LYLA JUNE on Resistance and Forgiveness in the Final Years of Patriarchy ⌠ENCORE⌡ /126
Photo of Lyla June by Melanie Bonajo
In this transformative encore interview, Lyla June retraces the origins of oppression of European women, men and earth-based cultures through to recent histories of genocide, inter-generational trauma, and the enduring forces that seek to destroy Indigenous women and the earth. Industrial activities that impact the lands and humans at local levels reverberate at an energetic level that has bred today’s crises of environmental and spiritual disease. In resistance, Lyla and Ayana honor the power of women as constant life-givers who “lead with their hearts”, and the potential to heal the deep fractures in our society through renewing acts of forgiveness and love that affirm our togetherness as a global family.
Lyla June was raised in Taos, New Mexico and is a descendent of Diné (Navajo) and Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) lineages. Her personal mission in life is to grow closer to Creator by learning how to love deeper. In 2012, she graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Environmental Anthropology. She is a musician, public speaker and internationally recognized performance poet. Lyla June ultimately attributes any achievements to Creator who gave her the tools and resources she uses to serve humanity. She currently lives in Diné Tah, the Navajo ancestral homeland which spans what is now called New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. She spends her free time learning her engendered mother tongue, planting corn, beans and squash and spending time with elders who retain traditional spiritual and ecological knowledge.
“If our movements are motivated by ceremony and prayer, they’re going to be much more effective because we’re going to be merging with spirits who know more than we do, who see more than we do and who have been around longer than we have and they’re going to help guide us.”
Lyla and Ayana discuss themes such as our cultural delusion of disconnection, the perpetuation of abuse through capitalist and colonialist legacies, and the necessity to heal both the oppressed and the oppressor. Lyla’s poetry and song activates our capacity to live our unique expressions of truth, beauty, and connection. Moving from personal experiences of forgiveness, Lyla offers a vision for restoring humanity by uplifting the sacredness of women, and grounding global movements in prayer.
♫ Music by Lyla June & Ed Lee Natay
Learn More
Learn more about Lyla June’s work, poetry, and essays by visiting her website: http://www.sodizin.net/sodizin
More recordings of Lyla’s poetry and spoken word can be found on her Soundcloud account: https://soundcloud.com/lylajune
Lyla has served as a Writing For Peace Young Advisor. Explore the work this non profit does to guide young writers to develop their writing, while learning about nonviolent conflict resolution, valuing human rights, environmental and economic sustainability: https://writingforpeace.org
Deepen your awareness on the issues of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by reading the Final Report and Calls for Justice on the website for Canada’s National Inquiry into MMIWG: http://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca
You can also learn about the efforts to share information about missing women on the Facebook group for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives No Borders: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2066595736906051/about/
Connect with local movements in your community, and support local initiatives led by women and youth working to heal environmental and social issues.
References
“Born to Guard the Sparrows” and “All Nations Rise” by Lyla June
For The Wild is a slow media organization dedicated to land-based protection, co-liberation, and intersectional storytelling. We are rooted in a paradigm shift away from human supremacy, endless growth, and consumerism. As we dream towards a world of grounded justice and reciprocity, our work highlights impactful stories and deeply-felt meaning making as balms for these times.