Journey to Dine Bikeyah: Part 3

Of Celts and Subcultures

Since I was 8, and learned both my birth and adopted families are of Irish blood, I have been fasinated with all things remottly Celtic.  For nearly as long as I have studied the history and cultures of Native America, have I poured myself into the History of Celtic Ireland, and then the Celtic history of Europe.  By age 15, I had found Celtic Christian music, and fell in love with the music of artists such as Moya Brennana, Iona, Eden's Bridge, and the likes.  Then I began studying the lives of Patrick of Ireland, Brigid of Kildare, Columba of Iona, Aidin of Northubria, and many others... their lives began to encorage and shape my own.  Their faith in the Trinity grew mine, and their constrant striving to live simple lives, discipel others, and always show hosiptality began to echo in my hearts desires.  Their callings began to melt into my own calling to Dine Bikeyah, how ever I would be able to minister their.

At 18 in New Orleans on my missions team, I met my first Christian punks and goths.  This got me thinking, was I also subculture?  I had never fit with the main streem cultures.... and among them I found a home.  The March I was 19, I began to dress as a goth, and do outreach to goths.  This was before all the death and sorrow had flooded my life.  For the next 8 years, I would call the christian goth community my home, and to this day many of those who still minister among the subcultures are counted among my family and friends.  Some say that time in my life I was side tracked from my true calling in Dine Bikeyah.  I would tend to disagree with that.  While ministering among the Goths and Punks, I met my now husband, Robby.  While working among them, I learned to deal with the issues of putting our faith and lives in Jesus, above what is culturally the norm.  I learned how to divide the good from the bad in a culture, and to focus on the good while slaying the evil parts.  All of this I would need to know once I got to Dine Bikeyah, all this would be very important because it is the struggel Native believers are having with their own culture.  Even more so, the Native youth who are also, as many are, part of the Goth, Emo, Punk and Metelhead subcultures.

As always, God knew what He was doing on my journey-task... where He was taking me, and where I was going... even if I could not see how each twist and turn, and some of the dark things which happened to me, of which I do not speak... would work together to get me ready for all to be done in Dine Bikeyah.

And yet... There was still more of a Journey left as Didean and Marriage will show.