Standing (and Walking) Together for Standing Rock

Dear Facilitators and labyrinth lovers,

Fellow Veriditas facilitator, Robin Dilley of Arizona, has urged us to stand together with the water protectors of Standing Rock on January 15th, 2017.This will be an important time considering the recent events.

Even though there are big victories, like the December 5th decision by President Obama to deny the last permit, forcing the Army Core of Engineers to re-route their initial plans, our President Elect has a financial stake in the pipeline moving forward. With the recent appointment of Scott Pruitt as the director of the EPA, it is more pressing now than ever before that the Standing Rock encampment and its supporters increase their visibility and message to the public.

I helped Robin put materials together to create a template similar to what we do for our quarterly resources. The PDF version of these materials can be found by clicking here. Hopefully you will want to make copies and hand them out at your walk on January 15!

If you can’t lead a group walk on the 15th, perhaps you would like to follow the ceremony Robin created for an individual ceremony.

Please let us know if you will be leading a walk so we can create a map of the labyrinths that will be involved. Let’s work to cover the globe with Ppeace on the 15th.

Thanks for all you do to create healing in the world and thank you, Robin, for uniting us in this effort!

Ellen Bintz Meuch
Creator, Global Healing Response

Standing with Standing Rock

Global Healing Response
Labyrinth Walk

January 15, 2017

Quotes: “The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our people. So, you must give the rivers kindness you would give any brother.” Chief Seattle’s Letter 1852.

“You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, and so you have prepared it.” Psalm 65:9

Prayer/Meditation:

Grandfather Great Spirit
All over the world the faces of living ones are alike.
With tenderness, they have come up out of the ground
Look upon your children that they may face the winds
And walk the good road to the Day of Quiet.
Grandfather Great Spirit
Fill us with the Light.
Give us the strength to understand, and the eyes to see.
Teach us to walk the soft Earth as relatives to all that live.
— Sioux Prayer

 Idea for a group ceremony:

• Welcome participants to bring drums, rattles, Native American flutes.
• The facilitator chooses a large bowl or container for water.
• A ladle for pouring water in individual cups.
• Small paper cups (recycled if possible) should be available for participants.
• Native American music or even Hallelujah can be provided in background.
• Participant carries empty cup into the center with silent reflection on the necessity of water.
• Fill the cup with water, with gratitude.
• Carry out with silent reflections and prayers for the people standing their ground at standing rock.
• Take place around outside of labyrinth.
• Last walker takes his/her place in circle.
• Facilitator offers a final prayer and all drink the water together in solidarity.
• The water, container, and ladle should be blessed in some way.

Idea for an individual ceremony

• You may want to carry your own cup of water on this walk or warm up the labyrinth prior to your walk with a blessing of water that you sprinkle around it.
• Enter: May the Holy One of Blessings come and walk with me as I walk for those at Standing Rock.
• Remember: Reflect on our oneness. We are all one. Remember that our bodies are at least 65% water. We all need water to survive. Our water sources are sacred and all of us are dependent on them. Let you mind flow to images of water that are important to you.
• Release: Release the people at Standing Rock to freedom. May they be free of fear. May they be free of suffering. May their land be freely released to them and may their water flow freely for them. Release your own fear, anger, and angst over the injustices committed to others, in order that your energy is free to send peace, victory, and joy to Standing Rock.
• Receive: At the center, receive guidance and blessings for what you need to do to continue to Stand with Standing Rock. Receive healing for those injured in the past, present and future.
• Return: As you walk out from the center, imagine that each step you take is bringing healing to the earth, healing to the waters of the world, and healing to everyone that has been hurt and wounded in the battle at Standing Rock.