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The story of James and Mary’s granddaughter is powerful and moving to all of us. They were told by doctors that their granddaughter would never speak and would have to use sign language for the rest of her life.
James and Mary both talked about their passion for prayer, faith, and medicine which led them to help their non-verbal granddaughter to find her voice. This stuck with me because both my parents are doctors and I have been around allopathic medicine all my life. Growing up surrounded by a practical and scientific approach to health, it’s easy to believe that this is the only way of healing. That is the type of medicine I believed in.
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The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States, covering approximately 27,000 square miles across northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. It is home to a rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and a deep historical connection to the land, with iconic landmarks such as Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly showcasing its beauty. The traditions of the Diné people, including their language, art, and ceremonies, remain vibrant and deeply rooted in their ancestral lands.
Medicine people James Etsitty and Mary Blackmountain share their experiences and way of living in the reservation, and shed light on some of the difficulties they face being in a remote area. Mary Blackmountain — director at St. Michael's Association for Special Education
For 35 years, Mary Blackmountain worked with a nonprofit in Window Rock, Arizona, founded in 1970 to help children on the Navajo Reservation. She recalls the challenges of working in the school's and the state's structures for healing, in a rural community spread across 27,000 square miles. James Etcitty travels across the country to lead ceremonies in the tradition of the Native American Church. He offers healing and strength in currents that have flowed through his own family.
Mary Blackmountain: Back home, I mean, I was raised with non-educated parents, and our ways were very traditional. No running water, no electricity, just horses and wagons. I had two older sisters, and I'm the youngest one.
On a summer day, James Etcitty collapsed at home with his grandson. He and Mary recall the experience of seeking help and treatment for his illness is a rural community.
James Etcitty and his grandson stood among raised beds. Families gathered around them on a long summer day, on the earth where they were growing tomatoes and chiles, onions and squash — deep yellow, flame orange, blood red.
For four years, Solidarity Farm has grown food on 1.5 acres at the Great Barrington Fairgrounds, in support of a BRIDGE program that brings food to 200 families. They are cultivating a meditation garden for their families. And Etcitty has come to bless the plants and the community on the ground. Gwendolyn VanSant has known James for 22 years, through healing circles and cleansing rituals at local farms on summer nights. And James has come to BRIDGE many times since BRIDGE has started the farm and their Solidarity House as a place for work and gathering, studying and sharing books, sharing food around a long table, and giving shelter to folk who need a safe place to regroup. He has offered blessings for the house and the farm, for their continued growth. BRIDGE's food sovereignty and sustainability programs And this winter BRIDGE has bought the Solidarity House for their own. |
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