Someone has had me thinking lately. We were having a conversation at work about Native Americans. Something that most don't know about me is that there is Cherokee in my family background. I'm not saying that I am Cherokee, simply that it is in my family tree.
I do however identify more with my Native American ancestry more than I do any other part of my family tree. I've researched it some, and learned about different rituals, as well as culture. It also explains a bit about the person that I am.
Most people think about ritual body modification, and never associate it with Native American culture. The whole thing is though, that many rituals such as tattoos, piercings, and suspension were practiced by different tribes. I never realized it myself until I knew what suspension was.
When I was a young teenager, I dreamed about suspension without ever having seen or heard about it. I saw it and recognized it back in 2001. Witnessing it brought back the memory of the dream. It led me to study the subject so that I could better understand it.
After researching a bit about the culture, I discovered that suspension was a ritual performed as a rite of passage. I also realized that I was meant to perform a suspension. My ancestors had chosen me to learn of and help preserve the culture. I continue to study, and find myself getting even more passionate about my ancestry.
While I only physically show minor traits of my heritage, spiritually I carry it with me always. Some may wonder why I bring this up, and the answer is simple. Everyone should know and understand their bloodline. Whether they choose to embrace it or not, they will still have the knowledge of where they came from. They can understand what their ancestors faced. Our ancestry can have more of an impact on the people we are than we realize.
I do however identify more with my Native American ancestry more than I do any other part of my family tree. I've researched it some, and learned about different rituals, as well as culture. It also explains a bit about the person that I am.
Most people think about ritual body modification, and never associate it with Native American culture. The whole thing is though, that many rituals such as tattoos, piercings, and suspension were practiced by different tribes. I never realized it myself until I knew what suspension was.
When I was a young teenager, I dreamed about suspension without ever having seen or heard about it. I saw it and recognized it back in 2001. Witnessing it brought back the memory of the dream. It led me to study the subject so that I could better understand it.
After researching a bit about the culture, I discovered that suspension was a ritual performed as a rite of passage. I also realized that I was meant to perform a suspension. My ancestors had chosen me to learn of and help preserve the culture. I continue to study, and find myself getting even more passionate about my ancestry.
While I only physically show minor traits of my heritage, spiritually I carry it with me always. Some may wonder why I bring this up, and the answer is simple. Everyone should know and understand their bloodline. Whether they choose to embrace it or not, they will still have the knowledge of where they came from. They can understand what their ancestors faced. Our ancestry can have more of an impact on the people we are than we realize.
so are you up for anything next week? GWAR? Lennon? Punk Nite? Pat Benatr in Cincy? ill be out at ALL of those...so gimme a shout out if you are coming!!!