Joy Harjo's Web Log

We are witnesses in these times. Everyone of us. Yesterday the Empire made it clear that it will continue its invasion and takeover of another country. This is a country that has not attacked us. This is an oil-rich country. It is not Christian. In U.S. military lingo the people have been compared to American Indians. The Empire is being run by a fundamentalist Christian agenda. With this is a belief that they inherit the earth. As Silko said in her poem "Witchery", "The earth is dead for them." We are witnessing unprecedented weather changes. Here in New Mexico there has been little or no rain. In Hawaii we are experiencing historic floods and rain. Even if humans forget, Earth will not. Earth memory is massive. Our memories are utterly linked. If we separate ourselves from Earth knowledge, we will be separated from ourselves.

Last night I was gifted with a whale feast in my hotel room in the Hotel Santa Fe. My friend from Gambell on St. Lawrence Island gave me whale meat last fall. I saved it until we could get together and share it. She's been very homesick so we decided this was the time. I'm also back in New Mexico and will visit with students at Santa Fe Indian School today. And best of all, my son was able to come down from the North to be with me. She brought her ulu, (the name different in her dialect but I cannot recall it this morning) and a cutting board. She also brought seasoned salt and soy sauce. I bought frozen blueberries that had defrosted perfectly to half frozen.

She skillfully cut the whale and we had a small ceremony in honor of this whale gift. I learned that I like whale meat. It's tasty, kind of meaty. I didn't need the salt or soy sauce, only a chaser once in a while of blueberries. My son said it tasted like prime rib. My friend smiled all evening, her spirit shining with Home and whale memory.

NOTE: I will also be podcasting this next week. The last few weeks I've been staying a reservation and hanging out with family--not much access to the internet.