Religious Freedom in 1978

You Had to Be There challenge - The Prompt: Write a story about a moment that doesn’t sound impressive, but was unforgettable to the people involved.

Some moments matter more than they seem from the outside. This challenge is about capturing that difference.

Write a story centered on an experience that might sound ordinary to anyone else, but stayed with the people who lived it.

Let the meaning come through in the details. Focus on the texture of the moment rather than trying to make it appear larger than it is.

She didn't know what smudging was until some hippies invited her to smudge with them. The leader was wafting the smudge smoke all around him and said, "It cleans your aura man."

She was either eleven or twelve when that happened. Some years later she heard about a law that gave Native American people religious freedom. She was now twenty-four years old.

Her family had sought out medicine men at times when she was growing up, but she was told to not tell anyone. It was against the law. It seemed like many things were against the law for her people.

The year before she was born her people were allowed to buy liquor, and drink liquor. That was in 1953. Prior to that they could be arrested as could people selling liquor to Native Americans.

Once there was religious freedom, she started to smudge regularly. She was taught about the medicines and what they do for you. In her work with others, the trauma, grief and loss work she did daily, she was told to use four medicines when smudging. She continued that the rest of her life.

Her grandmother, and mother attended the Catholic Church. Many family members have been baptized, confirmed, married, and buried in the Catholic church. She will be buried there also.

Once her mother and her aunts helped to make Kateri Tekawitha a saint, three of the four, no longer attended the church. When her children were born with white privilege, she decided that they could make their own decision about religion. She would support whatever they decided.

As adults her children have become more and more interested in the culture. Ceremony and ritual especially. Even though they attended Catholic school through the fourth and sixth grade they have not considered themselves Catholic.

She made herself attend ceremony and continues to. She started by attending full moon ceremony in about 1980. That helped to explain many women's teachings. Her and the other women were so happy to be gathering with song and culture stories.

The sweat lodge came above ground and for awhile she attended sweat lodge. She went to sunrise ceremony, pipe ceremony, she attended sundance, wiping of tears and cedar ceremony, and other ceremony.

Smudging, greeting the sunrise, and the water ceremony are regulars for her today. Who cares today? No one. It is not threatening to anyone today. To her it brings so much freedom, to be who she was meant to be.

Culture is religious freedom

our people had come

here to this world to live

and to love life and give

love, wisdom, humility

truth, bravery, honesty,

and respect to all

in this worlds sprawl

~

Then came the new order

There was a border

of sorts, and our people survived

but have not thrived

Religious freedom is a start

to the thriving. It is smart

to know and rebuild

our language, a guild

to make our culture stronger

to last a whole lot longer.

~

Today is the start for many

freedom is for any

one who has the say

in following their cultures way

Starting today

Let's pray

and say

Miigwech Gezhaymanido

Kind and loving spirit for all you do

for me and mine

It's time to shine.