Indigenous Ways of Being: E. Richard Atleo

E. Richard Atleo is a hereditary Nuu-chah-nulth chief from what we call Vancouver Island. Dr. Atleo has taught at a number of universities, worked as a research liaison at the University of Manitoba, and is a celebrated author, just to name a few of his accomplishments.

I had the pleasure of reading "Tsawalk: an Indigenous approach to global crisis," In his book, he discusses spirituality and the importance of a "deliberate state of smallness." This is known as

?uusumč traditon, an "intentional and personal condition of inner smallness," which is a humble condition required for spiritual development. He referenced a similar western example by Graham Saayman, a trained psychologist who authored the book, "Hunting with the Heart: A vision quest to spiritual emergence." Saayman wrote about his own inner smallness while sitting on a hot bluff in Africa waiting for the cetaceans to appear. The quieter and smaller he became, the more he melded with the environment, the less sunburnt he became, and the more the many well-hidden animals approached him. I interpret smallness to mean the same as stillness, and it's finding that inner stillness that is an important step to developing spiritually, and as we grow, maintaining humility is a critical component. There's no doubt this Indigenous approach shared by E. Richard Atleo has much to teach us.

Are taking time out of your day to find that inner stillness? If so, are you remaining humble as your skills advance?

If you are new to finding inner stillness, here is a quick and easy exercise: Look at the close up image of the leaf. Focus intently on that for five minutes. Notice its rich hues of gold, brown, orange, green, etc. See the perfection of its veins and how they lovingly curve towards the midrib. Stare intently at the leaf and gently dismiss any intrusive thoughts that will enter your mind. It's just the leaf and you for five minutes. Practice this 2-3 times a week at first. All you need is five minutes of your day. You can do it.