Transcript Reconnection Journey Through the Tree Rings

Reconnection Journey
Through the Tree Rings
By Cindy Martin
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
1
Vision
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To strengthen your personal fire by promoting
three components of cultural significance
based upon teachings of the Great Law of
Peace and it’s principles of peace, strength and
righteousness – a good mind.
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Copyright November 2006
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Purpose
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In a Haudenosaunee health model cultural beliefs and
practices are promoted as a way of life.
This resource is designed to help the individual have
a visual pathway to reconnect to the culture and
develop one’s potential one layer at a time.
The individual chooses their pathway toward selflearning starting at the core while balancing their own
well-being; mentally, physically, spiritually and
emotionally.
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
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Values
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Whether we live our lives following a faith of
Traditional or Christian teachings, our beliefs
help guide our lives to be the person we
choose to be.
Atheists may want to live a good life, be a
good person with a happy family
Personal values influence the core of our being
and our emotions reflect what matters to us.
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Copyright November 2006
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The Core
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The body’s core is the
energy or fire within the
heart that fuels
motivation to
accomplish goals and
project emotional
expressions.
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Our Emotions
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Calm / Content
Happiness / Joy
Caring / Love
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Anger
Sadness
Fear
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Our Natural Response
Our emotions have various
levels of intensity.
They act like warning lights to
the body when something
negative or positive happens
to the body, mind or spirit.
We need to release our
emotions as our body
naturally responds or we
will struggle to suppress the
emotions held inside
ourselves.
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Copyright November 2006
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Traditional Wellness
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Body
Mind
Spirit
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Emotion = Energy / Fire
Suppressing our emotions,
may result in developing a
block, weakness, illness or
a sense of restlessness in
one of these three areas of
self.
Self-Nurturing and other
healing practices are
available to help with
individual recovery.
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Copyright November 2006
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Self Nurturing
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Self nurturing will
enable growth to help
fulfill one’s potential.
Balancing all aspects of
our lives takes time to
do what we need to
rejuvenate our energy.
Examples are:
 Learning to meet our
mental needs
 Exercising to meet our
physical needs
 Praying to meet our
spiritual needs
 Releasing our emotions
to balance our
emotional energy
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Copyright November 2006
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Self Nurturing & Relaxation
Techniques
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To connect with the Earth:
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Plant a garden
Sit on the grass
Play in the sand
Pottery making
Walking amongst the trees
Carving wood or stone
Picking wild foods
Leather work
Painting
Making cornhusk dolls
Sit by a camp fire
Giving Our Thanks
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Self Nurturing & Relaxation
Techniques
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To connect to the air:
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Listen to music
Listen to stories
Sing songs
Watching the stars
Watching the sunrise or
sunset
Listening to nature
Facing the breeze/ wind
Giving Our Thanks
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Copyright November 2006
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Self Nurturing & Relaxation
Techniques
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To connect to the water:
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Canoeing
Fishing
Sitting by moving water
Giving Our Thanks
Cedar baths
Swimming
Drinking water
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Copyright November 2006
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Gratefulness
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Acknowledge all that is provided for life to exist, by
giving our thanks
Utilize nature’s resources for only what is needed
Conserve as much as possible to help nature replenish
itself
Remember all life is interdependent on the healthy
balance of water, air, soil and sunlight.
The Mother Earth’s natural system have a continual
presence and should not be taken for granted nor
abused.
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
13
Life Experiences
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The Creator offers the spirits, the gift of life.
Traditional Knowledge Carriers believe that you
choose your parents. Before your birth, your destiny
is discussed with you. The Creator places your gifts
in a sac, called the placenta. You are then born with
your gifts to help you through life experiences.
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Copyright November 2006
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Learning from Our Experiences
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Ever wonder why
something happened?
Ever wonder why me?
We may seek out the
meaning, the lesson or
the message by
beginning to ask
questions and reflect.
In our moment of personal
reflection we take the
time to go through our
emotions and thoughts.
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important to utilize selfnurturing techniques to
cope through our
experiences and believe
in our resiliency.
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Copyright November 2006
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Determining Our Path
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Our traditional way of
making decisions is thinking
how your decision or action
will impact others.
Good intentions and respect
for self, family, clan,
community, Nation and the
Confederacy have positive
outcomes when carried forth
if it is meant to be.
Consistent positive
characteristics can
strengthen your resiliency to
life’s experiences.
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Hope
Faith
Positive thoughts
Perseverance
Compassion
Acceptance
Courage
Encouragement
Patience
Sharing
Understanding
Fairness
Forgiving
Unconditional Love
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Copyright November 2006
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Self Awareness
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What is your identity?
What are your values?
What can you do to help
yourself?
What assistance do you
need?
What are you seeking?
Who can help you?
What is your commitment to
yourself?
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Taking care of yourself can
only be by done by you.
Help comes when you
accept it.
Lifestyle changes continue
as a way of life.
Identify what gives you
strength
Resiliency is the ability to
recover from a time of
shock or depression.
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Copyright November 2006
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Coming into Focus
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What has happened?
What are your
behaviors?
What is your
responsibility?
What do you want to
accomplish?
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You carry the strength
of your ancestors into
the hearts of the future.
Sometimes it may feel
that you have no control
of your destiny. But
your free-will is your
power to rise above the
negative experiences,
find happiness and live
to your potential.
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
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The Tree Branch
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Our people utilize a tree branch to seek water
to dig their wells. Individuals would hang
onto the two branches as handles. The third
branch led them to the source of water.
With this in mind, the alignment of The
Reconnection Journey through the Tree Rings
Wheel can lead an individual to the source of
knowledge.
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Copyright November 2006
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Three Cultural Components
Caring /
Love
Sadness
Water
Beans
Strawberry
Moon
Our Grandmother
Happiness Anger
Calm
Body
Fear
Spirit
Soul
Mother
Earth
Squash
Air
Corn
Tobacco
Sun
Our older brother
White Pine
Stars
Our relations
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
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Three Cultural Components
Turtle
Eel
Beaver
Clan / Family
Past
Birth
Natural
World
Bear
Deer
Wolf
Nation
Present
Life
Spiritual
World
Hawk
Snipe
Heron
Community
Future
Death
Celestial
World
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
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Three Cultural Components
Traditional
Knowledge
Carriers
Reconnect
Care
Communicate
Growth
Language
Medicine
People
Heal
Nurture
Conduct
Change
Medicines
Seer
Unburden
Mentor
Cooperate
Responsibility
Fulfillment
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
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Three Cultural Components
Clan
Mothers
Cleansing
Happiness
Peace
Water
Wampum
Four
Beings
Faith
Keepers
Healing
Health
Strength
White
Leather
Tether
Hadui and
the
Medicine
Helpers
Chiefs
Protection Ceremonies
Good
Mind
Eagle’s
Down
Feather
Offering
of Good
Words
Creator
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
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Other Resources
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From the Library of Yvonne & Jake Thomas, April 26 1990 #9015; Eastern Woodland
Indians, League of the Iroquois Clans, Names and Relationships, Medicine Societies, Dreams
and Visions, Chiefs and the Longhouse, The Problem of Conservatism, Rivers and Man,
Sacred Numbers Among the Iroquois, Selected Quotes from Aboriginal Language Literature,
Individual Six Nations History and the Tree of Peace. For more information write to;
Sandpiper Press, c/o the Jake Thomas Learning Centre, R.R. #1, Wilsonville, ON N0E 1Z0
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To Become a Human Being - The Message of Tadodaho Chief, Leon Shenandoah
Stepping Stones Publications
Copyright November 2006
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