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Wakinyan Awasis: Thunderbird Place
for Honouring the Spirit of the Child
Guidance and Purification and Healing Circles
Guidance and Purification
Sculptors and sculpting teams would have as part of their
guidance an Elder, Guide or Healer appropriate to that artist
or group of artists. At various points Elder Vern Harper would
provide guidance, purification and healing ceremonies for
Awasis gatherings and circles. When
artists return to their community they may use the guidance
and blessings of Elder Vern Harper or they may turn to an
Elder in their community or region. Each artist would have
the best sense and final decision on the role that Elders
and Healers would play in their creative process.
These ceremonies would be for the benefit of
artists in initiating and developing the vision of the work
they have been commissioned to create. The artist would also,
personally, be dramatically affected by ceremonial work associated
with their participation in the project. The works of art
and the Awasis site itself would be
influenced by the purification and healing ceremonies. Personal
transformation in preparation for a work and during its execution
adds to the power and effectiveness of the art.
Pipe ceremonies, traditional drumming, sweat
lodge, smudging, dance, prayer and feasts would be part of
the sacred circle gatherings of the artists and project staff.
Elements of the ceremonies and purifications would be directed
towards addressing the legacy of the impact of the personal
and societal adversity on children and the child within all
people.
Contractors, design and construction people
who are part of the team creating the Awasis sacred site would participate in ceremonies and purifications
associated with their tasks and contributions. The physical
land, materials and supplies delivered to the site would go
through purifications and blessings. Some of the materials,
such as stone, wood, water, plants and earth would be procured
in relation to their presence in sacred areas around the continent.
First Circle Gathering
of Coordinators
A series of ceremonies and purifications was provided by Project
Elder Vern Harper to launch the project over the first spring
and summer of the millennium.
Upon finalization of funding, initial circle
gatherings would continue over the first year to review the
sculptural site and strategize on contacts and potential artists.
The following year would be spent selecting the full group
of artists who would come to the first Full Circle Artists'
Gathering.
The Children's Sacred Medicine Wheel, the stone
fountain, the Sacred Wakinyan Coppers for the Spirit of Awasis,
their ceremonial bags and the four Sacred Smudge Bowls would
be prepared over the year preceding the initial Full Circle
Artist's Gathering. Purification ceremonies would occur in
relation to the Sacred Medicine Wheel, the Sacred Coppers
and their ceremonial bags and the Sacred Smudge Bowls.
Full Circle Gathering
of Sacred Site Carvers and Sculptors - Cycle One
The full group of artists would meet in four-day Full Circle
Artists' Gatherings overlapping the beginnings and endings
of the five periods in which works of the sacred healing cultural
site are created. At the circle gatherings, Elders and Keepers
would cleanse and purify the artists and the spirit of the
journey that lies ahead.
Mornings would begin with traditional sunrise
ceremonies, followed by sweat lodge and drumming. To help
in the artists' vision quests to receive guidance from the
Sacred Animal Spirits of the sculptures and sacred site there
would be purification ceremonies with periods of silence,
fasting, purification lodges, traditional drumming, prayer
and feast.
The first Full Circle Artists' Gathering would
be a time of "meeting and greeting." Special activities
would be planned to help people get to know each other and
to begin developing a productive and cooperative team. Artists
would be asked to bring slides of their work for an evening
of artistic sharing, discussion and fun. Sessions would be
held to review the design of the sacred sculptural site, the
planned progression and time line for creating the work. Each
artist would be supplied a workbook outlining details of the
project, time lines, resources and contact names and numbers.
Copper Journey
There would be four Sacred Awasis Coppers for the
Spirit of Awasis that would be entrusted to several
groups of people. The Coppers would be carried to purification
ceremonies and gatherings across the continent to receive
blessings and to be decorated with Sacred Animal Spirit images
through specially prepared engraving tools. During the first
Full Circle Artists' Gathering purification ceremonies the
Sacred Coppers and their sacred bags would be presented to
their "Keepers" to begin their four-year journey.
The Keepers would take the Coppers to Wakinyan Awasis art workshops, presentations and events
associated with the project. Out in the community the Coppers
would be taken to Aboriginal social gatherings, pow wows,
political events, conferences and locations that are sacred
or meaningful to Aboriginal Peoples. The Coppers would be
available for special requests when a Keeper would be available
to perform a ceremony.
After the final year's site dedication the Sacred
Wakinyan Coppers for the Spirit of Awasis would make one last
journey to join the resting place of the spirits of lost children.
Circle Gathering of Sacred
Animal Spirit Sculptors - Cycle Two
At the second Full Circle Artists' Gathering (the transition
between cycle one and two), purification ceremonies would
be done in conjunction with unveiling and blessing the Animal
Spirits' Sacred Dream Catcher sculpture over the fountain.
In preparation for enlarging the Sacred Animal Spirits, artists
would sit for a vision quest at the location of the fountain
boulders where their enlarged sculpture would eventually permanently
reside.
The practical and technical work of the second
Full Circle Artists' Gathering would focus on the issues related
to enlargement size and positioning on the fountain of the
Sacred Animal Spirits created over the cycle. The technical
aspects of enlarging the sculptures and the foundry process
would be explored in depth. The past cycle's progress and
experiences of creating works would be shared. An evening
slide show and feast would provide an opportunity to celebrate
and see what each of the other artists is doing. Cleansing
and purification activities related to producing the work
would be continued.
Circle Gathering of Sacred
Totem Carvers - Cycle Three
The Full Circle Artists' Gathering of cycle three would have
a meeting of the five totem carvers and sculptors with their
finished carvings. Special purification ceremonies would be
done with the spirit of the wood carving in preparing them
for transformation into bronze. The Spirit Totems would stand
until the studio would be ready to create the moulds and casts
of them.
Children's Spirit Totems
and Honouring the Gifts - Cycle Four
The Full Circle Artists' Gathering beginning cycle four would
focus on purification ceremonies related to the sixteen Children's
Spirit Totems and the sixteen family vignette sculptures mounted
on them. The artists who made the family pieces would gather
at Awasis to participate in the purification and blessing
of their pieces. During this summer the enlarged Sacred Animal
Spirit Sculptures would be at the foundry and would not be
involved in the circle ceremonies. The Sacred Animal Spirit
Artists would not be required to attend this cycle's Full
Circle Artists' Gathering. As in the previous cycle's gathering,
an evening slide show and feast would provide an opportunity
to celebrate and see what each of the others is doing.
Children's Spirit Totems
and Honouring the Gifts
The annual circle gathering in June of year four would focus
on purification ceremonies related to the sixteen Children's
Spirit Totems and sixteen family vignette sculptures mounted
on them. The artists who made the family pieces would gather
at Wakinyan Awasis to participate in the purification and
blessing of their pieces. During this summer the enlarged
Sacred Animal Spirit Sculptures would still be at the foundry
and they would not be involved in any of the circle ceremonies.
The Sacred Animal Spirit Artists would not be required to
attend this years annual circle gathering, but may do so if
they please. As in the previous year's gathering, an evening
slide show and feast would provide an opportunity to celebrate
and see what each of the others are doing.
The children who participated in workshops for
sculpting the Children's relief sculptures for the Children's
Spirit Totems would be invited, along with their families
and guests for a special acknowledgement and blessing. All
attendees would have the opportunity to partake in a sacred
circle honouring the force that contains the children's path
and medicine wheel.
This Full Circle Artists' Gathering would have an associated
all Nations Pow Wow that would be a lead up to the final year's
Pow Wow and Extravaganza. Primary coordination of the following
year's final month of blessing, dedication, commitment and
purification ceremonies in June of cycle five would occur
after the Children's ceremonies culminating cycle four.
Purification Ceremonies
in June of Year Five - Cycle Five
The final Full Circle Artists' Gathering of artists and Elders
would occur directly prior to the final blessing, dedication
and commitment purification ceremonies. Artists would go through
ceremonial preparations for the final dedication and every
sculpture would go through a purification and blessing.
To integrate the spirit, meaning, and life force
of Awasis into Native communities across
the continent, a large Pow Wow dedicated to children and healing
the wounded inner child would occur concurrent with the final
Full Circle Artists' Gathering. There would be an attempt
to provide healing and gained insight and understanding for
individuals attending. As well there would be much planning
committed to how to encourage the power of Awasis to ripple across the land.
The final cycle's ceremonies would be simulcast
in real time on the Internet to allow those not able to attend
to still be a part of the happening. This cycle's slide show
or a multimedia production would be a public billing that
would review all the previous cycles' work and activities
and may be televised. It is likely a documentary of Awasis would be broadcast at the time of the
final circle gathering or shortly afterwards.
The final blessings, dedication and purifications
of the Awasis sacred sculptural site
would occur over a period of one month and would be planned
and carried out by a group of Elders and Healers. A particular
focus in the final blessing, dedication and commitment purification
ceremonies would be directed toward healing, acknowledgement
and toward making long-term commitment to addressing the spirit
of the wounded child.
The final blessing, dedication and purification
ceremonies would have quiet times and activities involving
drumming, dance and feast. Ceremonies and reflection would
be given to those who have died, those who were stolen from
their families and communities, and those whose communities
and cultures were stolen from them. Special blessings, healings,
designated time periods and activities would be offered for
people who suffered residential abuse, sexual abuse, physical
abuse, emotional abuse and neglect as children. A primary
theme would be to emphasize the instilment of a sense of connection
and relatedness and a commitment to change.
The Coppers Join The
Spirit of Lost Children
Special ceremonies for the Sacred Wakinyan Coppers for the
Spirit of Awasis would be performed for final blessing, dedication
and commitment events. As part of closure in the month of
final blessing ceremonies, the Sacred Coppers would be launched
onto a final journey to where they would be tossed into the
Four Seas to join the ashes and spirit of lost children in
their resting place.
Four separate groups of paddlers
would each take one of the Sacred Wakinyan Coppers for the
Spirit of Awasis to one of the Four Seas. The paddles for
the journey would be carved and painted to create Sacred Paddles
that would also be a Sacred Staff. The paintings, blessings
and purifications of the paddles would allow each stroke of
the journey to be a cleansing of the water along the paths
to the sea. One Sacred Copper would journey North to the Arctic,
another Sacred Copper would be carried to the Pacific. A Sacred
Copper would travel through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic
Coast and one Sacred Copper would travel South down the Mississippi
to the Gulf.
As the Sacred Coppers move through the land,
in each area where a Nation existed before the European visitation,
a purification ceremony and healing would be performed for
the spirit of the wounded child. Any present day community
that the Sacred Coppers passed through may have a purification
ceremony and healing for the spirit of the child. A community's
activity would be of their design and choosing. When the Sacred
Wakinyan Coppers for the Spirit of Awasis reach their final
destinations they would be ceremonially torn into pieces and
tossed into the sea for joining and final resting with children
whose spirit has washed through the rivers and out to the
Great Seas.
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Gatherings
