Family Celebration

When I first entered this site I was looking for clues to my personal past and for information for my daughter’s birthday party. I was looking for a Native Story teller. I wanted to update folks as to my first inquiry. I ended up doing the story telling myslef-read some nice Native stories that I bought. I went to the NMAI and did some research on foods and celebrations. I played Native music from a CD I bought and I served some dishes that my tribe would have eaten. i then conducted a circle dance with the adults in the outer ring and the children in the center ring going in opposite directions. Then I placed the birthday girl in the center. As we went around her I said “Jade, we see you for who you are and we love you ass you are” “See us, these are your friends and your family and these are the people who love you” She started this interesting modern dance and it was touching. Two adult invtied guests told me later that they got chills during that and thought it very moving.

I also put on display some white sage, sweet grass, cedar, sassafras root, and variations of corn. I wrote a brief explanaition of why her 5th party was like this and prayed to the Great Spirit that I was not being disrespectful of any of my ancestors ways since I do not konw them fully. Can anyone tell me if I was correct in my doing? I have read that it is ok to brew fresh white sage and mint leaves and drink it. I was afraid to serve it, so I just brewed it for myself. I really liked it, but I want to know what I am doing before I start arbitrarily injesting herbs.

Deirdre