Community Program

Acrylic by Nish Nung, Ojibwe 2003

The New Heavens and the New Earth: Songs, Stories & Prophecies

with James B. Beard aka Noodin, and Christopher Reynolds

We are in a new time in our culture. What Eco-Buddhist Joanna Macy calls, The Great Turning and Catholic Fr. Thomas Berry called the opening to the environmental age, called Preparation for the time of the 8th Fire, in the Ojibwa / Chippewa Prophesies.

You are invited to enjoy an evening of songs, stories, and prophecies dedicated to fully awakening and participating together in our important historical moment.

Public appearances ~ "The New Heavens and the New Earth"

2 1/2 hour program presenting songs, stories and prophecies. Focuses on community and self values as a way to create a better society, environment and understanding in a new time. A strong presentation for colleges and alternative educational sources and communities.

Contact Jim Beard

Presenters

Chris Reynolds

Singer, Teacher and Shaman, Christopher Reynolds, M.Ed

F. Christopher Reynolds, M.Ed., is a singer, teacher and holistic healer from Cleveland, Ohio. His mission is to sing the dream of Earth onward through songs, writings, ritual, healing concerts and workshops. His method is to bring forth Ethical Culture through the shared creation of Ethical Music and Ethical Space. He is a singer-songwriter with 15 CDs. He is the lead author on the only publications on depth psychology, soul, creativity and giftedness. He is also published in organic creativity in the language classroom. Chris is the founder of Ethical Music and Earthbriety. He is a co-founder of archetypal ecology. Chris is an adjunct professor in Art and Religious Studies at Ursuline College. He is an adjunct in Creativity Studies for the Gifted at Ashland University. He works with Warriors Journey Home to assist communities to welcome veterans home from military service. His most recent publication is Remembrance of the 1914 Christmas Truce: It's Our Turn, by F. Christopher Reynolds (Author). His website is www.urrealist.com .

James Beard aka Noodin

Cultural Story Teller, Educator, Speaker, Author

Jim is a superb presenter. His book, 'White Mocs on the Red Road' describes the value systems developed in Native American cultures many years ago. These values are as valid today as they were when originally embraced.

For the past twenty five years he has dedicated his life to learning and sharing Native American cultural knowledge given to him by Elders of the Ojibwa/Chippewa tribes. He has presented programs for schools, colleges and communities throughout the Northeast and Canada. He also works on programs with Native American tribes to re-introduce traditional teachings to Native American communities in the Northeast and Canada. Jim is connected with tribal leaders in many areas of the United States and Canada and well respected for his knowledge and sharing of his work.

His white heritage is enhanced by ancient teachings we all once had. He walks a red road in order to better understand the original teachings of all people.

Programs:

Presented ~ Friday, January 5, 2018 Time: 7:00pm to 10:00pm ~ Lake Erie Nature & Science Center & Planetarium  28728 Wolf Rd, Bay Village, Ohio 44140

Presented ~ Saturday, January 6, 2018 Time: 7:00pm to 10:00pm ~ St. Andrew Episcopal Church, Mentor7989 Little Mountain Rd, Mentor, Ohio 44060

Presented ~ Sunday, January 7, 2018 at 2 PM - 5 PM ~ Chagrin Falls Township Hall 83 N Main St, Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022

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www.northeastcultural.com

You can say!

Poem By James B.Beard aka Noodin

You can say you are a man or a woman

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are white, red, yellow or black

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are a republican or a democrat

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are a soldier or a nurse

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are a christian or a buddhist

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are blue collar or white collar

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are a farmer or a priest

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are pretty or ugly

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are rich or poor

That’s not who you are.

You can say you are one with the creation

That is who you are.

No more! No less!.

James B. Beard aka Noodin is the author of  "White Mocs on the Red Road ~ Walking Spirit in a Native Way". Uniquely presented to aid people in gaining insight to the mysteries of the Elder teachings of the Traditional Native American.

You can own this book electronically (click) >>> Ebook, Ibook, Nook Book, Kindle Fire

Angus of Manitoulin Island

This is what he told me!

Author James B Beard a.k.a. Noodin

Nishnung and I were traveling to see Gordy Wenshiban at Sheguiandah First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Ontario Canada. We drove most of the night from The Grand Monadnock in New Hampshire and arrived just before sunrise. Gordy invited Nishnung to be the chief fire keeper for a traditional powwow that he was hosting. We were just in time to light the fire. Some of the Elders were already at the fire area waiting as we entered. I smudged the area and the people with sage and helped a man named John to prepare the fire for lighting. Nishnung and Gordy led the ceremony and the fire was lit. My work would be to help take care of the fire for the next four days.

People began to arrive and would come by the Fire to offer their prayers in tobacco to the creator and spirit world. Many of them spoke only Ojibwe as they came by. This place is a traditional community and the language of the people is still spoken here.    Nishnung knew almost everyone as they came. I had only visited this community one time before and only knew a few of the people. The other fire keeper working with me would be John Keon. John and I spent most of the day and much of the night talking and coming to know each other. We would take turns resting while keeping the sacred fire.

On the morning of the second day more people began to come by. Many were from neighboring communities and others were Metis people. The Metis are a people of French ancestry that came into the Ojibwe tribes as far back as the 1500s. They were French Portage and trappers who came to live amongst the Ojibwe people.

At about noon a van pulled up near the fire. A powered wheelchair was unloaded and an old Man got out of the van and into the chair. All of the people nearby came up to greet him. Only the Ojibway language was spoken. He was obviously a very respected elder of the community.

I asked John who that man was. He told me that is Angus and he is in his 90s. I could tell by the way the people honored him that he was indeed a highly respected elder. Many of the old elders avoid contact with light-skinned people from the outside so I kept my distance.

At the grand entry Angus would be the lead elder in the entry dance. Lead dancers came in first Carrying tribal staffs with Eagle feathers instead of flags. This is the old way!

I avoided coming near where Angus was for the rest of the day out of respect for his traditional ways. He must have stayed in one of the tipis’ during the night.

I was on the fire that night and was thirsty so I went over to where there was a water spicket to get a drink. It was right at sunrise and next to the spicket was an electrical outlet. As I was getting my water Angus came up behind me in his electric wheelchair and plugged it in to the electrical outlet.

I turned to him and said Boozhoo, (hello). He answered mino gezheb, (good morning). Aunnii azhinikazug, (who are you?). I answered Noodin indizhinikaz, My name is wind.

There was a silence for a moment. My Language fluency in Ojibwe is limited and I did not want to offend him by speaking English.

Angus then spoke to me in English and began to tell me a story.

“When I was a boy I lived here with my two older brothers, my younger sister and my mother and father. We followed the old ways. In those times many of the people we’re becoming Christians. All of the people were told that they needed to follow the Christian faith of the Catholic long black robes. Periodically, the Christians would do an inspection of the homes of the traditional people. They would look to see if the homes were habitable and if they found anything wrong they would take the children away. One time they came to my home and took my two older brothers away. Later they came back and they took my father away. I could not understand. We were happy together.

A year later The long black robes came by again and this time they took my sister and me. I was about eight years old at that time. They took us to a big stone building on the mainland they said was a school. I could not speak English at the time, I only spoke Ojibwe.

We were gathered in a large hall with many other children from different communities. We were told to take all of our clothing off and to put it in a pile in front of us. The boys and girls did this together.          They then hosed us down and washed us. Then they lined us up standing there naked and a nun started talking to us in  English. Most of us could not understand what she was saying. Those that could understand told us that we were only to talk English and we would be given new clothes and a new name. We would cross the great hall to a table at the end of the hall and then a nun would hand us our new clothes. And we were led to another room and a nun cut all of our hair off. I remember crying and being afraid to say anything. I said miigwich, (thank you) and the nun swatted at me and said use only English.

The next day they brought all of us out in front of the big stone building. In front of us laid all the clothing and items that we had brought along with the hair they had cut off of us. The black long robe started talking to us and lit the pile on fire as we watched. Then they lined us up and gave each of us English names.

It was a long time before I could speak English or understand it. One day they heard me say something in Ojibwe to a friend. The nun grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into a room. She tied me down on a table and beat me with a willow stick. She yelled at me and kept me there for a few days. They did terrible things and I wished I was dead.

One time I was in the schoolyard playing with my friends. I heard someone call out my name in Ojibwe. The voice came from far away. There was another brick building on the other side of the field. It was said to hold the crazy people. It was an insane asylum. I looked in that direction and saw a man looking through a window that had bars on it. The man was my father. That was the last time I ever saw him. They said he was crazy because he would not give up his old ways.

After I left that place I went to Toronto and did odd jobs. I couldn’t understand Ojibwe anymore. I could only speak English. I drank a lot so after awhile I couldn’t work. I spent those years living on the street. Sometimes people would try to get me sober but it never lasted very long. Then a few years ago I came back here. Gradually I got my language back and stayed sober.”

While he spoke I didn’t say a word. He looked at me and said mino giizhigud, (it is a good day). I answered Gegit, (definitely) mino giizhigud, (it is a good day).

He turned his wheel chair around and went up the path.

“To be centered is to stand alone together” Noodin

Spring Gathering - Ziigwan Zagaaswe'iwe

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• Published on May 2, 2017

May 25 at 6 AM to May 28 at 9 PM

19 Boston Post Road, Amherst NH 03031

Spring gathering ceremony. To honor Spirit and opening of the Area for coming gatherings of the people.

All are welcome from children to Elders. This is a community gathering.

May 25, 2017 

6:00 am - Sunrise - Fire lighting ceremony.

May 26,2017

7:00 am - Sunrise ceremony.

6:00 pm - Sweat Lodge, fire lighting 4:00 pm

May 27, 2017

7:00 am - Sunrise ceremony.

9:30 am - Opening prayers with Pipe & Water Ceremony & Berry Ceremony and teachings. (All Pipes are welcome)

12:01 pm - Potluck Feast Meal.- Bring whatever you like for sharing among the attendees.

1:00 pm - Talking Circle.- Sharing with one another and getting in touch with the oneness of our gathering.

3:00 pm - Storytelling.- A sharing of stories of the people. Anyone can offer a story.

4:00 pm - Gifting blanket offering - Bring anything you would like to gift to others. Everything is put on a blanket and all in attendance take somethiing from the blanket until everything is gone.

4:00 pm - Honoring the Fire. Visiting and Sharing.

May 28, 2017

7:00 am - Sunrise ceremony.

12:00 pm - Sweat Lodges will be available on Sunday,

Donations are gratefully accepted to continue the work.

This is a Drug and Alcohol Free area.

Camping at ceremony is permitted.

Note Attire: REspect for the teachngs sugests that men wear long pants and woman full length skirts or dresses in the ceremony areas.

Any questions call Jim at:

603-261-7228 or 

email: noodin@northeastcultural.com .

Gigawabamin iiwidii, 

[we will see you there]

Join us and keep up with ongoing activities !

“To be centered is to stand alone together” Noodin

James B. Beard aka Noodin is the author of "White Mocs on the Red Road ~ Walking Spirit in a Native Way". Uniquely presented to aid people in gaining insight to the mysteries of the Elder teachings of the Traditional Native American.

You can own this book electronically (click) >>> Ebook, Ibook, Nook Book, Kindle Fire

Honoring the Spirit of the Fire

Honoring the Spirit of Native American Traditions

• By: Cheryl Roth ~ http://nhfaithfusion.com/2015/10/native-american/

Earlier this week I was invited to a Native American fire circle. I really didn’t know what to expect but I said yes right away. As a matter of fact I didn’t even completely read the description my friend sent me, I trusted her, and the first four words sounded good to me:

“ To honor all life, all Veterans and warriors, all people, and all those who are traveling to the next realm. Sit by the fire and share in the stories told by the Native American Elders and by the storytellers. Come and hear stories told to share the values that sustain a culture.”

Hidden Beauty and Virtue

As I drove through the countryside just west of Manchester toward my friends house I marvelled at the life that is hidden in these woods. Sometimes I feel like living in New Hampshire is like being part of some secret society. There is so much heritage, so many people and lifestyles, such beautiful scenery, but you will never see it from the highway or in the movies or magazines. It is hard to describe, you just have to come and drive through the hills and valleys. It’s like nowhere else on earth.

This drive was a perfect set-up for the evenings event. I met my friend and we drove another 10 minutes to her friends house, Noodin, a storyteller and educator of Native American traditions. It was a very casual gathering of about 12 to 15 people in his backyard, sitting around a fire. It reminded me of the many years of family camping I did while growing up.

Noodin began by telling us that it takes a very long time to get a good understanding of Native American spirit teachings. He said that to really understand you have to learn the language, because Native Americans think differently and express themselves differently than white people. He said that words and expressions can have many layers of meaning so they are not easily translated. He also said that Native Americans teach and learn by “doing”. The spiritual, ethical and moral awareness comes through participating in the traditions and way of life.

Survival of the Human Spirit

Many things that Noodin said were like echos of things I have heard before. There were similarities to the Shamanistic beliefs of eastern cultures, as well as Buddhism and Taoism. Even the ‘Creation Story’ had similar traits to the Judeo-Christian creation story. It amazes me how there is this timeless worldwide connection to a belief in the invisible human nature and the spirit world. Noodin also mentioned that Native Americans do not put down other beliefs and traditions – but they would also like to preserve their own.

“To Native American Aboriginal People there is no one way to honor the creator and the creation. The Elder will often say, “all of Spirit understanding is true.”

It’s not easy to preserve spirit traditions and teachings because life offers so many external distractions. Add to that the historical problem of one culture forcefully dominating another and I would have to say it’s miraculous that spiritual values and traditions survive at all.

All religions struggle with this problem, and all religions have changed over time. Unfortunately much of Native American traditions have been lost due to the brutal treatment of the white culture. But Noodin is a white man who is a living example of restoration in process. He was once an insurance agent, the product of an Episcopal upbringing, a typical white American business man – until he felt called to walk a different path.

The value of teaching, sharing, giving

For a few relaxing hours we sat around a campfire and listened. I felt like I was being bathed in truth and goodness. Noodin invited others to speak several times, but most of us just wanted to listen, to absorb whatever we could glean from his teaching, realizing that there was so much that we still didn’t understand.

Everything that was being taught had to do with living for the sake of others, the interconnectedness of all life, and allowing spirit to lead the way. I was reminded of how important our spiritual life is, and that we have to work at understanding our spiritual nature and keeping the internal in the subject position. I felt so grateful that this man was offering his time to share his heart and wisdom with us.

The current American culture is so focused on material wealth, physical beauty, having more, doing more, being more all the time. In very subtle subconscious ways we are all affected by it in one way or another. But one day those things will all go away and the only thing left will be your spiritual heart and mind. Is your spirit beautiful, loving, caring, giving and sharing?

James B. Beard aka Noodin is the author of "White Mocs on the Red Road ~ Walking Spirit in a Native Way". Uniquely presented to aid people in gaining insight to the mysteries of the Elder teachings of the Traditional Native American.

You can own this book electronically (click) >>> Ebook, Ibook, Nook Book, Kindle Fire