Rising Tribes
i have joined a writing group. two other sisters sit next to me twice a month, share their heart, give feedback to mine. and by the magic of women gathering, i am weaving words easier these days! During our gatherings i workshop this blog. I set goals to commit myself to creating a space for my voice, my truth. bring together the utterance of my voice and how you might experience it. So far (on our two gatherings) i have gotten a fill on how to maintain focus. in addition, i truly love sharing space with mothers. learning how different mamas maneuver self with motherhood, society’s expectations with deep self truth. i gotta say though, what really has been a catalyst to my focus was a simple yet poignant question from one of the sisters. it came as a response to my vision for this blog, she asked “What is a tribe?”
as she uttered the words i thought “YES! i finaly get to tell someone!!!!” and “Oh crap, now i really have to own up to my vision.” i took a deep breath, i had a quick flash of the past seven years, and another one of the next seven…then, answered. so for tonight, in honor of the one person that may be reading this right now, here is my 10 point rendition of “what is a tribe?” in the voice of mamaluna and in the vision of risingtribes.
1. a group of beings committed to each other’s empowerment and evolution.
2. mothers who know to be sisters, sisters who know to be friends, friends that know to be mothers. fathers that know to be a holding hand. brothers that cry, children that teach. community that cares, warms, feeds, breathes, sings, dances, laughs into continuum.
3. an ancient, wise, oral spoken story, danced and prayed to a beat of drums, flutes, tambourines, earth, in a circle of mothers, elders, children, fathers, youth, uplifted by truth.
4. a group of people that care for the earth, communicate with all its beings with respect and reverence, and commit themselves to care for all.
5. a family whose values lie in nature’s wisdom, whose children are the elders and the elders the children.
6. the dogon, the dagara, the tzeltal, the inuit, the tzotzil, the klahoose, the coastal salish, the navajo, the pima, the hopi, the nahuatl, the olmec, the zapotec, the inca, the zulu, the maori, and the thousands of tribes that are still thriving in our world, who are continuously under attack by systematic oppression, and corporate greed, but who pray with full hearts towards the well being of all, even those who hurt them.
7. a group of people that are self sufficient, working collectively toward the health and well being of all, who are mindful and considerate of every one’s needs.
8. a happy people, happy to each do their part towards the betterment of all. That sees the health and expression of each individual’s heart and creativity as the health of all.
9. a community that ensures a joyous, supported and nurturing home birth, that supports a child through her every day learning, that holds the hand of a brother that is struggling, that reviews its collective if there is someone suffering, that continues to care for elders as it cares for its children, that honors each individuals efforts. a community of self love.
10. a community free of systematic oppression, free of greed, free of fear, free of doubt, free of destructive hierarchies, free of competition, free of judgement.
i honor all of the tribes that have survived the constant waves of humanity’s fear, grateful for their continuous teachings and living energy. i believe with my heart that in all of us there is a being of light, a being that can heal themselves, heal this world, and come forward to rebuild the broken ties of our human web. One family at a time, as rising tribes.
In light of this post, check out The Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, who have began to mend the web, leading the way towards the rebuilding of peace.
