The Last Innu Singer

Akat Piwas is the only Labrador elder still singing in the Mushuau Innu dialect. Now 79, Piwas belongs to the generation of Mushuau Innu who were born in tents and raised on the land, before--as adults--being moved into houses in Davis Inlet, a village that would be plagued by poverty, shoddy housing and substance abuse. The tribe relocated to the Innu community of Natuashish in 2002. Piwas is old enough to remember life before settlers, schools and government. She lived through the tumult that besieged her people as they all tried to come to grips with a completely foreign way of life. 

For thousands of years, before making contact with European settlers, the Mushuau Innu lived nomadically, moving with the seasons across Labrador, following the caribou and other animals to hunt. The traditional way of life of the tribe changed dramatically in the 1960s when they were forced off the land and onto a reserve. When the Newfoundland government decided to shepherd the Innu into community living, the Catholic Church played a key role. The church had a profound impact on the first generation of Innu adults who moved into the community in 1967.

Unfortunately, church and tradition didn't coexist easily. Most priests discouraged the old ways: drumming ceremonies, the shaking tent, even speaking the language. The Innu way of life was torn asunder. Traditions were lost, people were left adrift. For Piwas, the Catholic faith was one thing that didn't change. Like most First Nations converts to Christianity, Piwas was quite capable of moving between two religious systems on a situational basis, drawing from each those prayers, beliefs, and songs that satisfied the needs of the particular time. The church, and its music, helped her navigate the change. For Piwas, it's a source of strength. Today, she is the only elder who can sing hymns in her dialect. Though some of the old ways have been lost to time, Piwas and others are working to preserve what's left.

Photo of Akat Piwas by CBC News.

Energy Body Clearing

Energy body clearing is a term used to describe specific techniques that people use to keep their subtle body, or energy field, clean from the negative thoughts and emotions of others. According to various esoteric and mystical teachings, the subtle body is that part of our being or consciousness that leaves our physical body at the time of physical death. It is the interface between the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of one's being. The physical body consists of energy that vibrates very slowly, which is why it appears to be solid. We are energy beings living in an energy world, so our subtle body interacts continuously with the energy of others.

Whether we realize it or not, we are attracting harmful energetic vibrations from our environment. Picking up negative energy that is not ours can make our energy body less balanced and can cause blockages to the natural flow of energy in our body. We may feel tired, unbalanced, anxious, depressed, or even sick. We can clear our fields through various cleansing techniques, leaving us feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Energy clearing also releases negative, limiting, or otherwise outmoded patterns of belief that aren't serving us anymore. Here are five effective energy body clearing techniques:

1. Smudge Yourself Daily

Smudge yourself and your home each day. Smudging is a method of using smoke from burning herbs to dispel negative energy and open the energy channels of your body. Sage, cedar, and sweetgrass are traditionally used for smudging. Light the herbs in a fire-resistant receptacle and then blow out the flames. Then use a feather or your hands to fan the smoke around your body and home. I recommend cracking a window or door for ventilation and for releasing unwanted energies.

2. Cleanse Yourself with Holy Water

Learn how to make your own consecrated, or holy water, and use it for cleansing, protection, and blessing. Essentially, holy water is water with salt added during a rite of blessing. Pour some holy water into a spray bottle. For an energy body cleansing, spray it toward yourself from arms length (avoiding your eyes, of course). To bless and protect your home, spray holy water around the perimeter of your dwelling and yard. Many people will dismiss the power of holy water based on its association with the church. This is not about religion; this is about a pragmatic solution to an age-old problem. The fact of the matter is that holy water is your best protection against negative and dark energies.

3. Cleanse Yourself with White Light

Light--imagined or real--is a powerful energy body cleanser. White light can be called upon by anyone for cleansing, healing and protection from negative energies. Lie or sit comfortably. Do some deep breathing to calm and focus your mind. Visualize a sphere of white light emanating from your heart. Just allow it to expand outward until it completely fills and surrounds you. Envision the white light purifying and restoring your body, and displacing any negative or foreign energy. Really focus on seeing it clearly in your mind, and keep building it up so it's brilliant and glowing. You can keep expanding the light, sending peace and love out into infinity.

4. Take a Sea Salt Bath

Sea salt has remarkable cleansing abilities. Having a soothing bath containing sea salt when you feel energetically overwhelmed can really make a huge difference in the way you feel. Just a handful of sea salt dissolved in a hot bath is a reliable remedy for clearing and recharging the energy field. You can use regular sea salt, Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, or other. Preferably, soak for at least 30 minutes, and say a quick blessing over the water before you get in. Keep a generous supply of drinking water on hand as well, and bless that too!

5. Raise Your Energy Body's Vibration

Drumming, chanting and prayer raise your vibration, open the heart and connect you with a power greater than yourself. Chanting has no limitations of time and space and can be done anytime or anywhere. Chants move us to a level of awareness beyond form, a place where we discover our own divinity. Regular prayer is a cornerstone of spiritual practice. Praying brings us Divine help, reduces our ego, grants us forgiveness of mistakes, and more. Repetitive drumming, chanting and prayer cleanse the energy body, boost the immune system and produce feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self.