​The history of the grounds of a church and school site previously known as the Navajo Gospel Mission runs deep. From its origins as the home of Navajo families living traditionally in hogans, to its fifty years as a Baptist missionary-run boarding school, to its current presence in the Hard Rock, AZ community as a church and gathering place - its story is one that reflects the complexities of the twentieth and twenty-first century Indigenous experience.

The deep history which permeates the walls of the nearly one-hundred year-old structures at the Navajo Gospel Mission is written on the faces of the Navajo elders and students depicted in photos that line the halls of each building. And just as these photographs have weathered and aged, so too have the buildings that house them. Leaky roofs and faulty shingles have recently threatened the integrity of several on-site buildings, prompting the site’s Diné caretakers to request the support of the Tipi Raisers and our volunteers with repairs as part of our March 12-17 Service Trip to the Hopi and Navajo Nations.​

Our volunteer crew, who were also lodging at the site and sharing cross-cultural connection and community meals under the roof of the main building, worked last week on the roofs of the three buildings in most need of repairs. After several days of removing aging shingles and exposed nails, installing new shingles and roll-roofing, and sealing up leaky areas, the three buildings are now prepared to more effectively withstand rain and wind for years to come. This project would not have been possible without the beautiful partnership that took place between local Diné friends who steward the site, skilled volunteers from Colorado, Texas, Pine Ridge and New Jersey who offered their expertise and heart work, and generous supporters from around the world whose contributions empowered us to obtain the materials needed to secure each roof. We remain committed to working with the stewards of this site to continue to restore these historic buildings.

For the Hopi People, corn is not just a staple food - it is the very bedrock of their culture, their spirituality, their lives.​

Tradition dating back millennia maintains that the Guardian Spirit Màasaw gave each of the different Hopi clans a water gourd, a bag of corn kernels, a planting stick, and an ear of Blue Corn. It is through these gifts that Hopi culture - and the farming of the corn which sustains it -  flourishes to the present day.

Corn in its various forms plays an integral role in Hopi ceremonies. It is present at the birth of a Hopi child and is prepared ahead of every Hopi wedding - and its varied colors each represent one of the sacred directions. It is also the key feature of many Hopi traditional foods, including mutton stew and the blue cornmeal-based bread called Piki.

The techniques used to grow Hopi corn are sophisticated, formed in symbiotic relationship with the land over the course of thousands of years. Dry-farming is the preferred method: corn of red, blue, white, gray and yellow varieties thrives even in desert soil as rain and snowmelt naturally dampen the earth in the valleys beneath the Mesas, the traditional dwelling place of many Hopi. Dry farmers employ traditional knowledge encompassing disciplines such as engineering, hydrology, and agronomy to work in concert with the land and ensure a harvest capable of sustaining their communities physically and spiritually.

One such farmer is Clark Tenakhongva, a Hopi community leader with whom the Tipi Raisers have worked during recent service trips to the Hopi Reservation. Clark, a member of the Rabbit-Tobacco clan, grows several varieties of heirloom beans and corn on his farmland beneath the First and Second Mesas. See this Inside Climate News article in which Clark was featured in November 2022!

While last year’s harvest proved fruitful amidst an unusually wet monsoon season, Clark and other Hopi farmers have expressed heartache at the increased frequency of empty harvests since the onset of drought in the early 2000s. The drought continues to affect crop yield and, in turn, the Hopi way of life - Clark has likened an unsuccessful harvest to the loss of a child.
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Though environmental challenges and ongoing climate change have transformed the reality of farming in the Mesa Valleys, Clark and others continue to nurture their fields and provide their families and communities with the corn that is so critical to their traditional lifeways. 

In the Hopi Way - which is marked by a distinctly matrilineal societal structure - corn is owned by the woman of the house. Clark’s wife Ann thus owns and manages the family’s supply of corn, seeing to its drying and preservation at the end of each harvest. At the end of last month, Colorado volunteers Gary and Jim, tribal members from Pine Ridge, and a crew of other volunteers dubbed “the Jersey Boys” constructed a roof for the shed that houses Ann’s corn.

Working into the evening even amidst cold temperatures, the Jersey Boys and their crew made sure they didn’t leave Arizona without completing the roof! We are so grateful for their efforts, which will help ensure that the heirloom corn grown by Clark and preserved by Ann can stay dry and be used in traditional foods and ceremonies.

Gratitude to Clark and Ann Tenakhongva for sharing their knowledge and wisdom about corn and so much more with us during our visits to their community!

Additional resources on this topic listed below.

Resource Links​

On the Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Corn to the Hopi:

“People of the Corn: Teachings in Hopi Traditional Agriculture, Spirituality, and Sustainability” by Dennis Wall and Virgil Masayesva: 
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4138926

“The Heart of the Hopi” from American Indian Magazine: 
https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/heart-hopi

On Hopi Dry-Farming Practices and the Ongoing Southwest Drought:

“The Resiliency of Hopi Agriculture: 2000 Years of Planting” from the Arizona State Museum: 
https://youtu.be/28gAFESNGMU

“Corn Nourishes the Hopi Identity, but Climate-Driven Drought Is Stressing the Tribe’s Foods and Traditions,” an article from Inside Climate News featuring Clark Tenakhongva and his dry-farming methods:
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27112022/corn-nourishes-the-hopi-identity-but-climate-driven-drought-is-stressing-the-tribes-foods-and-traditions/?fbclid=IwAR2ht66xo4z2XBf8eNgcdWsz_YEg9qoZ8aMQGvQApdRd_clFuKtnfLZTwn4
“'Everything depends on the corn': As crops wither, the Hopi fear for their way of life” from AZ Central: 
https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2020/11/30/hopi-tribe-withering-corn-crops-show-impact-climate-change/5931561002/

Hopi Recipes Featuring Corn:

From Hopi Studio, a Hopi Food Blog: https://hopistudio.com/hopi-recipes

Resource for Teachers:
A Multidisciplinary lesson plan on Hopi farming and traditional lifeways, suitable for grades 5-12: 
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/upload/TwHP-Lessons_156awatovi.pdf

​A Colorado governor’s territorial decree led to the massacre of over 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho elders, women, and children in 1864. In 2022, efforts to remove his name from one of Colorado’s most famous peaks are sweeping the state.

In late July, Pope Francis met with government and tribal leaders in Canada to apologize for the role of members of the Catholic Church in the abuse committed against Indigenous children within the Canadian residential school system. ​

Amongst those gathered near Edmonton to hear the Pope’s words were residential school survivors, representing some of the over 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children who were taken from their homes between the late 18th century and the 1970s and placed into assimilationist government and church-run schools. Severe abuse was rampant in the schools, as were policies deliberately aimed at wiping out Indigenous languages and traditional ways.

Reactions to the apology amongst Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors were mixed: While some described the apology as an important and necessary step in the healing journey for survivors of residential school abuse, others noted the absence of concrete steps being taken by the Catholic Church to unseal documents related to this history and to invest in forming relationships with Native communities in Canada.

Many also emphasized the failure of the papal apology to specifically name the Catholic Church as a perpetrator of residential school abuse and criticized the Pontiff for not taking the opportunity to revoke the Doctrine of Discovery, a concept established by the Catholic Church shortly after Columbus’ arrival to the Western hemisphere that was subsequently used to justify the widespread seizure of Indigenous lands. 

The Doctrine, born out of several papal bulls issued by Pope Alexander VI in the late 15th century, is a legal principle under which European conquerors claimed a right to annex land on the basis of discovery. The principle was even applied to the “discovery” of territories already inhabited by other nations - so long as the inhabitants were not Christian. Within a few years of the Doctrine’s establishment and the arrival of Europeans to the Western Hemisphere, 50% of the Native population of the Americas had died due to violence and disease. And in the five centuries since, Indigenous peoples have been subject to ongoing loss of land and culture stemming from the legal invocation of the Doctrine of Discovery across their traditional territories.

In addition to its role in a staggering loss of Indigenous lands, what the Doctrine did more indirectly was to feed into a grim narrative that conquerors - not the original peoples of a given land - somehow have a monopoly on culture, civilization and the authority to govern. As the Doctrine of Discovery was compounded by continued imperialism over Native peoples in the Americas, this mode of conceptualizing and actualizing the new society that began to take shape in the Western Hemisphere created an environment in which Native cultural lifeways and traditions were devalued in favor of European ideals - setting the gruesome stage for the establishment of residential schools and the suffering inflicted on the Indigenous children forced to attend them.

Several Christian denominations have formally denounced the Doctrine of Discovery in recent years, and in the wake of Pope Francis’ visit to Canada, Indigenous leaders are calling on the Pope to officially rescind the Doctrine himself. Activists are hoping that deeper efforts towards justice for residential school survivors on behalf of the Catholic Church will continue to take shape.​

Additional resources on this topic listed below.

A few weeks ago, riders, speakers, visitors and families from Pine Ridge, Wind River, Dine/Navajo, Arapaho, Shoshone, Florida, Houston, Puerto Rico and Denver gathered for four days in Sedalia, CO.  A camp was set up, riders on horseback rode in each day from the four directions and lessons were learned . . . . . as they always are when we come together in this way.

Lesson #1: We all are better when there is diversity in our camp/gatherings/communities – diverse in ages, genders, backgrounds, races, cultural and religious traditions.

Lesson #2: There is wisdom from all directions. No one owns the Sacred. Possesses the feather. The drumbeat. The horse. Indigenous wisdom is rooted in lessons from elders (and youth) from tribes, clans, traditions, religions, and cultures from all over the world. We are stronger as a human species when wisdom, traditions and culture from all directions is shared, welcomed and embraced.

Lesson #4: Iktomi (the spider), the Coyote and the Trickster are often present in camp amidst these sorts of gatherings. They usually make an appearance and often times interact with those already teetering on the edge. The dance with the Trickster is one of opportunity, but also danger.

Lesson #5: Trauma is also very often present in these sorts of camps and gatherings. Of course, it is -- given our shared history and humanity. Iktomi and coyote are drawn to those carrying the trauma most intensely and so, one need not look far to see, hear and feel the injury of the past gather around the fire.

Lesson #6: This is generational work: Alleviating poverty. Reconciliation. Indigenous wisdom. It’s complicated; the way forward riddled with mistrust, trauma, pain and complexity.  It requires careful thought, intention, persistence and resilience.

Lesson #7: True reconciliation of harm done requires careful, deliberate and persistent effort. And the ability to forgive . . . . Basil Brave Heart teaches us that forgiveness is only possible by looking at the Divinity within. It's also true that efforts to help cannot be fueled by guilt, pity or a "feeling sorry for."

And so, we live in daily gratitude for those who walk and ride with us.  Who travel, stay and visit with us at these sorts of gatherings. And for those who have supported this work for so many years.

Wopila.
Dave

When jingle dress dancer Rhyia JoyHeart stepped into our camp in her handmade regalia on the final evening of the Indigenous Wisdom Summit & Four Directions Ride, a look of admiration and awe spread across the faces of the two young Native girls seated nearby. 

Rhyia, a proud Eastern Shoshone & Northern Arapaho young woman, carries herself with a power and presence that demonstrates what it means to stand tall in one’s heritage. As she entered the circle, she spoke of the history of her people and the legacy of her family: “We as Native People introduce not only ourselves and our tribe, but also our relatives, because it’s important to know who you come from and where you come from,” she stated as the silver cones of her dress rang out their gentle song into the wind.

Rhyia also shared the deeply sacred teachings surrounding the Jingle Dress Dance, a healing dance with Ojibwe origins that she began to study after suffering a family loss. Before dancing the Jingle Dress Dance for Summit & Ride attendees, she expressed her desire for the dance to be healing for those present in the circle, for Indigenous communities, and for the world: 
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“We dance for the people.” - Rhyia JoyHeart

Hohóu and aishen to Rhyia for the knowledge, grace, and sacred dancing she brings to our circle each time she joins us!

Day 3 of the Indigenous Wisdom Summit & Four Directions Ride was marked by smooth afternoon horseback rides, cross-cultural community building, and an enlightening evening presentation by Navajo wellness educator Darryl Slim.

Darryl - a soft-spoken and deeply spiritual Diné man who is almost never found without a peaceful smile across his face, two neat braids running down his back and a floral hairband that honors the traditional dress of Navajo women - entered our camp carrying an aura of gentleness that was immediately palpable. As teachings around mindfulness stemming from the traditional upbringing he received from his grandparents poured forth into our circle, one could feel the laser-focus with which each attendee was attuned to his words. He taught of the interconnectedness of plants, animals, humans, air and water and the need to tend to each element of life. Throughout the presentation, he encouraged participants to pay attention to the silent stillness “beneath the sound.".

When we tend to the elements of life, he explained, we return to wholeness and thus begin to heal. This type of mindfulness, embodied in protection songs he sang in his Diné language, helps us to “...really get to know who you are really not.” Getting to know who we are really not then opens the way for us to tune into the silent stillness all around: “The more you get to know the silent, the more you get to know yourself.” In this way, we may more fully come into who we truly are and may connect with all things, making our own unique mark on the world in harmony with all other beings. As Darryl’s grandfather taught him, “Everyone should sprout up like a flower, and have their own pollen.”

A'he'hee to Darryl for the sacred teachings he shares and the wonderful presence he brings to each Tipi Raisers event he travels to! We are immensely grateful.

​This is part two of a four-part email series reflecting on each day of the Indigenous Wisdom Summit & Four Directions Ride, which took place from July 16th-19th in Colorado. The series will continue to unfold over the coming weeks. Check out our reflections from Day 1 HERE and stay tuned for more!

After the arrival of our Four Directions Riders and an honoring ceremony for several Tipi Raisers community members on Day 2 of the Indigenous Wisdom Summit & Four Directions Ride, Joseph Medicine Robe (Lakota) engaged attendees with flute & drum performances and a powerful talk centered on Indigenous spirituality.​

“Come to the center.” Joseph invited the group to ponder this phrase as he began to share Lakota prayer songs and teachings. “Come to the center of your family, of your community. Come to the center of Turtle Island and the Galaxy.” As the sound of the flute and, later, the beat of Joseph’s drum echoed through the trees that shaded us, one could begin to imagine the days when Spirit, land, animal and human were so connected that they seemed to be synchronized to the same heartbeat.

While it may often feel out of reach amidst the challenges of modern life, that connection, Joseph teaches, can be tapped into through prayer. He explained that the Lakota word Wocekiya, often translated simply as “prayer,” can more accurately be interpreted as “establishing the Sacred Connection.” When we engage in Wocekiya, when we come to our center, the center of an emotion, the center of all things, we establish the ever-present Sacred Connection from which the world often distracts us. In this way, he expressed through a prayer song, we can show up with compassion and respect for all nations and all things. “How powerful it would be if we saw the sacred in one another.” - Joseph Medicine Robe

Wopila to Joseph for sharing such transformative teachings with us at the Indigenous Wisdom Summit & Four Directions Ride and for his willingness to sing and drum for our horses, riders, and attendees throughout the event! And thank you to Marty Chase Alone for sharing your prayers and your presence with our group!

The first day of the Indigenous Wisdom Summit & Four Directions Ride took us to the Black Hills by way of a virtual experience at the Fiske Planetarium in Boulder, CO. As we gazed up at the galaxy from our seats, this journey across the stars took us to Mato Tipila (the Bear’s Lodge/Bear Butte), the site of the most sacred of ceremonies for the Lakota people - the Sundance. And for thousands of years, long before colonization and the arrival of the Gregorian calendar, the Lakota tribe has made its way across the Black Hills to Bear Butte at just the right time of year to engage in this sacred rite. The ceremony was timed according to the movement of the stars, with the tribe’s Star Keepers carefully studying the path of the Sacred Hoop collection of constellations - a celestial mirror that forms the shape of the Black Hills themselves and the geographic features therewithin.

​The amazement and awe in the eyes of the Lakota elders in attendance - fluent speakers of their language who have known of these deeply spiritual teachings their whole lives, and who were seeing their spirituality affirmed by astronomical science demonstrated on the dome above them - is an image that will stay with us for a long time.

It was an honor to learn of this Lakota Star Knowledge from Dr. John Stocke and the Lakota researchers he cited, including Charlotte Black Elk. Our deepest gratitude to Dr. Stocke and the Fiske Planetarium for generously hosting us at their facility and for sharing such sacred knowledge!