The Earthkeepers

 Hollis Littlecreek

First let me share a little about Hollis Littlecreek.

Hollis Curtis Littlecreek was born on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota on November 12, 1924.  He was registered as Chippewa on the US government roles.  However, Anishinabeg is the name of his tribe, with Chippewa being a name given by the immigrants.    Hollis would share he was from the last generation to be raised completely within the native tradition and he was trained in the Mide’wiwin ways. 

When Hollis was five, he was thought to have died of an illness.  His aunt was quietly sitting with him for almost an hour after she thought he had passed away, when he ‘woke up’ saying that he had a vision in which he was instructed to share the pipe with people of all races.  He was taken to the circle of elders to share his vision.  They instructed an older brother to make a pipe for him which was kept for him until he was older. Hollis lived his life as a member of the tribe in all ways until he was 52.  Then he left the reservation to fulfill his mission. 

As we prepare to pour lodge, I got to thinking about ceremony and what we have been taught. One very particular principle that John would say Hollis Littlecreek was very clear about was, “Ceremonies have been created to serve the people.” And John Many Voices Armbruster continued to share this universal principle.

This simple idea is sometimes forgotten in our passion of belief. In the fervor of dedication, folks often rush to the idea that the ceremonies, the organizations, the structure of our faith, which we call religion or the ways, are more important than the people who look to them for solace, comfort, and guidance.

John would say, “When the ceremony and the people who implement them become more important than the people the ceremonies are designed to serve, then success is unattainable.” This is a very basic premise. Its simplicity is its strength and it is what we support as Earthkeepers.

The Important Questions

Because of the pervasive and powerful influence ceremony has on humanity, it becomes essential to consider the ceremonies one participates in. Remember, identification in ceremony has the power to cripple as well as to heal.

Identification can be used to uplift falsely. This is done by creating the illusion of superiority of a set of beliefs, practices and even a way of life. This sense of superiority is highly motivating and gives many people the security and continuity that the state of the world seems to sweep away in our everyday lives. This superiority also may serve to galvanize a group into a more cohesive force. However, all of this is a false sense of community and security.

Identification in this form creates a tremendous weakness of the soul. The weakness is created when we define the connection to our Creator by using some quality of our relationship with others as a standard…more wealthy, poorer, better looking, smarter, more oppressed, more spiritual etc. Whatever standard we use, it makes our relationship with our Creator less direct and less personal. It is an outside connection, not an inside connection. It propagates the myth that ceremony, ritual or spiritual leaders are more important than the participants they serve.

Folks might want to ask themselves:

• How do the ceremonies I participate in, serve me?
  • Do these ceremonies help create a relationship with my Creator?
  • Do these ceremonies connect me to the higher energies and create integration and healing?
  • Do these ceremonies and the energy surrounding them help me see clearly new avenues for spiritual growth?
  • Do the focus of these ceremonies harness energy to propel me forward in my spiritual growth?

We have found that the beauty of ceremony is that it is designed to let you see your most uplifting and divine aspects. These aspects may not be readily apparent to you. Ceremonial Practice, in it most successful form, strips away the barriers of your own perception to reveal the love within that is interconnected to the divine love.

As Earthkeepers, ceremonial practice unlocks the encoded destiny for each of us stored in the vibrational frequencies of Mother Earth and our DNA. Our access code is accepted as our hearts come online with the pulsating beat of the planetary heart. As John would say, “Our lives become a sacred act, a ceremony celebrating the Gift of Life that we so graciously treasure from our Creator”.

So it is no small thing to have our ceremonies serve the participants.

Thank you Hollis, John and most of all Creator for showing us about ceremonies, so we might connect.

Hugs, Tracy ~ Each person is responsible to find the truths they came to learn on Earth. We share what has come to us…take what you want…leave the rest.  May each person come in-sync with Mother Earth so each might find their Ways.

Folks preparing to enter circle at an Earthkeeper Dance

At ceremony on Saturday, we were asked, “Why is ceremony so powerful” or as we would rather say, energetic.

Regarding Ceremony

First we must say, no matter how much we discuss and examine the ways of ceremony, it is important to understand that the energy of every ceremony is still in the magical discovery and joyful revelation of the Great Mystery of Life itself.

Having said that, we share that we have come to learn that the energy produced by ceremony, or what folks may call power, comes because of those participating, which includes their songs and the sacred implements used. It is through the participants that the ceremony comes to life and takes on a life force.

We have learned and been taught that it is a mistake to think that ritualistic actions are the energy behind ceremony. On the contrary, the energetic changes due to ritualistic activity are only the underpinnings of Ceremony. What transforms the energy is the consciousness of the participants. Understanding this, helps one understand why John Many Voices said, “Ceremony must serve the people”.

We have come to say, ceremony must serve the participants, because the word “people” has become synonymous with humans, and humans are not the only ones consciously participating in ceremony. Participants include the earth, wind, fire, water, sacred directions, or what we call - All Our Relations, who come…each bringing their prayers. And the synergistic energy resulting from ceremony comes from the blending of all present. Thus the ceremony brings the participants into what John Armbruster called, “a shaft of light” which vitalizes and expands the energetic field of the planet. So participating in ceremony is no small act.

So often we humans do the reverse regarding ceremony, having the participants serve the ceremony or more specifically the ritual. When this happens, the energy dissipates and energy blockages often form. So it’s good to remember that ceremony needs to serve the participants.

We have learned that all ways are sacred…one type of ceremony is not more holy than another type of ceremony, or one way of praying is not more holy than another way of praying, or one sacred object is not more holy than another sacred object. Assigning importance is a human action and ego based. To Creator, all ways and things are holy, whether considered great or small.

Regarding Universal look at Ceremony

We conclude with a universal look at ceremony. Ceremony transcends the individual cultural experience and is a part of a greater planetary and universal mind. To see ceremony only from the viewpoint of a single culture is to look with only our eyes, not our heart. For us as Earthkeepers, it is from the heart that ceremony comes. It is done for the planet. It is done for the participants. It is done as an expression of the power of our personal Creator. We know ceremony as dynamic and ever changing as is the energy of the planet and each individual. The wisdom of any tradition must serve the participants and All our Relations.

Thank you Creator for being so patient with us and loving all equally.

Tanakia, Dave and Tracy ~ Each person is responsible to find the truths they came to learn on Earth. We share what has come to us. Take what you want…leave the rest. May each person come in-sync with Mother Earth so each might find their Ways.