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Buffalo Spirit is a journey of self-discovery about Indigenous cultural traditions and spiritual concepts and practices.
“Wheee… wheee … wheee….” The sound of eagles whistles is heard over the sound of the drum while 63 pairs of eyes are fixed on a poplar tree laden with colourful cloth in the middle of a lodge while the 63 people danced. The Sundancers were participating in an ancient rite.
This four-day ceremony took place in the northern part of Quebec in Chisasibi, the land of black spruce and…
When it comes to the birth of America, most of us are working from a stew of elementary school history lessons, Westerns and vague Thanksgiving mythology. And while it's not surprising those sources might biff a couple details, what's shocking is how much less interesting the version we learned was. It turns out our teachers, Hollywood and whoever we got our Thanksgiving mythology from (Big…
Yesterday via facebook we asked a question to those that are Blackfoot and are culturally aware... if one needs the rights to paint on buffalo skulls and robes/hides.
I received the following answer from James Dempsey, son of Hugh and Pauline Dempsey, who wrote a thesis on painted buffalo robes. James is from the Kainai.
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The arrival of a male white buffalo calf near Fort St. John, B.C. has excited Aboriginal people throughout North America.
Born prematurely, and at nine kilograms weighing only about half what a buffalo calf usually weighs, Spirit of Peace is being bottle-fed and nurtured apart from the herd because of his somewhat precarious condition.
Owner Karen Blatz told CBC…
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The first 30 years of my life, I must have been a boring life because I always tried to walk a straight road... It wasn't until I finished college and finished military that I had my first drink. . . I had a delayed life and today, I'm probably more respectful because I was raised in that way of respect by my grandparents...
In my early childhood, the first 18 years of…
Dave Gehue of Shubenacadie First Nation, N. S. was a licensed hypnotherapist and a Native cultural specialist.
…
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The buffalo don't roam the southern Alberta prairies any more. But for the Blackfoot Indians, who once thrived on the near extinct animal for survival, the spirit of the hunt lingers on.
Only now they're hunting for answers.
The history that lies buried deep beneath the base of one of North America's greatest cultural sites is being preserved for modern…
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Drums are highly regarded by First Nations people and they consider them to have a spirit of their own. Since early times, the drum has symbolized the circle of life and the heartbeat of Mother Earth.
"Having a drum will humble you and open your eyes," said Gerald Okanee, lead singer of Saskatchewan's Big Bear Singers. "Some people can hear one song and it will change…
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Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions about Sweetgrass that we have received at Buffalo Spirit. Remember, when dealing with Sweetgrass, the Elders advise that respect must be shown as this is a sacred plant.
How do I identify Sweetgrass?
Many of us have only known Sweetgrass as a dried and braided product used in ceremonies. However, in its…
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The hair of Mother Earth
The golden, tulip-shaped flowers and vanilla-scented leaves distinguish this two-foot perennial in the wild. It has many names, but most commonly it's referred to as Sweetgrass, a plant used in traditional Aboriginal ceremonies and a plant that many people are beginning to grow at home to harvest.
Sweetgrass, also known as Holy Grass,…
Teachings from the Longhouse
By Chief Jacob Thomas with Terry Boyle
Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited
151 pages (sc) $17.95
The late Jacob Thomas was hereditary chief of the Six Nations and one of North America's leading Native traditionalists. In Teachings from the Longhouse, he both shares and preserves the teachings of Handsome Lake, a Seneca…
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Native spirituality
Authentic Native spirituality, in my experience, is shared not taught and is rooted in the joys and suffering of distinct peoples, their lands-all their relations. It is fundamentally about respect and integrity of personhood.
Frank Supernaught, a Cree Elder, once shared his people's spiritual traditions around the medicine wheel to a largely…
Page 34 on responsibility: One of things we're encountering today is the re-visionaries. Our own people are learning how to write, give interviews and also they've learned how powerful the media is, every aspect of the media. And they are doing re-visionary work of our history, so that is something that anyone who is seeking true historical facts of their culture must realize this. They must…
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Over two hundred years ago, there was a story about two tribes who were bitter enemies, always fighting over hunting territories, horses and women. At that time, most tribes were nomadic on the plains, following the buffalo and game.
There was a large war party, estimated in the hundreds, whose dust from their horses could be seen for miles. The battle went for days, as…
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The sinking sun's red light splits the western sky as night draws around the tea dance ring at Second Prairie on the Assumption Reserve, 90 km. west of High Level.
In the darkness, young people move from the outer fence of the circle to join the ring of dancers moving around the fire. The flames light up their excited faces as they step in time to the pulsing beat of the…