Spiritual Exponentiation & The Canadian Psychedelic Association
I have been raised on Tl'etinqox, which translates to "Plateau by the River'. Tl'etinqox is one of six Tsilhqot'in-speaking communities, which are located in the interior of B.C.. Tsilhqot'in roughly translates to "People of the glacier-rock rivers". It can also be translated to "People of the glacier rock mixing in the water", which are specific areas where the streams from the Coastal Mountains meet our sacred lake Tsilhqox Biny. The lands we enjoy stewarding are the salmon spawning grounds at the mouths of our sacred lakes Tsilhqox Biny and Dasiqox Biny, which eventually meet with the Fraser River to the east. In our territories the phenomenon of two rivers meeting is called "ʔElhixidlin", which roughly translates to "where two become one".
I am honored to be part of an incredibly exciting movement of energy thousands of years in manifest. As more energy from all aspects of society begin to merge by the shared curiosity and appreciation the experiences sacred plant medicines herald, a new way is surely to be made. And this way involves combining the teachings received on plant medicines through ceremony and therapy, as well as empowering present societies who have a collective spatial identity relationship to the cosmos. Rivers of institutional conversations regarding legality, programs, and economics, and stream of consciousness epiphanies about spiritual and ontological perceptions, can all occur simultaneously with the tangible revitalization of Indigenous culture in Canada.
These cultures, along with the Tsilhqot'in, base identity on spatial relationships to reality, and continue to do so in defiance of an entire system's deliberate attempts of ethnic cleansing and forced assimilation for having that same perception of reality. Of course, and with great variance, songs, dances, and ceremonies were performed in order to make accessible these experiences to generations down the line - where they can still be accessed to today. However, even though many communities in most need of healing from the impact of colonization can still access these songs, dances, and ceremonies, an argument can be made the predicament exists because the community consciousness around embodied traditional teachings is fragmented.
Yet, many Indigenous communities in Canada are re-embodying strong relationships to consciousness expanded experiences with fasting, plant medicine ceremony, and other modalities.
Throughout this process of culture revitalization, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous songs, ceremonies, and practitioners, have played vital roles in becoming proxy experiences for self-exploratory journeys towards an understanding of the spatial relation of identity and cosmos. Because Indigenous cultures across Canada already have a foundation of songs, stories, dances, and ceremonies regarding a spatial relationship to the world, when we focus on their healing, exponentiation can occur -- toward moments where a Tsilhqotin youth begins to experientially understand the meaning behind their identity, to entire generations of youth growing up in hundreds of communities across Canada seeing psychedelic plant medicine ceremony instrumental in navigating through local, Provincial, and Federal politics.
Empowering and healing Indigenous communities with psychedelic plant medicines will lead, more quickly, to a future where gratitude, peace, and love are embodied within every aspect of a society. This foundation will be built by the songs, dances, and ceremonies that are still standing today.
I call on The Canadian Psychedelic Association to prioritize support for and learn from Indigenous communities across Canada with the amazing medicines that have been used for healing and connection for thousands of years. Not only could this collaboration help revitalize traditional ways in ways we can't yet imagine, it could also be the greatest cultural exchange this country has ever seen.
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So many streams and rivers coming together in these exciting times. Constant learning, transitions, and switchbacks to flow with. I'm grateful to be asked to be part of the Indigenous Advisory Board for the Canadian Psychedelic Association, and I am very excited to begin learning from so many amazing people.
Let's all float downstream together, ʔElhixidlin.
Canadian Psychedelic Association: https://www.psychedelicassociation.net/