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| Photo from the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming |
We have been honored witnessing Michael Lane's journey on the Longest Walk during the spring season. We continue to support the walk by visiting his facebook page as well as the Longest Walk We Shall Continue Facebook Page as the walk does continue through to July 15. Micheal is continuing his walk as well as preparing for a Ph. D. thesis defense. We wish him success and a great experience during his upcoming defense.
We are now commencing into another season and attention. Our Ancient Lands Podcast series will continue for this month to highlight more insights on Long Walks through history and also feature other Long Walkers and their attention to healing for wellness.
Many Blessings upon us all during our new Summer Season. Summertime for many Indigenous communities in North America is the highlight of the year. It was a time for visiting relatives not seen for at least a year. Gatherings took place in epicenters where many communities converged. In the plains, pow wows were held. For communities like my Tamako and Southern Pomo relatives in California, our ancestors would gather in the Marin area, (in particular, Olumpali a traditional ground for intertribal connectedness) and trade and join in ceremonies.
The traditional Plains sundance ceremonies are enacted primarily during the Summer solstice as well as many other Indigenous ceremonies and gatherings across the continent. In California, I remember as a young woman participating as a singer and attending the Big Head Dances at the Point Reyes Round House. The ceremonies would last at least four days and nights straight through. Bear Ceremonies are also practiced in the summers, much like the Buffalo Dance/ceremonies and Sundance Ceremonies in the Plains regions. Generally not on Summer Solstice, the Green Corn Ceremonies and Stomp Dances in the Muscogee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Caddo, Cherokee, and Eastern Woodlands Indigenous communities were held in the Summer season.
Though the ceremonial calendar opens up in the Spring for the year, it is during the Summer where most folks are more available to gather as well as the terrain was more user-friendly for travel.
The messenger that would awaken the environment and our sense of communion is the Flicker in California and woodpeckers in general. However, the bright Flicker's feathers incited exciting new opportunities and the anticipation of participating more fully.
Vincent LaDuke, an Anishinaabe author, who was known as Sun Bear wrote The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology (1992). The book was compiled from a vision of LaDuke's that illustrated an indigenous perspective on an Earth-based astrological system similar to that of the Asian astrological system that emerged from Buddhism. However, LaDuke utilized the indigenous knowledge of the Medicine Wheel instead. Like all calendrical systems, the year is broken into 12 sections that are personified by North American animals and designated to the seasons and months. Today there are many followers of this system as well as astrological software programs based on this system. LaDuke's designation for the animal totem significant to the Summer Solstice is the Flicker/woodpecker. As the Flicker is endemic to the Americas, it is logical to pay heed to an indigenous interpretation. It is interesting that Ted Andrews book, a New Age clairvoyant based his book Animal Speaks (1993) upon the Earth's Spiritual relationship to humans through animals after LaDuke's book.
According to LaDuke, the Flicker is the messenger of the summer with a strong presence from the Summer Solstice to the latter portion of July. The indigenous traits are similar to the western astrological traits of Cancer zodiac personality, that the Flicker exemplifies attending to the emotional nature within a solid home base to find its intelligence. The Flicker personality totem offers strength in nurturing to the young and others in need, lavishing them with love and giving them a deep sense of safety. The Flicker associated personality must have a safe and harmonious environment to live in. They are not complete within their environment unless they can share it with those they love as relationships are highly important to them and they spend much of their energy in maintaining good relationships. Though emotional because of a highly developed intuitive talent, they are also courageous.
I do know the Flicker is a very sacred bird within California indigenous traditional culture. The Flicker's feathers owned by a "doctor" was a very powerful surgical tool. Those that wore the Flicker feathers in their dance regalia were given the ability to heal through their dance. Also, the Flicker and its association with its pecking sound were considered the master drummer for many indigenous peoples. The Flicker's connection to the drumming is the connection to the heartbeat and to the Earth and her heartbeat and rhythms. Hence, the drummer that drums into being a new season, and especially that of the summer.
According to LaDuke, the chalcedony stone carnelian was associated with the Flicker because of the color red (referring to the Northern Flicker who has reddish wing and tail feathers) and also to its association with the heart. LaDuke inferred that Indigenous mothers would carry the carnelian close to their hearts so that their hearts would remain true, healthy and open to their children.
It is known that the Flicker is in the category of creatures that mate for life and are dedicated parents, both care respectively for their young. They are migratory birds that at present quickly declining in population numbers along with many migratory birds. The factors leading to this reality are environmental relating to pesticides and the removal of forests and trees. In addition, we humans in our secluded environments use pesticides on our lawns. Also, there are concerns with the inundation of feline populations that prey on birds. Unfortunately, it is a practice in our society to clear out our natural environment to heavily manicure and manipulate our properties for the designs of our dreams. It is during the summer that the Flicker forage for their food on the ground. 47 percent of their diet is ants, snails, and beetles. Presently they are finding less safe places to stay when they migrate to Mexico and Alaska. Many are not surviving the journey. Bird conservationists are urging us to build birdhouses to help our winged relatives find safe shelter on their migration paths. LUTEA's summer newsletter has some links to some of the information mentioned to support our feather relatives.
I pray that some of us take a stand for advocacy supporting our little migratory friends so they can continue to have an opportunity to live a good life here on Mother Earth. We are all woven together and we can surely see what our beloved Flicker is traveling through that so many of our brothers and sisters are as well. There is a housing shortage in California, as well as many places, are becoming unsafe environments in which to live.
When we return to our heart and exert our spirit like the Flicker as a drum that connects to our hearts and to our Mother the Earth we can make a change not only for our relatives but for ourselves. Like our beautiful little Flicker, we can have harmonious environments and relationships that will last a lifetime holding love and blessings for all that come within our home base environments.
During the summer season in California, I have no doubt my relatives are enjoying one of our favorite berry the Strawberry. It was traditional that we did not eat the berry that announces the seasons change until it appeared upon the earth and before we could consume it we held our Strawberry blessing ceremony. After, strawberries were the most delicious in the world. Today within Indigenous California communities, the public can attend Strawberry festivals offered within Indigenous communities. I pray we enjoy our plant relatives and medicines of the summer. They are such blessings especially if we grow them ourselves as we have created such a relationship with them (love). I always look forward to seeing those I love dearly during this time of year. I honor and celebrate the lives of two of my favorite people born during this season as well as I, my husband and my daughter.
My prayer is to be like our little relative the Flicker striving to live for right and good relations. Thank you for visiting Flicker's Drum Beat.
Wishing you a blessed, loving and nurturing Solstice and Summer Season.
Walli Ka Molis
Diveena
