When Fear Speaks Louder Than Wisdom
Recently, I found myself reflecting on something that has troubled me for a long time.
I have heard people say that Indigenous culture is “witchcraft.” I have heard people say acupuncture is “witchcraft.” I have watched people reject massage, traditional healing, or other forms of care because someone told them they were spiritually dangerous.
Yet many of those same people have no hesitation about taking prescription medications, seeking surgery, or relying on modern medicine.
That made me stop and ask a simple question:
Have we learned to discern with wisdom, or have we learned to react with fear?
As Anishinaabe people, our teachings have always emphasized balance. We observe the land. We learn from Creation. We seek healing for the mind, body, heart, and spirit. Our teachings are not rooted in fear. They are rooted in relationship—with the Creator, with one another, and with all living things.
Throughout history, Indigenous ceremonies, languages, and ways of knowing were often misunderstood or deliberately condemned. Entire cultures were dismissed because they did not fit someone else’s understanding of spirituality. Those labels left deep wounds that many communities continue to carry today.
At the same time, I believe every person has the freedom to follow their own convictions. If someone chooses not to receive acupuncture or massage because of their personal beliefs, that is their choice, and I respect that.
What concerns me is when fear becomes the lens through which we judge everyone else.
Not every form of healing requires adopting another belief system. Sometimes a massage is simply a massage. Sometimes, acupuncture is simply a treatment for pain. Sometimes, Indigenous teachings are simply a people living in relationship with the Creator through the wisdom they have carried for generations.
Discernment asks questions.
Fear assumes answers.
One closes the door before understanding.
The other listens before deciding.
As I continue walking my own path, I am learning that wisdom is rarely loud. It does not need to condemn others to stand confidently in what it believes.
Whether healing comes through medicine, counselling, exercise, prayer, ceremony, massage, acupuncture, or another path, I hope we will become people who seek understanding before judgment.
The Creator gave us minds to think, hearts to discern, and the freedom to choose.
May we never allow fear to become stronger than wisdom.
— Waubshki Migisi
from the heart of Loon + Sturgeon 🪶
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