It is good for the soul to spend the day at the OKC Justice Circle Breaking Bread event and witness a celebration of Indigenous Joy.
The definition of Indigenous Joy given to all attendees:
An emotion-the foundation of happiness, contentment, curiosity, trust, tenderness, confidence, belonging and love.
A powerful and expansive feeling that allows for moments of sorrow while remaining a constant undercurrent in communities that protect its place as a central and driving force.
If Joy was personified, they would be an Auntie that embraces with hugs as big as the sky.
If Joy was sound, it would be the bells and jingles on the regalia of tiny-tots, conjuring the memories of their ancestors whose dances are now animated through them.
If Joy was a sight to behold, it would be the vast prairies, mountains, forests, canyons, waterways, and deserts that remain the rightful inheritance of Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island.
If Joy could be savored, it would be the first yields from a reawakened corn harvest after hundreds of years of seed preservation.
If Joy could be breathed in, it would waft on the wind as Sweetgrass and Cedar.
If Joy could be felt, it would feel like bead after bead, strung on sinew or thread to be worn by a loved one.
If Joy was a song, it would be the throw-your-head-back kind of laughter shared among relatives.
If Joy was a gift, it would be an old language finding its way back to the tongues of its sons and daughters.
