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Report May 8, 2004:
The morning of May 8 started with
a lighting of a sacred fire at sunrise. Four people faced
four directions and offered tobacco, cedar, sage, and sweetgrass
and prayed before the fire was lit. The fire heated up 24
lava rocks for a ceremonial sweatlodge. These rocks were brought
from Mount Shasta by the hosts, owners of Sanctuary Retreat
near Golden, BC.
The retreat is also a working
buffalo ranch which is surrounded by forest, meadows, creeks,
and mountains. The location was perfect and all participants
appreciated the beauty and sacredness of Mother Earth. The
sweat was a wonderful experience which prepared the people
for this special day of prayer and reverence. The fire was
kept burning throughout the day and tobacco offerings were
made to the fire.
At Lake Louise there was a few
people who gathered at sunrise to pray for the purpose of
this day.
They were joined by the group
who traveled from Golden when the sweat as done. At noon there
about 40 people who made a prayer circle. To observe traditional
protocol the Siksika Elders began the ceremony with smudging
and prayers. Lake Louise is within the traditional homelands
of the Siksika and the Stoney First Nations of southern Alberta.
People shared their special prayer
songs which were sung with hand drums. At the beginning of
the ceremony the weather was overcast and when the people
gathered in a circle there was sunshine for the duration of
the Noon ceremony. When the ceremony was done it started to
rain and this was taken as a blessing to the people.
Through the fulfillment of this
gathering Lake Louise is a sacred site in the minds of the
people despite the close proximity of the hotel and other
tourist facilities. Overall there was a strong sense of purpose
and unity as people gather to pray together for Mother Earth.
In the evening back at the retreat
in Golden there was a ceremonial feast to conclude the day
and people shared their experiences and convictions. The people
who started the day at Lake Louise remained there until sunset
and they had concluding songs and prayers there as well.
The Strongheart Institute of
Traditional Knowledge prepared a Draft Declaration but due
to the short timeframe this has not been ratified by the First
Nations so it could not be released. The draft is as follows;
DRAFT
The Lake Louise Indigenous Declaration
As the original Peoples of Turtle Island, we affirm
that the Creator placed us here as the Indigenous Peoples
of North America to live under the Natural Laws of the
Creator. These are great laws which instructs us to
live in harmony with nature and with all of Humanity.
We still exercise and maintain our inherent ancestral
rights to culture, to the pursuit of knowledge, and
to spiritual expression which is based on respecting
the sanctity of our Mother Earth and the natural elements
of the universe.
The ancient knowledge of this land flows through
our veins for we carry the truth of this beautiful land
in our hearts.
Mother Earth as a sacred provider of life is a
gift from the Creator to perpetuate harmonious existence
for all forms of life and it is the responsibility of
all people to protect the natural environment in particular
the purity of water for future generations.
We agreed to share our traditional homelands for
the survival of other Nations on the principle of peaceful
co-existence according to the sacred Treaties.
We, as First Nations spiritual leaders respectfully
request the Federal Government of Canada to consider
our traditional and spiritual needs of our people to
have access to the National Parks to conduct healing
ceremonies, gather herbal medicines, and to pay homage
at sacred sites. This is requested on the principle
of fairness and Indigenous/First Nations rights to spiritual
expression on protected areas. We affirm our legacy
as caretakers of the land and request that the application
of traditional knowledge be recognized through the involvement
of our Elders and First Nation experts in the development
and management strategies of protected areas.
It is within this context and in conjunction of
this special prayer day at sacred sites throughout North
America that we call for the recognition of Lake Louise
as a sacred site according to the ancestral understanding,
traditional belief systems, Indigenous world view of
First Nations peoples.
Declared on this day, May 8, 2004 at Lake Louise,
Alberta, Canada.
It's considered important to share this draft with
the organizers of the Medicine Wheel 19 plus 1 +20 Gathering.
Submitted by Alvin Manitopyes, Ambassador, Lake
Louise Gathering. |
What was planned for the May 8 ,
2004 Lake Louise Gathering
Sunrise Ceremony:
Sanctuary Retreat, Golden, BC
On Friday afternoon of May 7 the construction of the sweatlodge
will occur and camping will be made available. At sunrise
there will be a lighting of a sacred fire which will also
heat the rocks for a Cree sweatlodge ceremony. Prayers will
be spoken and prayer songs sung for the purpose of this
special day and offerings will be blessed. The fire will
be kept burning for the duration of the day and people will
keep prayer vigil over this fire. Participants
will then travel as a pilgrimage to Lake Louise to meet
with other people for another ceremony.
Noon Ceremony: At Lake Louise:
A gathering with prayers, the offering of the offerings,
followed by a celebration of singing and drumming. A First
Nations declaration designating Lake Louise as a sacred
site will be proclaimed. It is expected that others will
join the group from Calgary and other locations.
Notes about the Lake Louise Ceremony,
We will gather on a ridge to the west of the
hotel. There is a path which forks off to the right
to the ridge and there is an open area there. Parks Canada
has advised that there is a problem with bears and people
should not go up there alone in the middle of the night.
We are not to leave any food up there and all garbage has
to be carried out. Cloth offerings which will hang on trees
is fine as long it is out of sight.
Also: The hotel at Lake Louise declined
our request to hold the gathering on their front lawn. And
since we are not lighting a fire nor setting up a tipi and
camping over night we do not require a permit.
4:00 PM: Feasting Potluck Ceremony at
Sanctuary Retreat, Golden, BC. Evening celebration
of drumming and singing will conclude the day.
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