Reconciliation sought through drums, dance and prayer

As seven drummers beat a rhythm and sang on the lawn of the Taho Indian Parish at Stewart Indian Center Saturday, a dozen dancers from Native American nations joined in a call for reconciliation between all nations and peoples.

The First Nations of North America drum reconciliation ministry started two years ago when Lynda Prince of the Carrier nation in central British Columbia had a vision while fasting.

The vision showed her 120 drummers whose rhythms and songs carried prayers to heaven of reconciliation for all races. Prince's vision told her the playing of the drums will bring an awakening and create a highway of holiness between heaven and earth.

Since then, Native Americans from across the continent have joined First Nations and traveled to several states and provinces , as well as to Israel and Australia. First Nations was invited to the Capital City by the Carson City Aglow Lighthouse Fellowship, a Christian woman's international interdenominational organization.

"We've been praying for this community for a number of years and it seemed something has been missing, something was needed for it go ahead and heal," Carson City Aglow president Katie Ortiz told about 150 people assembled for the ceremonies. "When I learned of First Nation, I knew that the reconciliation is what has been missing."

Dan Mosley, paster of the Colony Christian Fellowship Assemblies of God Church in Reno, explained that the healing of the nation and reconciliation between all races has been hampered by unresolved wrongs of the past and lack of forgiveness of the wrongs.

"As I put my hand on the map of Nevada and pray for its healing, I see names like Bloody Run and Bloody Pass. As I travel with our elders, they point out where our people died, where the cavalry chased our people and left them," Mosley said. "Our blood is shed all over this land and it cries out to God, so how can our land be blessed?

"God wants to heal our land, our people, our hearts. We must forgive, release these things to God and then God can heal us."

Prince presented tribal council president Arlen Melendez of Reno with a special drum, 12-sided to represent the 12 tribes of Israel, and gave other symbolic gifts to several elders present.

"If we don't deal with our history, it arises again in a new generation of violence," Prince said. "The drums call our people to an awakening, to a new day of hope."

Dancing, drumming and singing continued throughout the afternoon at Stewart.

The Carson fellowship group learned of First Nation because one local Aglow member, Laura Prillar, joined First Nations as a drummer and has traveled to several of the reconciliation ceremonies.

First Nations members who came to Carson came from many tribal nations and location, including Kumeyaai from near San Diego., Calif.; Pawnee from Oklahoma; Shumash from Santa Barbara, Calif., and Cherokee from the Midwest.