Family

Another old picture from the family collection: 

Sam Moses, Messie Haines, Bessie Andrew, and Pat Moses. 

Memories

Thanksgiving is a season for family and loving memories. Just this evening, I found an old photograph of my yayas and me. I was probably four or five years old at the time. My yaya Bessie was holding me on her lap, and my yaya Messie was holding my hand.  

The Creator and the Whale

In my dream, I saw an old Indian man standing on the belly of a whale. Specifically, he stood at the end of the ventral grooves on the underside of the belly, and I stood at the opposite end near the mouth. Despite the strange position of its body, the whale was very much alive. The old man stooped down, touched the belly of the whale, and caused some invisible energy to flow within one of the ventral grooves. Then he sent several more currents, and each one forced me to change my footing.

Finally, I complained and said, “Just when I get accustomed to one flow of energy, you send me another. Is it too much to ask for some stability in my life?”

The old man said, “Who made the mountains rise from the ocean floor and fall beneath a hundred million years of wind and rain? Who caused the earth to spin on its axis and give both light and darkness to the people? Who designed the flowers to spring from the ground and then wilt beneath the summer’s heat? Who created the seasons of life and death, youth and old age? Who established all things from the beginning to the end? Did not I?”

The old man dressed poorly, with a tattered blanket wrapped around his shoulders and feathers in his hair, but he spoke with unmistakable power. He said, “I am the Creator, and you are part of my creation. It is true that you will witness many changes in your life, but do not be afraid. Did I not promise to be with you always and to send you comfort? Be courageous! You are stronger than you know.”

Forgotten Carols

The Forgotten Carols by LDS songwriter Michael McLean came to the INB Performing Arts Center in Spokane. Rhonda and I went to see the show, and afterwards, she got the opportunity to meet Michael McLean. We have admired his work for more than 25 years, so it was awesome to see the show in person. 

Moses Road

The setting sun as seen from Moses Road on Sunday afternoon. 

Stan

During my visit to the Kalispel Reservation yesterday, I had the good fortune to interview tribal elder Stan Bluff. He spoke about the cultural values that have guided his life from his childhood to the present day. What an honor to sit in his presence and learn from his experiences!

Clouds

Yesterday morning, I drove to the Kalispel Indian Reservation. As I passed Davis Lake, it looked as though a cloud had collapsed over the mountainside. The clouds created a beautiful, haunting effect, like a smoky haze amid the trees. 

Tickets

Our tickets for Savior of the World arrived today in the mail. Our family is excited to see Dakota perform this Christmas Eve in Salt Lake City. It will be a beautiful holiday! 

A Light Snow

When I woke up this morning, I saw that a light skiff of snow had fallen over night. This was my street as I went to work this morning. 

Layers of trees in the freezing air. 

The Spokane River. 

A leaf with a frozen pool of water in the center.

A closer view of the water on a serviceberry leaf. 

By the afternoon, a light patchwork of snow remained on the ground. 

Scalp Dance

In my dream last night, I traveled back in time to witness a scalp dance, like the one depicted by Paul Kane in 1847 (see above). In my dream, a recently widowed woman wailed and danced in the center of a group of other women from the community. They all sang, danced, and cried together. As the intensity increased, several of the women swooned and fell to the ground. I never saw a scalp, but somehow I knew it was a scalp dance. In any case, the feeling in the air was charged with raw, visceral emotion.

Clearly, I witnessed something powerful, but I didn't understand my relationship to the event. I finally asked my dream guide, "Why are you showing me this?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he waved his hand, and the scalp dance faded away into nothing. More than a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye, and suddenly we were standing in the exact same location, but then we saw the site as it appears in the present day. Where once there was a field, pine trees grew in abundance. A dirt logging road passed over part of the old ceremony grounds, and several HUD houses stood within a half mile of the old dance site.

Based on the landmarks in my dream, I got the impression that the scalp dance occurred near the present-day location of Elijah Road on the Spokane Reservation. 

Painting

My daughter and I attended a painting class with Van Gogh and Merlot. We have attended these sessions before, but this was the first time in quite a while. Of course, we always have the chance to paint at home, but it was important for me to create a positive memory with my daughter. My kids are growing up, so I want to cherish these moments. 

I am thankful...

The college installed a board in the student lair that invites people to write a note of gratitude. The responses were varied and interesting. Some responses were religious and others comical. A few were quite poignant:

I am thankful for: 

God, the Savior.

That God woke me up from my 6 month coma. 

My eyes. 

Chocolate chip cookies. 

Opening my eyes each morning. 

Being Muslim. 

Being not addicted to crack. 

Jesus in my life. 

I did not die in Vietnam. 

As you read this post, what are you thankful for? 

Frost

Frost on leaves, but still no snow. 

Descent

As we approach the winter solstice, the sun falls lower in the sky with each passing day. The world is making its yearly descent into darkness and cold. 

Cold

Once the weather finally turned cold, the leaves began to drop from the trees in earnest. Normally, the changing of seasons from fall to winter sends me into a deep depression, but this year is different. For some reason, the cold air gave me a rush of happiness. I can't explain it.  

The Freezing Sun

The freezing sun hangs low in the sky when I leave work. 

The Color of Fire

A tree stands outside the Corbin Mansion with

leaves that reminded me of flames - the color of fire. 

Red Trees

Red trees at Spokane Community College. 

Sun

The sun broke through the clouds 

and made a brief appearance in the sky. 

Spokane

A view of downtown Spokane looking east. 

Indigenous Connection

The aboriginal tour is coming to an end. The group will visit the Spokane Indian Reservation tomorrow, and the following day, they will fly back to Australia. Sadly, their visit has been all too brief. This evening, we all shared a final meal together, and afterwards, a small group of us got together for some amazing conversation. We discussed indigenous culture and spirituality in our respective countries, and we found that the similarities are many. In the end, our common experiences created a deep sense of mutual appreciation, understanding, and connection. 

In this photograph: Peta, Barbara, and Dixie. 

Mobile Murals

This story is only a couple months late, but I finally got to see the Mobile Murals Project on Third and Division. I was driving to work, when I suddenly recognized a painting made by Todd and Cain Benson (above). Seems like their artwork has stopped me more than once. In any case, I really love public art, but I especially feel a connection to Todd and Cain. 

A city...

A horse with an American flag design.

"Beasts of the Wild"

The Funeral

The community gathered recently on the Kalispel Indian Reservation to remember the life of my auntie Libby. It was a service made beautiful by traditional clothing, singing, and prayers. Many of the women wore wing dresses and colorful head scarves, while the men wore ribbon shirts. A chorus of Salish speakers sang the old Indian hymns - just as I remember from my childhood - and elders delivered prayers in the Kalispel language. The sadness was real, but the love was also real. I can't imagine a better way for my aunt to begin her journey to the other side. 

A temporary marker on Libby's grave. 

Flowers.

The cemetery. 

A view of the Pend Oreille River on our return drive. 

More scenery from the drive home...

All Souls Day

When I woke up this morning, I was happy to see the sun shining in a clear blue sky, a surprising change from the gray, overcast days we recently experienced. I awoke with an awareness of All Souls Day and a thinning of the veil between worlds. The older I get, the more I see the turning of seasons in life - the birth of children followed by the passing of elders. Life is a circle, and if we see with the eyes of our hearts, heaven and earth come together and everything stands as one. 

When I saw the beautiful weather, I was kicking myself for not having my camera nearby. Fortunately, my friend Shelly Boyd got the picture I missed. This photo credit goes to Shelly.