Life Ways that protect Food Sovereignty is a Birth Right.

When I talk of food sovereignty...and the rights of Mother Earth, all Peoples, and All Life...I always mention being in Guatemala in 1969 and what the resistance looked like then...it was understood by both the People and the Governor and Government of Guatemala City that there was in fact a "war" going on between those who were Indigenous to the land and the Colonized mind of progress and consumption that was and still is, ravaging the Life Ways of the People across the planet. My friends and I were asked to give a lift to some friends that needed to return to the city. We traveled unpaved mountain roads for many miles, until a few people came into our headlights. All bounded into our vehicle happily - guns and all. Me...? well there was not anything I could do except, accept that this was reality, and life and death became the sweet inhale and exhale of every breath. Later in the week, our friends invited us to go with them to the Governors Mansion Ball. 

I asked why they were going to the Ball. They explained that everyone knew who everyone was, and if the Governor was going to serve up a fiesta on the backs of the People, at the expense of the Mother and her People's Life Ways and "resources"...they were going, and they were going to sing, dance, pray and enjoy themselves. After all, if they are going to put on a big fiesta, while many People go hungry because they were removed from their homelands, it was their Right to be there. I said "well in the USA we are not allowed to go, we have to be invited and pay a lot of money to get to go, and if we do go we risk getting arrested." But they already knew that, and I knew why they were fighting as they did...because they felt alone, no one hearing them, if they were at their last stand, they would die for the Mother...and so they tried to fight might with might. Even at my virgin age, I knew the oppressive nature of the US and Corporate worldview, that had imprisoned my father for his refusal to be complicit in the government-corporate genocidal wars. My Guatemalan friends smiled, and told me that the Governments and Corporations do not own anything, they do not own Mother Earth, no matter how many contracts they sign without the People's consent, and they most certainly do not own the People.

I understood then what I understand now, one day the awakening will come to the colonized world, that we can not live without harmonious relation with our Mother Earth and each other. In the fall of 2011 a military copter hovered over the field of corn I was planting in the beautiful foothills of Northern New Mexico. I looked up into the cockpit of the copter as it's blade-wind blew all around me, at the two soldiers looking back at me, and then turned again to my planting. I knew that the awakening was no longer a vision somewhere distant upon the horizon....

There was a time growing up that the food that was collectively planted and wild-crafted in our village, or by collective families, was enough to sustain us from one harvest until the next harvest. It was understood what our collective gifts from the Mother were: water, field crops, mountain wild foods, wild game, and preservation practices...and these were all shared equally amongst us. All this, is still active knowledge in our community...yet, there are more mouths than what we currently produce agriculturally...in other words there are fewer people actively producing and gathering foods, than the number of mouths to feed.

So what happens when the con-ag truck does not come? We have a choice today in how we will choose to collaborate with each other. Life Ways that protect Food Sovereignty is a Birth Right. Idle No More!

Secretary Salazar visits Taos: Rio Grande del Norte Proposal to Become a Historical Preservation Site

I look out upon the fresh new snow, grateful for what moisture in any form tungashila blesses us with. I am contemplating what I heard or read about today. A morning prayer ceremony for our youth who are troubled and/or have taken their lives at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge... and then the Sec. of Interior Ken Salazar, Congressman Ben Lujan, et. all presentation, which included hearing from Taos Pueblo Governor Laureano Romero and Lt. Governor Gilbert Suazo Sr. and all our villages about the proposal to make the Rio Grande del Norte a historical preservation site....Secretary Salazar began the presentation with a comment about how proud he is about gas and oil development in New Mexico. He ended the presentation with a statement "Let me make this understood, this designation will in no way infringe upon or take away grazing rights, right to fire wood, plants or fish and game. It will not take away your right to live as you have been." Hmmm, I should be happy right? I should put my skepticism away right? Was everyone in favor of the designation? Yes. Have I read the designation? No. Do I trust Roberta Salazar of Rivers and Birds when she says this is a good thing? Yes.
Yet I still muse....

I asked Ben Ray Lujan how this would help protect our Rights, when Harper is in the process of breaking Indigenous Treaty Rights, and the US Government has no better record...he said he did not know what was happening in Canada, but would certainly look into it, and was in support of Indigenous Rights.

The questions that went un-answered that many of us had:

"Will this designation help us heal our youth, preserve our language, Life Ways, and Cultures...our Right to Live with our Mother as we have for thousands of years? Our Right to clean Water, Earth and Air?...Our Right to have the heavy metal contaminated Red River (that flows into the Rio Grande) super fund site in Questa cleaned up? Our Right NOT to have our skies taken over by the military for tactical war training & re-fueling by air contamination? Our Right to have the nuclear waste at area G at LANL cleaned up, that for decades has been contaminating the Rio Grande and the Pueblo waters south of us? Our Right to have all Uranium mines closed? Will it protect us from the Oil boys fracking on the other side of the mountain, or stop the XL-Pipeline crossing the Oglala aquifer which are waters of life that interconnect the Comanche, Cheyenne, Lakota, Indio-Hispanic and all Peoples of this region?....Will this designation insure that the Cycle of Water is protected in the way it feeds our aquifers, and springs?" 

No, this is just a proposed "designation"...it is, and will continue to be, UP TO US, to protect our Waters of Life. Regardless if we get the designation of the Rio Grande del Norte as a historical preservation site...we la gente, have been and will continue to protect her. History and current events tell us, that despite treaties, "designations", laws, etc...our politicians have NOT protected our Life Ways, our Earth, Water and Air...and in fact abused the element of Fire.

So, I am thinking about the call to the One Humanity that has agreed to this 2012 galactic party, even though my Elders told me 15-18 years ago that the date was irrelevant..."you are aware and conscious or you are not"...

So if you have agreed to show up for this global-galactic prayer...remember there are many that have been doing their best each day to maintain their Life Ways, the Ceremonies and Prayers for generations...and that we will retreat no more...the Prayer IS IN MOTION....we are Idle No More.....and it will take all of us, everyday, in whatever Ways we are called,  to do something for the greater good of All Life, for the generations to come.

I think that the most concerning thing I see is that our People's are not able to produce enough food, gather enough herbs, berries and nuts, ask for fish, deer, or elk, to sustain all the people who now live here locally. This is a fact, not fiction. Ultimately this 2012 "shift" is not only about "Being Love and Living Love and Light" it is about lifestyle changes. Food, Way of Life (language and culture) and mental health are also at the foundation of a healthy culture... Is it time for you to become dedicated to learning how to live with Mother Earth and Father Sky? Grandmother is building a Seed-Sanctuary for the preservation of our seed, organizations are implementing urban gardens, a local school built a green house, local and regional Curanderas are teaching as many as possible about good diet and healing herbs....yet there is much, much, more to be done. Please do not ever leave the preservation of the Water of Life to politics. And, if we do get this designation, let us use it to strengthen and unify about the aforementioned concerns in our region. ~ April Mondragon

A Heart Song to All My Relations

A Heart Song

to

All my Relations

 of the 

Heart of the West  

Heart of the East

Heart of the North

Heart of the South

All Around the Sacred Hoop of Life

 to the Beloved Heart of All Beings,

 to the Heart of Beloved Pachamama

to the Heart of 

Beloved Luna and Beloved Taawa

to the Beloved Heart of Cosmos

to Beloved Heart Within

In 2009

the 

Rainbow Arborealis, Spirit Fire

was Born

to melt the Hearts of Masculine

In 2012

The Rainbow Borealis Serpent Fire 

was Born

to restore 

the Creative Life Source

of the Feminine

Both now merged as

One

Grandmother's

Long Ride Home

healing generational trauma

in the Heart of the West

Grandmother's

Clarity of Mind

in the Heart of the East

ushering new beginnings

for generations to come

Mind, Heart, Body and Spirit

a world in balance

wanowa ka ta se

resilient

Spiritual Wisdom and Knowledge

Eternal Cosmic Law

A Heart Song

to 

All my relations

you are the Messengers

the Midwives 

Wisdom Keepers

Dream Keepers

Mother Earth and Father Sky's

Children

Now is our Time

the Dreamtime restored

Listen to the Living

Heart Song

Seed Our Traditions

Cultivate

Being

Practice

Generosity

Compassion

Speak Truth and Wisdom

Re-teach the Language of Beauty

to Every Being

Peace

Now is our Time

Collaborate

Celebrate

this Brings

Good Health and Strength

Prophecies fullfilling 

Now

Answered by

Living them

within

Love

© ~ April Mondragon

Winyon Woniya

My musings today only reflect that which has been taking place in the very recent past or at this moment. In writing, which becomes the past as soon as it is written, I can only convey and draw upon that which I am living.  It is for this reason that all Indigenous Peoples have Oral Traditions of which are shared while living them. This is why we consider the Oral Traditions as being living and the written, dead. This is not to say that one is better than the other. Both Life and Death have their purpose in Being. 

Being, is only accessible in the now. All matters of healing are accessible in any given moment, depending on the capacity one has to receive it. What each of us choose to do, think, feel, attach or detach from, heal, sing, be,  in the present moment is a choice one makes. This morning I chose to write this song, as my dreaming heart song wanted to speak to you with love. ~ BearSense

What do you think of Our Lady of Guadalupe?

Dear BearSense, 

What do you think of this FB Site? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guadalupanas-and-Guadalupanos-Unite-in-Prayer-to-Tear-Down-the-Wall/471200326236355

hmmm, can't answer your inquiry with a short answer....but if I did

I would ask why are they hanging onto a paradigm shaped by the last world?

Long answer:

http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/index.php?one=azt&two=god&id=519&typ=reg

in the Temezcal, even today we sing to Tonantzin, and we did this at a recent Gathering as well...another thoughtful comment http://www.xispas.com/archives/virgin/virgin.htm * with a short

exception that Quezalcoatl is not a "he"...lol

In considering how the "Church's worldview" has greatly influenced interpretations

of the wisdom and knowledge of Indigenous mind-heart and history, I would agree

that Our Lady indeed made a bridge between the Indigenous and Colonizers, 

in that she pledged that they would survive the genocide if they understood her role. 

I have said that the feminine went to great lengths to insure the survival of her

children, including but not limited to willingly adopting the dominant culture's religions, language, life ways ( patriarchal mind), and marrying or being sold into families with power and to lighten their skin. This in fact was in part what my mothers did in the attempt to insure the survival of our linage after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo. 

Larry M. said that "our ancestors knew that much would be smashed in the feminine and so kept hidden much knowledge and wisdom". If I were to write today about the appearance of Coatlaxopeuh I might suggest that she was giving the message about the destruction to Coatl (feminine/serpent/earth) that has come to pass and is being healed in at this very moment. I would also add the message that Hohongwitutiwa shared from Hopi

"no matter what happens or how much destruction you see or experience stay true to our Mother Earth (Tonantzin). Do not be afraid to die, she loves you, you are her children."...

We are children of the marriage between Earth and Sky.

There are many faces of the Feminine, yet each play a distinctive role in the life, death, rebirth process, healing arts, the art of dialogue (language) and the sciences. It is for this reason that the masculine goes to great lengths to protect, nourish and revere her. When he could not do so the loss was great for him in so many ways during the last world...and for many has left them still struggling

to understand their relationship with the feminine.

However the masculine I have recently come to know in the Condor half of the world are incredibly beautiful in their shift and open process

from patriarchal imprinted behavior/mind to one of balance with the feminine as they embody the depth of love, courage, gentle strength, willing generosity and necessary providing for her at this time. I think that some never really left their roots with Mother Earth. For others I found their willingness and relationship with the feminine within themselves, swift in shifting their fears, insecurities, anger, ego, and mis-placed blame to coming into balance with the haven of feminine love, compassion, and forgiveness. Many are also working tirelessly to

provide for women, and make venues available for them to do their work.

As in all things as the Grandmother's ask us to be the love that we are. If you go to my FB page there is a post by a woman who asked them (when she saw them in Nepal) : "what are we to do right now?" https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4715069070789&set=a.1130096968727.2020851.1116303179&type=1&theater

So what are you willing to let go of to stand in the light and love of who you are?

Much Love and Peace, 

BearSense

Earth Mother's Message to Her Children: Preparing for the Coming Fifth World

I shared a Hopi message: "Earth Mother's Message to Her Children: Preparing for the Coming Fifth World" at the Yarrabah elder's gathering in Australia. There was much discussion and questions due to it's nature. The instructions that came to me with the message as it was placed in my care were as follows: 
"Listen with your heart. There will be things they hear that will be contrary to anything they have heard or learned before. Therefore, if you share this message, please make yourself available for counsel to those that need help to process the information." 
Also, "This is to be shared freely only by those who are willing to take responsibility in it's care-taking, others should refer others to you to let you know who it is shared with. The Elder's who gave and taught this message do not want this to turn into money making schemes or to create fear by those without enough cultural knowledge to understand the message." 

I am now posting this blog, so that you, may contact me with a brief sentence stating your spiritual & cultural background and awareness and relationship with feminine knowledge. 
~ Woniya Winyan

Morningstar's Blessings

Morning Star dawns in the Rainforest....Wongali sings humans from night dreaming into the day dreamtime. I have spent many days listening, feeling, tasting, and touching both the heart love and the pain of the People's. I write this morning to my Relatives, keepers of the ancestral Morningstar traditions and original language. Deeply the prayers both spoken and unspoken are carried in the heart-mind connections of those that gathered recently to usher in the New Fire of the New Sun.

There is a collective pain crying to be healed among all the People's who gathered and continue to gather worldwide. The simple version is generational trauma, grief and loss of language, culture and Way of Life. This feeling of loss comes from the potent, genetic memories we all share of living in balance and harmony with all Life, as children made of Earth and Sky - love for this Way of Life. The comprehension of the loss  and it's vast and interwoven fabric that lay it's shadow upon the human heart is being unraveled and dispelled by the willingness to Be Love, fully and deeply, the Love of the Wakan and Divine that is and can never be extinguished, for this is how we are made. I only speak from my own knowing, and the little I have learned by the Elders that have generously shared their teachings, so that the People may Live. Dawahongva taught me: "do your best each day to live by the original instructions".

Nothing can be extinguished forever. In the dreaming, which for me is the dialogue, the communication the creationing with the Sentience of All Life, anything "lost" can be re-dreamed, re-membered. "Lost" is only the feeling of dis-connection from Source Love - Wakan Dream....ing. The Way of Life we all cherish and long for can only be rewoven, by living it....with Love during this transitional time into the 5th Sun.

So, my Kungangi Relatives, I carry you in my heart and send you strength and courage to teach your children all you know. Live the ceremonies, speak language that was passed to you....dream your Life Ways back into existence. All the money in the world will not take the place of living the Wakan Dream. We will do the best we know how each day....we have gathered shared and and affirmed our knowing of the inner and inter-connectedness with each other and All Life. We are our mothers Rainbow Serpent children.

Rainforest dawn
Wakan Wongali talks
Dancing with  Inipi stones
tones of wisdom from
her ancestral bones
Permissions and Blessings
from the original seeded Beings

Frangipani scented lotus
painting
the One Language
Beauty Way Alter
connecting heart of fire
to heart of womb
with the hearts
of Mother's Children

Water of Life
Earth of Life
Air of Life
Fire of Life
One Love
Dreamseeding
Creation

Pilamayalo, with gratitude to my Morning Star relations.....

Kungangi Rainforest

2012

Dream Flight

A twenty four plus hour journey to Australia began from the New Mexico Sunport in Albuquerque. Within the terminal is a crossroad, and at this juncture is a statue called: the Lincoln Fox Bronze Statue: Dream of Flight.

Our first morning sunrise. I am told by Indigenous Elder Riko, that this place we are, is where the heart, head and tail of the Serpent originate and end in it's never ending cycle of giving love, protection and care for the People's.

The core group of volunteers, which are the backbone of any ceremony or gathering of intention, have built huts made of bamboo and tarps. The Kitchen is over seen by Lavina who is love, grace and prayer in motion.  

International and regional Elders and Youth Leaders are coming in and getting settled into their huts.  Ceremony begins tomorrow. During the next 4 days we will also have Talking Circles to share our oral traditions, inter-generational dialogues and continue to make relationship agreements with each other and our intentions for the collective Dream that brings us all together. The abundance of love within and shared with everyone is nourishing, peaceful, and with much happiness.

Many Blessings to All My Relations,  ~ April