Native American Hoopla at the Prison

Recently, President Romero was asked to locate a 'brown card sponsor' for the Native American religious group in the Central Yard at Soledad Prison. This group had not been able to hold weekly meetings for the past 10 years because of the lack of a sponsor. Prison rules require someone with a brown card (chaplain card) to be in attendance at all religious meetings whether Indian or Protestant or Catholic or Mormon or....

President was able to help arrange for such a sponsor, and so the Indian group has been holding its first meetings over the past several Saturday evenings. As a gesture of appreciation, we were invited to attend a 'Drum Ceremony' on Saturday the 19th of April. President and I arrived at 5:30 and went to Chapel #1 to await the 6pm ceremony. Several other brown card holders were in attendance including the new Protestant Chaplain Allemin along with the groups sponsor who is the 7th Day Adventist volunteer at the Prison. We greeted the attendees as they arrived and asked what tribal relationship was theirs. Some were Lacota, Shawnee, Hopi and Yaqui and others. Yaqui was of particular interest because President Romero is part Yaqui himself. More on that in a moment. One humorous(well at least I thought it was humorous) exchange occurred during these introductions. I asked this particular man who was of darker complexion what tribe he was from to which he replied, "Japanese"!!!! A good laugh was had by all.

The meeting began with an 'elder' explaining the importance of the Drum Ceremony and it's significance. Several others sat around the ceremonial drum and began to follow the elders' timing beat based on a particular song that was being performed. (Song might be stretching the meaning.) These were more like chants. Copied below is the equivalent 'hymn book' used for these various pieces. Of course we chanted in the native language.

There is no music to perform but each of the particular worship pieces was tied to a different ceremonial beat. Lo and behold, I was asked to participate in the circle and so responded. I was given a drum beater which actually looked more like a hot dog on a stick(cloth wrapped around one end to serve as a damper). I was soon totally engaged in the process and actually felt quite honored to be a part of the whole thing. All the while my 'tribal leader' was on the side bench encouraging me on and as it turned out, stumping for "Chiefdom". He was asked to become a Chief in the group to which he eventually declined after careful consultation with his dear wife back at the home tepee. I did have fun however looking up the scriptures which would have backed up his new title. You know the ones, "He who is chiefest among you...."

During the ceremony, many wonderful truths were discussed including the importance of family and the preeminent position women have in tribal lore. The disintegration of family was mentioned and the need for keeping traditions alive and vibrant. there was also talk of family history and how most of it is passed down verbally through the generations from tribal elder to elder. Both President and I commented at the conclusion of the evening that the spirit was felt while discussing these eternal truths. Sage was burned and the smoke blown around bodies present to symbolize purification and to form a tie to 'mother earth'. Snake root was ingested for purification purposes I did not ask about.

It was time well spent in an effort to understand another culture, and it looks like we will have an opportunity to attend some future meetings. Their advisor will be gone the last 4 Saturdays in June so President, Doug Humble and I have volunteered to be the 'brown card holders' so that the group may continue their get-togethers. We will circle the wagons and...