An Invocation

This begins as a prayer.












Nya:weh Sonkwaiatison
for all the gifts you have given me

for my birth and the legacies that welcomed me onto earth
for my mothers, generations that stand behind me, may their wounds heal with my transformation
for my fathers, generations that lift me, may their wounds heal with my enlightenment and self empowerment
for the beads that they are handing me now

for blood and bones, the soil that feeds life's cycles
for fire and breath, the essence of life itself
for the womb of creation, the beating heart of Sonkwaiatison

for the sun, nourisher, our growth depends on you
for the moon, grandmother and leader of the waters and all women
for roots and leaves, our daily medicine
for the waters, pathways through our beings
for the animals, those who gift us their flesh
for the communities, and the relationships we build on earth

for the dead who's ashes lay at my feet and who's presence whispers in my ears
for the grandfathers (rocks) that send our signals
for the smoke, mist rivers passing our floating prayers

for the great mystery, the everyday gift to me

for the knowledge, my bundle that I carry with me, my integrity

For all of this Nya:weh Sonkwaiatison, may these gifts carry me further from today...

I am not here to claim absolutes, however passion may drive me to at times to do so (though I am a devout practitioner of self control, it is a continuing discipline!). I am walking a road with hard rocks and sharp edges and I'm looking for shoes. I'm becoming the corn unravelled, every husk that is lifted away reveals a truth...a teaching given to me by a respected elder whom I trust. Keep in mind that there are more layers to unfold and I thank you for reading these words this far.

I have discovered where I disconnect is where I reconnect and for that reason I may come off as contrary and sometimes difficult, it may seem easy to accuse me of ill intent. I acknowledge this illusion, I honor this reconnection and I request your compassion, openmindedness and honesty, these are things needed when I am misunderstood.

I love

I love very deeply and there is no truth that leaves these catacombs without being motivated by that very deep love. It is a driving force, one that has been with me through every ceremony, every frontline struggle, every community triumph, behind my words on the mic, behind my creations, behind every action, every relationship, it is my education and my credentials...We are in these words right now together because we are ready to see each other, however we may choose very different paths to take.

Together we may walk side by side, rhythms that are the same chord, however you may not agree with me, or maybe you will agree, or disagree sometimes, or agree half the time...we shall however remain side by side causing no harm to each others paths and working to see each other if we happen to collide, let go and move on if we are not ready. This is my commitment.

If you want to join hands in this, please read on

I am from the Onondagega Nation of the Haudenosaune league of peace, Six Nations.
My nation are the firekeepers of the league, responsible for taking care of the sacred wampums, for maintaining the council fire, for stewarding the lands where our sacred legacy of the Great Law of Peace was born. Our language is one of the most complex languages of the Haudenosaune dialects, a language that recognizes spatial reality as a whole rather then rooted in the individual. The Onondaga carry a legacy of immense spiritual enlightenment and transformation. They are caretakers, peacekeepers, they fulfill a sacred role of responsibility and honor. This is a piece of a vast knowledge that I am only beginning to learn.

I am from the Eel Clan, an animal that is powerful, strong, mysterious and otherworldly. Their life is in the water worlds. The eel transforms 4 times in its life. It's pathway from birth to death is full circle, they return to where they were bred in the ocean, thousands of miles on an unknown path in the dark of the night. They breed only once in their lives, dying immediately afterwards, a cycle of life and death, transformation and change. They are the only water life to live in all parts of the world, they are the only water life that breeds in one place mysteriously and sends their offspring all over the earth. It is the only fish that swims as far as it does in life and the female eels travel the furthest and become the strongest and the largest.

Eels turn silver in their final stage of life, just before they give life, they are said to be a 'serpeant' of the lakes...traveling from the worlds forbidden to us, returning one day to those worlds in the ocean. The Eel clan is one of transformational strength, having deep connections to the waters which are linked to the moon and our emotional depths. If there is change to be made in our world today by the Haudenosaune, the eel clan may play a significant role in this great re-birth we are experiencing.

This is what I know of the eel, it also is only a piece of vast knowledge that I am only beginning to learn.

With these clan beads being placed in my hands, I now invoke this legacy. I honor this responsibility and am humbled by it's presence.

Now to speak of women and what motivates me to explore Haudenosaune Feminism...

Power is a very complex energy, it IS what moves energy...how we percieve power collectively today is as a force to put over others, what may be deemed excessive and hyper competition (because healthy and unhealthy competition exists!)...I struggle with deconstructing these power structures in Haudenosaune Peace philosophy and cutural knowledge as I find that how it has been passed down, has adapted and is now informed by the dominant colonial state. YET, seeks to dismantle this unbalanced relationship...

One of the most tangible and immediate places in our Haudenosaune society that is in need of empowerment is the position of women. Our role has far reaching responsibilities and has been one that has been pushed down for many generations due this adaptation to colonial patriarchy.

Afterall our creation is characterized by a 'god'-like figure in Sonkwaiatison, but what about the 'goddess'-like figures of Sky Woman/Grandmother moon or Etinoha, the creator's mother...

Sonkwaiatison afterall is one of the scales of balance where the dance of light and dark create the world.

In my rough and rather skimply knowledge of the language, why do I hear the mothers of creation rarely mentioned? I'm simply asking because I really don't know...

Jigosaseh was the first clanmother, she was the first woman to service those who are in struggle. She nourished the ones on the frontline, maintained neutrality during war, was responsible for the corn that fed the warriors, has been painted as a 'wrong-doer' in this role, but was sought out by the peacemaker for this important position she held. It's really taken for granted these days what that means...to be responsible for feeding others! To be responsible for the food that we eat is a very important, honorable and sacred role. One which sadly is highly disrespected by the society today.

Providing safety, nourishment, abundance, inspiration, space to heal, space to create, space to connect, create acceptance and strength of will, to move and be moved are all roles that are encompassed by our matriarchs.

Clanmothers come from a long line of women warriors (in the true definition of warrior), those who were highly skilled, knowledgeable, with high integrity, strong and true, compassionate and loving, unable to be shaken, unable to be broken, so strong her weapons are (for the most part) internal and she is at the forefront of the line of defense, she holds the responsibility of overseeing the life being brought into this world (a re-enactment of the creation story every time) as well as holds the responsibility of saying when the weapons will be drawn (keeping in mind we buried the ones we use on each other as followers of Kaianerenkowa)...every piece of holistic knowledge was considered a gift that needed to be offered to these women who would draw energy to all roles in the clan family/community. Women held power because they held such incredible responsibility...who's gonna get their portion of the feast when they are being a punk!!! What everyday necessities may you be denied if you disrespect your mother!!! That fertile field women hold between their legs is but a sharp reminder that this is where all life comes from, this is a sacred place and the sons and brothers, husbands and cousins are obliged to respect this because this is where they began, and potentially also where they may meet their end...

A woman afterall is a walking seasonal cycle...powerful storms and nourishing growth...

So with that I now enter this walk into my womanhood, carrying these beads, creating focus on these sacred symbols, living the power of that Eel, always in the light of the sacred mothers, the creation that was born from her and am now opening a door that till today seemed pretty scary but I'm willing to see what happens. Who knows right?

Danetoh!
Ganonsononh