I witnessed a Wendigo (backwards people) ceremony last night.
One of the programs at my organization hosted its annual healing conference yesterday. I volunteered our youth programs for the child minding (fancy term for babysitting). We stuck around after our shift to watch one of us perform with their popular jigging team, United Thunder. Amber and I stuck it out to the end so we could see the Wendigo ceremony. We’re both Wendigocons.
I saw the Wendys getting ready, and I opted out of participating in the ceremony. They were wearing masks. I got spooked. Amber went in. We hid our stuff just in case they took it off our person. That’s something they are allowed to do. They only do that at Sundance, we were later informed.
The ladies hosting the event pulled out some buckets and started pouring salt into them. I asked what that was for. They explained that it was basically puke buckets, and the salt is to trap negative energy. That was another reason I did not feel ready to participate.
The Wendigocon ceremony is a very powerful healing ceremony. It was an awesome thing to witness. It’s great somatic work. Very healthy for the nervous system. The event is for the families of missing and murdered indigenous women. Politics aside, there are families who survive them who need community more than ever. I watched these women break down with the help of the Wendy’s. They really did use the puke buckets. They get you to scream and scream and scream your heart out.
The nervous system needs to regulate. When you get hurt and cry, that is what it is doing. Adults tell us to buck up. Especially to the men. This is why women are stronger than men in our culture. Amber always says that it is up to the women to prioritize men so we can build up the men. We need to restore the balance.
Amber participated in the ceremony, but couldn’t bring herself to commit. She also holds it all in. I’m definitely going to go to Sundance this year. That is the big ceremony. Yes, it is the one where you get pierced, but I’m not performing in the ceremony. I’m going to support them, as they are doing that for the whole community.
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