Poem to Sedna

As sojourners, we are like shamans diving

into an icy underworld

to make right our relationship with the Mother.

We plead with Her on behalf of our people, but she is angry

that her people break taboos by taking more than they need.

We comb her tangled hair until it flows free of the plastic greed

that wrapped our factory food. Her pain eases, but

still she does not release the animals

until we promise to feast her with country foods.

We return to our people to prepare a Sedna feast

with food shared from her bounty,

we tell the ancient stories again, and

when the song of the throat singers ends in laughter, we hear

the Mother laughing with us as she releases the animals.

After nine months, Sedna babies are born. Our people flourish.

Sedna. Mother of the Sea. Regeneratrix.