a purpose for life

sunrise

Yesterday was our travel and relax day. We still had to go from Phoenix to The Grand Canyon, so we picked up the Camper RV which was rented by my friends Margreet and Koen and we headed that way. It still took us a few hours and by the end of the afternoon I was being delivered at my hotel. I still had to meet my travel group and roommate, but they came later that evening. My roommate turned out to be a German woman, Sabine, she had been on the tour from the beginning. She told me it was very good, but that there was some confusion now if we would still visit the Hopi people. Apparently their chiefs did not think it the right time for us to come, but some others in the tribe did think it was. I wondered what was going on here, fear? Or something else. It would be a shame especially after learning more about them, to not be able to visit them. So maybe we were not part of the prophesy.

Anyway the day I started the Gathering, we had to get up at 4 am in order to be on time for the sunrise ceremony at the grand canyon. I had not slept well and was under the influence of jetlag, Still I was looking forward to seeing the Grand canyon. When we arrived, there were many people gathering at Mather Point – which has a spectacular view on the GC. When I saw it, it was still a bit dark, but I could already see the immense rock formations. It takes your breath away. The red colours are beautiful, sometimes light and other times darker. I went to the ceremony place where some Navajo Indians were already singing and drumming. We had to make way for some elders to come and join this circle and they were impressive to watch. There ceremonial outfits were minimal, so the men were bare-chested and the women had skin leather dresses on. They came in with rattles and singing.

There must have been a few hundred people, all singing and swinging with the drums. The sun was coming up soon and in order to get a better look, I went to viewpoint right at the edge of the GC. Hearing the drums behind me, I saw the sun rising from behind the canyon and it was a magnificent sight. I took some pictures, but then when I saw most people standing meditatively holding their hands out to the sun, I joined them. It was so strong and I felt very emotional, some tears came down my face and I thought of the beauty of the Earth. Next to me a Maya Indian was praying and he touched my shoulder, probably sensing my emotion. He gave me a big hug and left me behind, somewhat bewildered but also very touched. This is the way people should be with each other, sharing from compassion. More tears came. I saw people moving to the drums, holding each other, smiling at each other and celebrating the sun. What a joy and privilege that I could be there. I felt only gratitude.

We met Louis, a Hopi Indian, who was standing crying at the rail of the plateau we were standing on. He told us that he cried because of the many Hopi who had lost their lives in the Grand Canyon because of the white people. He said he goes every year in January down into the Canyon  to do a pilgrimage to honor the dead. He then took us to do a prayer and we stood together listening to him speaking his Hopi language and calling out to the Great Spirit. It was a beautiful moment.

After a while, we were getting really cold, so we moved to go back after some confusion about where to go to next. The organization was, to say the least, flexible in her program, so people never knew what to expect. My dear tour leader was being very patient and kept using her improvisation skills, but still I wondered if the chaos was really necessary. We went next to Navaho country, to Tuba City where only Navaho people live. We were to be the guests of the Forgotten people, a group of Navaho who were trying to get the attention of the government to their cause. They feel like they have been forgotten by their country and when we arrived in Tuba City I could see why. It felt and looked desolate: very dry land, with lots of sand, no trees, no water and many caravans where they lived. This is an area where you do not want to live yourself, because it just radiates sadness.

For the Navaho’s it was very important that we came and they had been preparing for this gathering for weeks. They made us feel very welcome and also expressed how grateful they were that we came to be with them. They really need our support and attention, I could feel how lost they felt. They are being governed by the federal government who is basically ignoring them. The only time they come into action, is when there is money to be made. The Navaho land is very big and it contains some areas with good mining possibilities for uranium, coal and I think oil. None of the income of this is going to the Navaho. Also their land gets reclaimed whenever the government needs it, so really they do not have anything to say. Their way of living and their culture is being destroyed and the forgotten people are desperately trying to hold on to it. Most of them are elderly people, where the young are, I do not know. We had a few hours of speeches and declarations, which is normal in their culture to do. It means for someone like me that I need to be patient , listen and wait, pfff!

The elders of the gathering had also arrived and for the first time I could see them. They were impressive: south American Indians, native Americans from different tribes, a Buddhist lama from Buthan, a monk from Japan and even a a queen from Africa. Combined they have between them much wisdom to share. After the speeches, some Lakota Indians started to drum and chant and it was so powerful, I could not stand still. Their voices sounded ancient and the drums gave a energy that was enormous. The only thing which disturbed the ceremonies somewhat, was the wind which was blowing harder with the hour. It was blowing sand in our hair, face, and everywhere. Together with the sun, it became difficult to stay energized and soon people were getting themselves on the bus just to get out of the sand. We had been up already since 4 o clock in the morning and physically this was draining us. This was just my first day in this program, but my roommate told me that they had this going on already from the start. I felt that this was a serious blow to the balance of most people and that this could not go on like this. For spiritual enjoyment, you need a fit body.

Totally exhausted we went to the hotel and arrived there in the evening. I went straight to bed, had no dinner, just wanted to sleep. It was a great day and I am grateful, but very tired.