For many tribes, beading was a sacred task, often telling stories that would be passed down to the next generation. When I was a young girl, I was often gifted with beaded jewelry, watches, pouches, earrings, necklaces. And I would place them at the bottom of my ballerina jewelry box. Safe. But unseen. And unworn. None of my other friends wore beaded jewelry. I did not want to be different and as I grew up, I would hear all of the racist comments, the judgements, the remarks... Being Indian didnt seem to be something to be proud of. And so I hid. I never wore those earrings, I never shared what I knew. I stayed quiet. And somewhere along my path, in transmuting illness into healing, I reconnected to the truth of who I was and I would proudly wear those earrings and all of that jewelry... And then some people said that I was showing off. Showing off my native-ness, trying to be better than everyone else. And this challenged me. It challenged me to stay true to my spirit self, the part of me that was emerging, growing and expanding. It challenged me to see that I did not need anyones acceptance of *me*. That as long as I connected deeply to the sacred aspects of myself, I was free to show this to the world in whatever manner I choose. And so I did. And to this day, my beaded earrings continue to connect me to my sacred self. When I put them on, I feel that my truest spirit self: Healing Rainbow Woman comes forward to dance, to shine, to love. And the deepest healing is in the realization that the only person who needs to accept and love this...is me.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 19:32:20 +0000
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