OHSWEKEN More than 20 people gathered in a forest on Six Nations of the Grand River on Saturday for a Mayan fire ceremony to mark the coming of spring.
The ceremony, conducted by Tata Victor, was organized by the Land of the Dancing Deer, which encompasses more than 20 hectares behind Oliver M. School on Third Line, just outside of Ohsweken. Plans call for a healing center to be created on the land to help people dealing with a range of issues, including mental health and addictions.
“Given the times we’re in right now, with the potential for a Third World War and all of the turmoil with the pandemic, more than ever we need cultural expressions to bring people together,” Victor said prior to the ceremony.
Originally from Chile, Victor lives in Toronto and has been conducting the ceremony for the past 11 years.
Participants brought white candles that serve as offerings to the fire – the focal point of the ceremony. The candles are placed in a fire pit and hold in place a group of upright candles in the pit’s centre. The ceremony begins with drumming and participants face, in turn, north, south, east and west.
Victor said the ceremony “invites people from all four directions to participate and then they can start their own journey.”
The ceremony is based on Mayan tradition but is open to everyone, he said, adding that the hope is that it will encourage people to find their roots.
Victor said the ceremony aims to help bring about a sense of community for people increasingly living in an individualistic society.
“This is a way to step away from our daily lives, to take a pause and not do anything else,” Victor said. “You can come to the ceremony and stay with other people and it’s important for us to do that.”
For more information about the Land of the Dancing Deer, visit www.landofthedancingdeer.com/.