Two scrolls, one purpose

Youth and Elders from the Yukon, Nunavut and Alaska continued their pattern of gatherings in Tagish, Yukon, to share wisdom among generations and renew their commitment to living a life of service.

In celebration of the summer solstice, we came together in Tagish, Yukon, on the traditional territory of the Carcross Tagish First Nation, in what has become a series of storytelling gatherings that strengthen connections between Elders and the younger generation.[1] Over 40 friends participated, sharing stories and enjoying each other’s company. This included those from Anchorage and Juneau, Alaska, as well as Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit, Nunavut.

The gathering opened with a traditional sweat ceremony, which set a reverent and reflective tone. The youth and young adults collected wood for the fire, cleaned the site around the sweat lodge, harvested new balsam fir boughs for inside the lodge, and made prayer ties.

The sweat was the spiritual preparation for the discussions on the second day, which centered on the theme “two scrolls, one purpose,” with the younger generation and Elders each representing a scroll. This theme, suggested by a youth, was inspired by the following quotation from the Universal House of Justice: “Before you, beloved friends, lies stretched out the blank scroll of the future on which you and your spiritual descendants will inscribe fresh and lasting deeds of renunciation and heroism for the betterment of the world.”[2]

We formed two circles—one for youth and the other for Elders—and explored our questions and hopes for one another. The Elders were eager for the youth to embrace courage and honour the spiritual legacy of their grandparents and great-grandparents. The youth sought wisdom from the Elders about what life was like at their age, how to demonstrate resilience in times of uncertainty, and the tools and teachings that shaped their commitment to living a life of service. We then came together in one circle to share our thoughts. One youth asked, “What are some of the greatest sacrifices you’ve had to make in your lives?”, and many Elders responded with inspiring stories. It was a powerful exercise for connecting across generations.

The participants expressed their joy and gratitude through music and prayer. The gathering concluded with a sacred moment: one by one each participant placed a rock in the centre of the circle while a traditional prayer was sung in absolute reverence. Each rock symbolized a personal commitment to the work ahead for the betterment of the world and of our communities in Alaska, Yukon and Nunavut. We sensed the presence in the room of those ancestors and family members who played a central role in laying the foundation for their spiritual descendants of today.

Shirley McLean, one of the participants, shared, “I feel my mother, Doris McLean, here. She hosted a gathering here in Tagish 29 years ago. People from around the world came to honor the vision of spiritual unity. They brought rocks from their respective homes, and they built a medicine wheel with them. The medicine wheel is still moving.” She continued, “She would be so proud to see what we did today.”

One of the visitors from Anchorage reflected, “A spirit of love and generosity by all those who participated in the camp permeated those days. Most notable was the gift of knowledge, time, training and accompaniment extended to our youth. For some, it was the first time being in the company of many strong, dedicated Indigenous Baháʼís.”

[1] A story about this gathering was previously published on the Bahá’í Canada website: https://bahaicanada.bahai.ca/friends-in-yukon-gather/.

[2] From the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the world acting under the Mandate of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 26 March 2016.

— A group of collaborators in the North