Connecting in circle, in ceremony, is so important for our mental health.

I lost my father at a young age and had no parental guidance growing up. I felt angry and unworthy. I hated myself. I did not have the tools to handle these intense feelings on my own so they festered and I turned to drugs and alcohol for relief. I carried a lot of trauma and I didn’t care if I lived or died.

I felt hopeless but when I met my mentor, Papa Elmer, he turned that around. He reconnected and grounded me. He showed me this cyclical way of life. As we harvested, fished, and gathered from the earth and sea, I found connection to culture and to the Land. I learned to move through intense emotions by giving them to the Land, releasing them, so that they can come full circle as the Land renews them into good feelings.

I found that working with cedar was a profound way to let go. The more I worked with cedar the closer I felt to Creator and all other living things. I was able to see visions in the cedar and the more I worked with it, the easier it became.

Being in circle with like minded men gives us connection to community and a feeling of belonging. We live in a world where being tough and disconnected is praised, and showing emotion and compassion is considered weak. Men’s mental health is not talked about. We are taught to feed our self esteem with power, wealth and domination. This is a false sense of power that leaves you empty and alone.

Men need deep cultural roots, connection and community to be strong fathers, brothers and partners. This creates resilient communities. With very little opportunity for men to connect, dealing with mental health issues can seem overwhelming.

Today I humbly ask you to take time for yourself. To pull yourself from your mind in order to connect your heart to community. Carve with me on the Land, in circle around the fire, in ceremony.

There is unity in strength. There is strength in coming together. Join me.