Tebotel’m (Greetings)
ON BECOMING AN ELDER
by Phoenix Lara
Join me in the journey to being alive!
I am a Yaqui/Yome person. I am from a nation that is thousands of years old.
The gift of life is but a small spectacle in the infinite universe
Come back and visit often and tell your friends
May you arrive with happiness
—- Phoenix Lara
The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are.
Elders as holders of knowledge they are modest and quiet. If someone stands up and proclaims to be an Elder, that is the surest sign that s/he is not an Elder.
Elders carry the sacred in their person, their presence, and their character. They express it through the voice. They reveal it through their gaze or their strength. The “sacred which they carry can take many forms: traditions, objects, artifacts, teachings, stories, songs, or even social responsibilities.
You sit at the feet of your Elders and listen to them. Then people start to notice that they know, and word gets around. Then one day, someone offers tobacco and asks a question.
Elders are valuable to the community as role models. They are admired for their perseverance, their strength, knowledge, for keepers and teachers of traditional ways. Their presence alone shows others who are struggling with the effects of trauma and oppression that healing is possible.
Elders tell the stories of their own traumas and their process to heal. They share the traditions for those who are ready to embark on the journey of being part of the circle of life.
Being an Elder is not given to anyone to declare. The acknowledgment comes from the community. Their wisdom has kept many traditions and ceremonies alive despite the attempts by society to kill what it means to be “Native American in relationship to all our relatives and part of the circle.
We walk in honor of our ancestors, our Mother Earth, and our relatives. We are striving and resilient. We are here for generations to come.
