Today I left the house with the idea in mind of going and looking for a stationary bike. See, fitness has always been important to me and right now I am house bound until the snow melts. Plus, maternity leave sure doesn't pay well! So, a gym is out of the question. Although the social aspect of the gym is important. I used to go to a women's gym nearby where I would see other women from my community working hard. It was nice to get out of the house and workout with other women. I always walked out of the gym feeling good about my health. It was the same feeling as walking out of the spa - relaxed and rejuvinated. This time round, I have to go it on my own.
Well, let me get back on track. My morning was not about looking for a stationary bike, rather I ended up sitting with my mother and a family friend talking about Iroquois stuff. It was nice to immerse myself in Kaienerekowa, rights, history stuff again. I felt like I was in political school for the morning. It wasn't about finding out anything new, rather it was about hearing it again after quite some time. And not hearing it from a person spouting rhetoric but from people who live it.
As I sat back and listened to my elders, I thought about my life and what kind of impact this knowledge has on it right now. I realize it has a lot of impact. Perhaps not so immediate and direct as it used to but it still is there at the margins of my existence. Sure, I go to the longhouse and participate in ceremonies, but the real question is do I live it? I would like to think so.
The discussion actually came about because I am working on a book. I am taking some research I did ten years ago and turning it into a book. It has a lot to do with the Kaienerekowa, traditions, history and culture and the actions of Indigenous people standing up for their rights. I asked my mother and the elder where do they think I should start. We got onto this whole discussion on Iroquois symbolism, rights, misappropriation and then turned into a discussion about the application of the Kaienerekowa.
The Kaienerekowa is very simple to understand. It's not a religion but a way of life. Its basis lies in the fact that everyone has a right to eat, to be happy, and to be healed. If everything you do and the decisions you make respect those three things then you are living the Kaienerekowa. Of course, there is more philosophical stuff of course but I don't feel like writing about it today. So, I question do I live it? Yes. But how does one incorporate it as part of a decision?
As I listened, I couldn't help but think of my own life. It occurred to me that this would be a good opportunity to get some guidance. I questioned my elders about something that has been bugging me for a while. I can't go into specifics on it because it is private and actually not the point. What is more relevant is the discussion. In discussion, they brought me back to his very thing - using the Kaienerekowa to resolve something. I have been immersed in the dominant society's world as I grapple with this particular issue. I also have been working in isolation, which doesn't help expand one's ideas! I asked for their advice on how to deal with it. They told me to go back to the Kaienerekowa, there I will find answers. We sat for the next hour and discussed how to do this. As I listened and critically engaged with them and myself on this issue, I realized the answer was there! It made sense when I thought about the issue through the lense of the Kaienerekowa.
What I realize out of all of this is that the Kaienerekowa is really a tool. It provides a way to resolve something based on respect. My anscestors were smart. They developed a way to live in peace and harmony with each other. Which brings me to another point, the Kaienerekowa was not handed down to us by any higher being, rather it was developed by some very very smart people.....but don't get me started! The way many people talk about it is as though it is a body of laws dumped on us like a bucket of water from above. Not so, it took many years to develop.
Ah, I have so many thoughts running through my head after today's conversation. I can't even keep up! Before I forget, I wanted to write about the difference between a rally, a protest, and a demonstration. Did anyone out there notice that the Egyptian people who stayed in the square in defiance of Mubarak were not espousing violence? They were participating in a rally, not a protest or a demonstration. they were rallying the strength of the Egyptian people to stand up to Mubarak. Well, now he's gone. It will be interesting to see what happens next.
