California Healing

    Just outside of the San Gabriel Mission on October 27^th, 2015 over thirty inter tribal Native American Indians gathered in solidarity and prayer of “The Walk for the Ancestors 2015,” a seven hundred mile pilgrimage to each of the twenty one California Missions to honor the indigenous ancestors who suffered and died in the mission system. I myself was included in that evening, which by the way I must point out that I am not Native American although I have always had a strong connection in defending the rights of America's first people since I was sixteen years old writing letters to Senator McGovern during the FBI standoff at Wounded Knee in the early 1970's.

So it was no surprise to me when I too showed up on the grass lawn just adjacent to the San Gabriel Mission. The first encounter I had was an Indian who welcomed me and warmly and hospitably took my hand and guided me as we were all told to stand in a huge circle. There was a burning of sage and then then a tobacco blessing prior to a woman who would speak to everyone present turning herself around periodically as she spoke to each person aligned within the circle.

Her name is Caroline Holland she is walking for her ancestors along with her twenty one year old son. Together they have walked over six hundred miles to different Missions with even more walking a head of them. Every Mission had given Caroline a distinct story to tell. As I stood there I listened intently to this petite Indian woman speak of the mass graves that were at the Missions, none of them with a name marker of anyone buried there. A jar filled with bones of deceased American Indians sat on the counter at one Mission with a label on it that read, “Please do not collect any bones.” apparently there were too many to count and they were scattered all around the grounds.

After hearing Caroline speak, each person that stood within the circle was asked to introduce themselves and speak a little about what “Walking for the Ancestors, meant to them” Once again I was taken back and at times I was having difficulty in composing myself without having a tearful emotional response.

A man spoke of his great grandmother who attended one of the Mission schools and told stories about how the white children sat in the front of the class in seats while the Mexican children sat in the back of the class and the Indian children were made to sit on the floor. His great grandmother it seems was approached by a Mission priest in an attempted rape that frightened her so much she never returned, but those that were caught after attempting to run away were tied to a tree and wrapped in animal skin until they suffocated as an example to the others of what would happen to them if they too attempted to escape. Each person had a story to tell and it was heartbreaking.

And they wept, every person that spoke within the circle broke down and wept. They hugged one another with support and I knew as I stood there that I was compelled to write it all down, for this is not only our California history but also our present day reality.

Not only did Jesus speak of the love due to our neighbor but he also said, “Beware of wolves in sheep's' clothing.” Then too is there common sense and human decency that transcends the duality in religion into what is downright imperative, and that being that our first American's be treated with the same respect and honor that they gave to our ancestors who were allowed to partake in pure drinking waters and healthy food. There is much repair needed right here, right now.

California Healing, author, Patricia Huff  copyright 2015.