Poet Joy Harjo on How We Can Heal as a Nation

United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo explains how stillness, gratitude and kindness can help us heal as a nation.

-If you had a formuala for the healing of America,it would be...-If I had a formula, that might take me a little while.Well the first thing would be just to stopeveryone, if we could just stopand listen.No argument, no political speech allowedonly the sounds of these beautiful birds.Feel, you feel the winds coming up?They also like to be acknowledged.-Hello winds.-Yes.-And then, you know, gratitude.Say 'okay, we're here.'There's a reason we're all here together.Sometimes I think America was created bya trickster God who says,'Okay, we have all of these diverse natives nations hereand then we're going to bring all of thesediverse people from all over the worldand now let's see what happens.Let's see what you're going to do.'But if we were to stop and listen,and then 'okay...'and then move with intentiontowards being kind,and caring.

And then dealing with'Okay, there's pain here,well, let's sit with--why don't we sit with each other at the tableand talk with each other and enjoy food,we all like each other's food,and the kids can all play together out back.