I wonder why people say these things. I think it's because they are afraid. As The Chief ended her fast, I read an article, written by an Idle No More supporter, saying that fasting is extremely dangerous for humans. I've since read similar statements from the media camp and politicians. It seems the whole country believes fasting can kill you.
I wanted to clear up this disinformation. I have fasted before, and will do so again when I am no longer breastfeeding. It is spiritually enlightening. It quiets the mind. It forces you to transcend the body's nagging, to recognize that there is more to our beings than just flesh. Some of our greatest life lessons occur when we step out of our regular routine and change the habits we normally depend on.
Physically, far from being unhealthy or extremely dangerous, fasting is actually very good for your body. It can work as a cleanse, which gives us more energy and makes us feel more alive. Fasting can be done for any length of time, from one meal, one day, a week, up to 6 weeks.
There are many different types of fast. I've been on broth and juice fasts, raw food fasts, and water fasts. Sometimes people just fast meat or some other food they normally eat. Chief Theresa Spence chose a fast of fish broth and herbal tea. Fish broth is a traditional food in native culture for good reason. Traditionally made broths are the most nourishing liquid you can drink, and could probably keep a person alive for a long, long time.
Fasting is an integral part of many spiritual practices around the world, including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Baha'i Faith, and Buddhism. Both Moses and Jesus fasted for 40 days. When I was a teenager, one of my pastors fasted for 40 days. I saw him regularly throughout his weeks of fasting. He may not have been his normal, energetic self, but he was certainly not close to death.
I will leave you with a few biblical verses about fasting that I thought were particularly applicable to Chief Theresa Spence and the elders who were fasting along with her.
Isaiah 56:6
"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?"
Psalm 35:13
Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
Please understand, I am not saying anyone needs to fast, or recommending that anyone do so. If it within your soul's journey to fast, then do so. If not, don't bother. Just be aware that people have been fasting since the beginning of recorded history and probably before. It isn't inherantly dangerous. It doesn't kill you.
