ALT-1 Native American Culture and the Summer Solstice
One stands beneath the sun to absorb the energy, light, and warmth to be drawn upon when it is most needed.
This is a time of purification, of stripping away the negatives and drawing upon the God principle to manifest our own power.
This a time of joy, to remove unwanted things, to celebrate the fertility and joy of life, remembering to give thanks for that which has been manifested upon you. It is a time to dance and sing and be filled with love.
There is dancing around bonfires, and when the fires die away and only the hot coals remain, children are often lifted high to be blessed and cleansed by the smoke.
Some of the rituals are thought to be at least a thousand years old, but many of the festivals today have little to do with Native American culture.
THE BIGHORN MEDICINE WHEEL
In the Big Horn Mountains of northern Wyoming, over nine thousand feet high and covered by snow except for the two months surrounding the Summer Solstice, Native Americans, long ago formed and employed a wheel of stones that seemed to have kept track of the procession of the Sun across the sky.
The meaning of this site is not fully understood, but modern practioners believe they are connected to those who made the Bighorn Medicine Wheel. Some create their own medicine wheels or visit "places of power" like those in Sedona, Arizona or in Zion Canyon.
FAJADA BUTTE
There are large gatherings who surround Fajada Butte at Chaco Canyon to sing the Sun across the sky and absorb its power into their lives. The famous slabs and spiral petroglyphs there mark the cycles of the Sun and the Moon, and cast shadows that indicate both solstices and equinoxes.
There is a strong sense of difference. Time seems to stand still for a moment, the Butte itself changes as the moon waxes, becomes full, and wanes. This is sacred ground.
CALENDAR ONE
This is a modern calendar in Vermont, of about 620 acres, that keeps track of solstices and equinoxes.
WISTERIA, OHIO
The festival in Wisteria, Ohio, in the Appalachian foothills, bills itself as the largest Native American summer solstice festival east of the Mississippi River. This eight-day event, now in its 26th year, draws hundreds of people from across the world.It's celebrations are a strong mix of Native American traditions and New Age practices. The festival always begins with an opening ritual followed by a potluck feast, workshops and a parade at night with torches and candles.
THE PAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION'S THUNDERBIRD CLAN OF RED RIVER LODGE
Hosts a sweat lodge on June 21, in Eureka, California, featuring a drumming circle and potluck dinner at the time of the solstice. Chief Skyhawk, the leader, says, "It is a very sacred time of year for indigenous people. In summer, we give thanks because we couldn't be here without the Sun."
ARBORIGINAL DAY
June 21, honors native culture in Canada. Its a day for Aboriginals to be proud of themselves, and for all Canadians to celebrate their achievements.
This ten-year-old celebration includes potlatches, powwows, fashion shows, and panel discussions on native life. Last year, the organization sponsored 180 activities around the country.
THE HOPI TRIBE
Katsinam are elaborate carvings associated with the summer season. They portray the dancing spirits of rain and fertility; they are messengers from the gods, and gifts given to Hopi children as they learn their culture.
Legend is, at the Summer Solstice, these spirits, the Kachinas, leave the villages to spend 6 months in the mountains visiting the dead and holding ceremonies on their behalf. Their departure, Niman, is the time when Hopi living away from home return to help with the ceremony and reunite with family and friends.
OTHER CELEBRATIONS
Many Native American summer festivals are times of rebirth and regeneration. They are more about family and tribal fellowship than occasions for worship.
