Dear Friends of The One Mind Sanctum, cherished Reader,
Finally with some delay, here is the promised Soul-Letter that I have been already announcing some weeks ago, and then amidst traveling, jet-lag, etc… it got postponed.
This past month, Oana Sophia and I had the privilege of attending one of the few traditional, non-commercial Pow-Wows deep in the lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. For two full days this gathering of spirit and beauty took place: children learning the dance, young award-winners stepping into regalia, elders guiding with drummers beating the ancient pulse. It was a living tapestry of culture, honoring what has always been sacred-dance, song, community, presence.
We were especially honored as we were able to also witness a tradiotional Blackfeet War-Bonnet (head dress) transfer ceremony as part of the Pow-Wow.
The Grand Entry:
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What is a Pow-Wow?
The word comes from the Algonquian term pau wau or pauau, meaning a spiritual or medicine person, or a healing ceremony. Over time the name evolved in English to describe these gatherings of dances, drums, stories, healing, and ritual.
The drum is the heartbeat of the people. It is the heartbeat of Mother Earth. It gives us life.
– Blackfoot Proverb
The dances themselves were something to behold. From the smallest children performing their steps, to advanced dancers whose regalia flashed with meticulous beadwork, feathers, and pride. Every performance echoed something deeper: not competition, but communion. Each dancer and drummer carried history-personal, tribal, ancestral-offered freely in every drum beat, every step.
What struck me most was the genuine presence: no flashy spectacle for outsiders. This was done for the heartbeat of the people. Oana and I felt, not as observers, but as part of something sacred. The earth beneath our feet, the drum in our chests, it all reminded us of the Direct Path, of Self-recognition, of the truth beyond words.
Powerful Dances and Drums:
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Why this matters to The One Mind Sanctum?
These gatherings are living transmission. They reflect what we seek in the Sanctum: the return to wisdom, roots, beauty, and presence. They remind us that spiritual awakening is not separated from daily life. It lives in community, in tradition, in witnessing. And they inspire us to hold that same integrity in all we do.
When we dance, we dance not for ourselves, but for the generations that came before and those yet to come.
– Lakota Teaching
Thank you for being part of this circle. May the memory of these two days enrich your own practice, your own awareness, your own I AM.
With gratitude,
Bear
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