A sacred path lesson that is worth noting at this time of year is the Native American tradition known as the Give-Away Ceremony. Some traditions called it the Potlatch Ceremony and it may have had other names throughout history but the sacred lesson is the same no matter what the name. It is the practice of giving away useful and even beloved possessions to others. Not with the thought of having strings attached to the gift or having regrets from having given the gift but to sacrifice something important to ourselves in order to allow for personal growth in the future.

World governments do not necessarily understand this concept but the Native Americans and other cultures have throughout the centuries. There is a shame to be owned by those of us who are not willing to help those less fortunate than us. I am not talking about giving away useless or broken items but things that would benefit someone else and be a sacrifice on our part. That does not necessarily mean monetary gifts, either. It can be an item that still has a good potential for use but we are not using it any longer. It is a way to honor both the item and the person who will use it now. The Give-Away is a way for us to release encumbrances that block our forward movement in personal growth.

Have you heard the term “indian giver”? It is a term that the Europeans used because they misunderstood the Native American tradition of the Give-Away. It was considered perfectly fine to take back a gift if the gift was not being used by the person it was given to. Not using it was a sign of disrespect. So, the First Peoples had no qualms of taking back a gift and giving it to someone who would show it respect and use it.

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Native Tradition has always been one of sharing what one has. No one is ever abandoned, orphaned, or left without the necessities of life like food, shelter, and help. When the People share all that they have then honor and abundance is provided for all. There is no rationale for some people to live in luxury while others of the tribe are starving. Isn’t there a lesson there that we can all learn from?

If you were drawn to this post today, you may be in need of the reminder that sometimes we need to let go or release ourselves from the things in life that are stifling our growth. It could be old ideas, habits, or belongings that we need to release from our mindset. Just let them go. Sometimes even attitudes that we have allowed ourselves to keep, like a need to be needed by others, is a piece that we need to give away, let go of, and allow ourselves to grow. We need to drop the fear of scarcity from our minds and learn to trust that the Great Spirit will take care of us with exactly what we need and not necessarily what we thing we want.

~Mitakuye Oyasin~ We are all related