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Fwd Press Release:

Idle No More Honouring our Sacred Fires and Nationhood Global Day of Ceremony and Resurgence

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

We formally and respectfully REQUEST across Turtle Island (North America) and across our global community, on the first day of Spring, to light sacred fires, to gather sacred pipes and pipe-carriers, to gather sacred bundles and bundle carriers, together drums and drum-carriers, and for spiritual leaders, carriers of ceremonies, elders, young, and community members in all territories to unite in ceremony.

We call upon our women, men, two-spirited people, keepers of ceremonies, lodge-keepers, carriers of pipes (as well as bundles and drums), spiritual leaders, communities, elders, youth and everyone to begin   by lighting Sacred Fires at sunrise on March 20th.

Throughout March 20th, our request for ceremonies is intended to:

–Strengthen the Movement

–Acknowledge and Honour the spiritual foundation of our Nations and the Movement

–Nourish the fire of our commitment to our Nations, Sovereignty, Treaties, and the Land

–Re-Forge/Heal partnerships, relationships, and reconnect our young people and communities to their names and clans, responsibilities, teachings, elders, and ceremonies

–Feast Clans, Sacred Items, Bundles, and to seek direction from Ceremonies

–Raise the voice of the Spirit of the Drum

–Draw upon Spirit to help challenge Canada’s violations to Treaty, Land, and Sovereignty

–Acknowledge that Women are taking the lead by honouring and empowering women as we honour and empower Mother Earth.

This is also intended to embed a spiritual and cultural foundation for the March 21, 2013 Idle No More Day of Action that is taking place the next day, March 22, 2013, World Water Day and in ALL days ahead as we continue with our momentum – together.

This call and request to HONOUR OUR SACRED FIRES  and OUR NATIONS is put out one month in advance so proper time can be taken and proper protocol can be followed in each territory to seek and invite spiritual leaders, to determine appropriate locations, to plan for ceremony accordingly, and to spread the word to all regions, territories, and communities.

An Anishinaabe woman from the Treaty #3 territory recently shared that in all aspects of the Nationhood, she recounted the central role that major ceremonies such as shake-tents, sweats, gathering of pipes played in helping to defeat the 1969 White Paper.

Canada is actively passing legislations that together function as the White Paper now in 2013 in law form to neutralize our Nations, dismantle our connection to treaty, and to target the land we share. We ask you to stand with us, to work together in solidarity in a good way, and for us all to ensure we are putting the Spirit first in our opposition to this matter, as well as in our unity.

For more information, please see here.

 #30#

 *Photo by Krystalline Kraus

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...