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Monday, December 26, 2011

The Great Dance - A Hunter's Story | Film about the San People



The film shares the San perspective of tracking thus:

"Tracking is like dancing because your body is happy. It's telling you the hunting will be good. You feel it in the dance. It tells you. When you are tracking and dancing, you are talking with God." (You can view the full film at bottom of this post. )


This film simply blew my mind. Here you have all the secrets you need to know about the nuance of understanding our ancestors had with their bodies and their environment: the animals, the plants, the winds and rain, fire, and the sun. They were highly skilled and tuned beings who could see the world so deeply, see the connections between things, read the signs all around them, and retell the story through words, hand gestures and movement, sand drawing and painting. They read their world well.


As a seemingly highly evolved 21st century Great Ape, I am fascinated by our genetic, cultural and spiritual heritage. I am also amazed at where we are now. Shaman-like, I believe it is our job to connect the past to the future, thereby creating the present. That's what I like to do, and I get a lot of inspiration from a deeper acquaintance with our hunter-gathering ancestors and their ways of being.



This film starts out with this quote: 
"/XAÁ is the word for DANCE in the !Ko language of the Kalahari and also means to REVERE, or to show ONENESS."

It is so powerful, especially when you reconnect it to the idea that tracking is like dancing "because your body is happy".  Our ancestors knew how to be happy in their bodies by being in the moment and connected to themselves and their world.  We can do the same.  I recommend it.

Now enjoy the film below and let me know what you think.  I plan on sharing more of the insights I have gained from this film and these people in future blog posts.

"This is a film dedicated to the ancient !Xo San people, whose harmony with this vast Kalahari desert landscape inspired the movie. Use this to learn more about the !Xo San - the Kalahari Desert Bushmen - or to travel into their minds, hearts and landscapes through the unique images."

BFT



PS. I recommend supporting www.kuru.co.bw. An organization whose vision is that:
The San peoples of Southern Africa will achieve permanent control over their lives, resources and destiny.  I want to see that happen too!

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