Lecture Notes

Dedication

• Dedicated to Deborah Powell for her support and inspiration.
• Quotation from Wendell Berry's "The Peace of Wild Things" emphasizing rest and freedom in nature.

Introduction

• Speaker: Saul Indian Horse
• Parents: Mary Mondamin and John Indian Horse
• Background:
  • Grandfather's name: Solomon (Saul named in diminutive form after him)
  • Tribe: Fish Clan of the Northern Ojibwe, self-identified as Anishnabeg
  • Homeland: Territories along the Winnipeg River, between Lake of the Woods and Manitoba

Cultural Heritage

• Physical traits and cultural connections:
  • Cheekbones, eyes, hair, and physical build linked to natural elements
• Historical navigation skills and respect for nature
• Language reflects nature's influence; legends speak of a sacred connection to Earth (Aki)

Personal Context

• Transition from cultural grounding to disconnection in current generation
• Storytelling as a path to healing, per counselors at New Dawn Center
  • Purpose: Understanding one's past to navigate the future
  • Perspective on Rehabilitation: Skeptical about the process but willing to participate to leave treatment center

Current Situation

• Location: New Dawn Center - a treatment facility
• Therapies: Sharing circles and personal counseling
  • Emphasis on storytelling and communal strength
• Personal Experience:
  • Length of sobriety: 1 month in center, 6 weeks in hospital
  • Physical improvement noted
  • Apprehensive about sharing in group settings
• Permission to Write: Counselor Moses allows writing as an alternative to group sharing

Spiritual Reflection

• Vision and Seership:
  • Claims of spiritual visions removed from physical world
  • Formerly considered a seer by medicine people
  • Loss of this gift seen as a significant sorrow
• Quest for Rediscovery: Ongoing journey to reclaim lost spiritual insight

Conclusion

• Saul Indian Horse is engaging in storytelling as a means to heal and understand his life journey.
• His narrative reflects a struggle between cultural heritage and personal challenges, seeking freedom from past burdens.