"Pachemama, siento tu calor. Pachemama, siento tu amor." The ceremony concluded, and the young woman walked toward a sacred fire. For five hours she was to care and maintain the fire, for she was designated the fire keeper. She fought to keep her awareness and keep sleep from falling upon her. Just as the sun rose, she saw Grandmother Marie from the Inuit Tribe of Alaska approaching. The young women smiled as she watched the elder come toward her. Grandmother Marie walked with little short steps as if to keep her body warm from the snow. There was no snow on the ground here, but Marie's Alaskan lineage permeated every essence of her existence. Marie finally arrived, and the young woman gave a chair to the Grandmother. The grandmother gratefully accepted. They sat there in silence. Watching the fire, the grandmother finally spoke.
"Did you enjoy the ceremony last night?" The young woman nodded. The grandmother smiled, "Your silence is welcoming. You are still in ceremony, yes?" The young woman nodded again. "Then I will tell you a story little one."

"When we do ceremony, we enter into the realm where time and space do not exist. We are one with the animals. We are one with the ocean. We are one with the stars. We are one with the sun. We are one with earth. We are one with our people. Ceremony does not begin when we light fire, and ceremony does not stop when we close our eyes and step away. Ceremony is here always. Ceremony is a school for our spirit. We learn our place in the universe when we do ceremony. When the motions of ceremony are finished, stay in silence. Do not allow you mind to comprehend or conceptualize what has occurred. Do not allow you tongue to put to words what shall remain wordless. Allow your ceremony to unfold for you. Your truth will unfold months or even years from now. The moment you speak of the ceremony is the moment you allowed you human mind to dictate the end of the unfoldment."

Quiet moments followed. Then Grandmother Marie rose to her feet, "I'm hungry. See you later!"
The young woman watched as the Grandmother slowly walked away with her little feet.