Windermere Union celebrating indigenous people

Windermere Union Church will host a poignant spiritual experience that explores what some indigenous people came to know as the Great Commission with the arrival of European Christians in Florida.

“Remembering the Indigenous People of Florida” will take place at 9:45 a.m. Sunday, July 31, with a prayer circle, following by a blanket exercise.

The church focuses on 17 tribes and will tell this story with a Blanket Exercise.

Blankets will be laid out in the shape of Florida representing 17 “principal tribes” at the time the Europeans came here. Folks will be invited to stand on the blanket or move around on them, and as the story unfolds by the narrators, portions of the blankets will be made smaller, until many are eventually removed as participants move off the blankets representing disease, war or extinction. It is not just an educational experience about land loss, but also helps participants know more about the impact of loss of culture, dignity, rights and, often, hope.

The prayer circle will include the burning of sage, prayer to the Four Cardinal Directions and music by the River Wind Flute Circle of Leesburg. The church is at 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Road, Windermere.