Protecting the Sacred. Reclaiming the Power
International Indigenous Leadership Gathering 2012
by Doug Pyper
The message of ‘protecting the sacred’ here on mother earth was
again the official mantra at the 4
th Annual International Indigenous
Leadership Gathering in
Lillooet,
BC. And with the ominous predictions
of 2012 now looming on the horizon there seemed a subliminal sense of urgency
in the air.
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| Dance and Drumming in the Arbour |
The event was held June 21-24 hosted by the Sta’at’imc
Chiefs Council representing 11 first nations communities in the territory. Over
a thousand people from near and far attended, creating a communal village of
like minded people of all origins inhabiting an open meadow near the town of
Lillooet. Everyone enjoyed
the presentations of world renowned speakers and performers from across
Turtle Island
and
South America. As in the past, the event
was made possible entirely through the tireless work of volunteers, including both
local organizers and attendees. All food was provided free, prepared and served
on site as a gift from the nation.
The flow of messages was clear and consistent. We must save
mother earth now and renew our spiritual connection with each other and all
living things if we are to endure. We are living in a time of irreversible and
catastrophic global destruction. Seemingly our planet can no longer take the
abuse that modern humankind has relentlessly inflicted upon her. The 2012 scenario
offers varied predictions, the most universal being that we are at the end of a
great cycle, a 500 year long spiritual winter. A massive painful transformation
is coming, and those who are prepared will move onward into a spiritual spring
time.
Many of the eclectic mix of speakers this year were more noticeably
aligned with mainstream culture, addressing environmental concerns from a scientific
and even political perspective. Issues of global warming and loss of biological
diversity were paramount, but often transcended the traditional indigenous spiritual
vernacular. The frequent direct reference to politics was perhaps an indication
that many feel the planet is under siege from corporate controlled global governments,
most notably here in
Canada
under Stephen Harper.
But the inherent message was we are ‘all’ indigenous, and
the truth is the truth no matter how it is wrapped. This earth is not for our material
gain, it is our responsibility to revere, nurture and sustain it for future
generations.
Among the numerous scheduled speakers was the Honourable Stephen Point, the current and only Indigenous Lieutenant Governor in BC history. In his impassioned speech, often tempered with his characteristic humour, he implied the needed change lies within each of us, by discovering our spirituality and overcoming our self-imposed fear and ignorance.
“I believe that our world is coming around to the
understanding that we need change” he said.
“In gatherings like this, where people are
focused on the spiritual world is how that change begins. Each of us must learn
from the many lessons offered to us daily, and apply those lessons in our lives.
This is necessary for growth and to bring
about change within ourselves and our world.”
MaObong Oku, a Nigerian spiritual healer, humanitarian and
performing artist currently living in
Vancouver
gave a gentle and inspirational talk. “Mother earth is the source of our existence. Indigenous
people are the guardians of the earth. We must strive to keep our hearts clean.
The creator can then work through us and guide us”. She warned “Most problems are with the mind. It is often a
source of negativity and the sole cause of all our troubles in the world today.
When we have good thoughts we manifest a beautiful and peaceful earth. We must be
vigilant to keep our thoughts pure through daily practice.”
Herbert Hammond, a Forest Ecologist from the Slocan Valley in southern BC was one
of the non-indigenous speakers at the event. Among a myriad of other accomplishments
he has worked extensively with first nations developing eco-system based
conservation plans. He believes we have given up much of our power to bring
about change in the modern age.
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| Herb Hammond |
“We elect governments believing they will take care of us
and solve all our problems. In reality they are often not acting in our
interest at all. Similarly, we’ve become dependent on large environmental
organizations to protect our biological and physical world. These organizations
often have become well paid environmental bureaucracies whose goal is to create
a political compromise. In both cases, we do not get the results and changes we
need, since the systems are designed for proliferation of the status quo” he
stated.
“We can survive 3 to 8 minutes without oxygen, without water
for 8 to 14 days and without food for up to 4 weeks” he noted.
“In one year a large tree provides enough
oxygen for two people and pumps several hundred gallons of water into the ecosystem.
However, we ignore these benefits of healthy ecosystems in pursuit of short
term monetary profit that degrade and destroy the natural integrity of our home”
he said.
He went on to explain that our current world view is based on an
'Anthropocentric' ethic. "This ethic holds that ecosystems have little value until
they provide resources for monetary profit.
It teaches that the earth was created exclusively for human benefit" he said.
"It promotes the necessity of a corporate
consumer-based economy to prosper and relies on perpetual economic growth by
creating 'artificial needs'. We are pillaging our life support system in this
pursuit. Such an approach is clearly not sustainable".
A more appropriate ethic is a Kincentric approach which respects the earth and other living things. What we do to
the earth we do to ourselves. "This world view sees us as related to all other life
forms. With this understanding we have the responsibility to protect all life
forms, while using some of them wisely for our needs." he stated.
These words perfectly echo what the indigenous elders have taught for centuries through spiritual beliefs, making his thoughts very appropriate and meaningful for the Gathering.
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| Peace and Dignity Runners from Mexico. |
His solution to our current global crisis and devastation our planet is ecosystem-based conservation plans that
facilitate sustainable 'community-based economies' around the world. We must
become involved on a grass roots community level (whether rural or urban),
taking back our power in dignified yet firm ways, while educating each other.
We must regress back to a simpler way of living. And we must do so with or without permission and support from our elected governments.
Our future is the responsibility of each and everyone of us. It is time to begin.
