Post by littlebreeze on Sept 9, 2008 14:31:56 GMT -6
Firstly, who am I?
I live in England. My bloodlines are Viking, Anglo-Saxon and Celtic. I am a pagan and my spiritual home is Avebury and the ancient stone circles there, where I have attended rituals whenever possible.
I have called myself a name I have used in writing stories. When I had an owl I used to call myself the Little Breeze beneath his wings (referring to the song You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings, which I love) . However I have since become aware that many Native Americans justifiably do not like non- American Indian people using what appears to be a name like theirs so if I offend anyone please let me know and I will change my username. Similarly I have not chosen an avatar for fear I would offend because they are all beautiful NDN ladies.
The reason I am here is more complex. I was born and brought up in England, near London. For the first twenty-five years of my life I had a romantic, idealised view of what Native Americans were and how they lived. I thought that reservations were wonderful places with lush grass and roaming buffalo where the People lived their traditional lifestyle and were happy. I knew no better and did no research to inform myself, I was stupid and ignorant, and I apologise. Then I travelled to Canada to spend six weeks with my Uncle’s family. My eyes were opened. I was taken to see a reservation near Kingston, and I heard the way my relatives (by marriage, thankfully, not blood) spoke about the People. I have never felt so angry or been so upset. I refused speech, food and drink while under their roof and thankfully we left the next day. Since then I have worked hard to become aware and to learn as much as I can. I have looked at the atrocities done by white people in India, Australia and Germany - but most of all what has been done to the People in America. It horrifies me. I have been a teacher most of my life, until recently, and have made sure that I passed my knowledge on to all the pupils possible. Native American studies are part of History studies for a whole term of every English child’s education in year eight, but I taught far more than that to every age group. I tried to show all that was wise and good about the lifestyle and how it worked with Nature and the Earth.
I cannot mend what was done and know no way to repay such a karmic debt and inbalance - but I wish I could. I hope that you will accept me here to learn. So many of the pagan beliefs reflect yours and I would like to know so much more.
Thank you for reading
I live in England. My bloodlines are Viking, Anglo-Saxon and Celtic. I am a pagan and my spiritual home is Avebury and the ancient stone circles there, where I have attended rituals whenever possible.
I have called myself a name I have used in writing stories. When I had an owl I used to call myself the Little Breeze beneath his wings (referring to the song You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings, which I love) . However I have since become aware that many Native Americans justifiably do not like non- American Indian people using what appears to be a name like theirs so if I offend anyone please let me know and I will change my username. Similarly I have not chosen an avatar for fear I would offend because they are all beautiful NDN ladies.
The reason I am here is more complex. I was born and brought up in England, near London. For the first twenty-five years of my life I had a romantic, idealised view of what Native Americans were and how they lived. I thought that reservations were wonderful places with lush grass and roaming buffalo where the People lived their traditional lifestyle and were happy. I knew no better and did no research to inform myself, I was stupid and ignorant, and I apologise. Then I travelled to Canada to spend six weeks with my Uncle’s family. My eyes were opened. I was taken to see a reservation near Kingston, and I heard the way my relatives (by marriage, thankfully, not blood) spoke about the People. I have never felt so angry or been so upset. I refused speech, food and drink while under their roof and thankfully we left the next day. Since then I have worked hard to become aware and to learn as much as I can. I have looked at the atrocities done by white people in India, Australia and Germany - but most of all what has been done to the People in America. It horrifies me. I have been a teacher most of my life, until recently, and have made sure that I passed my knowledge on to all the pupils possible. Native American studies are part of History studies for a whole term of every English child’s education in year eight, but I taught far more than that to every age group. I tried to show all that was wise and good about the lifestyle and how it worked with Nature and the Earth.
I cannot mend what was done and know no way to repay such a karmic debt and inbalance - but I wish I could. I hope that you will accept me here to learn. So many of the pagan beliefs reflect yours and I would like to know so much more.
Thank you for reading