January 2, 2001
SECOND RISING SUN
I would like tell you about my website and the designs on it.
You are probably wondering why I use the name "SECOND RISING SUN".... Right?
I have been leaning toward a career in tv and film. I needed a screen name. Being an Ojibway Indian, I had certain things I had to do to get a name. It is customary for us (Ojibway) to have Indian Spirit names. Many of us have gotten these names when we were born, during a sickness, through a dream, a gift from the spirit world. Some of us have one, two or more. I presently have three.
What had to be done was some sort of sacrifice on my part. If I needed a screen name, I had to work for it. I asked the spirits to help me find a screen name. It was a long time before I could get one.
It started in Lake of the Woods, Ontario Canada. I started asking the spirits, with my tobacco and prayers. I would offer my tobacco and prayers to the rising sun. I would continue this as often as I could. I would only stop when I receive the dream or vision that would give me my screen name. Every where I went I would wake up before dawn and find a tree, I preferred to use a birch tree, a cedar tree or a trembling aspen if I was at a sun dance or rain dance. I would concentrate my prayers to the rising sun and standing by the tree. Day after day, week after week, month after month.... I asked. I did not wake up every single morning, things happened that did not allow me to wake up every single morning. I need this name. The name my folks gave me was Pierre Tuesday, the name of my grandfather who drowned on Lake of the Woods. I felt I needed my own identity.
I honestly did not know what name I would receive. I thought it would come very quick.
I ended up on Manitoulin Island for a summer, doing a play for tourists, getting up to meet that sun. Things happened that had me on the east coast of Canada. All over the maritimes. I was on tour doing a play. At the Halifax Fringe Festival we opened our play in a large 50 foot high tipi. We waited for tv and newspaper media to come to our play, they did not show up.
A couple of hours later we find out that all the media went to Peggy's Cove because the Swiss Flight 111 had crashed into the ocean, killing everyone on board.
On Cape Breton Island we were trying to erect the tipi in strong winds, later to find out that they were remnants of a hurricane from the sourthern states, that was pretty scary.
Yet in another place we travelled and then the face of Jesus Christ was seen on an exterior wall of a Tim Horton's...we even stopped there a couple of days past.
The crop circle on Prince Edward Island was amazing.
The things I saw. I still did my prayers. I think it really started when I offered my tobacco to the Atlantic Ocean, close to Peggy's Cove. I knew right there that I had to get to the Pacific Ocean and do the same thing....offer my tobacco to the rising sun.
I think I saw a rising sun every province, except for Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. I went back to Manitoulin and waited my next dream for what to do next. I had bought a car so I can travel whenever I wanted. It broke down pretty fast. I had to find another way to get around. I sold my car for a bus ticket to Winnipeg, Manitoba. I was there for a few weeks until, I was 'told' I had to get going, the Pacific Ocean was not going to come to me. Winnipeg was being slapped around by the first blizzard of the season. I got some cash and jumped a Grey Hound to Edmonton, Alberta. This was pretty interesting to me because, this was the very first time I saw the rising sun in Saskatchwen. It seems strange, but I was astounded. I used to fly over Saskatchewan. I never even seen the province. The bus ride was pretty uncomfortable. Just east of the Alberta/Saskatchewan I saw a sunrise. I was in a bus, none the less, it was still a sunrise. I had no tree to stand beside, looking out the window, I did not see any anyway, so what the heck. Endless prairie....no trees! I was wondering what the Indians do when they have no trees... I was pretty thankful that we had plenty of trees in Northern Ontario
I was homeless and practically starving on some days. I stayed with friends and relatives along that way. I am thankful for their hosipitality. I would find some food at food banks. I did my best to get some cash, working at those temporary work placement agencies. My folks would wire me a dollar every now and then, if I begged. I was stuck in Edmonton. I had the strangest feeling that the mountains were blocking me and that I had to leave something here. After talking to some elders, step 4 and step 5 had to be done before I moved on. So I did start working on my A.A. stuff. Wrote a book on my faults and 'let them go' in Edmonton. I stayed sober for a few months. Sober during the rest of my journey anyway, which was important for my quest.
Watching TV has always been good to me. It had everything I needed and wanted. I called in a TV contest in Edmonton and WON! I would like to thank ITV Edmonton for helping me out. Thank you Kevin! I had $1100! I knew that this was my ticket to the Pacific. I rented a car, made my plans and took off. Since I was in a car, I wanted to see some sights. Calgary was on my agenda. It is a beautiful city. I ate at Banffs' Hard Rock Cafe. Driving in the mountains can be very frightening, I saw snow banks the height if a house. Revelstoke was were I slept. I woke up and drove through the mountains. One thing I would like to mention is my descend to Vancouver. I was driving through blizzard, a couple of minutes later it was gone. I started downhill, the rain started coming down. All of a sudden the snow was gone. Where did it go? There was a flowing river, green trees, even green grass.... I really could not believe what was happening to me. I stayed by that stream and offered my tobacco to the spirits I am running into. They tell me things. I kept going. That few hours still fresh in my head.... the rapid transition of blizzardry winter to raining on grass! I will always remember that day.
I reached Vancouver. Driving around very tired and excited. I could see the Pacific Ocean. It was right there. I drove around for a couple of hours. I crossed a bridge and then ended up.... accidently, on a lane that took me to Stanley Park. This was the very first time I ever saw a giant cedar! We have cedars back home, I thought they were ok, normal size. I could not believe that cedars could get so darn big. I read about these type of trees, and I knew they were going to be in Vancouver. I just never expected to be overwhelmed by the first giant cedar. One tree had a hole in it, it could probably fit a small car.
I was tired. I found a hotel in downtown Vancouver. I did check out the night life that night...sober. I had a couple of hours of sleep before the rising sun. I went to bed. I woke up and drove to Stanley Park and sat on the beach and waited for the sun rise. I laid out my medicine bundle. Had my tobacco and tobacco ties ready. The sun was coming over the horizon, and I could feel my heart beating faster and my eyes beginning to water...again. I lit my pipe. Smoked it with the rising sun. Amazingly, the rain had stopped that morning, it is ususally wet and cold that time of year....February. I finished smoking my pipe and saying my prayers.
I had to do a couple of things before I left the water. I had bought a bottle of Vodka and spilled it in the water, along with a red cloth. I had to wait to see it disappear into the water. It finally did. I took my tobacco ties and walked into the forest of giant cedar. I found a big juicy tree off a trail, so no one could bother it. I tied my tobacco ties to the tree as I prayed to the sun. I burned my Step 5 papers from my A.A. thing by that cedar. I was done.
Shortly after.... a message comes to me..... "You already have a name!"
My mind was spinning because I felt I travelled all this way to hear THIS!
I continued thinking and listening. The voice said "Neeshogeesis!"
In Ojibway this means 'the second rising sun'.
I felt jipped. My last name is 'Tuesday'. It is the second rising sun already. I had it all along. I just had to listen. I listen to the spirits alot more nowadays, they work through me and I trust them more than ever when they talk to me or show me a dream or vision. I have not legally changed my name to "Second Rising Sun" or "Neeshogeesis", I will just use it when I need to.... the internet is a start, maybe I will in the future.
What has been bothering me is the connection with my name 'Second Rising Sun' and 'Second Rising Son'. I use this name primarily on the internet as a username or email address name. I get emails telling me that I made a 'typo'. I just tell them that I am 'sun' not 'son'. I am who I am. I cannot stop people from thinking what they think. This is the name I was given, not by a person, parent, friend or foe.... but from the the spirits who I talk to. Religious people and groups are even emailing me...
I am thankful for the names I have been given to me by the spirits. It is they who I live for. In every day life in Canada or the USA, I use Pierre or Peter, names from family and friends.
The spirits know who I am, and I am happy with it.