Native Americans | Mestengo Books

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Winter is a special time, a time of quiet, a time of slowing down and doing more indoor activities like yoga, reading and writing. It’s also the time of year for storytelling in many traditions, especially for Indigenous Peoples. In the old days (and still, for many nations), it was a time marked by the first snowfall or the Winter solstice. Bands of tribes gathered together to share their stories and pass their histories on to the next generation.

Days of hunting and gathering food for winter stores were over; cold winds blew across the prairies and mountains and the days were shorter. What else was there to do? Stories both entertained and informed; they carried a people’s history with them wherever they went. Oral tradition is still revered today. Regardless of your ancestry, storytelling is alive and well in many cultures around the world and you would do well by touching base with yours. Storytelling long preceded the written word, which forced people to use their brains to retain an amazing amount of detail surrounding important events in their lives.

Do you and your family or friends gather for the purpose of sharing during the winter months? In these modern times, we’re busy working, running errands or are too tired. Storytelling traditions force us to slow down and take the time to LISTEN. When we allow ourselves to participate in this ancient form of socialization, we are energized and connected to something much larger than each of us.

Winter is also a time of rest though skiers and snowboarders might disagree. When was the last time you bundled up (assuming you don’t live in FL) and took a walk in the snow? It’s one of the quietest, most Zen experiences I’ve ever had. If you listen very carefully, you can even hear the snow fall.

This is the embodiment of winter: slow down, listen (to family, friends, your body), rest (to rejuvenate for the spring) and eat deeply nourishing meals (soups, stews).

Indigenous Peoples have had this down for eons and I think it’s time the rest of us catch up. Take some time out for yourself this winter. Rest (it may be four letters but it’s not a dirty word). Read. Write. Appreciate the shorter days and quiet moments. It is in these spaces where we can find peace and contentment to last us throughout the year.

#writers #wintersolstice #storytelling #restandrelaxation #authors #yogapractice #reading #writingcommunity #writersgottawrite

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I keep a collection of books, a smattering of interesting topics, in addition to all my medical texts, herbology books, and notebooks. I also own two trilogy sets (one fiction, one nonfiction) that I read at least once a year. They are Native-themed books that provide much-needed life lessons when times are trying and they remind me of what’s really important. I rarely read self-help books. To me, they seem preachy in some way – even if they’re not – and I don’t feel they’re speaking to me. I believe each of us has a path in this life so self-help books, for me, only serve to muddle my truth, which is different from the self-help authors’ truths.

I don’t know, I was never much of a “Chicken Soup for the Soul” kinda gal. But hey, if it works for you, read ’em if you got ’em.

That said, I do own a book by authors Richard Leider and David Shapiro titled “Claiming Your Place at the Fire: Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose.” I’ve read other books they’ve written and found them to be enlightening because they present the information in a way that forces me to think more deeply. This particular book deals with the dilemma of becoming an elder (usually around age 55, which I have surpassed) in this modern, white-dominant materialistic, youth-obsessed culture and what your role is, if you have or make one, in your community.

Traditional cultures (Native Americans and other Indigenous peoples around the world) continue to revere elders, as they understand the importance and sacredness of having lived a longer life. In the book, they ask: what role are you playing in your community? I ask: are you sharing your stories so others can learn and grow?

We have much to learn from community elders. As many know, experience truly is the best teacher. Wisdom can only come with age, from having lived one’s life. Turn on your TV and count the mindless shows that dominate the air waves: post-apocalyptic zombies, reality (not really) shows, cheesy soap operas, and remakes of movies (sometimes remakes of remakes) since Hollywood seems to be running out of original ideas. They teach little that is worthwhile and only serve to numb our minds and disassociate us from our realities. Which is why, in this current culture, it’s vital for us, the writers, the storytellers, to share stories with purpose. Our stories will serve to teach, guide, and open the hearts and minds of our readers and ground them in the history of us as a species and from many cultures.

Ask yourself: Who am I? Where do I belong? What is my story? What is my life’s purpose? These are not necessarily self-centered questions; instead, they invite introspection as to our historical circumstances and to the lives we are born into, in a particular period or place or time. By recalling our stories we become connected to both past and future. Even if you write fiction, as I do, sprinkle in social issues, cultural issues, moral issues; let your characters represent forgiveness, healing, and light in the face of violence, aggression, and darkness.

As Leider and Shapiro write in their book: