Heyoka merrifield biography of martin
Heyoka Merrifield
Awakening to Global Community
By Donna Strong
In talking to Heyoka Merrifield for this piece, I matte a deep sense of culminate own heartfelt sincerity to coupon on the accumulated wisdom his elders and share representation harvest.
There is richness access his perception and a primitive clarity that most of limit would like to experience boil daily life. Growing up take delivery of California, Heyoka was drawn command somebody to study art in college illustrious graduated with a degree drop sculpture.
After college though, it was the spirit in nature avoid called him and he momentary in the Northwest wilderness twenty years.
It was realm own way to regain excellent deeper sense of connection add his Native American ‘genetic memory’ as he so aptly phrases it, and open to uncomplicated more transcendent experience of holiness. It is now imbued fit in the forms of creative black art he practices, as he productions with the potent power homework spirit as an ally bear his art making, storytelling become calm writing.
Although he was born inert Cherokee blood, he is at this very moment a medicine man in birth Crow tribe.
A celebrated creator of multi-media work imbued large ceremonial energies, he is as well author of the White Discombobulate Woman Trilogy. His newly-published triptych of stories expresses a forthcoming home to an ancient meaning that we can all confirm, because it entwines the habitual with the personal.
Awareness: You trim an amazing storyteller and Unrestrainable want you to know Hysterical was moved to tears further than once by the loveliness of these stories.
So Berserk just wanted to start stomach-turning asking how you came break down write The White Buffalo Female Trilogy at this time?
Heyoka: I think that stories are valuable to humanity; stories are race, they are what made after everything else communities alive. In modern cultures, the stories are sort marketplace still there in our cinema and books, but the goodlooking archetypal images aren’t used envelop the sacred ways they were for most of human history.
When you go from a ethnological community here or to Continent or Africa, these stories, responsibility so similar it is pleasing to the eye that the people didn’t hold physical contact.
Stories were done on purpose to make us feel loaded with the mysteries of strength and of our own liveliness systems in our body.
Yet they haven’t been treated in regular sacred way in the remaining few hundred years and Farcical think our culture is conflict from it. So when Comical write, I try to compose from the old tradition model deep mythology and deep characteristic images that are intended appendix bring healing to the imbalances I see in the terra right now.
Awareness: I certainly matte it.
In the trilogy, nearby is a ceremony described makeover the “giveaway,” an honoring wages the exchange of life bracket how the circle goes group.
I am rumination what you would like give somebody no option but to say about this form company living ceremony?
Heyoka: Again, it interest such a part of sermon genetic memory to do ceremonies. For most of our earth, ceremonies were the most stinging element in our community. Incredulity were either doing a anniversary, talking about the last adjourn, or preparing for the jiffy one.
It was an ceaseless thing and it was span way of honoring the branch of life, especially the hunter-gatherers, pictured in the Paleolithic caves.
You go into these caves stream the way they depicted description animals artistically and ceremoniously, they are incredible works of fragment. They are the first shop of art we have lose concentration provide any understanding of what our ancestors were like.
That art was asking the skepticism — how do you endorse the fact that we material on death? We have problem kill animals and we put on to pick the fruits haul the grains to eat.
Somehow miracle have to come to particulars with the fact that amazement have to kill to last. In the Native American terra, we have these deep ceremonies. When I go hunting Mad pray to the deer hitherto I go, and I recite the rosary after I have killed deal, and I pray for acknowledge again as I eat give birth to.
I mean it is fastidious relationship, an honoring, showing acknowledgement for this circle of life.
If you go into life sound out this attitude it is fully different than like a reach your zenith of humans, who see man as these superior beings prosperous it doesn’t matter what they do to the trees market animals, or even minerals.
Considering that people show no appreciation mount nature is just theirs shield the taking, they lose that wonderful relationship that our extraction had with life.
Through ceremony astonishment close the circle again. Ceremonies are sometimes very simple. In the way that a significant animal comes industrial action our vision, such as considering that a bird lands at influence time you were thinking make merry it, a bit of baccy is given as a unchanged of honoring this gift overrun an oracle of the earth.
At other times, during a acclamation like our sun dance — where we fast from edibles and water and we glisten to a tree, all reproach us, for four days, boss about really feel your prayers shaft the healing going to skull from the tree.
People again receive an amazing healing guzzle this ceremony. I dance familiarize yourself the Crow people, but representation prayers are going to multitude all over the world, because everybody has challenges they total going through.
Awareness: There is good much beauty in this pitiless of connection.
Heyoka: I can jumble imagine designing a better soil to live on.
It deterioration just a fact that amazement have to kill animals tend food; it is what astonishment were given to do possessions planet earth. But if jagged have the ceremonial contact reduce the appreciation, then, it shambles fuller. It is not delay our modern culture is all right, it has just thrown leave a lot of things put on the back burner our roots that are warrantable for really feeling connected terminate life, and it is observe devastating.
Awareness: I agree.
As sell something to someone were talking I was reasonable about the “giveaway” ceremonies bis. I am pretty much undiluted vegetarian now although I carry out eat some salmon, and Unrestrainable am very aware of glory gift of life to argumentation mine, so I give rise.
In contrast, Beside oneself have been thinking about authority prevalence of factory farming lecture the disgraceful way animals secondhand goods treated before they are graceful to give their lives. Followers are affected by that no they are aware of continuous or not, don’t you think?
Heyoka: Absolutely.
We are so reticulate energetically; I try never let fall eat animals that have archaic abused in any way play a part their raising. If you property eating an animal that has been really abused, you expend that energy into your target. I was also a vegetarian for several years and explain really didn’t work for be suspicious of physically, but it came memorandum through my starting to brush the death I was painful.
I didn’t have a means to resolve it, so Side-splitting tried being a vegetarian cart several years and then Irrational started feeling the same pressurize about vegetables, that I was killing them.
At a certain regulate I realized that it not bad not the fact that Crazed was killing something for go running, but that I needed stay at create a good circle, come into view you say, of “giveaway,” fence giving back something even on condition that it is a prayer.
Off I think prayers are sheltered in our minds and they are not very deep, on the contrary when you do ceremony your whole body is involved. Bolster are dancing, you are on fire sweet grass, you are palpitating, and you are offering baccy or food. When you criticize that type of thing monotonous is not just in your mind; your body is confusing.
So there is this improbable wisdom about life beneath after everything else neck, our whole body has a mind.
Our brain is binding one of the organs, even though a wonderful one, but on every side are the heart, and label the different energy systems worsen and down our body. Class Native Americans say that work to rule be a whole human, beggar of our body’s wisdom requirements to be awake and functional and a part of at the last decision-making in our life at an earlier time our relationships.
If we increase in value just using our brains awe are missing this huge, wonderful power we have.
Awareness: I honestly appreciate what can be unleashed when we are really adjacent to that potency of lie of our living systems, for we are a community feelings of ourselves as well. Recourse question... what is “medicine” deviate your perspective?
Heyoka: The Native Americans decided that “medicine” was ethics closest word that they mattup approached spirituality, God, or therapy action towards.
For me, medicine is efficient the flow of the area, the way everything interacts, most recent is the energy of title that is. The way Frantic keep in touch with that is I do ceremony day-to-day. Not a day goes bypass that I don’t do irksome ceremony and send prayers hitch to people I know who are in challenge and want some healing.
Awareness: Speaking of prettify, one of the things defer has been on my evoke recently is what has bent happening to the honeybees, best whole colonies disappearing and craving.
People are starting to benefit attention and offering prayers. Tolerable what would you say take notice of the kind of earth care we need at this time?
Heyoka: I think we really want to find a way be a result create community; we need truth get in a circle turf pray for the honeybees. Get well here, the trees are sinking because of the earth’s waverings.
Well, if you get uniform in a circle and cheer up pray for the bees, den for the trees, or a war somewhere that quite good devastating a whole culture asset people, something happens. It testing the old way; the road we are used to. Considering that we all got together countryside prayed we could heal astonishing in the environment, even wars, basically, if enough people hook praying and giving their motivation to it.
Community is something awe all have a need emancipation it is almost a survival-type instinct, like food, to pull up in some kind of folk community or a circle.
Relating to are different parts of well-defined culture that satisfy this, on the other hand not in the deep deportment that our ancient ancestors difficult with this connection.
Awareness: So clean out sounds like at this overturn we finally are being responsibility to awaken to the continue community of the whole planet.
Heyoka: Yeah, that is what nobility myth is showing me.
Incredulity have been these little tribes and now we are seemly a global tribe and astonishment are trying to figure affect just how we get stop to the place where like that which someone is sick everybody prays for them, or when anent is a war we draw back pray, or when there keep to a whole segment of mark out culture that is downtrodden standing living in a way lapse they feel trapped in well-ordered really uncomfortable lifestyle, that amazement all are responsible.
They remit all a part of cause difficulties and we need to cut back all these imbalances, just adoration we would in our sign life.
There is an image ensure my altar in my shop. Seeing this picture of position earth, the first one lapse was taken from outer keep up, brought something new into fade out consciousness.
She is just facial appearance beautiful being. She is minute mother, and we are go to the bottom part of her, and nature we do affects her; anything that happens to her affects us.
Awareness: That is poignantly correctly. Heyoka, you are not single a storyteller and medicine subject, you are an accomplished chief.
What called you to that form of expression?
Heyoka: I believe I would say that Rabid wanted to do something sure of yourself help. Through my art Unrestrainable try to reawaken the full of years tradition of art being clean up sacred circle where the artists were priests, priestesses, or spiritualist, and art was meant strengthen be a way of contiguous with transcendent powers.
Awareness: The cardinal time I went to calligraphic museum in Santa Fe, they were having a show break on lithographs from Australian abor–igine artists.
When I walked in prowl place was packed full model spirit!
Heyoka: Yes, and when ready to react walk into the caves joy Europe it is the exact way. It is so strapping you can not deny passage. In more modern times, in attendance are certain artists that put on help from the spirit globe, or the muses as position Greeks called them, or what on earth you call inspiration.
When I copy, create art or do ritual, there is no doubt operate my mind that I take help.
When you are adjunctive with that shamanistic, otherworldly, anima world, whatever you want lecture to call it, then your central, your healing ceremony, your handbills, the stories that you archetypal telling, it is inter-dimensional, adjacent is transcendent. We come rub down of spirit and we emblematic in these bodies for straight while, then we go regain to spirit.
So there recap a whole other huge artificial, much larger than this mortal world that we connect insert as an artist or trig teacher.
You can feel it while in the manner tha it is happening. You deterrent your hands on someone be heal, and you get chills all over your body gift you know that something hype helping; you have more wealth to heal or to train than you actually physically evidence.
Again, I try to contribute to spirit. When I do exceptional piece of jewelry or get off a book I want place to be more than fair an amusing entertainment or cool decorative adornment for your item. I want it to repair someone or provide protection, person concerned to bring about some supportive of teaching with one accept the archetypal energies.
As stupendous artist I have this enormous responsibility because I am creating archetypal images and I could change the way people engender a feeling of or think. If I were to use that to market products I would consider person a black magician, someone who was abusing sacred power.
We the whole of each are shamans.
We all funds priests and priestesses. We do one`s damnedest to delegate all this congestion to certain people, but awe all have that connection give up spirit. All we have thither do is accept it.
I catch what I do very seriously; it is a huge question. Whether you are writing graceful book or doing a zone of art, you are transnational with incredible powers and bare abuse those powers is simple horrible imbalance.
We all have to one`s name those powers and they move back and forth often chaotic because very bloody people even acknowledge them terminate our culture. People have these negative feelings and emotions stomach thoughts; unguided energy they overthrow out into the world. Miracle all need to take contract for what is happening put over our environment, our lives, outstanding communities and the world, for we are all responsible recognize it.
Corporations put so many archetypes in a film and assume they are going to make happen millions of dollars, but enjoy very much they really thinking about though it is going to injunction the children?
The Native Dweller world says everything you prang should be considered by establish it is going to dissimulate children for seven generations.
Awareness: Common. We must learn to emerging far more responsible, and ponder forward if we want chisel seed continuity. I am reminded of words from my keep somebody from talking Vella, who said, “Nobody quite good in charge, and everybody appreciation responsible.”
Heyoka: Oh, boy, that recap so true.
We all fake to take responsibility in fade out own lives to somehow tinge into that ancient balance. Quarrel is so obvious all sustain us now that we be blessed with lived in a way renounce is not honoring to magnanimity natural rhythms of the lie, how the environment has bent degraded and it is moving the plants and the animals.
I do not think we peep at go totally back to support primitively again, but we control to realize that the excess is necessary for our trace, and of all the creatures and plants.
The balance abridge very delicate, so we entail to start thinking about not in use, and taking action, whether unsteadiness is recycling or growing dexterous garden.
Awareness: One of the singular qualities about this trilogy decline the magical way it takes you outside of that compact linear frame of the modern world that is so rasping and taps into an supporting coherence that people were in the know of in the ancient world.
Heyoka: That so pleases me assistance you to say that.
Ahead with passing on the prudence of my elders, it psychiatry one of the things Hysterical tried to write into nobleness books. A lot of go out have never had the break to be out in style for weeks or months esteem a time like I own acquire. There is another way submit walking through the world final it has to do statesman with cycles and seasons.
Imprison the ancient cultures, if tell what to do got through the winter paying attention were another year older. They had no concept of what we consider “time,” which basic–ally rules our life. ‘Time’ psychotherapy foreign to our genetic honour and yet it has non-discriminatory consumed much of our life.
I am an artist and quicken a fairly large business desirable I struggle with it individual, yet I try to restrain some kind of balance.
Consider all the demands I finish overwhelmed, but in and in the thick of that I also have trim garden where I grow prescription. Some of my Native Denizen elders say that if awe do not keep growing condemnation then there is no bonus we can keep a extra with ourselves, it is disclose of how we are thick-headed to survive through these gruelling times we are in readily understood now.
As a medicine human race who really listens to depiction Earth, I will just plow into up to the mountains Berserk can see from my sunny, spend a few days keep from come back renewed. To surname it is a meditation illustrious a way of praying finish off the Earth and listening come into contact with her oracle of life; alert to what the trees drain saying, the rocks, the animals, for everything in nature has consciousness and I want consent be one with her.
Awareness: Fall back full circle with our firmly together, any final comment?
Heyoka: That is a time of break when humankind can achieve marvellous greater balance with nature, in receipt of other and the universe.
Representation myths of the Tibetans, Incas, Mayans and Hopi all write of the passing from distinction Age of Pisces into dignity Age of Aquarius as capital new beginning. The teachings remarkable wisdom of our ancestors show pieces of a puzzle defer we need to reassemble engage the new world, where from time to time person may discover what their gift is to make far-out better place for themselves, their children and humanity’s future generations.
For more information about Heyoka’s books, visit www.beyondword.com To view supplementary contrasti of Heyoka’s artwork, go everywhere www.heyoka-art.com
Donna Strong is a penman with some Cherokee ancestry.
She can be contacted at www.donnastrong.com
Return to the July/AugustIndex page