Devotional – January 28, 2025

From The Center of Action and Contemplation

Creating the Future by Honoring the Past

Cherokee descendent Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley and his wife Edith Woodley of the Eastern Shoshone tribe highlight how honoring the wisdom and traditions of our ancestors can inspire us to become healers and changemakers, creating a path to a better future: 

When we pass our traditions down to the next generation, we are passing down the presence of all our ancestors who came before us. Those songs and stories and teachings are not just from us but from those who came before us. Our ceremonies connect us to our ancestors because we know they once stood where we now stand, using the same traditions.  

I (Edith) bead Indian jewelry. My mother also did great Indian beadwork. Often when I am beading, I find my thoughts drifting to my mother, especially when I look at my hands. I think about what she would do with a color or a stitch, or how she looked for patterns or asked my dad what he thought. Then I ask Randy the same questions. In some ways, my mother is there with me during that practice. Randy’s mom loved nature, especially birds and flowers. When he sees exceptionally beautiful birds or flowers, his mother always comes to mind. “My mom would love this one,” he often says to me when he sees a hummingbird or a robin or a pretty flower. Our ancestors are always present to lead us into the future.  

When sharing stories, Native American elders often drift freely between current and past events. They may begin a story by saying something like “A long time ago …,” but if you listen carefully, you’ll notice that the behavior or problem they are addressing is likely a current one. Indigenous learning comes through reflected experience. We learn about how to live now by examining what has happened in our history.  

We depend on our stories, our ceremonies, and other traditions to guide us to a good future. Often that future is best expressed through exploring things from the past. We mine our past for those gems that are our payment for the future. That is why our stories and other past concerns are so very important. Without our past, we cannot be a people in the future.  

Think about what you have carried forward from your parents, grandparents, or caregivers. What practices, ideas, or lifeways rooted in the past are you keeping alive? 

Peace Be With You. – Paul