 Anthony Nava knew few other American Indians when he was growing up in the Louisville area in the 1970s and 1980s. And Nava said his own family, which moved here for work, also didn't put much emphasis on its roots. “Back in the day it was a bad thing to be an Indian. You didn't talk about it. Shhh,” recalled Nava, 41, with roots in the Keetoowah Cherokees of Oklahoma and the Yaqui tribe of Arizona. And when people did talk about it, they would often ask him to “sing a song for us, entertain us.” That prompted him to begin working as an educator 19 years ago. Ever since, the New Albany, Ind.-based artist has been speaking to schools and civic groups about American Indian traditions and spirituality.
“You have to understand what it is to be Indian. It's not this,” he said, holding up one of his handmade flutes at a recent gathering at the Rainbow Spiritual Education Center on Lindsay Avenue. “It's not the long hair,” he added, noting that he recently cut short his own 2-foot locks in part to counter Hollywood stereotypes. “It's who we are. It really starts with one word: respect. We have to learn to respect ourselves before we can start respecting each other.”
Nava and another educator, Matthew Black Eagle Man Cordes of Radcliff, Ky., who follows the Lakota spiritual tradition , spoke at the center to a group from Unity Church of Louisville, which has embarked on a yearlong education series on world religions in conjunction with the group Interfaith Paths to Peace. The Rainbow center, which encourages people to “reflect with respect” on various spiritual paths, is playing host to some of the gatherings.
Nava and Cordes demonstrated rituals through sage incense flute and drum music and chants invoking the aid of spirits.
In between, they talked about common spiritual beliefs and practices — acknowledging that any explanations were overly simplistic for traditions that cross hundreds of tribal and language groups.Still, Nava and Cordes said there are common threads in these traditions — concepts of a “great spirit” or “great mystery,” of living in close understanding with non-human creatures and of belief in nature as a sacred space. While some people in Louisville practice elements of native spirituality such as sweat lodge ceremonies, this may be one of the region's least-known religious traditions. Kentucky's American Indian population is only three-tenths of 1 percent — compared with, for example, 8 percent in Oklahoma or South Dakota.
No federally recognized tribes are based in Kentucky or Southern Indiana. Nava said he has had people asking if he was Mexican, Middle Eastern or Italian. Nationally, 1 percent of Americans are American Indian. Many are Christians, including a large percentage who see their core beliefs as irreconcilable with certain native beliefs about spirits and nature. Others, such as Nava and Cordes, see connections in both. “Most of the things you have heard can be applied to whatever religious denominations you're a part of,” Nava told the gathering.With a mixture of gravity and humor, Cordes said the need to be cleansed of one's sins stands behind ceremonies ranging from the Catholic rite of confession to the native “smudging” ceremony, in which one symbolically bathes in sage incense. “We are the most pitiful creatures on the face of this earth,” Cordes said. “We as human beings are destroying the earth. Spiritually, we have forgotten who we are. Spiritually, we have forgotten about humility. “It's actually shameful that we need confessionals. It's actually shameful that we have to smudge ourselves.” He added: “The animals don't have to, but they weren't given free will like we were - or opposable thumbs.” Peter Smith is the religion writer for The Courier-Journal. This column is adapted from his Faith & Works blog at www.courier-journal.com/faithblog. He can be reached at (502) 582-4469. *Note: Photo copyrighted to Courier Journal. Do not reuse or distribute! Comment from the Nava Family: With all press we would like to say that it is very difficult to convey our ideas and beliefs to somone and expect them to convey them correctly. We would like to say thank you to the Courier Journal for the article. Although there are quite a few views that Anthony Nava expressed to the reporter who in turn misinterpreted what Anthony had said. With all press we try to have a sense of humor. |
|