Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

April 3, 2020

Tohono O'odham Ophelia Rivas 'Acknowledging the Ancestors and Living in Balance in this Age'




Photo and Commentary by Ophelia Rivas
Tohono O'odham
O'odham VOICE Against the Wall
Censored News

While a majority of my mentors are no longer physically present to guide me and instruct me through this new, but not unfamiliar attack on humanity, they are however very present spiritually. 
Spiritually is a word that closely but not fully encompasses the living essence of ancestral strength and vibrancy.The spirituality essence of ancestors also does not fully define the presence of the living ancestors. 
'From time immemorial' is used liberally to address historic acknowledgment, which is also a word that does not fully address this full acknowledgment. 
It is truly humbling to begin to address the ancestors and the presence of the ancestors.
This is where I begin every day at the rising sun and at the setting sun. 
To fully connect to all the essence of ancestors is simple, like a nod to a familiar face, a soft brush of a sweet flower to your face or the embrace of the salty mist of the ocean waters in total abandonment of yourself. 
The wicked distortion and delusional facade of humanity today has exceeded the capacity of imbalance. 
My understanding of my daily acknowledgment of the ancestors draws on balance. The capacity of balance is a peaceful, healthy and beautiful essence the ancestors from time immemorial acknowledged to continue true humanity and life.
This is the time to put into practice an understanding that every human is a vital and intricate part of all that is life. A strong but a minority of humanity has held the life of this world throughout time. I encourage every person this reaches to become apart of this strength to begin practicing an acknowledgment to the ancestors. This is an acknowledgment to the entire living world that has survived from beyond time immemorial. 
Ophelia Rivas, O'odham VOICE Against the WALL

         Ophelia's website:  http://solidarity-project.org/

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