My current, fall 2009 Copy Editing class requires that students set up a blog to act as an accessory to classroom activities.

The idea of editing body copy is hardly related to the focus of this blog, holistic healing, but I have decided to use this blog for the course anyway. Our first assignment is to write up a Bio Sketch about ourselves. Mine is as follows:

My name is Deena DiBacco, I have always lived in New Jersey, specifically in Voorhees, and I am 24-years-young. As a Senior at Rowan University, majoring in Journalism, I’ve been able to grow considerably in my field. I obtained an internship with a local Cumberland County newspaper, The Daily Journal, last year. Upon completion of the internship, I was offered two paid positions as a freelance reporter, or stringer. One was with The Bridgeton Journal, the other at The Daily Journal, where I had interned.

Throughout the past year, I have written hundreds of stories for both news publications. I’ve encountered all types of challenges in the reporting field: interviewing public officials and citizens, attending press conferences and events, covering police beats, being on-scene for motor vehicle accidents and bank robberies, etc.

My internship, coupled with my college courses and professors has amplified my knowledge of the communications industry and my love for journalism. A seed was planted the day I decided to major in Journalism. My experiences have allowed that seed to sprout and bloom, and I feel I have blossomed into a journalist who has nothing but hope and excitement for whatever lies ahead in my future career.

I anticipate nothing less than honey bees and pollen.

But, I think I’d like to 

I won’t be posting as much as I used to (2x a week), but, if I stumble upon anything holistically-notable (which I usually do), I will most definetely blog about it. For instance, the upcoming festival at Rankokas American Indian Reservation is an event that I plan on attending, and plan on blogging about. That will most likely be my next post.

So, this blog will not find its culmination with the semester’s end, but will continue to age, and be updated. But, much like an old person ages, my posts will be coming at a slower pace

Thanks to all who have been reading!

A little about Jos: he was married and had children, but never went to college. He was a power plant engineer, a marine engineer, an infantry sergeant, and worked on helicopters as while he was in the armed forces. More specifically, he served in the United States Army for 11 years, and in the Navy for nine years.

Jos’ guided tour of the reservation’s museum revealed a beautifully illustrated story regarding the Powhatan people and how they came to acquire the land and make it a reservation. The Powhatan tribe had consisted of about 2000 people during the 1600′s. When the English came to stake their claim on the Powhatan’s land, a language barrier between the two groups was apparent. Since the English couldn’t communicate with the tribe, the closest they could come to a connection was through the tribe’s chief : Chief Powhatan. The English came to call Chief Powhatan and his 2000 Powhatan people the “Powhatan Village.” The Powhatan people’s “village” was actually very vast: they encompassed 123 villages total, with 35 different tribal names within the 123 villages. 

Within 53 years after the English arrived, the Powhatans were overcome with diseases previously unknown to them, but brought by the English. Before these new diseases arrived, the Powhatans were able to cure their ailments through the use of herbs and rituals, but they were unprepared for the new sicknesses and lacked the knowledge of which plants and herbs to use to cure them. The Powhatans were soon overcome and outnumbered by the English.

An interesting aspect of the Powhatan culture is the legend of Pocahontas: a legend that is surrounded by many misconceptions. Pocahontas was atually a part of the Powhatan people, her real name being Matoaki. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan himself. The real story is this: Pocahontas, of the Powhatan tribe, went off to England in the late 1600′s to marry a man named John Rolf. While in England, she died, and her body is still buried there. Interestingly enough, Jos and the staff at Rankokas American Indian Reservation asked to have her remains sent back to America, to be laid in their rightful place: her homeland. The English denied their request, and her body still rests in England today.

Coming back to the history of the Powhatans: Though the English brought diseases that were new to the Powhatans, the English also contracted diseases that were familiar to the tribe. The Powhatan people kept the English from dying of disease by showing them how to cure their sicknesses through herbal remedies. They also taught them how to survive off of the land, by teaching them how to preserve their food.

The area that the Powhatan people possessed was a large amount of land, stemming from Washington D.C. all the way down to the border of North Carolina. Today, six of the Powhatan tribes who lived within these borders are still recognized- the rivers between Washington D.C. and North Carolina are named after six of the tribes. The rivers are: Rappahammock, Mattaponi, Chickahominy, Pamunkey, Potomac (which is a commonly known river), and the Nansamond. 

The Native Americans have their own language, as do Germans, Italians, Chinese, etc. The two main languages were the Algonquin and the Athabascan languages. Later, the two were mixed to create around 500 different dialects in the United States alone. Within other areas, including South America, Mexico, and Central America, there are over 2,000 dialects. Jos explains just how different these dialects are.

   “If I spoke one dialect, and came across someone who spoke a different dialect, it would be like someone Chinese trying to speak to someone French. They are that different. What means ‘hello’ in one dialect, means ‘have you eaten yet today?’ in another dialect,” said Jefferson, adding, “Native Americans from different tribes had to use hand or sign language to communicate at all.”

Jos explained that our government only recognizes about 300 or so of the 500 Native American dialects. 

The next, and worst, invasion on the Powhatans land was when the Europeans came to settle in America. The East Coast was hit the hardest, because the Europeans came to the East Coast first.

The museum is made up of large glass encasements filled with scenes depicting how the Powhatans lived.

One glass encasement showed a stuffed deer, and included a sign that reads, “THE INDIANS USED EVERY OART OF A DEER. NOTHING WAS WASTED.” Jos explained that the Native Americans were a resourceful people, and made sure no part of anything they killed was every discarded. The deer meat was eaten, the skin was used to make clothes and drums, the antlers were used to make jewelry and carving or cutting tools, and the hooves were used as tools as well. Sometimes, in between their travels, the Native Americans would kill a deer, take out the insides, blow air into the leftover skin, which would blow up like a balloon and be left to dry out. When the “deer bubble” (for lack of a better phrase) was completely dried-out, the Indians would fill it up with water, sling it over their shoulder, and carry it around and drink from it like a water bottle.

The parts of a bear were also all used: the meat was eaten and the fat was cooked in oil and rubbed into the people’s hair and skin to keep it from drying out (the campfires would dry out hair and skin). The claws and teeth were used to make tools or jewelry.

The legend of the eagle is one that I especially liked. Here’s how Jos explained it:

   “When the people would see an eagle flying by, they would extend their arms to the sky, and because the eagle is known to the Indians as the messenger bird, it was said that a good person’s prayers would leave their arms and be caught on the eagle’s wings, and the eagle would carry those prayers to the spirit, to God,” said Jefferson.

An interesting tactic the Powhatans used to identify which tool worked best for killing a certain animal was depicted on their cave walls. They would draw a specific animal, and right next to it, they would stick an arrowhead. This was so future tribes who passed through could identify which type of arrowhead was the best to hunt the animals that dwelled in that area.

The reservation, which has been in existence since 1981, is also filled with instruments used by the Native people. Drums, rattles, and flutes were utilized by the Powhatans. The drum was not only used for war, it was also used in medicine ceremonies and gatherings. If a member of the tribe was out hunting, and the tribe suspected impending danger, they would have a specific drum beat that they would play. The beat could be heard for miles, and the wandering tribe member would hear it and know to come back, as his people were leaving the area.

While the men of the tribe occupied their time with hunting, fishing, and battles, the women were to take care of the camp. The women made utensils and clothes, purses (out of turtle shells), buck (deer)-skin dresses, and made kradle boards (long boards that were hoisted on their backs to carry their babies).

   “The women had invented their own cotton looms, and could weave dresses and such. They perfected their model long before the industrial revolution came along and the ‘new” cotton looms were invented,” said Jefferson.

The final part of the tour was when Jos took me through the art section. On every wall, in every corner, are beautiful paintings and sculptures illustrating Native Americans and their way of life.

The museum, called The Charles Banse American Indian Museum, is named after the museum’s former curator, Charles Banse. Banse’s artwork is featured in the gallery, and he is a direct descendant of Pocahontas.

The festival, which is held twice a year, once in the springtime and once in autumn, is truly an amazing experience.

This year’s American Indian Arts Festival will be held on May 23, 24, and 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Senior citizens and kids under the age of five are admitted free.

This year (like always!) the event will feature 150 Native American entertainers and artists, native cuisine, live animals (in the past, it was wolves!), demonstrations, and so much more.

The vendors at the event are truly gems. They sell handmade jewelry (lots of silver & turquoise), clothes, bags, drums, moccassins, headresses, blown glass goods, artwork, sculptures, talismans- the list just goes on and on.

Twice a year, the festival arrives, and, like clockwork, twice a year I leave completely broke. The vendors’ goods are just too beautiful and unique to pass up.

Being part Native American (I’m Choctaw Indian; we are  from the Carolinas) I feel that I’d be doing a disservice to the culture by not attending. All the beauty, peace, harmony, wisdom, and pure magic that comes with Native American culture should be celebrated, not crossed-off as a lost art. I will always support the Rankokas Reservation for their efforts to bring the beauty of our heritage to others, and for showcasing the immense talents and innate wisdom of the vendors, entertainers, demonstraters, wisdom keepers and shamans that make the festival a success.

The Powhatan Renape Nation is located within the Rancocas State Park, at the Rankokas Reservation. The reservation is located on Rancocas Road, and they can be contacted at (609) 261-4747.

Come out on May 23, 24, and/or 25 to support a wonderful group of people and a truly unique experience!!!!

Allow me to fill you in.

First and foremost, I am extremely picky about soap. I like natural, herbal soaps- not the kind of soap CVS or Rite Aid sells. I’ve experimented with mannnnyyyyy local NJ soap companies: Little Egg Harbor Soap Company (Out of Egg Harbor Twp., NJ), Pine Barrens Soap Co. (Out of Medford, NJ), among others.

These companies absolutely DO make fabulous soap that I’d recommend, but the BEST company I’ve come across is called Aurorae Visions. Check out their site!!!!!

Though Aurorae Visions is not based in NJ, they come here often to sell their products.

The first time I ever came in contact with their company, I was driving home from class. I was cutting through Berlin, NJ, just driving along, when I passed a huge field on my left. I’d passed this field countless times before, but today the usually empty land caught my eye.

All over the field, people dressed as elves and fairies were frolicking around, a faux castle had been erected, booths were set up, and people were milling around. Well, that’s all I needed to see. I swung my car onto the grass, parked, and happily ran up to the front gates and paid admission to enter the event: The Fantasy Faire.

I’ve never seen the Faire since, and the fact that I randomly noticed it was pretty odd. A Fantasy Faire in the middle of Berlin? And a fantasy superfan just happening to drive by? It was all too weird.

That’s not to say within two minutes all weirdness was forgotten and I was joyfully walking around from booth to booth, checking out what the vendors had to sell.

That’s when I stumbled upon Aurorae Visions’ booth. As I was approaching it, I could SMELL the herbs wafting off of the soaps. I was sucked in immediately. It seemed like there were millions of bars all around me. I left the Faire with 16 bars of soap that day. 10 were used as a Mother’s Day gift for my mommy, and 6 were all mine. I have never gone back to any other soap. Ever.

Unfortunately, I just checked Aurorae Visions’ website, and it says that they are currently not crafting soaps due to life circumstances. Whatever is going on, I wish them only the very best during their situation. And I’m sure the soaps will be back in time. I’ll be sure to provide an update when I find out they are back in business.

The site is About.com’s Holistic Healing site. I especially loved the little article about how messy homes can block your Chakras. Apparently, living in chaos and upheaval is detrimental to the Chakras. Living in a cluttered area can cause and maintain blockages. What a perfect time for an article: during spring cleaning season!

I feel like the site just doesn’t end….there is always another link to another article about another form of holistic healing….it goes on and on.

Keep an eye out for my reviews of the best Holistic Healing shops in South Jersey (and the surrounding areas).

My favorite part of the site is the “Find a Practitioner” tab. You basically click the tab, and see a list of different types of holistic practices: Naturopaths, Yoga Practitoners, etc. Each type of service has an explanation of how it’s practiced- and a search feature that allows you to find practitoners in your area.

Surprisingly, there is even a tab that directs you to a “help” page for those who are opening their own holistic practice. I found it refreshing to see a site that is so focused on helping others without charging for it.

Check it out!

My Favorite Place: On Rancocas Road, set back in a tiny cottage amongst other shops, My Favorite Place is an amazing little treasure. Chock-full of handmade gemstone jewelry, loose gemstones, crystals, loose  herbs, smudge sticks, a small book section, trinkets, supplies, home decorations, and more, My Favorite Place lives up to its name. The shop also offers classes.

Body Encounters: Being that I used to work at Body Encounters, the store has a special place in my heart. In addition to having a spacious yoga studio, yoga classes, and beds for massage, hot stone therapy & healing practices in the back, the unique shop also boasts a full-sized store. The store is where you’ll be able to purchase soy candles, teas and teapots, herb-filled pillows and blankets, Tibetan singing bowls, incense (the only place in NJ I’ve found so far that sells AIRS incense), crystals, handmade jewelry, books, CD’s (for yoga and meditation), greeting cards, smudge sticks, and much, much more. In addition to all this, Body Encounters also offers classes (like Shamanic Journeying, Tarot card readings, angel readings, and more.

Yoga Center of Haddonfield: This is the special little studio where I choose to practice yoga. Located just off the bustling little main street of Haddonfield, the Yoga Center is truly a peaceful haven. I knew as soon as I walked through their door for the first time that I’d always practice yoga there. The center features several rooms, all intricately designed, brightly-colored, and soothing; a perfect setting to practice yoga in. The staff and teachers are all amazing, and take the time to offer personal, one-on-one attention to each student. The shop also offers private sessions for those who desire solo practice.

Garland of Letters: ABSOLUTELY, hands-down, my favorite shop. Located on South Street in Philadelphia, entering the store is like entering a parallel universe. From the outside yelling, screaming, busy, pushing, beeping, you enter a place where the music lightly tinkles, incense is softly burning; but the view is what always takes my breath away. All around you, from wall-to-wall, corner-to-corner, floor-to-ceiling, there are books, books on old bookshelves with ladders sliding across to offer access to whichever one you choose to flip through. The place even smells like books, a scent that never fails to make me feel at home. When I say that Garland of Letters offers the most unbelievably vast collection of holistic and spiritual books I have ever seen in one place in my entire life, please take it as an understatement. I have found books there that YOU CANNOT FIND ANYMORE. Books that are not in publication anymore. Books from foreign places that happened to magically appear on the shelves of the bookstore. Besides the sea of books, Garland of Letters sells candles, incense (another place that sells AIRS incense, although you have to go over the bridge), tarot cards, lotions, oils, smudge sticks, and more. A MUST-VISIT, for sure.

Mineralistic: Choose a location for your convenience- Mineralistic has a shop on South Street in Philadelphia, and one on the main street in Collingswood. Known for their STUNNING handmade jewelry and loose gems, but also for their not-so-reccession-friendly prices, Mineralistic is the place to be when you recieve a bonus in your paycheck. Besides the gems and jewelry, they have little trinkets for the home, including fairies (which I have loved since I was a child), dragons, and other magical charms. The store is so filled up with beautiful creations, that it’s hard to know where to begin shopping.

In the coming weeks, I will post an interactive map, featuring my favorite local South Jersey (and Philadelphia) area shops and stores.

Included in the list will be:

My Favorite Place (Rancocas)

Body Encounters (Marlton)

Haddonfield Yoga Center (Haddonfield)

Mineralistic (Collingswood & Philadelphia)

Garland of Letters (Philadelphia)

More will be added to the list!