Anybody following the Red Lake funerals?

[toddaa]

Did anyone see news coverage of the bald eagle flying over the funerals? The Native Americans faith is so strong, that seeing that footage of the eagle gave me shivers. As a Taoist, I find Native Americans to be as close to the Tao as any living culture. Despite 500 years of genocide, Indian spirituality still lives and breaths and reveals itself in ways far more powerful than any other earth based religion. They are as close to nature and the One as any of us will ever get.

Does anyone else find it odd that neopaganism seems to be a predominately European thing? I think it's cool that those of us of various Euroasian ethnicities are trying to get back to where we came from, but I sometimes wonder how many of us are just forcing ourselves into a mindset where we say that we believe what we do, but take it all with a grain of salt. When I see the Red Lake community completely connecting with brother eagle, I'm ashamed of the postmodern, postindustrial, postsecular mindset that I have constructed for myself.

Incidently, the ceremonial drumming of Native Americans appears to be unique. No other culture that I'm aware of collectively beats a drum. The drum is what called the eagle. It's a powerful ceremony. The tribe playing one drum, finding one rhythm, becoming one with the Great Spirit. No wonder the eagle joined in.

[Ilsa]

1. No. I haven't seen anything but

T. Schiavo and now Pope stuff for a week.

This reminds me of when Lori Piestewa's body was returned and interred. They said the next day there was a light snow fall. This is in Indian spirituality that there is precipitation when a soul has found its way home or something like that. (Someone please clarify it for me. It's been a couple of years now.)

[Eloriel]

2. Wonderful post

I'm personally much more drawn to native American traditional/spiritual ways than I am European-based neopaganism (tho I am somewhat drawn to it -- I am not myself pagan, though have studied it and am in definite permanent empahty with all things neo-pagan. I'm pretty eclectic, but consider myself typical New Ager. )

In an case, I agree with you. I wish I'd have seen the coverage you describe. How incredibly powerful!