Haida shaman
Mike here. Writing this series of columns has been a joy for me, in fact, a whole series of joys. Not only has it given me a chance to get in touch with old friends, but also it has put me in touch with some new people who have added their insights and outlooks to the proceedings. This time, I’m welcoming Peter MacNaughton, who does a good job of introducing himself at the beginning of this column. Yes, he is Canadian: check the spelling.
An ongoing theme of Rovin’ and Ravin’ has been healing, either ways to heal (herbs, acupuncture) or things to heal from (child abuse, the loss of a son). Peter here writes openly and intensely about his healing in the traditions of the First Nations (Native Americans, as we would say on this side of the border).
Welcome to the sunny south of cyber-space, Peter! Thanks for letting us join you on your quest. We do so with our typically dry feet and hearts full of noble thoughts. By the way, I contributed the links, so don’t blame Peter for them.
Visit Peter’s neck of the woods (and some of the trees there have necks); take a trip to Virtual Saskatchewan and read The Aboriginal Newspaper of Saskatchewan.
There are all kinds of communities and circles where people can find the companionship and strength needed for healing, such as the Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous.
First I’d like to introduce myself and tell you a little about where I’m from. I live in Regina, the capital city of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Regina has a population of about 250,000, but for the most part it strangely keeps a small town atmosphere. Our city has two notable claims to fame. We have the largest bridge over the shortest body of water in the world (the Albert Street Bridge), and we’ve also got the most urban park space per capita of any city in North America. It’s a beautiful place to live year round. And an even nicer place to visit. (We like tourists.)
I’m a commercial cleaner during the night, and by day I take up my pen and write poetry and occasionally articles like this one. Which brings me to the topic I’m going to be telling you about.
What the heck is a Healing Circle? Well first off, I’m not Indian, I’m not a Medicine Man, I don’t claim to be a shaman or anything complicated like that. I’ve just had some exposure to First Nations culture that’s helped me along. And I’d like to share some of my experiences with you.
The Healing Circle is a model of the Medicine Wheel. In it, we are all teachers. The Medicine Wheel is symbolic of life. It begins in the East, where the sun rises, where spring comes to the Earth. It passes to the South, where the sun is at the pinnacle of its journey through our sky, where summer warms us. It moves to the West, where the sun sets, where fall changes the colour of the leaves, the grasses fade, and the animals become ready for winter. Then, it comes to the North, where the sun is beyond our gaze, and winter is upon us, allowing the Earth to rest.
The Four Directions can also be compared to the stages of life, East being infancy, South being childhood, West being adulthood, and North being old age. But perhaps the most important teaching of the Wheel (for me) is that of balance. Through the wheel, we find a holistic balancing of the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical.
Each Direction also has an Animal that acts as a kind of summary for the qualities it rests in. Each Nation has different interpretations of the Wheel, no two Nations are exactly alike. For example, for the Cree and Plains Ojibway, colours that represent the directions will differ. The animals of the Lakota differ from those of the Haida on the Canadian/American west coast. But the basic Wheel symbol is prevalent in all First Nations cultures across North America.
Each one of us has an experience that can benefit or enlighten another. The Circle is a perfect symbol of Creation and All Things in it. It has an endless centre, and in itself, it is a part of something endless. What a Healing Circle tries to do is allow people to have a place to share and grow from the sharing.
One of the problems faced by children/spouses of alcoholics (I’m using alcoholism as my jumping point as it’s where I draw my experience in the addictions field from) is that they feel an obligation to keep the secret that an alcoholic perpetuates. Behavior patterns emerge that allow a web to be created. The function of this web is to keep the family member dependent on one another. John Bradshaw in his PBS television series, Bradshaw On: The Family, used a mobile to illustrate this point. Each part of the mobile is affected by the movement of a single part.
Addictive "family systems" such as those in an alcoholic environment run opposite of what the Medicine Wheel tells us. At the centre, the alcoholic; around him/her, a spouse, children, all crushed and manipulated in one way or another to conform to the family shame.
A place of safety and healing can allow people to identify with and rectify behaviors which are detrimental to themselves and others. A Healing Circle can provide this. In the Circle, each person has the opportunity to share without interruption. Addictive environments often create a feeling of worthlessness in the individual. By being allowed to share without interruption, people are allowed the sense of dignity and respect for their input. They’re able to feel a sense of safety and distinction. In this way, each person becomes a point on the Wheel. The group focuses on each sharing, and lets it go as one person finishes and the next person begins.
But more importantly, the growth and recovery that can occur in a Healing Circle or a Twelve-Step program, such as Al-Anon or Alcoholics Anonymous, can set the Wheel back in order: the addict removes him/herself from the Centre, and the Creator returns to the rightful place.
I was entering this particular Circle with problems. I had come from a home where there was alcoholism, was living with it in my own home where my roommate and I drank steady and strong. I felt locked in depression, anxiety, sadness. I worked in a job where I felt mistreated and abused. Life wasn’t good.
We all sat and shared, listened. Over the next weeks, we were gradually exposed to the ceremonial side of things. Nothing big, just a smudge and prayer ceremony. Smudging is a way of spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically preparing yourself for doing something. It involves the burning of certain herbs (not narcotic), and those being smudged wash themselves with the smoke.
I reclaimed some things with the help of those people. I reclaimed the right of choice: I can choose to be depressed, stuck, whatever.
I reclaimed my sobriety, 6 years this July 1.
I reclaimed my dignity and love of myself as a man, and as a Spiritual Being in a human existence.
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous provided a foundation on which I could heal. The program is a spiritual one, and leaves the choice of spiritual pursuit (or lack thereof) to each individual. A Healing Circle is First Nations oriented. In my case, my teacher was of Plains Ojibway (Saulteaux), Plains Cree, and Lakota lineage.
I do not condone the sale of Sacred things. I do not condone charging exorbitant sums of money for "cultural experiences and ceremonies"; to me, this is dishonouring the teachings and the healing I experienced. I do, however, applaud those individuals who will approach a person of knowledge to learn. Books are good for many, but they lack the feeling a real experience offers.
When you come from a place where people don’t listen to you, where you feel alone and lost, and you come to a place where people want to give you a hug, listen to what you say, where people care about you genuinely, you can’t but grow!
A word of caution: the group that I started with numbered almost thirty. By the end, another individual and I were the only ones left. It’s an intense commitment to open yourself up and become willing to heal. Many people aren’t prepared for what they will find. It’s a commitment that requires dedication, strength, and hope. I would highly advise at least a year in a Twelve Step program (like Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon) to get a general foundation to build upon.