Our world wears a blanket of snow, and we hail the arrival of the buffalo.
Literally, perhaps, but not as you think, with regard to the latter; two days ago, a dear friend sent us a gift of untold riches in the form of buffalo meat. For us, this is wealth: It means meals for weeks to come — and not just any meals, but healthy, energizing ones, filled with the sort of nutrition our bodies are specifically designed to process, without any of the adulterating substances that are so especially unhealthy for our peoples.
The snow, on the other hand, is literal in every understanding of the word.
But the snow, too, is wealth. Wings has spent parts of the last three days plowing the driveway, walkways, and the area around the house. Despite the much warmer weather, forty-degree high temperatures more usual for this time of year, a few inches of snow still cover the rest of the land. But in the cleared spaces, where the earth is exposed? The grass is newly green, near as bright as it was during the lush early days of summer.
It’s true, of course, that we should not have new green growth in mid-November, but the land has been caught in the arid throes of drought for too long now. Much of the earth here was brown during the warmer months, no water available from ground or sky to coax the green aboveground. And so however unseasonal this new growth is, it is welcome, because it tells us that the year’s record drought has not done irreparable damage; winter will birth renewal once again.
And that is crucial to our understanding of the world. This may be the little winter, early and sporadic; if it remains a valid indicator, the cold season will be far longer and deeper and last for months to come. But as the days grow ever shorter, we spin toward the earth’s natural new year, what the outside world calls the solstice, and we know, at a fundamental level, that with the moment that the days begin to grow longer again, we inhabit an earth renewed for another year.
It is this respect for the earth itself, for her rhythms and heartbeat, that have always enabled us to survive, to weather the fiercest storms, whether driven on the snow and a cold north wind or at the ends of the weapons wielded by a colonial invasion and occupation. The buffalo have taught us that lesson, and continue to teach us: Brought to the brink of extinction, they nonetheless survive and even thrive in our indigenous communities now, with our help, true, but also by virtue of their own strong hearts and steady spirits.
And so, today, our Friday Feature embodies all of these: the gifts of the buffalo, and of the winter snows; the sense of renewal that comes with respect for the old ways and spirits. From its description in the Other Artists: Wall Art gallery here on the site:
A herd of buffalo approaches over a snowy horizon in this small painting by Frank Rain Leaf (Taos Pueblo). A full moon rises in the frigid winter sky, reflecting off the icy ground beneath their hooves, while a single golden eagle keeps watch over their path. Unframed; 9-7/8″ high by 7-7/8″ wide (dimensions approximate).
Acrylic on canvas stretched over wood
$225 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Of all the works Frank has created over the years, this small modest canvas has always been my favorite. I love the colors, the time and season it represents. I love the spirits manifest in it, too: Buffalo, our elder brother, who provides food and clothing and shelter, medicine and art and wisdom and strength too; and the golden, the War Eagle, the one who flies vanguard and leads us into battle when more than mere resistance becomes necessary to our survival. It’s an elemental tribute to old ways and ancient spirits, a visual token of respect as real as any offering.
Today, we have much to do. The snow is melting, true, but there will be more to come, and soon. All signs point to a long hard winter, and that requires preparation. So, too, do the other circumstances of our existence in these troubled and dangerous times.
But the first day of winter is also the first day of the return of the light. We are moving, once again, toward a world renewed, with the old ways and spirits to guide us.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
