Burnside conducts ritual ceremony
Heidi Hickle
Issue date: 2/15/10 Section: News
Francis Burnside, a traditional Navajo healer, is the visiting Rooney scholar on campus this semester. He recently traveled from Pine Springs, Arizona to Robert Morris University in order to share his way of life with the students and staff. His first speech was given in the Rogal chapel on Jan. 29.
As part of the ritual ceremony Burnside was hosting, everyone sat in a circle around a spiritual candle, used to represent the traditional fire pit in these ceremonies. The smoke from the fire was used to represent the smoke that came from a peace pipe that his ancestors used to pass around while sitting around the fire. As spectators came in, they had to walk around the entire inside circle of chairs in a clockwise direction, before proceeding to their seats.
When everyone had found a seat, Burnside blessed the audience in his native tongue and passed a feather, or as he called it, "a fan" around so when each person received it in their procession, they raised it into the air, stated their name and where they were from. There were people from all over the United States and world in attendance.
Burnside explained the seating arrangement as a "walk of life," the nucleus was the fire and the people around the fire were atoms. Traditionally in the Dine culture, one would host a ceremony such as this when they wanted something.
"Everything you need and want, you try to get," said Burnside.
Everything he used for his ritual had come from the Creator. The shell used to burn the cedar wood came from the ocean, and the fire comes from sticks.
"Traditionally we would hold such a ceremony outside and sit on the earth, which also comes from the creator," he explained.
Burnside gave advice throughout the ceremony.
"Never look down on one self, and never say 'I can't do it'," he shared.
He explained how his people had no enemies, so they had no reason to fight.
His people have no church, no religion, and no government, but a way of honor. The elders are a respected group.
As part of the ritual ceremony Burnside was hosting, everyone sat in a circle around a spiritual candle, used to represent the traditional fire pit in these ceremonies. The smoke from the fire was used to represent the smoke that came from a peace pipe that his ancestors used to pass around while sitting around the fire. As spectators came in, they had to walk around the entire inside circle of chairs in a clockwise direction, before proceeding to their seats.
When everyone had found a seat, Burnside blessed the audience in his native tongue and passed a feather, or as he called it, "a fan" around so when each person received it in their procession, they raised it into the air, stated their name and where they were from. There were people from all over the United States and world in attendance.
Burnside explained the seating arrangement as a "walk of life," the nucleus was the fire and the people around the fire were atoms. Traditionally in the Dine culture, one would host a ceremony such as this when they wanted something.
"Everything you need and want, you try to get," said Burnside.
Everything he used for his ritual had come from the Creator. The shell used to burn the cedar wood came from the ocean, and the fire comes from sticks.
"Traditionally we would hold such a ceremony outside and sit on the earth, which also comes from the creator," he explained.
Burnside gave advice throughout the ceremony.
"Never look down on one self, and never say 'I can't do it'," he shared.
He explained how his people had no enemies, so they had no reason to fight.
His people have no church, no religion, and no government, but a way of honor. The elders are a respected group.
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