At first it was the rail blockades across Canada that slowed the pace of the nations economy which relates back to the pipeline protests and so on and so forth you know the story right? Either way its media propaganda and its easily consumed by the masses just like fast food. Now the interesting part is that now March 21, 2020 we are all now in a somewhat a lockdown (social isolation/quarantine) as a result of what is known as a global pandemic (Corona Virus). The interesting part is that the Indigenous peoples were somewhat instinctually/rightfully doing Canada a favour simply by slowing things down? Or perhaps was it by chance that the creator listened to prayers for healing, prayers for peace, solidarity, or somehow the universe just knows how to balance itself out?
Either way its nice to be able to watch these situations play out all in the comfort of being at home thanks to media outlets covering this content. However, in our Indigenous ceremonies these types of things are somewhat predicted and manifested because they are believed to be messages from the spiritworld; which is and Indigenous cultural practice that involves ceremonies that connect earth to the supernatural and paranormal uncertainties. In the sweatlodge for anyone that has ever experienced such a ceremony, knows that spirits come in to the sweat and talk to us or touch in different ways. This all involves healing and connecting to the spritworld directly to the creator, so it is believed.
The world tends to balance itself out from season to season as it should. These are the teachings of the medicine wheel in Indigenous cultures across Canada and other parts of North America. In each quadrant of the four quadrants in the medicine wheel there is a different color (typically blue, red, white, yellow), within these are guidance teachings that our ancestors have passed onto the future generations. The main teaching is about balance within the wheel itself to achieve it in all quadrants of the wheel which also represents the four stages of life, the four colors of humanity, the four seasons, and the four stages of life.
Now that this Corona virus and global pandemic has hit the world, people have slowed right down to a snails pace, therefore mother earth is healing itself now because there’s less pollution from human beings. Our ancestors have always warned us about things like this through the ceremonies and many invocations I’ve heard by countless elders and traditional knowledge keepers within the Indigenous communities across turtle island. Social media is being flooded now by viral videos of jingle dancers, grass dancers, and other Indigenous style of dances that are intended on healing mother earth. The dance I do is called the hoop dance and one of the biggest things I learned about hoop dancing is that primarily it started out as a healing dance which comes from a ceremony. All throughout my career I’ve travelled and performed for many diverse audiences around the country and different parts of the world, so hopefully in these times of uncertainty the people I’ve performed for remember these dances as healing.
Overall politics, power, pride, and people will all need to be put in check at this time so that the world may heal itself now. In due time things will turn back to normal but let’s hope that this will be a lesson for all people to remember to balance their lives, to walk in balance throughout the world, and that life is always in a circle. What goes around comes around and that’s all there is too it! The universe always responds accordingly to balance things out and you get what you put out there, so with that said perhaps we can all take a step back now to enjoy the simple things in life. Watch the birds, look at the stars, look into yourself, discover your purpose, fuel your passion(s), love yourself and your peers, pray to your god or creator, and know that the power of the universe and world are deeply rooted within you…
Hi-Hi (thank you)
Dallas Arcand 2020
