Speaking Truth
Speaking truth, sharing palabra or "the word" is when someone has been granted permission to speak in turn, usually in a ceremonial setting. It can also be using one's words to spread knowledge and education as words are seen as sacred tools that can either heal or wound. As such, many Indigenous communities value deep consideration of how and when we speak and listen.
Health Benefits:
Stress reduction
Community Wellness
Health Condition:
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma
Method of Use:
Ceremony
Cultural Narrative
One community member describes palabra as a “sacred wind”, or the teaching that when you are speaking with truth and intention, you are presenting your words into the universe as an offering where it is needed. She describes it as both a way to listen and to speak in relationship to the cosmos, the earth, to others and to oneself and that an important component of that relationship is to be in alignment between words and actions. She describes how important it is to prepare one’s palabra, word, or truth, with care. That includes self-reflecting on what “shadow work” or unhealed traumas may show up when one speaks. She describes the healing power of sharing palabra and participating in ceremony and cultural traditions to reconnect with and restore connection to ancestral knowledge and cultural identity.