archaeology

Pagan Community Notes: Week of October 10, 2022

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TWH – Today is Indigenous Peoples Day which has been a National holiday in the U.S. since 1941, and was made a federal holiday in 1971, celebrated on the second Monday in October each year.

However, President Biden became the first U.S. president to formally recognize the holiday and issue a proclamation last year.

This year, Biden issued a similar proclamation:

 On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the sovereignty, resilience, and immense contributions that Native Americans have made to the world; and we recommit to upholding our solemn trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations, strengthening our Nation-to-Nation ties.

For centuries, Indigenous Peoples were forcibly removed from ancestral lands, displaced, assimilated, and banned from worshiping or performing many sacred ceremonies.  Yet today, they remain some of our greatest environmental stewards.  They maintain strong religious beliefs that still feed the soul of our Nation.  And they have chosen to serve in the United States Armed Forces at a higher rate than any other group.  Native peoples challenge us to confront our past and do better, and their contributions to scholarship, law, the arts, public service, and more continue to guide us forward.

I learned long ago that Tribal Nations do better when they make their own decisions.  That is why my Administration has made respect for Tribal sovereignty and meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations the cornerstone of our engagement and why I was proud to restore the White House Council on Native American Affairs.  To elevate Indigenous voices across our Government, I appointed Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, along with more than 50 other Native Americans now in significant roles across the executive branch.

My Administration is also directly delivering for Native communities — creating jobs, providing critical services, and restoring and preserving sacred Tribal lands.  We have made the biggest investment in Indian Country in history, securing billions for pandemic recovery, infrastructural improvements, and climate change resilience, and we are working together with Tribal Nations to end the scourge of violence against Indigenous women and girls.

These efforts are a matter of dignity, justice, and good faith.  But we have more to do to help lift Tribal communities from the shadow of our broken promises, to protect their right to vote, and to help them access other opportunities that their ancestors were long denied.  On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we celebrate indigenous history and our new beginning together, honoring Native Americans for shaping the contours of this country since time immemorial.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 10, 2022, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.  I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation.

Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, the first Native American woman to hold the cabinet position also posted a message citing the progress being made to honor Indigenous Peoples and their culture with greater representation and partnering with Native communities in policy making and governance of public lands and the environment.

Today also marks the celebration of Thanksgiving in Canada, which is celebrated on the second Monday in October. The United Nations World Mental Health Day is also today being recognized each year on October 10. This year’s theme is “Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.”

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WATERFORD, Ireland – On September 30, a sculpture of Éiriu, an Irish Goddess that was part of a biodiversity project, was the target of suspected arson. The sculpture was composed of wood and had been placed on Waterford’s Greenway route at Carriganore in March.

The Waterford Fire Service crew arrived on the scene at 7:30 am to find the sculpture fully engulfed in flames and were unable to save the sculpture. According to reports, “Gardaí are treating it as an incident of criminal damage and are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.” An Garda Síochána is the police force of the Irish Republic and is commonly referred to as Gardaí.

A statement made by a Garda spokesperson said, “Waterford Garda Station are looking for assistance in the investigation of the criminal damage to the wooden sculpture that was a feature on the Greenway at Carriganore, Waterford City. It has been destroyed by fire.”

The sculpture of Éiriu was carved by a Special Branch Carvers team led by master wood craftsman, John Hayes. Hayes told the media, “We will come back out and if we have to do it another 50 times, we’ll figure out a way to do it. You have to keep going but it’s a pity she is not there today.”

Hayes has designed a number of other works which include the 23-meter sword lying in Waterford’s Viking Triangle.

The sculpture of Éiriu was done in collaboration with the South East Technological University as a biodiversity project. According to Irish mythologies, Éiriu is part of a triple goddess aspect along with her sisters Banbha and Fodhla, goddesses of sovereignty.

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United States Supreme Court Building By Carol M. Highsmith – Library of CongressCatalog – Public Domain

WASHINGTON – Members of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde have filed a writ of certiorari requesting the Supreme Court hear the case Slockish v. U.S. Department of Transportation.

The case is focused on the restoration of a sacred site that was destroyed in 2008 when the Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Oregon Department of Transportation made the decision to construct a turn lane from U.S. Highway 26 near Mount Hood.

While the land in question is federal land, it was also part of an ancient Native American trading route, which Highway 26 follows. The new turn lane was constructed on an acre of land that was populated with old-growth trees, held an ancient burial site, and stone altar all considered sacred to various tribes.

Ana Kwna Nchi Nchi Patat was the name of the burial site and roughly translates to “Place of Big Big Trees.” Native Americans hold a centuries-long history of visiting the site to conduct spiritual ceremonies and did so until the site was destroyed by the construction of the off-ramp.

This latest filing cites the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and how the decisions made regarding the construction violated tribal members’ exercise and practice of their religion. They are seeking a ruling that requires the embankment to be removed, trees to be replanted, and a new stone altar to be constructed.

Becket Law firm is representing tribal members and the case is similar to the ongoing case in Arizona over the proposed copper mine that would destroy Chi’chil Bildagoteel (Oak Flat).

The Supreme Court will make a decision on whether it opts to take up the case sometime between November and January of next year.

Announcements:

  • On October 22 at 7:00 pm (EDT), Cherry Hill Seminary will host Caroline Tully, Ph.D. as part of its “Coming to the Center” lecture series. Tully will present, “Nature, Shamanism and Psychoactive Drugs in Cretan Bronze Age Religion: What kind of religious activities were practised in the Bronze Age Aegean?” The lecture will feature an examination of ancient Minoan visual art, objects, and texts, and explain how aspects of Minoan religion can be considered shamanistic. The program is free but registration for the event is required. Previous lectures in the series can be found on the CHS YouTube channel.

Upcoming Pagan Pride Day Events:

  • Las Cruces Pagan Pride Day will be held on Saturday, October 15 in Pioneer Women’s Park located at 500 West Las Cruces Avenue and runs from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The event will feature a wide variety of vendors and offer ceremonies and other activities. Organizers request that attendees bring donations of warm clothing, pet food, or non-perishable food items to benefit Camp Hope & Animal Rescue.

In other news:

    • The iconic carved statues on Easter Island have been damaged by a wildfire that broke out last Monday. According to recent reports 80 of the megalithic carved statues, which are called moai, have suffered damage. The moai are within the Rapa Nui National Park and there are approximately 416 statues in that area of the park with the fire burning 148 acres. The moai are made of pyroclastic rock known as lapilli tuff which is subject to fracturing when exposed to high temperatures. According to Ariki Tepano, part of the Indigenous Ma’u Henua community that manages the park, the fire had done “irreparable” damage to the site. Tepano said in a statement, “The moai are totally charred, and you can see the effect of the fire upon them.”

    • Archaeologists excavating in the ancient city of Perre in the Adiyaman province in Turkey unearthed a 1,800-year-old bronze medal depicting Medusa which they believe is connected to military service. The director of the Adiyaman Museum, Mehmet Alkan said, “The medal with a Medusa head appears as an award given to a soldier for his success.” Alkan continued, “It is a medal that a soldier wears on or on his shield during a military ceremony. We found a 1,800-year-old military diploma here during the excavations last year, and we also associate the medal with military service.”

    • The University of Barcelona (UAB) recently published the findings from the Sikait Project team on the excavations of the Berenike site, a Greco-Roman seaport in the Egyptian Eastern desert. The Sikait Project is under the direction of UAB Professor Joan Oller Guzmán, and the excavations were performed by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology and the University of Delaware. One of the finds dating to the Late Roman Period, (fourth to sixth centuries C.E.) is a small traditional Egyptian temple. The area was controlled and adapted by the Blemmyes, a nomadic people, during that period. The temple contained 15 falcons, many of which were headless, and has resulted in the temple being dubbed the “Falcon Shrine.” While mummified falcons, usually minus their heads, have been found at other excavation sites, they have been solitary finds and never within a temple. To discover 15 of the birds, along with eggs, is considered to be unprecedented. Also uncovered, is a stele with a curious inscription that reads, “It is improper to boil a head in here.” According to Guzmán, “all of these elements point to intense ritual activities combining Egyptian traditions with contributions from the Blemmyes, sustained by a theological base possibly related to the worshipping of the god Khonsu,” He continued, “The discoveries expand our knowledge of these semi-nomad people, the Blemmyes, living in the Eastern desert during the decline of the Roman Empire.”

    TWH wants to see your Ancestor altar pictures!

    The Wild Hunt is seeking pictures of ancestor altars for inclusion in an article for publication that highlights and celebrates Samhain.

    Submission guidelines:

    • Must be an original picture(s) that has not been published online and that the submitter has taken;
    • Include a location and name of the submitter, e.g. – Photo taken in Western North Carolina by S. Bustamonte
    • The deadline is midnight on October 25.
    • Must be formatted as a jpg, png, or pdf.

    Submissions can be emailed to pcn@wildhunt.org and must be received by midnight (EDT) on October 25.


    Positively Noteworthy

    Professor Ronald Hutton was appointed last month as the Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. Gresham College recently published this lecture given by Hutton speaking on the “Gods of Prehistoric Britain” which outlines and explores the Pagan history and many culturally significant sites found across Britain. It is the first in a series of lectures, “Finding Britain’s Lost Gods.”

    Hutton is a Professor of History at the University of Bristol and holds degrees from Cambridge and Oxford Universities, is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Royal Historical Society, the Society of Antiquaries, and the Learned Society of Wales.

    He has published a number of books on Pagan history, perhaps most notably what is considered to be a seminal work on modern Pagan practices, Triumph of the Moon (1999). He has been featured in a variety of radio and television programs and serves on the editorial boards of six journals concerned with the history of religion and magic.

    Gresham College, established in 1597, provides free college-level lectures and videos on a wide variety of topics.


    Tarot of the week by Star Bustamonte

    Deck: Dark Wood Tarot, by Sasha Graham, and art by Abigail Larson, published by Llewellyn Publications.

    Card: Ace of Swords

    This week is liable to hold significant insights, truths, and a good understanding of the mental processes and logic that can help to illuminate the path ahead. There is an additional focus on how issues that arise are handled.

    Conversely, imbalances in thinking and relying on faulty data is likely to result in misunderstandings. Decisions made based on incorrect information have the potential of being entirely incompatible with the desired outcome.

    Decks generously provided by Asheville Pagan Supply.

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