The light was fading, and we had started from a place of acknowledging global suffering. Our consideration of dualities led to many group insights – as a pull between certainty and uncertainty, towards and away from equilibrium, “there are as many ways to view a problem as there are people in the circle.” We talked about grief, and trauma as ghosts as taught by Piikani Elder Reg Crowshoe. I also pointed toward the colonial shadow learning offered by Dr. Rosa Morales and her social media channels. All this was to consider what we may be carrying or interacting with that is beyond our conscious awareness. Some practical advice that emerged was to “lean thoughtfully into skepticism” when needed, as well as the reminder that we are doing this work within the responsibility of being future ancestors to those who come after us.

Within these heavy reflections, we were reminded of the importance of grace, and to welcome emotions whenever and wherever they arrive. The balance that came in was through stories and reverie with whales, and specifically protective maternal whales, and kinship between the lives and presence of whale mothers and human mothers. To spend some time with the cultural presence of whales, the NFB animated film Sgaana was recommended, as well as the book Grayson, by Lynne Cox. To witness whale grief in the world, a For the Wild podcast also came up – with Kurt Russo of the Lummi Nation, called The People Under the Sea. An additional episode with him, titled On a Prayer of Mourning, released in the last couple days will likely also hold teachings for this group.

Lastly, and guided by the reminder to “not let the world kill my heart,” as taught by Mohawk seed keeper, Rowen White in an October social media post, we were also pointed to the BBC series Ghosts as a place for lightness and laughter when it’s needed.