Ancestral Wisdom Strengthens Modern Changemaking
Ancestral wisdom can be viewed in many different ways. It can be viewed as an artifact of an obsolete, primitive culture, or it can be viewed from a wider perspective. The wider perspective that we offer collectively at Eagle Condor and Golden Threads is that for the vast majority of human history, what we would characterize as success, successful living, and successful navigation of the challenges of being physical humans on this planet as embodied souls, have truly originated from native cultures.
This is not to say that if we look back into the deep past, every single indigenous native culture that has walked the earth has been successful and has walked in balance. We understand that the human experiment has been a tough one, and that our punctuated evolution, especially since the last ice age, has been replete with real challenges. Collectively, we have been, like it or not, a fairly destructive species on the earth.
Stuart Kaufman's adage is that part of our suffering is due to the unintended consequences of the intellectual and technical revolution– the unintended consequences of what happens between our ears and the brilliance of our brain. If the brain is driving things, what we have come to understand, especially through the lens of native culture, is that we oftentimes overlook the systemic effects of the choices that we make with these innovations. Every revolution of the mind, whether it be political or scientific, has a dark underbelly. This dark underbelly has oftentimes, very oftentimes, led us to feel more alienated from the core of life, to be more separate and at odds with the great nature of things, and to come to the conclusion that somehow we inhabit a universe that is at its core, hostile.
That said, there are many cultures, and one particular culture that lives and thrives today that Eagle Condor Council - Golden Threads holds dear in our hearts and works closely with. The Andean peoples, like many native cultures, have a way of understanding, a way of being, a way of relating to spirit, to the earth, to their community that is harmonious and far less destructive. What has been revealed to me and my travels, and the privilege that I've had to know, and in some periods, live with these incredible, extraordinary people of the Andes, is that they are the healthiest, happiest people that I have ever met. When I ask about stress, when I go and talk to these people about cancer and heart disease, their responses almost always are– "Stress? What's cancer? What's heart disease?"
The Andean people are focused on caretaking, which focuses on a concept that is woven throughout native cultures all around the world. This concept of sacred reciprocity– the idea that I, as an embodied soul, am here for service- tells us that we are also here to connect, enjoy, and fully experience the miracles of what life is. Sacred reciprocity stands as an antidote for so many of the ills of Western industrialized culture. The simple imperative for all of us in the technological and industrialized world is to make a priority: taking care of one another, taking care of the earth, and being present and joyous.
Jeff Firewalker Schmitt is an educator, folk healer, master ceremonialist, musician, and scientist. He has given nearly 200 invited presentations (including a TEDx talk and keynote at the Global Philosophy Forum) over the past 35 years. His passionate focus is personal and planetary healing and one of his greatest joys is sharing knowledge and wisdom. He has taught transformative workshops in the US and Europe for the past 25 years. He leads the Eagle Condor Council, one of the premier organizations focused on Andean Nature Mysticism.
Contact Jeff: jeff@eaglecondorcouncil.org