Alcatraz Sunrise Ceremony

"Ohhhh" 

Darkness. Coffee. People Huddled Close. Unusual Warmth. Wind at Sea. Shuffling Footsteps. Drums. Circle of People. 

The Indigenous People's sunrise ceremony begins with a sound -- an unpleasant ring from a cell phone reminding me to wake up -- and ends with a sound -- the laughter and snores of our community in cars leaving San Francisco.  But its the sound in the middle, of the journey and the circle and the ceremonies, that stays with you: a slightly drawn out "Ohhhh". The dancers step to drums and to singers, carrying the voices of many long gone (but not) in a resounding, resilient echo. They remind each other that we are still here. And we infuse that life blood into the air, into the sun with every "Ohhhh" we put forth in unison. Elders speak on Creator and our relation to the land. We as humans have tried so hard to make ourselves separate -- as if we are not animals that do not depend on nature as much as its care depends on us. We are stewards, and fostering that in ourselves and each other and our children and our elders is the difference between life and death. Alcatraz is a hauntingly beautiful place, and one can only wonder how beautiful it would have been before it was paved in concrete and chains and misery. Because despite the prison in the background, and the warm weather that speaks to irregular climate, and our tired bodies, the sun rising on our circle was a beautiful sight to behold.