VALIDATION

hand of Joy Harjo

And when we no longer walk the circle of life

maybe other life will still feed on our skeleton remains

and know that in our struggle

those tears that we dropped into the oceans

and those echoes we left on the mountains

and those footprints that fade on the paths

someone has acknowledged our creation

and thanked us for still following our ways.

The traditional ways,

the spiritual ways,

the earth ways,

the ways our ancestors

in humility and gratefulness

sought to honor the sacredness of the

Earth Mother

for it is She who gives birth

and it is her breasts which give us life

and we are taking care of her,

because we care.

From "The Earth Way" by Ssipsis, Penobscot Elder

actress, Helen Mirren on set in her youth