Open Letter to Nathan Philips
Thank you Nathan,
Thank you for holding sacred space for our nation. You honor all the First Nations and your family and tribe. You also honor the collective and imperfectly unified United States of America not only in your past service to the country, but in your acts this past weekend in Washington D.C. Just watching the videos and listening to you speak of your experience I observe how your actions had and are having a deep spiritual impact on anyone at all present to it. Even among the kids in different videos of the events, there is something going on that is deeply affective. I observe that even the boy who stands in your path is affected, probably in ways it will take him years to fully discover. I know it may be that his response isn't authentic, but maybe it also represents a subtle invisible shift of spirit.
I hope also that their spiritual elders back at their school can turn this into a teaching moment. What possibilities might be opened up by the right questions asked and dialouged not only for the students but for their visibly absent adult supervision.
The courage to engage hatred with the wisdom of song and the power of sacred drumming is much greater than almost any other, and I honor the spirit that filled you and lead to a peaceful outcome of a terribly volitile situation.
From my heart to a fellow warrior on the path of peace.
Thank you,
Gerry Gleason