Category: First Nations

• High Summer

  Heat and humidity have settled in for the week, and severe storms are rumbling around just to our south. The Air Conditioning in our office is overwhelmed and the office is steamy.  In the fields, many species of wildflowers are blooming. This is high summer in Vermont. One of the plants that came into bloom…

  Michael Watson PhD

  July 3, 2014

  First Nations, Shamanism

  ecology, Native American, political, spirituality

• Circle Thoughts

  A couple of days ago I found myself engaged in a conversation about the differences in perception and values that define Indigenous cultures and colonial culture. The conversation was focused on attitudes towards community and the land, the presence of the ancestors and spirits, and centrality of oral history. Then someone suggested the main difference…

  Michael Watson PhD

  June 28, 2014

  First Nations, Shamanism, Stories

  circles, Native American, Shamanism, stories

• Summer Solstice

  Saturday marked the Summer Solstice, and we celebrated by inviting folks over to our home for ceremony and feasting. It was also Aboriginal Peoples’ Day in Canada, so there was a good deal of ceremony and feasting going on across the continent. It was a good day to gather, the weather proving delightful. Even the…

  Michael Watson PhD

  June 23, 2014

  First Nations, Nature, Shamanism

  Medicine Wheel, Shamanism, summer solstice

• Inviting Resilience into the Conversation

  Tuesday, Dee Brightstar, Abenaki elder and healer, and I were guests on Moccasin Tracks on WRUV radio. It is always a joy to join Dee for a conversation or ceremony. I thank Deb Reger for inviting us to appear on her program. Here is a link to the edited podcast. Fittingly, given the recent discussion…

  Michael Watson PhD

  June 19, 2014

  First Nations, Healing, Psychotherapy, Shamanism

  Indigenous, Native American, psychotherapy, Shamanism, trauma