I never met a horse I didn’t like. My father grew up on a farm with horses – I’ll get him to share a fond memory. I love a good horse story, too. I’ve been told that horse is a strong “power animal” according to shamanic tradition.

For all native peoples the arrival and domestication of Horse shortened the distance of journeys making travel easier. This made it more possible to visit with distant clans and communities, which increased the ability to communicate and to strengthen relationships. It also enabled people to experience the world beyond their immediate environment.

Southern Oregon’s online news source, the Mail Tribune, makes therapeutic horse riding available to more people, facilitating a special type of healing.

I’ll refer you to a newly released book, as seen on Amazon, Riding into Your Mythic Life: Transformational Adventures with the Horse by Patricia Broersma. The reviews say: “This special book provides a wonderful insight into the many ways horses can change lives through their power, magic, and mythic legacy. It should be read by anyone on a journey to empower themselves or for those who want to help others in need and with special needs. As Broersma explains, by partnering with the horse, the world can be changed for the better — one person at a time.”

The new program aims to deliver teacher education to 24 Native communities throughout Sioux Lookout District. The Bachelor of Education Program, which includes Indigenous knowledge and a land-based curriculum, embraces a “Two Worlds” pedagogy that reflects both Anishnawbek and mainstream ways of knowing.

The really cool thing was that the land mass area is so large that the teachers enrolled in this accreditation program will have to fly in to meet together to meet the requirements of the program!

Both Aboriginal art and language are key components within the scope of the program. This vision sees a world in which First Nations people succeed without loss of their identity and have the courage to change their world according to their values. Unfortunately the 20th century history of education has been one of oppression and forced assimilation. It is especially painful to know that children were the first victims, and societal cascade failure across the culture in general was engendered.

Today, survivors of the oppressive residential school system recall their experiences with deep pain, anger and continue to mourn their childhood taken from them. Generations later, First Nations communities are plagued with alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, crime, incarceration, unemployment, and suicide as a result of the federal government’s policy of assimilation.

This hope of this program is to reach a new level of understanding, which includes indigenous knowledge and a land-based curriculum: a “Two Worlds” pedagogy that reflects both Anishnawbek and mainstream ways of knowing.

This micro-loan concept isn’t original to me, obviously. Today, The Tyee (like the tyee salmon for which the online magazine is named) reported the Big Power of Small Loans.

Microloans are based on character, not collateral, and the principal is to allow people, often women, with few assets or a poor credit history to access small loans for self-employment projects.

Don’t forget to keep your larger investments socially responsible. Think SRI. Forbes today schooled us on what and why SRI is possible, desirable, and… profitable.

The increase in environmental awareness has played a major role in the increasing appeal of SRIs to a wide group of investors. (source)

Ways of Knowing
Which leads us to the U.K. where green economics challenges our culture of consumerism.

Are you tonedeaf? Does it matter? [Well, it does to these people.] Music therapy is beneficial to health, if you are an active (musical) or passive (nonmusical) participant, according to a Los Angeles Times article today. It goes on to say not all studies on music therapy are clear, but brain studies show that the “ancient” part of the human brain that governs basic drives such as hunger, thirst and sex also ‘lights up’ to music.

Dr. Oliver Sacks, a scientist who became well-known from the film Awakenings, talks about his very recent book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain here – he introduces his personal musical background and discusses his work using music with a patient with Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Sacks answered 10 questions for Katie Couric today, about himself and his new book as shown on Couric & Co.[written up by Nancy Ramsey.]

How about a wordless, melodic prayer? There is divinity to be found, if you have the intent but just don’t know what to say.

Or music as an act of compassion? The dictionary definition and social definition of harmony come together with the music of Mystic Chorale. Their mission, since being founded by musician, author and educator Nick Page:

Make music a participatory experience, creating a dynamic collaboration among the bold and the shy, the untrained and the trained, the audience and the performers, challenging all of us to be truly amazing.