Blue Beryl Dharma Center News
LAMA LOBSANG LAUDED AT
PESHAWBESTOWN POW WOW
By Patricia Palden
Saturday, August 15, 2009--Our family had the pleasure of attending
a traditional Jiingtamok Pow Wow for the second year in a row. The
annual Peshawbestown Pow Wow, held on tribal land in northern Michigan,
features native foods, art, crafts, and, naturally, nonstop drumming
and dancing.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, "in the tradition of the people, honors our elders and gives respect and encouragement to our youth for they are our future."1 The GTB's community support, respect for elders, and incredibly rich heritage clearly shows at the Pow Wow. While the event is mainly a social one, the spiritual aspects also are evident. Each time I witness the beauty of Grand Entry, when all the dancers enter the arena in their colorful regalia, I am overcome with emotion. For me, it is an honor just to be there.
There are many traditions at the Pow Wow. Someone who accomplishes something particularly noteworthy may be celebrated with a special song, called an honor song. That person dances around the arena with family and friends. Our Anishinaabe friends John and Eva Petoskey arranged an honor song for Lama Lobsang in recognition of his U.S. citizenship. (He became a naturalized citizen on June 22, 2009.) Citizenship and service to one's nation is important to the Native American community. In fact, the first people to come in the arena at Grand Entry are the veterans, who post flags and staffs next to the cedar arbor that houses the drums. Jack Swanson, the head veteran presiding at this year's Pow Wow, led our family out to the arena for Lama Lobsang's honor song.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, "in the tradition of the people, honors our elders and gives respect and encouragement to our youth for they are our future."1 The GTB's community support, respect for elders, and incredibly rich heritage clearly shows at the Pow Wow. While the event is mainly a social one, the spiritual aspects also are evident. Each time I witness the beauty of Grand Entry, when all the dancers enter the arena in their colorful regalia, I am overcome with emotion. For me, it is an honor just to be there.
There are many traditions at the Pow Wow. Someone who accomplishes something particularly noteworthy may be celebrated with a special song, called an honor song. That person dances around the arena with family and friends. Our Anishinaabe friends John and Eva Petoskey arranged an honor song for Lama Lobsang in recognition of his U.S. citizenship. (He became a naturalized citizen on June 22, 2009.) Citizenship and service to one's nation is important to the Native American community. In fact, the first people to come in the arena at Grand Entry are the veterans, who post flags and staffs next to the cedar arbor that houses the drums. Jack Swanson, the head veteran presiding at this year's Pow Wow, led our family out to the arena for Lama Lobsang's honor song.
"True wisdom comes when you stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for you."
Before the song began, Eva Petoskey gave an introduction from the
emcee
stand, where she commented on the parallels of indigenous traditions,
and shared that the coming together of our two families has been
healing for all of us. To that I say "Emaho!" (Tibetan: "Marvelous!")
Our families have made a spiritual connection, as well as an enjoyable
friendship, that has had an important impact on all of us.
After Eva's lovely introduction, she joined our two families in the
arena and presented a Pendleton wool blanket to Lama. A large circle on
the blanket depicts the four directions and the four elements, which
also symbolizes the Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel and the Circle of Life.
The blanket is inscribed with the message: "In honor of all the tribal
elders, the wisdomkeepers, who are charged with handing down teachings
and spiritual directions so the children better understand their
responsibility to the Universe and the Creator."
The Petoskey family offered tobacco to the co-host Drum, The
Medicine
Lodge Singers of Peshawbestown, to play the honor song. "The tobacco
takes the song out of human hands, and gives it over to the Creator,"
Eva explained.
Lama Lobsang holds the "Circle of Life" woolen blanket while greeting well-wishers with his
family.
Everyone at the Pow Wow, dancers and spectators, native or not, were
invited to come out to the arena and shake our hands, which is the
tradition for an honor song. An astonishing number of people came out,
and many greeted us in the Anishinaabe language, saying "Boozhoo"
(greetings), "Aanii" (hello), and "Migwetch" (thank you). Some people
even gave us hugs! The outpouring of hospitality was extraordinary. Eva
noted that not everyone comes out for all honor songs. "Sometimes only
1/3 of the people come out, but almost everyone came out," she remarked.
Both Lama and I were deeply moved by the distinct honor bestowed upon our family by the Petoskeys and their community. "I felt such powerful emotions," said Lama. "I'm so very grateful for my life and my family. Life is very wonderful!"
The Circle of Life exemplifies a world of dissimilar things coming together to form a harmonious, beautiful pattern. Eva said she feels that the Creator brought Lama to the reservation for a reason, and that the Tibetan ceremonies we perform there during Blue Beryl Dharma Center's annual Medicine Buddha Retreat have brought healing to the whole community. "What we wanted to do," she told Lama, "was thank you in a public way for that."
"The things that have happened to the Tibetan people are similar to what has happened to our people, in some ways," Eva continued, referring to the appropriation of Tibet's land and culture by the Chinese government. However, the Tibetan diaspora, and in particular the Dalai Lama, have brought great benefit to the world, she added.
"The Tibetan traditions and American Indian traditions are similar, there's no separation there. I feel very respectful," said Lama Lobsang. "On our way to the Pow Wow an eagle circled over my head," Lama said. "I thought, hmmm ...this is a good sign!" A migizi (eagle) also visited the pow wow arena and circled over our heads at the end of the honor song. "A very good message," said Lama. Said Eva: "I agree. There are things larger than us that we just walk into, and yet we're part of it."
I am very pleased to have walked into the Jiingtamok, and am delighted to be a part of it. To all the Anishinabek who graciously welcomed our family, I say "migwetch" and "thu je che." Thank you for the spiritual gifts I have received from your community. Listening to the song in honor of my husband while dancing with my family and friends was an amazing, life-affirming experience. At that moment I felt incredibly happy to be a part of my immediate family, extended family, and friends; but in particular, I felt both proud and humbled to be a part of the human family.
Both Lama and I were deeply moved by the distinct honor bestowed upon our family by the Petoskeys and their community. "I felt such powerful emotions," said Lama. "I'm so very grateful for my life and my family. Life is very wonderful!"
The Circle of Life exemplifies a world of dissimilar things coming together to form a harmonious, beautiful pattern. Eva said she feels that the Creator brought Lama to the reservation for a reason, and that the Tibetan ceremonies we perform there during Blue Beryl Dharma Center's annual Medicine Buddha Retreat have brought healing to the whole community. "What we wanted to do," she told Lama, "was thank you in a public way for that."
"The things that have happened to the Tibetan people are similar to what has happened to our people, in some ways," Eva continued, referring to the appropriation of Tibet's land and culture by the Chinese government. However, the Tibetan diaspora, and in particular the Dalai Lama, have brought great benefit to the world, she added.
"The Tibetan traditions and American Indian traditions are similar, there's no separation there. I feel very respectful," said Lama Lobsang. "On our way to the Pow Wow an eagle circled over my head," Lama said. "I thought, hmmm ...this is a good sign!" A migizi (eagle) also visited the pow wow arena and circled over our heads at the end of the honor song. "A very good message," said Lama. Said Eva: "I agree. There are things larger than us that we just walk into, and yet we're part of it."
I am very pleased to have walked into the Jiingtamok, and am delighted to be a part of it. To all the Anishinabek who graciously welcomed our family, I say "migwetch" and "thu je che." Thank you for the spiritual gifts I have received from your community. Listening to the song in honor of my husband while dancing with my family and friends was an amazing, life-affirming experience. At that moment I felt incredibly happy to be a part of my immediate family, extended family, and friends; but in particular, I felt both proud and humbled to be a part of the human family.
From
left, head veteran Jack Swanson, Rose Petoskey, Johny Petoskey, John
Petoskey, Eva Petoskey,
Clara Palden, Patricia Palden, Lama Lobsang Palden,
Elijah Palden, Yungchen Palden, and head male dancer Bob Kewaygoshkum dance around the arena to the honor song in tribute to Lama Lobsang.
Elijah Palden, Yungchen Palden, and head male dancer Bob Kewaygoshkum dance around the arena to the honor song in tribute to Lama Lobsang.
WATCH LAMA LOBSANG PALDEN CHANT TIBETAN PRAYERS IN THIS VIDEO FROM BBDC'S 2008 MEDICINE BUDDHA RETREAT
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