Children are the meaning of life;
They are the holy people.
Children are our future.
Children are connected to spirit.
Pray for your children;
Pray that they have a good life.
Pray for the future, like previous generations prayed for us.
We are living in the prayers, intentions, and hopes of our ancestors.
This is a collection of some of the teachings I have recieved over the years from elders of many nations, including Nehiyawak (Cree), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Anishnaabe (Ojibwe), Mohawk. Some time ago our elders, parents, grandparents, ancestors gathered together, or sat alone, and prayed for us today. We are these prayers being answered. We are a prophecy come true. As Rulan Tangen would say, ‘We are the ones we have been waiting for’. Our ancestors have been planting these seeds of thought and consciousness forever. These seeds are felt by our spirit, flow in our blood, are seen in our eyes, and heard in our every breath. Each heartbeat is a reminder of the good intentions a reminder of tradition, and a call to continue this legacy. We still pray today, together or alone, and the children and their future are always in our prayers…
‘When we dance we pray’ (MariJo Moore)
My work as a hoop dancer and contemporary dancer has been a prayer. This is why Rulan Tangen (Dancing Earth) is such an important role model for me. Her work is focused on the healing of the world; this includes the healing of the environment and humans alike. She carries in the belief shared by many Native grandmothers that the healing of one is the healing of the other. She believes in the power of intention and prayer. So when we dance the goal is to create awareness and hope for the future, for our children. When we dance we plant a seed of thought and consciousness that will carry our best intentions forward for the healing of the world.
Please support the vision of Dancing Earth to plant seeds of healing...
Spread the word and/or donate at:
Origi-Nation: Roots & Seeds
Why We Dance
by MariJo Moore
To dance is to pray,
to pray is to heal,
to heal is to give,
to give is to live,
to live is to dance.
