Leif Erikson Day...and Indigenous People's Day

 

Hugninn and Muninn are proud to be the familiars of the Allfather and loved guiding Leif Erikson on his voyages...but they don't ever want us to forget who was in America first.

A few days ago, Leif Erikson day was observed. While Christopher Columbus has long been credited with "discovering" the Americas, we now look at Leif Erikson as the first European to voyage to America. (Many, including me, strongly believe that we have indeed known about America and the Native Americans for thousands of years, but that's a story for another time.) 

I had mixed feelings about Leif Erikson Day. While not as much as Celtic, I am still very much in tune with the Norse, (and when you look at my arms and shoulders, you can indeed see the Viking, from when they invaded Ireland and England!) I was honored to have been chosen by Odin (it's been said that he mainly chooses incredibly powerful females for his circle), and am also beloved of Fenrir (quite ironic due to the fact that Fenrir is prophesied to kill Odin!) 

But at the end of the day, is Leif Erikson really that relevant? What about the people who were in America first? 

Today we celebrated Indigenous People's Day. I have been truly honored to call many of these lovely people my friends. And as much as I love my own people, as much I love Europe (the old ones will never be forgotten!) as proud as I am to be a Celt/Viking/Saxon...I weep for what we have done to these people. Shameful. Truly shameful.

They've been here for twelve thousand years. They were here first. Leif Erikson found America *yesterday* compared to how long the Native Americans have been here.

The indigenous people of America still continue to face hate, abuse, and suffering. And it's gone on too long. 

It's ironic that Leif Erikson Day and Indigenous People's Day are so close together, really. I think that we all know that what Christopher Columbus is truly guilty of has come into the light in the past several years. Want to hear about a true hero? Here's a post that I wrote from a few years back: https://indigogael.blogspot.com/2017/06/in-defense-of-indians.html He is indeed worth looking up!

I would also love to share the lyrics to this beautiful song by Moya Brennan. There is something incredibly stirring and haunting about hearing an artist from my ancestral country singing in the native languages of my birth country. (Can't figure out how to post the video with this new format.)

"I Will Find You:"

Hope is your survival A captive path I lead. No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a long long time No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a thousand years. (mohican) Nachgochema Anetaha Anachemowagan No matter where you go I will find you In the place with no frontiers No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a thousand years. (cherokee) Hale wú yu ga I sv Do na dio sv i Wi ja lo sv Ha le wú yu Do na dlo sv. No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a long long time No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a thousand years. No matter where you go I will find you In the place with no frontiers No matter where you go I will find you If it takes a thousand years. No matter where you go.. I will find you..