THE GREAT SPIRIT

MYTH FROM NORTH AMERICA

According to the Algonquins of the North, the most powerful of all the Manitous is the Kiteki Manitou, the Great Spirit, who is the father of life and was never created. He is the fountain-head of all good things. The Great Spirit who dwells in heaven is above all other powers. He is the master of light and is manifest in the sun. He is the breath of life, and penetrates everywhere in the shape of the winds.

And it is in his honour that the Indians 'smoke the pipe of peace'.

The Delawares relate how the Great Spirit instituted this rite:

'The tribes of the North collected in council had decided to exterminate the Delaware people when, suddenly, a bird of glittering white appeared among them, and hung with open wings above the head of the great chief's only daughter. She heard an inner voice saying to her: "Bring all the warriors together and tell them the Great Spirit's heart is sad and hidden in a dark cloud, because they seek to drink the blood of his first-born, the Lenni-Lennapi, the oldest of the tribes. To appease the anger of the Master of Life and to bring joy back to his heart, let all the warriors wash their hands in the blood of a fawn and then, bearing presents and their pipes let them all go together to their elders, let them distribute the presents, and smoke with them the great pipe of peace and fraternity which will unite them for ever."

When the Rainbow Gathering happened in the summer of ninety nine, I used this myth as inspiration. I already had a white bird, because I had been making them that year. I looked for a North American myth because it was my understanding that some of the spiritual values the group takes on came from a revival of those values. In brief, people come together for some days to be one with the land and the people, making a camp, sharing knowledge, holding sweat lodges and much more. There is a feeling of brothers and sisters amongst the participants. There is a prediction from an important Indian Chief that the Rainbow tribe will save the world. That is what they want to do. Not so much saving, more a stepping back of the madness that produces nuclear weapons, war and commercial power. That is why they call themselves the Rainbow people, at least according to my understanding.

	On arrival, people would park in a paddock and be welcomed by a small camp for the purpose. there was also some information: what it was about and the expectations while there. Not that there were many. Basic ones like respect and love each other and the environment. Then they walked along the river walkway with their packs and extras such as musical instruments. A raft of inflatable tubes had been made for the river crossing. You pulled the raft to your side and then pull yourself across. You had to center yourself or you would tip into the river.

Then a short walk through the bush got you to the campsite. There were lots of smaller tents pitched amongst the trees out of sight and out of the heat.

With the big fire as the center, four points marking the cardinal directions were marked by structures called altars. They were associated with the four basic elements: air, fire, water and earth.

Now I wanted to mark the occasion by doing a landscape sculpture. There already is one there that marks the track to the river at the high north end of the river flat named after the artist Lincoln. I had an old hundred year plus totara post that the farm crew had pulled out. And a piece of thirty year old totara. This became the head of the chief's daughter. That was to be mounted on top of the old post. And the bird on top of the head.

I then asked the advance party who were setting up the camp for help to carry it across the river from the workshop. They thought it was very appropriate for the air altar, so it was located in the East direction.