathered over moons en continue to co-create art for (revolushunary) social change (in diverse mediums).
There are many stories we know bout de dunia en how it floats in space on de back of a kobe…..
We look to de physical dunia, de community of people, for help in remembering our purpose. Purpose is not something that is assigned to a person by his or her community. Purpose is something dat the individual has framed en articulated prior to coming into a community. This purpose is known to de kijiji even before de individual’s birth……
Human beings long for connecshun, en our sense of usefulness derives from de feeling of connectedness. When we are connected – to our own purpose, to de community around us, en to our spiritual wisdom – we are able to live en act with authentic effectiveness.
Nature is de foundashun of indigenous maisha. Without nature, concepts of community, nia, en healing would be meaningless…..Nature, kwa hivyo, is de foundashun of healing, en de type of nature that surrounds a community at de time of doing a ritual determines de type of ritual that are appropriate en de content of these rituals. We are talking bout a way of dealing with an energetic dunia en energetic issues that borrows from wot already exists, not wot has been invented, manufactured or created by humans to satisfy some material purpose.
Second, to utter means to be in exile. indeed, to de Dagara, every time we speak, it is though we are confessing our own exile, our distance from de Source. The ability to utter testifies to de fact that we are far removed from de vast array of meaning that is our home. For if we were home, we would not feel de need to journey there. At de Source, werds would not be necessary, for meaning would be produced instantly. We couls see, feel, en touch de results of someone’s thought instead of relying on werds to give us a picture of it.; thought would instantly produce de ting. This is perhaps de indigenus version of de biblical “et verbum carum factum est,” “and the word was made flesh.”
crying because she has a pikin who is crying en she doesn’t know wot to give her.
god/desses, en tricksters that are used to shape en de young in indigenous worlds…..
childhood. The amount of time it takes to interpret or understand a dream might be moments, or it might be a lifetime.
Womben who become “doctors” are in essence no different from any other womban in de community except that they have an additional role to fulfill. It is important to realize that they are not considered strange or necessarily exceptional. Though de powah of their ceremonies may command deep respect, in most instances their role in de family en community life are de same as those of other womben…..
Grandma Dora told me, “The white people are descended from de spider people. They have learned to use electricity. That electricity once belonged only to de Wakinyan [Thunder Beings].
or anybody for that matter, displaying their sexuality or commenting on de sexuality of others.
back on her husband en will neva look at him directly again. This begins de second time, night, en initiates de day-night cycle, en the third time, de “changing” moon or months.
Molisa wa NyaKale 