Melanistic Magazine - Vol. 11

WHEN GRANDFATHERS SPEAK: A WAY OF LIFE

AT STANDING BEAR COMMUNITY

Written and photographed by: NiLo

The air we breathe, the stones on the ground and the water that run through us, have all been part of this planet for ages before us. It’s with this knowledge that Bill Standing Bear encourages you to leave all of your problems with the Grandfathers because in all of their time, there is nothing they have not heard. The flaps to the sweat lodge close and everyone is encased in darkness with only the red glow of the pre-heated rocks (The Grandfathers). The drumming starts as the heat and steam hit your face. On this occasion, Standing Bear calls for water, we drum and thank the grandmothers, some people sing and some wait, some rattle and others cry, others do all.

“some people sing and some wait, some rattle and others cry, others do all.”

The community of women give tips, “cover your head or lay down if you’re too hot since the earth is much cooler, tell us if you need the doors open.” Everyone is supportive and encouraging as they add fragrant resins to the HOT rocks being shoveled into the lodge by the men of the group. Bill’s voice echoes through the darkness and reminds us that many of these practices were illegal in Canada as recently as 1978. He tells us about how culture was lost, how it was shared and rebuilt and the realization dawns that this is the heart of oral tradition; giving history and its lessons to those who need it.

The break between steam rounds is almost surreal with each round being longer and hotter than the last. The final emergence from the lodge is relieving and everyone partakes in a potluck of food brought by the community. Bill is clear that he is not more knowledgeable and sacred than the grass and the trees around us and that all of our healing is in our hands. Bill became a spiritual leader to over 27 tribes by the time he was 42, and as an elder, he has traversed 140 of 160 lessons through ceremony. The community that he has built is cooperative, supportive and dedicated to uniting under all four corners of the world. The collective message of healing, restoration and community building, we hope to carry forward as we honor those who have walked before us.