Dr. Grauer's Column - Two Medicines For Summer Rejuvenation

Two Medicines For Summer Rejuvenation

Two Medicine is a section of Glacier National Park, including Two Medicine Lake where I travelled this morning. The area has been considered sacred ground for centuries and the Blackfeet tribal members have used Two Medicine and its waters for hundreds of years for vision quests and for other spiritual purposes, as well as being a refuge for endangered animals and ecosystems. I went there for rest and rejuvenation, and maybe a few good photos.

This week, I am sharing a few northern territory (British Columbia and Montana) photographs I’ve taken this summer for you all to enjoy and to match with any of your own. 

This past year, we all emerged from a sheltering we called the global pandemic, happy to be back to regular school. As it happened, our sense of liberation was hit with all sorts of unpredictables—after you go through any trauma, that’s always there. Our school was stress-tested and kept the balance, but it was tiring for many among us.

I’ve spent this summer thinking about what it has all meant. How are we all doing now? What has been the impact on our organization, on our people, and on me personally and physically? I am not rested yet, but nature (in Encinitas, Vancouver Island, and Montana), literature, and creativity are constant sources of rejuvenation and purpose.

While in Montana around the Blackfoot Reservation and Glacier National Park, I was reflecting on this with a Native American guide and asked what the two medicines are. The Blackfoot are no strangers to stress testing and trauma, including genocide, loss of their homes, and even pandemic, in a way that I believe exceeds my imagination. I wanted to know what their two medicines were. According to my guide, the first medicine refers to the passing of the season and letting go. The second Blackfoot medicine is rejuvenation and re-awakening. But then, I had a number of guides around here, they keep telling the same stories, and the stories keep coming out very differently. It’s just amazing how creative they are in telling traditions. Maybe that’s what rejuvenation is all about, too. Enjoy these photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMENT! Click on the "Comments" drop-down box below to share a comment about this column.