FAMILY ARROWS

Each year at Winters Solstice, families gather together at sunrise
to make a declaration to the great Spirit. They prepare ( 6 ) six
arrows decorated for this occasion. Three (3) represent the things
they wanted to eliminate from their lives such as bad crops or poor
health; and the other three (3) symbolize what they wanted to come
into their lives. They dedicate a holy spot on the ground by
spreading dried tobacco in a ten (10) foot circle leaving an opening
to the north. Then one- by-one they enter the circle, stick three
(3) arrows into the earth, and publicly declare what they want to
rid themselves of to the Great Spirit, in the way of a request. When
everyone has made their declarations, the arrows are lit and burned
to ashes as a symbolic statement representing the eradication of
those things from their lives. Then they move to "higher ground"
with the remaining arrows. Again, they make a ten (10) foot circle,
this time leaving the opening to the south. When everyone has made
their declarations, they stand in silent gratitude to the Great
Spirit. These arrows they do not burn but leave standing to remind
the Great Spirit of their entreaties. The ritual of making the
arrows, tying them with ribbon, listing the things each arrow
represents, getting up before dawn and the other preparations, sends
a message to our subconscious to be open to the gifts we are asking
for and the responsibility we have to be ready for them as gifts
from the Great Spirit.