I recently had a deeply moving conversation with Cheyanne Elder, Cliff Eaglefeathers (Bloomville, NY), for the Living Archive Project. During our conversation we talked about his resistance to fully embracing his Cheyanne spirituality, the tragic loss of his grandson Cedar, and his relationship to the local environment through plant medicine and ritual.
A few takeaways from our talk:
Rituals serve as powerful reminders of our profound connection to the Earth and all its facets, both beautiful and challenging.
Our loved ones and ancestors are an intrinsic part of our stories. They guide us on our journey, leaving indelible imprints even when they're physically not present.
Cliff lives a life that is rich in intentionality, patience, and truly noticing and moving with life's ever-changing rhythms.
Cliff's story will be part of the Living Archive documentary I'm working on about people with a relationship to the Northern Catskills. Stay tuned...
-Christina Hunt Wood