Coming Home

Watch this video before you read the rest of my blog post. It is ten minutes long, so give yourself enough time to watch it.



I am hoping that viewing this video will give you a better idea about myself, my culture and my beliefs.
This video touched me in ways that are hard to explain. I was filled with joy, with a sense of belonging. Some of you, I think, will find my feelings strange and foreign, (but perhaps not). There is just such a sense of deep connection between my people, the land and the creatures who inhabit this world with us.
The concept is called "mitakuye oyasin." This Lakota word means "we are all related." Kinship with all creatures above, below, and in the water is a living principle that gives the Lakota a feeling of safety in the world, as well as a feeling of reverence for all life, a sense of purpose for all things in the scheme of existence with equal importance to all, and an abiding love. This concept of life and its relations fills the Lakota with the joy and mystery of life. As Standing Bear puts it, "The Lakota could despise no creature, for all were of one blood, made by the same hand, and filled with the essence of the Great Mystery."
Lakota Beliefs
My mom sent me this youtube video, knowing that I would rejoice with her over the return of our brothers and sisters to their home. I am hoping you will be able to rejoice with all of us, in the rightness of this action. What a great time of year to celebrate the concept of HOME!