Re: The Sword of Rita Joe/Compassion and Wisdom/The Holy Grail

[dhinchey <dhinchey@together.net>]

Dear List,

Usually I lurk. I just had to say something.
The Prince Henry Sinclair Memorial Ceremony was a singular event.
Why ?

It symbolizes the joining of two venerable traditions of compassion, that 
of the enlightened aspect of Miq-maq society,whose long line of 
compassionate activity stretches back into the mists of unrecorded history. 
Rita Joe manifested the energy of that in her voice[the Miq-maq do not 
preach about it]
but it can be shown as it was here , to all present.

The other venerable tradition of Compassion, the lineage of the 
Compassionate Heart of Christ, that of the tradition of the keepers of the 
Holy Grail, manifested also.

The momentum of the activities of generations of forbearers in the Miq-maq 
and the Clan SInclair
joined to manifest in compassionate hearts, led by Rita Joe and sealed by 
the Sinclair with the traditional symbol of protective wisdom, a sword.That 
compassion is the essence of warriorship and chivalry. The wisdom is the 
ability to properly manifest that warriorship and compassion in the world.

The ceremony was compassion and wisdom.

I am inspired to see that it ran forth like a stream into our world, and 
may the gates to it never be closed.

EVER !

The Grail was close by this day.

It will quench the thirst of all whose hearts empowered them to drink from it.

"Commend Thy Work To God," was no accident. It really happened in an 
ordinary and comprehensive way.


Dale Hinchey

***************************************************************************************

At 10:53 AM 9/10/00 -0300, Rob Cohn wrote:

>         Saturday September 9th shall go down as an historic day for the Clan
>Sinclair. The sun shone brightly upon the upper reaches of Boylston Park,
>Guysborough, Nova Scotia. The few clouds only served to keep away the
>debilitating heat which was the hallmark of the Prince Henry Sinclair
>Memorial Ceremony held on that same site in another age: July 14th, 1998.
>
>         The attendence list was more or less the same as yesterday (Rory 
> I hope
>will eventually fill in the names of the assembled guests - especially
>Sinclairs that you're wondering about), with a few notable additions,
>especially Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy, Don Julien, and Rita Joe.
>
>         Despite the presence of sparklingly accoutured Lords and Ladies, 
> the person
>with the most individual impact on the event and on every individual in
>attendence was Mi'k maq poet laureate Rita Joe. She is said to speak with
>the voice of her people - and yesterday it sure felt as though she did.
>
>         Jack Sinclair was leading us through much ceremony, although the
>proceedings were an interesting blend of the ancient and the modern, the
>formal and the folksy, the physical and the symbolic. Innocuously enough,
>Rita was listed in the official programme as "Poem Presentation". There was
>entertainment scattered through the programme, but there was also ceremony.
>I'm not sure which she was intended to be, but it was certainly was much
>more than entertainment.
>
>         Rita was going to read from a couple of her existing pieces, but 
> when she
>showed up Jack and his brother Bill worked her over good. Rita agreed to
>compose something especially for the occasion.
>
>         When she was introduced there was a warm reception and Rita spoke 
> some
>passionate words of thanks and introduction, and then:
>
>Acknowledgement of the Mi’kmaq Nation’s Reception to all Immigrants to
>Atlantic Canada
>
>On September 9, 2000 I will welcome
>The Venetian Mariners from Italy
>Laura Zolo and Captain Jack
>Who end the heroic voyage in Guysborough
> From many lands they have visited
>Then to ours
>I am a Mi’kmaq Representative
>Like in the days of 1398
>The offered hand is still in place
>The other on my heart as a sign of friendship
>I am the nation known the world over
>Who helped the broken men, their bodies wasted by scurvy
>My food, your food
>My medicine, your medicine
>My fear the same as yours for the unknown
>Today there is no fear but a welcome knowledge
>That we are friends as it should be
>And the view that is offered by Antonio Zeno in 1398
>The friendly reception by the Mi’kmaq Nation
>I thank him today
>and from the voyage of Prince Henry Sinclair and the Clan
>The acknowledging history set the Mi’kmaq as compassionate
>I appreciate and know as true
>
>
>… Rita Joe, Sept 6, 2000
>
>
>                 As Rita spoke she was nervous (of course - what artist 
> isn't?) but the
>symtoms of her Parkinson's which she works hard to keep at bay began to take
>her over - but that only caused her to work harder to get the words out ans
>her intellect fought the physical within her. And indeed, the power of her
>voice transcended all and in that voice could be clearly heard the voice of
>her entire nation, all that was, is and will be.
>
>         There was not a person there who did not feel this. Laura Zolo was
>completely overcome - and not for the last time by Rita Joe that day. It was
>beautiful to watch the instant bond that formed between them in those
>moments, and to watch it play out over the rest of the afternoon.
>
>         The Moment set the tone for many more moments which fullfilled 
> all of the
>promise of the day.
>
>         When Malcolm, Chief of the Clan Sinclair handed The Sword of 
> Peace to Ben
>Sylliboy, Grand Cheif of the Mi'k maq Nation, who in turn handed it to Don,
>Julien - Spiritual Leader of the Nation the symbolic was as manifest as the
>physical and the moment was everything that Malcolm, Niven, Bill and/or Jack
>could have wished when they cooked up this mad scheme.
>
>         Congratulations to all, there has been some hard going here in 
> Nova Scotia
>for the Clan Sinclair. The tide has turned...ironic that it may have again
>taken an Italian Mariner to make that happen...
>
>         I apologize, I have to run and don't even have time to proof 
> this...sorry
>for the mistakes, errors and ommissions...
>
>
>                 blessing be,
>                         rob cohn
>
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