Saturday, 21 September 2013

Thanks to First Nations

Blog 2013 09 21

We got up ready to start our various different fasts.  Some of us had some breakfast and others will be on liquids only with vegetable broth as the first thing.  We were ready to go but for one thing – it started to rain.  I had to decide if I was a fair weather biker or if I was going to do my day, as planned on my bike.  After some hesitation, Amelia and I decided to go for it.  Two of us took the bus and two rode bikes.  Did I get wet?  Yes I did.  But it wasn’t bad.  I never got cold.  We went to the human rights monument for the Global March for Peace only to find it had been cancelled on facebook because of the rain.  So we went on to Victoria Island for the celebration of Grandfather William Commanda.  The people who rode the bus weren’t so lucky.  There is so much road construction in Ottawa right now that the buses are getting way behind schedule.  The bike was a happy choice in the end.

We started the day on Victoria Island with a peace ritual including smudging, drumming and singing, a water ceremony, and the passing of the peace pipe.  I love watching the way the First Nations people work.  They manage to create sacred space, hold the traditions strongly, and teach the young people and the people who are unfamiliar like me all at the same time.  It was a wonderful way to start the fast and honour what we are doing.  Thanks to all those who conducted the ritual from ClimateFast.

We are taking a short pause before we go to the hill for our opening circle.  Life is good.
In the meantime, many final details to take care of.  Wish us luck.

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