In some cultures, the game goes not to the hunter, as we might suppose, but to the arrowmaker. This is another enactment of the Native concept of the Talking Stick, where in a Talking Circle each person holds a staff or feather before him or her self while speaking. The central role of the Talking Stick, which represents the spirit and consciousness of the Circle, is to draw attention to what is spoken rather than to the speaker. The Stick helps the speaker stand outside himself—stretch beyond his ego and concerns for personal gain and address the good of the Circle. With the talking stick held before her, the speaker tends to choose her words wisely.
Like the Talking Stick, the Arrow is held sacred. It speaks the voice of the people. The arrow comes from the people and asks the Deer to release her spirit so they can go on living. The hunter is merely a conveyance, a vehicle, to carry the Arrow from the people to the Deer. In this way, the hunter serves his people, who are represented by the arrowmaker. The hunter considers it a privilege to bear the Sacred Arrow, the Talking Stick that brings the voice of his people to the Deer.
When I view my pen as a Sacred Arrow, it helps me transcend my nearsightedness and write from a place of perspective. I want my words to reach out and bring us together in a great Talking Circle, where we can find common ground and the life we are designed to live.
What is your Sacred Arrow, and how does it serve your people?