I’ve written about one of my favorite performers and activists, Nahko Bear. The first time I’d heard of him was when we held a water protector rally outside the theater he was performing at in Indianapolis. His band members gave us fist bumps as they passed us.

Nahko often talks between songs. I love stories and Nahko is a good storyteller.

Where my warriors at?

And so I feel like what has been said many times tonight and I appreciate the sentiment that we can say this now in this time and this generation is that prayer is the most G thing you can do homey. And I can say that for my life, in the things that have happened in my life, the anger, for the pain, for the hate, that I’ve carried, that forgiveness, and therefore remembering to pray for those that oppressed us, is the most powerful testament to mankind.

Nahko and Medicine for the People

He is working on some new or revised music. Following is his message in an email title NEW MEDICINE.

On this new moon // full moon also comes our second single
S L O W D O W N

Some of you may know it as Horsetail. Oh, the changes songs go through and how they will live long after us! I’m loving that the first two singles are both songs I wrote nearly ten years ago. They withstood the test of time and got better with age. Truth be told, I hadn’t ever ‘finished’ this song until this past winter when I brought it back out again and gave the second verse some loving consideration. Inspiration derived from a reoccurring injury my partner at the time was working on healing. She began using the plant medicine to help her joints and bones. Everything for us at that time was about moving slow and going with the moment’s flow. We were living in our van with our dogs and were driving around the country exploring. Taking life in moment to moment. While the song is definitely a lullaby and ode to our plant teachers, it also speaks to being afraid of losing your way and reminding oneself to slow it down in order to get the real work done.

After touring for nearly 8 months this year, I’m very ready to slow things down and go into hibernation. My intention this new and full moon is simple: take the items I shelved all year ( i.e. grief, sorrow, and mourning loss // gratitude, self love, forgiveness of self // to name a few ) and care for them. This was likely the hardest year to date for me and it’s a mixed bag because not only was it intensely traumatizing it was also incredibly brilliant and beautiful. After spending a better part of the year caring for everyone else, my intention is to care for myself in a deep way now AND to not feel obligated to anyone else’s needs except my own.

So, may the Archer’s arrow spark a fire for you. May it liberate those stuck places and emotions so that tangible healing can occur. May slowness and stillness provide that broadening horizon for the ultimate manifestation of our prayers and dreams, individually and collectively.
This is about taking your power back, and figuring out how we do it together.

NEW MEDICINE Nahko

“Slow Down”

Slow down, slow down, slooooooow down
It’s been a long time
Comin’ around and smoothing out the edges and slowing down
And listening
What is important, what is your focus? Don’t you go and stumble now
Are you listening?

Horsetail, horsetail we can heal it all
With plant medicine
Body, mind, and spirit crying
Slow down, slow down, slooooooow down
Making a broth for a feverish head, no I’m no stranger to loneliness
Are you struggling?
Sweeter than lavender, years in the making drink it up, it’s your nature

But I’m struggling
Coping with all of it, to hell with enlightenment, clearly, I am no good at this
Who’s even listening?
Take it all on, like you know what you’re doing, try not to lose yourself out there
Are you listening?

Horsetail, horsetail we can heal it all
With plant medicine
Body, mind, and spirit crying
Slow down, slow down, slooooooow down

Slow Down, Nahko and Medicine for the People

One Sunday recently Bear Creek Friends meeting gathered at my Uncle Ellis Standing’s farm to see and learn about medicinal plants. Their daughter, Cheri Standing, is a pediatrician and learning about plants and their properties.