I recently shared ideas for ways to breathe more peace into your holiday season and how to connect with the spirit of the holidays if you feel somewhat disconnected from one or more holidays. I shared a sliver of history regarding the pre-colonial roots of Thanksgiving. You can read that post HERE. And thanks to those that shared their special holiday traditions with me!
Today I want to share something that enriches my life every winter.
Each November I dive deep into learning from people of indigenous cultures from around the world. I love this tradition because I get to learn history from the people that have actually experienced it. It also helps me to feel more connected to my own ancestry.
As a US citizen, it's important to me that I learn about Native American history, as well as their current day movements, challenges and triumphs. I also make it a point to learn the same things about the people of my ancestry. Additionally, I learn about the celebrations, traditions, beliefs, creation stories, etc of these cultures.
This November tradition of mine has given me context, hope, and a deeper understanding of the challenges people all over the world face. It allows me to do better and be better as a non-indigenous person. It gives me great resources to share with my community.
Learning about the cultures of my ancestors has given me so much, including a sense of belonging when it comes to practicing Earth based spirituality and healing. I’ve learned that no matter where in the world we are from, our ancestral cultures are rich.
I’ve been delighted to discover many common and overlapping beliefs, practices, and ways of living between my ancestral culture and other indigenous cultures.
I’ve discovered some cool similarities between my artistic creations and those of my ancestral cultures. It feels like I’ve found “home” in a way.. like these seemingly random creations that have flowed through me are ancient expressions of my DNA.
And while November is nearly over, winter is a great time to learn about indigenous people, as well as the ancestors of the land that we live on, and our own ancestors.
As we begin to gather this holiday season, here are 5 ways to bring deeper meaning and joy through sharing what you’ve learned:
1) Prepare a dish or meal that is native to your ancestry, or native to the land you live on. When you sit down with your dining companions, share a historical (or current-day) fact, story, or a tradition from the culture from whom you’ve received the recipe.
You could make this into a potluck and ask everyone else to do the same.
2) Purchase culturally significant foods or ingredients from someone that is part of that culture. For example, if your dish includes wild rice, purchase from these guys. As you’ll see, the story of the food itself can be quite interesting on its own!
3) Strike up conversations about the interesting tidbits you’ve learned that have fascinated you. Ask what others might know about cultures they’ve studied, and/or their own ancestry. If they haven’t learned about this stuff, ask about their family’s stories or heirlooms that have been passed down.
4) Incorporate a tradition from your ancestral lineage into your celebrations.
5) Have a story time, where participants share stories, lore or myths from indigenous cultures, and/or your own ancestry. Don’t forget to share which culture the story came from, as well as the name of the storyteller.
Just this morning, I added a section to my “Shamanic Resources” page HERE of indigenous teachings that I’ve enjoyed. I’ve got lists of resources socked away here and there, so it’s by no means complete, but it’s a good start.
Liz B- the “Star People” videos made me think of you!