Field of Dreams The Vision- Shortly after my family moved from the Applegate to Ashland, we were asked to move from our new place of residence; it seemed that there were to many of us for the double-wide we were living in (there are 5 of us) and the property we were living on had a low G.P.A. well; there was a fear of us using up to much water. The property adjacent the Jackson WellSprings became available & we were able to move there. This was quite a change from the country living we were accustom to and admittedly, we had some reservations. One day, shortly after we moved in, I pulled up in front of our new home and looked over towards the large, empty field next to the house & I saw this very clear vision; I saw the Native gaming field, I saw (& heard) the players calling to each other, the shuffling & contact of the games, I could smell the dust, hear the cheers of the crowd & families. I could see the Elders sitting under the shade arbor, watching, eyes gleaming with pride, as the next generation grew strong & healthy through the play. There are long. Tall flags & Tipi’s on the corners of the field, prayer poles, carved and painted representing many Nations with high netting all around. There is a Stage for the Announcers & the game coverage, a sacred Drum circle on that stage with a scoreboard next to the score-keep’en area. There is also an Outdoor Kitchen area and refreshment stand and all along the outside of the gaming field are scattered easy-ups and blankets on the ground where people are sharing, trad’en and barter’en. The sacred fire is heat’en the grandfathers for the sweat lodge so the players can be prepared for “good-spirited play”. After the games, the people are Honored, a feast is shared & a variety of activities are going on; sing’en danc’en, drumm’en, Hand-drum Games crafts, story-tell’en and Elder teachings; the passing of the Lineage through the Oral Traditions…
H, O.Y.E. INTERTRIBAL GAMING FIELD
Field of Dreams The Vision- Shortly after my family moved from the Applegate to Ashland, we were asked to move from our new place of residence; it seemed that there were to many of us for the double-wide we were living in (there are 5 of us) and the property we were living on had a low G.P.A. well; there was a fear of us using up to much water. The property adjacent the Jackson WellSprings became available & we were able to move there. This was quite a change from the country living we were accustom to and admittedly, we had some reservations. One day, shortly after we moved in, I pulled up in front of our new home and looked over towards the large, empty field next to the house & I saw this very clear vision; I saw the Native gaming field, I saw (& heard) the players calling to each other, the shuffling & contact of the games, I could smell the dust, hear the cheers of the crowd & families. I could see the Elders sitting under the shade arbor, watching, eyes gleaming with pride, as the next generation grew strong & healthy through the play. There are long. Tall flags & Tipi’s on the corners of the field, prayer poles, carved and painted representing many Nations with high netting all around. There is a Stage for the Announcers & the game coverage, a sacred Drum circle on that stage with a scoreboard next to the score-keep’en area. There is also an Outdoor Kitchen area and refreshment stand and all along the outside of the gaming field are scattered easy-ups and blankets on the ground where people are sharing, trad’en and barter’en. The sacred fire is heat’en the grandfathers for the sweat lodge so the players can be prepared for “good-spirited play”. After the games, the people are Honored, a feast is shared & a variety of activities are going on; sing’en danc’en, drumm’en, Hand-drum Games crafts, story-tell’en and Elder teachings; the passing of the Lineage through the Oral Traditions… The facility will have a multi-faceted use for the purposes of: v Native American community Games & friendly Competitions v Community Socials, Native Events & Gatherings v Elder/Youth Sharing; teachings, experiential learning, story-telling, Community Honorings, Native Social Ceremony v All Nations Public Events, Community Growth Projects v Conflict Resolution This field will be a training ground for our youth, our communities &(and surrounding areas) upcoming generation. We are requesting the participation of local businesses, groups (for & non-profit), Individuals and local tribes. Urban Natives are learning to participate in the communities in which we live and are working towards what we refer to as “a foot in both worlds”. This is in reference to sharing/re-connecting to the richness of passing Human Lineage Traditions and finding appreciation for cultural differences, adaptive qualities & alternatives to the many concerns we all share; as individuals, as a functional community & as care-takers for this mother Earth. Community Participation~ Making the Dream Come True This NO-PROFIT PROJECT will call on the surrounding communities for the creation of the H.O.Y.E. INTERTRIBAL GAMING FIELD. The existing co-sponsors are joining their resources, both human & material, welcoming a growing community of co-sponsorship. There is room for all to participate in sponsoring our youth, as we, a community of evolving human beings, look towards the stewardship of our mother Earth, our human relations, our elders & our coming generations. Many of the prophesies of the past, both tribal & non-native, say that the RED Nation will again have a strong role in the leadership of the people. Leadership is realized in the “proving ground of Life” and so the development and participation of it’s creation is shared; the true power belongs to the people and is shared by all. We, the Natives of many Nations, invite all people to the development of our community Intertribal Gaming Field where our next generation of young Leaders may be seen and have a chance to develop the basic skills & qualities of Humanness, connection to all things & be honored as Leaders in the making. With respect to “Speaking what we do & Doing as we speak”, we are re-establishing the spoken word as a “mark of Leadership”; a quality of commitment worthy of our shared belief. In the old way, we pass the inspiration to our “ko’la’s”, to the ones we would give our lives for, we are asking for help as we pledge our own commitment to the creation of the H.O.Y.E. Intertribal Gaming field and the intention of building leadership in the coming generations. We are asking you, as individuals, as networks, as groups & organizations, to invest in your children, for all children belong to us, as we belong to each other. We are asking for your pledges, your spoken commitments, to do what you can to help re-create our living lineage of Human Traditions, those things that all people share in common. In the coming pages you will find a beginning list of needs/resources needed to create the H.O.Y.E. Intertribal Gaming Field. We are asking you to do what you can by pledging your commitment to specific needs on the list. We will also be in need of physical help (man/woman hrs.), so you may also give your time and effort. Through helping others, we help our selves and the H.O.Y.E. Intertribal Gaming Field becomes a shared creation, a community project filled with the pride and participation of the people. The joining of our abilities & the creation of a vision, given to our youth, is “power-shared” and a way to connect through the generations; we thank you for your commitment to yourself through your community. STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT I. Collection of Materials II. Breaking Ground- Leveling & Grading of the field, marking off the field, sinking the poles, making flag poles, carving & painting prayer poles. III. Carpentry- Building the stage, shade arbors, storage building (sm.), spectator seating, Kitchen/refreshment stand, scoreboard, goals IV. Enclosing- hang Netting, ropes, Sweat lodge, tipi’s V. Electrical- Set-up P.A.System, speakers, Hang lights, Banners LIST OF NEEDS FOR CREATION OD H.O.Y.E. INTERTRIBAL GAMING FIELD v Leveling & Grading of the playing field (cat work) v 50-75 poles in various lengths & sizes for boundaries and markers v Hundreds of yards of netting to surround the gaming field, goals v Large Banners for Identification & Honoring v Large score board v Bags of gypsum for marking the field v Lockable storage unit for housing tools, gaming stuff, supplies v Hundreds of yards of hemp rope, 1-2 inch widths v Buffalo and Elk Rawhide v Native Carvers/Artists for pole carving/painting v Lumber to build a stage for awards, honoring, Sacred Drum area v Nails & screws v Red, Yellow, White, Black bolts of Cloth v Bleachers, stands, chairs and straw bales for spectators to sit on v Hardwood sticks, old golf clubs &ski poles for gaming sticks v Leather for making gaming items, thong, rawhide etc. v Rakes, shovels, hand graders, pick axe, post hole diggers, weed wackers v Portable Kitchen, large water/drink dispensers, dry storage area v 5 “Easy-ups” v 4 tipi’s (large diameter) v Straw Bales for Archery Target Wall v P.A. System, Speakers v Flood Lights H.O.Y.E. Intertribal Gaming Field Why are the Games Important? There are many reasons why the games are important- Let’s begin with the basic understanding of “play”. The very human instinct to share life together, to engage in “Whole-some” activity (that which engages all parts of our mind, body & spirit) & Learning how to learn is an act of preservation and evolution. Development & refinement with out burden or fear is a form of practice for the many “unknowns” of life. The games or “play of life” engage Natural Intelligenceand cultivates openness with our selves, with others and our changing environments. To be accepting of change as a constant in our lives is to establish some degree of comfort with the many areas that are unknown to us in life. The games marry our natural abilities with our immediate learning capacity, creating a context for true development. This stimulates our left/right brain functions, conscious/sub-conscious intentions, binds our natural intelligence to our creative learning ability and ensures continuous evolutionary growth through out our lives. It is said (by those who sat things, ha, ha)that Human Lineage Traditions are the “passing of knowledge through time”, or a place to begin so that each generation need not re-invent the wheel. Moreover, it is the logging of evolution through time, connecting past, present & future together and the evidence that we know that all people, things & experiences are truly connected. The games provide a 4th dimensional learning structure, or development in motion; through time & space. This is a critical development of our adaptive development. We can learn to face our fears in this arena of play, allow our gifs to bubble to the surface, go beyond thinking and “double-checking”, let our selves create opportunities where opposition arises, all with in the relative safety of the games. This is where our experiences can developed into skills & where fear is replaced by listening & following to our innate knowing; our natural intelligence. Confidence, attention, inner/outer awareness become our chosen allies. We begin to believe we can do anything we put our mind and intention to; learning becomes a matter of details that move towards completion. Inner discipline is no longer ”too much work” & we begin to thrive on our creative & adaptive capacities. We do no fear the unknown, we approach it with openness & the belief in our ability to find a way through. The games can truly be the building blocks for life & help guide us to following the natural way. This is why all life forms “imitate” first, to practice or play in the development of life skills. So, Let the games begin, Let’s play… Play teaches us How to Learn To play the games, we must learn the games. Activity is naturally stimulated by enjoyment. The higher developmental or evolutionary process’s of learning is recognized by the simultaneous engagement of the ability to study, practice & teach or share. These are the building blocks of experiential growth. When we are introduced to learning & development in the early stages of life through the fun of the games, our relationship to growth and continuous learning is one of enjoyment. This point becomes particularly important as we get older. Our relationship to learning unknown things can stay linked to creativity, the openness of the learning experience. When our relationship to learning becomes “work”, resistance becomes the habit & the familiarity of this habit, “sets it in stone”. This chain reaction supports “fear-trap thought forms” or fear of the unknown. This begins to fragment our thinking ability, separate our Inner Unity (oneness) & dissolve our self- belief. This is the point at which we learn to become “at the mercy of ourselves, others & changing environments”. Our personal wholeness can be preserved. In this way, our evolution may be continuous, we can “unravel the unknown” & our individual relationship to self-truth can grow and change with out becoming inconsistent. We can also help others with out breaking down to do it. When we are truly engaged in evolutionary growth, what is true for us goes through change; learning is not static. Refinement & experience teaches us that we may rely on our selves, & what was at one time, not possible, can change into absolute possibility & beyond. It is here that we meet with some concepts in spirituality or the belief that all things may indeed be possible. We find that limitations are in fact, connected to “lack of belief” & so we can identify certain qualities such as; confusion, skepticism, cynical behaviors & the general lack of belief that things cannot be worked out, as, not useful. Indeed, there is a way through and all situations do have many possible outcomes; the question is” will we stay with it until we find our way”? Optimism may be defined as “living in a constant state of self belief”. Such is the challenge of our lives… |
