Dancing to heal the earth

Whenever you dance, wherever you dance, dance to heal the earth.

This line, which is part of a well-known Native American prayer, is helping Ojibway man Paul Bruneau spread a very special message to men, women and children of all nations.

Bruneau shared his message with nearly 300 people at the Music in the Pines festival, which was recently held at Whispering Pines campground near Curran.

On Canada Day, Friday, July 1, Bruneau carried out a special ceremony asking those in attendance to commit to taking part in a dance aimed at healing the earth, the spirits of the people and awakening the ancestors.

"I had a vision around this time last year," Bruneau explained. "I know that the things we are doing are taking a heavy toll on the earth. All the drilling for oil, cutting down trees, poisoning the water. It's disgusting. I was thinking about this and a vision came to me that we need to hold a dance. This dance is going to be a healing dance, a dance for all nations, all religions and all colours. We need everyone to get involved and do their part. We can't just sit back and be quiet any longer. The time is now."

While fighting back tears, Bruneau explained that his vision is calling for the rebirth of the Ghost Dance, a dance that was done by numerous Native American tribes centuries ago. The Ghost Dance was conceived by a Paiute spiritual leader known as Wovoka (or Jack Wilson).

The movement began in 1889 when Wovoka prophesied a peaceful end to white American expansion while preaching goals of clean living, an honest life, and cross-cultural co-operation by Native Americans. He believed the Ghost Dance would restore peace and harmony and that it would awaken the ancestors to bring about healing to the earth and its people.

The Ghost Dance died out following the Sioux massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 and numerous attempts to bring the dance back have failed.

"Maybe the reason the attempts to bring it back were unsuccessful was because the intent just wasn't there," Bruneau said. "For me, the intent is clear. We need to change our relationship with the earth. We need to love and respect her and stop all the damage. We need to bring peace and harmony among all nations. People are crying out for this and it needs to happen now."

Bruneau pointed out that dancing, like singing and drumming, has been part of the First Nations culture for countless generations. As a traditional dancer, drummer and singer himself, he said there are many reasons for dancing, though most involve healing and honouring the ancestors.

"For me, dancing is about healing and letting our ancestors know that we haven't forgotten the traditional ways," he remarked. "I dance to heal others. I dance for those who cannot dance. I dance to make my ancestors happy, to show them my deep respect for the traditions they passed down to us. The ancestors love when we dance, sign and drum. It makes them happy and it reminds them of the old ways."

While Bruneau is only in the planning stages of his vision, he said he is devoting a lot of time and effort to passing the message along. As more information becomes available, it too will be shared.

"This will be a dance that I am hoping will spread around the world and will be done in numerous locations," he commented. "I am encouraging everyone to get involved in any way they can. If you're tired of the way the world is going and you want a change, get involved. There is so much talk and no action and I am tired of it. A lot of people are."

Although Bruneau doesn't pay much attention to the doomsday prophecies advertising the end of the world in the very near future, he does admit that he is paying attention to the earth and the signals she is sending out.

"We are plagued with natural disasters like flooding, storms, tornadoes, wild fires, you name it," he stated. "I hear people say that Mother Earth is attacking us because she's mad at us. That upsets me because she is not attacking us. She is letting us know we are pushing her too far. How else do you expect something that is under tremendous stress to respond? She's letting us know that she's at the tipping point and it's up to us to change. If we don't change, I hate to think what will happen."

In fact, Bruneau said he doesn't understand people who don't seem to realize or care that the earth is being poisoned and sapped of its natural resources.

"I think of it like this," he said. "If you have a house and it starts to fall apart, you fix it up so it doesn't crumble around you. People should be thinking the same way about the earth. This is our home and it's the only one we have. The only reason we're alive is because of the earth."

Bruneau remains hopeful that people will take up the cause and do what is right. He said he will be busy spreading the word and making plans for the dance and is anxious for people to get involved.

"I have kids and that's just one of many reasons I am doing this," he stated. "If you've got children or grandchildren, then there is no excuse. If we hand this world over to them, we're giving them a pretty raw deal. Our children and grandchildren deserve better and in all honesty, so do we."