Articles

The Use of Intuition in Indigenous People’s Rituals

Rosemary I. Patterson, Ph.D.

Intuition or the small, still voice within that provides the solution to problems, advises on needed action or decisions, and even results in correctly prophesizing the future is likely connected to a higher source than the human brain. Such intuitive communication is implicit in many rituals used and still utilized by Indigenous people throughout the world.

In Polynesia, for example, as the navigator of a voyaging canoe set out for expected islands that he somehow knew existed in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean he followed a complex series of instructions including intuition passed on from ancestors before him. The navigator had a map of the star constellations in the southern latitudes somewhere in his head, and a knowledge base about migrating birds, ocean currents, changes to the appearance of the ocean when it approached land. This knowledge base of star constellations however, was of little use when the clouds covered the sky at night for days on end. What was relied on at this time was a procedure called by the most accomplished of modern-day voyaging canoe navigators, Hawaiian, Nainoa Thompson “inspired dead reckoning.” This dead reckoning involves calculating where the canoe has traveled in the hours from when the last star sighting was possible taking into account the wind speed, the speed and direction of the changing ocean currents, and the steering adjustments that have been made. Undoubtedly intuition is involved in arriving at a correct approximation of the location of the canoe. The use of this “Inspired dead reckoning” allowed Nainoa Thompson to guide a modern-day recreation of a Hawaiian voyaging canoe all the way to Rapa Nui from Honolulu.

Another Hawaiian procedure ’ike papalua, intuitive communication, was used extensively by Native Hawaiians before European contact to find answers to questions, estimate future happenings and figure out ways of reaching goals. Native Hawaiian children were always watched closely to see what gifts they possessed for future benefit to their communities and when a child or young person was seen to possess the talent for ‘ike papalua, they were guided further by mentors versed in this talent. After European contact and the widespread use of the Bible, ‘ike papalua was practiced in the following manner usually during Ho’oponopono, the Hawaiian version of family therapy. First the problem facing the family was discussed with the goal of figuring out its source. Then all members involved would take responsibility for whatever they felt had been their share of the blame. A final step was to attempt to make right or reach “pono” so balance could be restored in the extended family relationships. At each step if things were not working out right the use of ‘ike papalua by a family member versed in this procedure would be done. The Bible would be held by this member and opened to a particular page at random. The ‘ike papalua designated member would then read silently until one particular passage would provide the insight needed to inform the family as to how to restore balance and harmony.

In Australia before and after European contact a number of rituals involved the use of intuitive communication. This intuitive communication often follows extensive use of existing knowledge bases in the brain and then when this procedure fails to give a conclusive answer intuition follows. For example, the seeking of food and water in the extensive desert lands of much of Australia by Aborigines involved first of all locating known sources of underground water, searching for grasses, favored grubs, ants, berries and seeds in places where they were known to be located and if such sources failed then resorting to intuition to lead to new locations. In “Rabbit Proof Fence”, the recent documentary that replicated the story of three young girls who had escaped from the notorious Moore River Mission traveling thousands of miles across dry, hot, arid soil, it was reported how the oldest sister, dehydrated and already collapsing, resorted to intuitive communication from her distant mother and found her way back to her original community. Ancient “dot” paintings by Aborigines located in cave locations throughout Australia also testify to an intuitive knowledge of the location of internal organs and their functioning in animals and humans hundreds of years before European doctors were able to correctly diagram the locations of these organs.

In coastal British Columbia canoe societies have returned. Intuitive communication is practiced in the rituals that allow safe passage through the cold, often very rough waters of Johnstone Straight and the Gulf of Georgia. In a documentary about one of the first modern-time canoe journeys by members of coastal tribes, the journey Qutuwas up to Bella Bella in 1993, a native elder speaks of seeing in her mind’s eye the spirits of ancestors who helped lead them safely through the busy shipping trade routes of the Gulf of Georgia. The native elder also spoke of the receiving on one’s song or songs on a canoe journey consisting of a chant that has intuitive meaning for the person involved. Vison Quest is also practiced in some areas of coastal British Columbia and by Native Americans in other areas of North America. For vision quest, which likely ends with intuitive communication from somewhere other than the human brain, a series of ritualized procedures is followed aimed at relaxing the conscious mind in order for reception to the intuitive voice to be heard. Spirit healing is sometimes used as well in Native American villages and coastal First Nations when one of the tribe members is suffering from depression or some other mental weakness. Again there are ritualistic procedures that are used to still the conscious mind and often when the practitioner is properly receptive intuitive communication is often reported to be received that supplies the means towards a healing. Using these procedures many Native Americans and Coastal First Nations’ peoples still in touch with their ancient cultures receive guidance to their paths in life and solutions to their problems.