Becoming Native Again

This tattoo — 4.5 hours of stick and poke — is a combination of an Incan cross (Chakana) and the symbol of the Mayan calendar (Zia). It is both a prayer for the earth and a prayer in my own life to become native. Both symbols have come to me over and over again over the last couple years.

“Becoming native again”

I’ve found myself saying this phrase a lot recently.

For the vast majority of us in the US, we’re aware that we are not “from here”. And many of us aspire to digital nomad lifestyle freedom.

As a half-Jewish, New Englander by way of generally northern and eastern European descent — I have never really felt a strong sense of belonging to any place or people.

Add to that the years and years I invested creating lifestyle freedom — and ultimately what I have come to realize is that what I actually most deeply want is “home”. To belong somewhere. To be needed somewhere. To have tradition. To have a relationship with the plants, trees and animals around me. For my physical presence to be needed by the people around me for the thriving of the tribe. To sing the songs and dance the dances around the fire with all of our loved ones.

Isn’t it a little crazy how infrequently this actually happens?!?!

Over the last several years — bit by bit — I’ve been called to live in the mountains, the desert, quiet places. To gather my friends and family. To get in ice cold rivers and simply breathe. To learn shamanism, temple arts, ritual and ceremony. And if you’re someone prone to accusing others of cultural appropriation — I am guilty AF of cultural appropriation. What is actually happening is we’re trying to learn how to be human again. Part of learning is imitation. Get over it.

I used to feel called to create world-changing companies and solutions.

Now I’m feeling called to help a small group of humans live in right relationship with the earth, themselves and each other.

I guess the point of this post is that I sense a strong need for we humans, and especially Americans, to attempt to belong to the earth again. Ideally, a specific place. Nativity.

To give ourselves permission to slow down.

I’ll be deep in this exploration this spring and summer in Taos, New Mexico. Calling in land-based community.