Walk Gently, Walk Humbly, Walk Together • Lecture by Winterflower Robinson | Indigenous Peoples' Day
from October 11th, 2026
We welcome you to watch/listen to the video, read the transcript below, and/or share your thoughts in the comments!
About the Lecturer
Regla WinterFlower Robinson brings a rich and diverse background to the Metaphysical Chapel of Life. A former certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician, she earned her B.S. in Community Health Education and served as a certified domestic violence counselor for over 30 years.
In 1991, she co-founded a Native American nonprofit, first serving as Clan Mother and later as Principal Chief. Alongside her leadership, she deepened her spiritual practice, becoming a Reiki Master and Animal Reiki practitioner.
In 2013, she opened Nenaa Wellness Center, offering Reiki healing, angel therapy, and spiritual counseling. Since moving to Virginia in 2022, Winterflower has continued her spiritual journey and now serves as a psychic reader for the Chapel, offering angel oracle readings at psychic fairs and on Zoom.
When not serving others, she enjoys writing fiction and poetry, volunteering, and hugging trees.
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Walk Gently, Walk Humbly, Walk Together
Lecture by Regla WinterFlower Robinson
Welcome and Opening
Thank you, Elizabeth. That healing meditation was so beautiful. I felt so relaxed. I didn't want to come out of it. And Shelly Ann, that was beautiful. Thank you so much.
Well good morning, everyone here at the chapel and on Zoom. Tomorrow is Indigenous People's Day, aka Columbus Day. Now when I was asked to speak about Indigenous Day, I said to myself, what what are you asking me, Susan? You want to get me in trouble, don't you? I said, Well, I can come out of my rebellious side and that wouldn't be too good. Or I can come out of my spiritual side. So for your sake and for mine, I'm going to come out for my spiritual side today. I am Ramapo Lenape, Deer Clan, and proud.
As I'm speaking, I'm gonna be flipping words a around such as me, indigenous, but I'll be speaking as a community on a whole.
Columbus Day and Indigenous People's Day
Some people still celebrate tomorrow as Columbus Day.
Hope you don't see me rolling my eyes… it is a reminder of the violence and the loss that began with European arrival. But Indigenous People's Day honors their struggles, cultures, and the land shifting the focus from celebrating a colonizer to recognizing their ongoing strength and resilience. Metaphysically, it points to the idea of "indigenous" as a deep living connection to the land and to the world. Recognizing that each person carries a fragment of the ancient earth consciousness, and then honoring that relationship, which is rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, and reverence for the cycle of nature. In the metaphysical community, it is about recognizing the divine spark inside of each one of us.
Using meditation, intentions, gratitude, to honor that inner light. Contrasting that to indigenous practices, which honors all living things and living relationships with the community and the land. This is expressed through stories, shared rituals, song, dance, and a concrete act of caring for the earth and each other.
Indigenous People's Day offers a time for people to understand our past, how to honor not just the people, but to offer gratitude to the Indigenous people who have cared for this land and honored the culture. Hopefully, non-Indigenous people can approach this remembrance with humility rather than appropriation. Gratitude rather than entitlement.
and with a willingness to learn. And may the healing extend beyond ourselves.
Ancestors and Reciprocity
Look into the relationship we have with one another, the earth, and the generations who will come after us.
In the metaphysical community, we often speak about consciousness, spirit, ancestors, the interconnectedness of life. Indigenous tradition reminds us that we should appreciate these ideas with humility. Ancestors. They're not just ghosts, something that was made up, or a simple concept. They were real people to us. They were loved, they loved, they struggled, they raised children, they carried the stories.
Our ancestors knew about the plants, the water, the stars, and healing. They understood the change of the seasons. The community continued in sacred, sacred bond.
Non-Indigenous people might ask themselves, what wisdom did their ancestor carry? What do they know about resilience? What have they forgotten?
Metaphysically, we learn about spiritual balance and reciprocity, giving back gratitude, community, responsibility, and maintaining harmony. The Native American nations and indigenous people do not share a single spiritual practice. We have over 500 different nations and tribes, so each one has their own culture, the way they learn, the way they teach, but each has a long relationship and responsibility to the world, Mother Earth, the planets, the animals.
We live in a world that teaches us to take — take the land, take the resources, take the water, take the oil, take lives, take, take, take, take.
Ask yourself, what if we're not here to simply take, strip away, but to participate? Not just receive but give back. Not simply to walk upon the earth, but to walk in relationship with her.
Native American indigenous people believe nothing is taken unless something is returned. Gratitude is always given.
The Sacred Feminine
In the metaphysical community, sometimes you hear the phrase the sacred feminine. What is the sacred feminine? Well, it's the softer side of life and the divine. It's the wisdom in each one of us. Many cultures use feminine imagery to describe the earth, creation, nourishment, birth, protection, the circle of life.
Metaphysically, the traditions speak of feminine as the inner, Universal energy of God, the Holy Spirit, whatever you call him, her, they. The living creature and person inside each person. Indigenous people see it more as an external living. The presence, Mother Earth, Great Mother, or the White Buffalo Calf Woman who nurtures the earth and the land. Again, it's more about
Reciprocity and honor honoring the relationship bond and responsibility we share.
Remembering with Respect
Indigenous People's Day is about remembering with respect. For generations many Native American Indigenous people were spoken about rather than listened to.
The culture was sometimes described as belonging in the past, that we don't exist. But indigenous people are not simply part of history. We are here, they are here, I am here. We are mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, artists, teachers, scientists, leaders, healers. Our language continues.
Ceremony continues, their voice continues, my voice continues. Listen, learn, support. Yes, there is no single indigenous worldview. There are hundreds of distinct tribal nations with their own history, cultures, language, and traditions, but you can still honor the people. So, what does it mean to honor? What does it actually mean?
To honor someone? Is it simply saying beautiful words to them? Is it wearing something symbolic? Is it attending a powwow once a year?
Perhaps honoring means that we become more conscious. Perhaps it means learning whose ancestral lands we are walking upon today, where we're sitting today. Perhaps it means protecting water, caring for the earth, teaching our children the full history, the truth.
Perhaps it means becoming humble enough to say there are things I do not know and I'm willing to learn.
A Moment of Reflection
So at this time I want to provide a moment of reflection.
So I invite you to close your eyes if you feel comfortable.
Take a slow breath in.
And a slow breath out. Imagine yourself standing beneath an ancient tree. You don't have to know the name of the tree. You don't have to give it a particular spiritual meaning. Just stand there.
Feel the ground beneath your feet.
Think about all the generations who have walked upon this earth before us. Think about the generations who will come after us.
And quietly think to yourself, what am I carrying forward?
What am I willing to protect?
What wisdom am I willing to receive?
And finally, how can I walk more gently upon this earth?
Take another deep breath and open your eyes.
Closing Blessing
With that I'd like to close this afternoon with a blessing.
May we remember those who came before us.
May we honor the indigenous peoples whose ancestors have cared for this land for generations.
May we listen before we speak.
May we learn before we assume.
May we respect traditions that are not ours to claim.
May we care for the earth not simply because she sustains us, but because our lives are woven into hers.
May we become better ancestors ourselves.
And when future generations look back upon us, may they be able to say:
They remembered.
They listened.
They cared.
They left the earth a little more whole than they found it.
May we walk gently, may we walk humbly, and may we walk together in greater respect.
Gratitude and blessings to you all today.
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