I am unsure where to post this thread. Please move if it should be elsewhere.
Saw a comment by a friend on Facebook about the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort in Tucson Arizona having a Mitakuye Oyasin morning ritual. He said the ceremony was led by a member of the Navajo tribe, Larry Redhouse. My question to him was why would a Navajo be using Lakota words? Of course he had no answer as he is a white guy.
http://www.marriott.com/hotel-info/tussp-jw-marriott-tucson-starr-pass-resort-and-spa/recreation/uq5qqgv/activities.miMitakuye Oyasin (Mee-tah-kay Awe-sin) Morning Ritual
We invite you to join us each morning on the Salud Terrace to participate in a traditional Native American ceremony and unique Sonoran Desert experience. During our morning ritual, the warming sunrise, the Native American Flute, burning your own sage prayer tie and an eagle feather blessing will inspire you to see your life from a higher perspective.
Begin each day by reflecting on the connection we all have with nature and each other, finding focus and creating lasting memories. In a ritual that is centuries old, you will have the opportunity to make your intentions known to the universe through the traditional burning of sage.
Experience our morning ritual and discover “Mitakuye Oyasin.”
The ceremony was described by my friend as thus:
Everyone met in a circle at the Salud Terrace and there was already a fire in the fire pit. Larry, the native american from the Navajo Tribe started the ritual by talking about our connection with the earth and the animals on this planet. He pointed out the sounds of all the different species of birds we could hear. He pointed to a cactus that had a bird on top, and said there is a different bird on that cactus on different days. But this morning, this bird had something to say. He pointed out the feathers on this jacket... and said sometimes a robin will come up when he plays, and watches him. He explained the feathers and eagle on his flute, then faced the sun and played a song that his grandfather taught his father, and his father had taught him.
(I swear, more than 90% of the birds stopped chattering, as he played)
The we took a piece of cloth, put some white sage in the cloth and tied it off. Each one of us reflected on a person, situation, whatever was in our heart, and threw the sage tie into the fire, and gave it to our god, higher power, or earth's energy. Then we used a large feather to cleanse ourselves with the smoke of burning white sage, before starting our day.
Larry's personal website is here.
http://www.larryredhouse.com/I suspect the resort is wanting to provide an experience for tourists, but is going about it incorrectly.
