On Native Wisdom

Last night  the Better Half and I enjoyed watching (via Zoom) the US Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo, do a reading from her latest memoir, Poet Warrior. She also shared a song from I Pray for My Enemies. The event more than lived up to its title, Bringing Joy: An Evening with United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. It was presented by Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and several other Northland American Indian organizations as well as the Library of Congress Center for the Book, the Friends of the St. Paul Library, and others.

All of us in the Northland shared the beauty of an almost full moon, which will be full tomorrow night. Those in Duluth enjoyed its reflection on "the lake." All in all it was one of the most pleasant and relaxing hours I’ve spent in a long, long time. Harjo writes and talks a lot about the relations of individuals with themselves, family, community, and nations. Relations that, in these times, in way too much of the country, have become excessively frayed and frazzled. She  has wisdom to share about that also.

If you search past postings in this blog, you’ll find many of Harjo’s poems. We’ve been fans for some years. Some of us hope that there may soon be an evening with Minnesota’s own Native American poet laureate, Gwen Nell Westerman, shared over the internet. Bringing poetry to the people via internet may be more effective than bringing the  people to poetry in times of pandemics.

Harjo’s reading last night began with the following poem. Please read carefully, and retain.

For Calling The Spirit Back 
From Wandering The Earth 
In Its Human Feet

Put down that bag of potato chips, that white bread, that 
bottle of pop.

Turn off that cellphone, computer, and remote control. 

Open the door, then close it behind you.

Take a breath offered by friendly winds. They travel
the earth gathering essences of plants to clean.

Give back with gratitude.

If you sing it will give your spirit lift to fly to the stars’ ears and 
back.

Acknowledge this earth who has cared for you since you were 
a dream planting itself precisely within your parents’ desire.

Let your moccasin feet take you to the encampment of the
guardians who have known you before time, 
who will be there after time.
They sit before the fire that has been there without time.

Let the earth stabilize your postcolonial insecure jitters.

Be respectful of the small insects, birds and animal people 
who accompany you.
Ask their forgiveness for the harm we humans have brought
down upon them.

Don’t worry.
The heart knows the way though there may be high-rises, 
interstates, checkpoints, armed soldiers, massacres, wars, and
those who will despise you because they despise themselves.

The journey might take you a few hours, a day, a year, a few
years, a hundred, a thousand or even more.

Watch your mind. Without training it might run away and
leave your heart for the immense human feast set by the 
thieves of time.

Do not hold regrets.

When you find your way to the circle, to the fire kept burning 
by the keepers of your soul, you will be welcomed.

You must clean yourself with cedar, sage, or other healing plant.

Cut the ties you have to failure and shame.

Let go the pain you are holding in your mind, your shoulders, your heart, all the way to your feet. Let go the pain of your ancestors to make way for those who are heading in our direction.

Ask for forgiveness.

Call upon the help of those who love you. These helpers take many forms: animal, element, bird, angel, saint, stone, or ancestor.

Call yourself back. You will find yourself caught in corners and creases of shame, judgment, and human abuse.

You must call in a way that your spirit will want to return. 
Speak to it as you would to a beloved child.

Welcome your spirit back from its wandering. It will return 
in pieces, in tatters. Gather them together. They will be 
happy to be found after being lost for so long.

Your spirit will need to sleep awhile after it is bathed and
given clean clothes.

Now you can have a party. Invite everyone you know who 
loves and supports you. Keep room for those who have no 
place else to go.

Make a giveaway, and remember, keep the speeches short.

Then, you must do this: help the next person find their way through the dark.

© Joy Harjo. Conflict Resolution From Holy Beings. W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.

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Please be kind to each other while you can.