Words of Wisdom
The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged....
Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom, an intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations.
You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....
Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.
-Black Elk (Oglala) 1863-1950
In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beast, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and moon should man learn.. all things tell of Tirawa.
All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two, good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly.... We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to a good. So are all things two, all two.
-Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee
"We know our lands have now become more valuable. The white people think we do not know their value; but we know that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone."
-Canassatego
... I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself.
-Lone Man (Isna-la-wica)(Teton Sioux)
"Where today are the Pequot? Where are the Narragansett, the Mohican, the Pokanoket, and many other once powerful tribes of our people? They have vanished before the avarice and the oppression of the White Man, as snow before a summer sun.
"Will we let ourselves be destroyed in our turn without a struggle, give up our homes, our country bequeathed to us by the Great Spirit, the graves of our dead and everything that is dear and sacred to us? I know you will cry with me, 'Never! Never!'"
-Tecumseh (Shawnee)
"The white people, who are trying to make us over into their image, they want us to be what they call "assimilated," bringing the Indians into the mainstream and destroying our own way of life and our own cultural patterns. They believe we should be contented like those whose concept of happiness is materialistic and greedy, which is very different from our way.
We want freedom from the white man rather than to be integrated. We don't want any part of the establishment, we want to be free to raise our children in our religion, in our ways, to be able to hunt and fish and live in peace. We don't want power, we don't want to be congressmen, or bankers....we want to be ourselves. We want to have our heritage, because we are the owners of this land and because we belong here.
The white man says, there is freedom and justice for all. We have had "freedom and justice," and that is why we have been almost exterminated. We shall not forget this."
-From the 1927 Grand Council of American Indians
"The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the blood of our ancestors."
Chief Plenty Coups (Crow)
"How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right."
-Black Hawk (Sauk)
"There are many things to be shared with the Four Colors of humanity in our common destiny as one with our Mother the Earth. It is this sharing that must be considered with great care by the Elders and the medicine people who carry the Sacred Trusts, so that no harm may come to people through ignorance and misuse of these powerful forces."
-Resolution of the Fifth Annual Meetings of the Traditional Elders Circle, 1980
"My father, you have made promises to me and to my children. If the promises had been made by a person of no standing, I should not be surprised to see his promises fail. But you, who are so great in riches and power; I am astonished that I do not see your promises fulfilled!
"I would have been better pleased if you had never made such promises than that you should have made them and not performed them. . ."
-Shinguaconse ("Little Pine")
"When we Indians kill meat, we eat it all up. When we dig roots, we make little holes. When we build houses, we make little holes. When we burn grass for grasshoppers, we don't ruin things. We shake down acorns and pine nuts. We don't chop down the trees. We only use dead wood. But the white people plow up the ground, pull down the trees, kill everything. ... the White people pay no attention. ...How can the spirit of the earth like the White man? ... everywhere the White man has touched it, it is sore."
-Wintu Woman, 19th Century
"Traditional people of Indian nations have interpreted the two roads that face the light-skinned race as the road to technology and the road to spirituality. We feel that the road to technology.... has led modern society to a damaged and seared earth. Could it be that the road to technology represents a rush to destruction, and that the road to spirituality represents the slower path that the traditional native people have traveled and are now seeking again? The earth is not scorched on this trail. The grass is still growing there."
-William Commanda, Mamiwinini, Canada, 1991
The Sacred Tree
Among the Indians there have been no written laws. Customs handed down from generation to generation have been the only laws to guide them. Every one might act different from what was considered right did he choose to do so, but such acts would bring upon him the censure of the Nation.... This fear of the Nation's censure acted as a mighty band, binding all in one social, honorable compact.
-George Copway (Kah-ge-ga-bowh)(Ojibwa Chief 1818-1863)
The promise Creator gives us
Comes with every new day,
The gift of breath, the gift of life,
Opportunities in a vast array.
How do we count our blessings,
Through the choices life can bring?
Is it through joyful lessons?
Or the fears to which we cling?
Are we learning to show gratitude,
For the victories over human pain?
By honoring the feeling choices,
We grasp the will we've regained.
Can we change our focus,
With no need to defend?
Acknowledging joy and sorrow,
Without judging foe or friend?
Tomorrow promises the fullness
Of every human way to know:
How we master each challenge
Determines our balance -
reflecting how we grow.
The Promise of Tomorrow
Jamie Sams
"Earth Medicine"
Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.
And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy...
But anywhere is the center of the world.
Black Elk
Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux
The traditions of our people are handed down from father to son. The Chief is considered to be the most learned, and the leader of the tribe. The Doctor, however, is thought to have more inspiration. He is supposed to be in communion with spirits... He cures the sick by the laying of hands, and payers and incantations and heavenly songs. He infuses new life into the patient, and performs most wonderful feats of skill in his practice.... He clothes himself in the skins of young innocent animals, such as the fawn, and decorated himself with the plumage of harmless birds, such as the dove and hummingbird ...
-Sarah Winnemucca (Paiute)1844-1891
"If today I had a young mind to direct, to start on the journey of life, and I was faced with the duty of choosing between the natural way of my forefathers and that of the... present way of civilization, I would, for its welfare, unhesitatingly set that child's feet in the path of my forefathers. I would raise him to be an Indian!"
"We learned to be patient observers like the owl. We learned cleverness from the crow, and courage from the jay, who will attack an owl ten times its size to drive it off its territory. But above all of them ranked the chickadee because of its indomitable spirit."
-Tom Brown, Jr., The Tracker
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting in your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit in pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tip of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from God's presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
The Invitation
By Oriah Mountain Dreamer
(A Native American Elder)
Stone People medicine:
Carnelian- is a translucent to clear waxy form of quartz, it is flesh colored, or red, orange, or reddish-brown. It is the stone of integrity & a symbol of the strength & beauty of the earth. Carnelian is attributed with the ability to stimulate & to stir into action. It softens anger & disperses strife. It promotes contentment, thus it is a good stone to wear. Carnelian helps a person to develop self-control. It is a stone of blood ties & family unity since it's primary attribute is to strengthen. Ancient people accredited carnelian with currative powers & it was used in general healing.
Resource: Earth Medicine by Kenneth Meadows
The Stone People (Rocks) are the Eldest living beings on Mother Earth, therefore are deserving of the utmost respect. I have been taught that they serve the role of record-keepers. It was also explained to me that Great Mystery breathed it's breath into each & every stone thus granting them all unique & valuable gifts & lessons to bestow upon earth's other creatures.
When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life
in such a manner that when you die, the world cried and you rejoice.
Great Spirit Prayer
"Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice
Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy
Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
"May you always walk in Beauty."
Ancient Prayer
Wae Wae Non Ne Mot, Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin
"The Creator above is the Great Spirit and the Great Mystery, His gifts are plentiful therefore you want not. He holds out a branch of love and protection and He draws you to where the ground is undisturbed, where the air is pure and the water is clear and clean enough to give life. You walk, you breathe, you feed, for you are pleasured. The times when your heart is weak, your circle is out of balance, He lifts you up again and draws you to the good Menominee road, for He is strength and wisdom."
Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux
"Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you -- the two-legged, the four-legged, the wings of the air, and all green things that live.
"You have set the powers of the four quarters of the earth to cross each other. You have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties, and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in, day out, forevermore, you are the life of things."
Big Thunder (Bedagi), late 19th century Algonquin
"The Great Spirit is in all things, is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground, She returns to us...."
Give Us Hearts to Understand
Give us hearts to understand;
Never to take from creation's beauty more than we give;
never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed;
Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty;
never to take from her what we cannot use.
Give us hearts to understand
That to destroy earth's music is to create confusion;
that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty;
That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench;
that as we care for her she will care for us.
We have forgotten who we are.
We have sought only our own security.
We have exploited simply for our own ends.
We have distorted our knowledge.
We have abused our power.
Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst,
Help us to find the way to refresh your lands.
Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution,
help us to find the way to cleanse your waters.
Great Spirit, whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse,
help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork.
Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed,
help us to find a way to replenish them.
Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption,
help us to find the way to restore our humanity.
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
whose breath gives life to the world, hear me;
I need your strength and wisdom.
May I walk in Beauty.
Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding
by Larry Kibby
Great Spirit Grandfather,
I send these words to you,
Hear my prayer.
For these are my words,
To Father Sun,
To Grandmother Moon,
To Mother Earth
To all my relations,
That have been Created as I.
To the Four Winds,
That bring us the
Seasons of Life.
To the East
Where Father Sun rises
Bringing to us a new day
A new meaning of life,
A light in which to see
The path before us.
To the South
Where the warm air comes to us
Bringing heat and warmth,
The seasons of spring
And summer.
To the West
Where Father Sun goes
To bring to us darkness,
So as we may see the universe
And search for the questions
Of our life.
To the North
Where the cold winds come from
Bringing to us the seasons
Of fall and winter.
Oh Great Spirit
Hear my words
For to you I offer
My heart and soul
You made me
What I am
And I am Indian
America's Prisoners of War
I pray for my people of the past
Whose blood covers this our Mother Earth
I pray now as an Indian
Blood of my Ancestors.
Great Spirit Grandfather,
Look down upon
Your people,
For we are humble
Before you.
We seek your guidance,
So that we your people
May walk forever
In a proud manner
Before you.
Great Spirit Grandfather,
You gave your people
The breath of life,
So that we may live
With dignity and pride,
To always know
And understand
That life was meant for us
Your most humble
Traditional people,
And all that
Was Created
And given
The breath of life.
Great Spirit Grandfather,
Let my heart
Soul and mind
Be always strong with
Wisdom, knowledge
And Understanding.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Hear my words
For wisdom
So that I may open
My eyes and
See all that
Is good around me.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Hear my words
For wisdom
So that I may open my ears
And hear all that is good
Around me.
For I am humble
Before you.
I seek the strength
To continue on this path
That I travel on before you
In a most Sacred manner.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Hear my words
For they are words
That come from the
Heart, soul and mind,
And are filled with
Wisdom, knowledge and
Understanding.
Great Spirit Grandfather
My words are for you
To know and understand
That in a most Sacred manner
I honor and respect
The life you have put before me,
I seek the strength
To forever continue
Upon this Sacred path.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Upon the four winds
Are my words for strength
For they come from the
Heart, soul and mind
Words I send to you
In a Sacred manner.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Let all
The wisdom, knowledge and understanding
Be my strength
To continue on this path
That I travel on before you
As a Traditional Native American Indian,
Now and forever.
The Circle Of Life
Oh Great Spirit
Of the Indian People
Hear my words
For they are words that come
From the heart, soul and mind.
Oh Great Spirit
Be my mind,
Be my eyes,
Be my ears,
Be my heart,
Be my soul,
So that I may walk
With dignity and pride.
Oh Great Spirit
Of the Indian People
Know of me.
For I am of your people.
I am Indian,
An Indian of the Circle of Life
A prisoner of War
In my own Land!
Oh Great Spirit,
Of the Indian people,
Hear my words
For they are for you.
They are of you.
You are my way of life
In the Circle of Life.
An Indian Prayer
by H. Kent Craig
My grandfather is the fire
My grandmother is the wind
The Earth is my mother
The Great Spirit is my father
The World stopped at my birth
and laid itself at my feet
And I shall swallow the Earth whole when I die
and the Earth and I will be one
Hail The Great Spirit, my father
without him no one could exist
because there would be no will to live
Hail The Earth, my mother
without which no food could be grown
and so cause the will to live to starve
Hail the wind, my grandmother
for she brings loving, lifegiving rain
nourishing us as she nourishes our crops
Hail the fire, my grandfather
for the light, the warmth, the comfort he brings
without which we be animals, not men
Hail my parent and grandparents
without which
not I
nor you
nor anyone else
could have existed
Life gives life
which gives unto itself
a promise of new life
Hail the Great Spirit, The Earth, the wind, the fire
praise my parents loudly
for they are your parents, too
Oh, Great Spirit, giver of my life
please accept this humble offering of prayer
this offering of praise
this honest reverence of my love for you.
Oh Great Spirit,
Whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to the world,
Hear me!
I come to you as one of your many children.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
May I walk in beauty.
Make my eyes behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things that you have made,
And my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may know the things
That you have taught your children--
The lessons that you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Make me strong, not to be superior to my brothers, but to be
able to fight my greatest enemy: myself.
Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes, so that
When life fades as the faded sunset
My spirit will come to you without shame.
Earth Teach Me to Remember
by John Yellow Lark
Earth teach me stillness
as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth Teach me caring
as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me courage
as the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep in the rain.
Ute, North American
As I Walk with Beauty
As I walk, as I walk
The universe is walking with me
In beauty it walks before me
In beauty it walks behind me
In beauty it walks below me
In beauty it walks above me
Beauty is on every side
As I walk, I walk with Beauty.
Traditional Navajo Prayer
Hear Me
Hear me, four quarters of the world-- a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth. Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds. Great Spirit...all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike. With tenderness have these come up out of the ground. Look upon these faces of children without number and with children in their arms, that they may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet. This is my prayer' hear me!
Black Elk, Sioux Indian
The Offering of the Pipe, from Black Elk Speaks:
Hey hey! Hey hey! Hey hey! Hey hey!
Grandfather, Great Spirit, you have been always, and before you no one has been.
There is no other one to pray to but you.
You yourself, everything that you see, everything has been made by you.
The star nations all over the universe you have finished.
The four quarters of the earth you have finished.
The day, and in that day, everything you have finished.
Grandfather, Great Spirit, lean close to the earth that you may hear the voice I send.
You towards where the sun goes down, behold me;
Thunder Beings, behold me!
You where the White Giant lives in power, behold me!
You where the sun shines continually, whence come the day-break star and the day, behold me!
You where the summer lives, behold me!
You in the depths of the heavens, an eagle of power, behold me!
And you, Mother Earth, the only Mother, you who have shown mercy to your children!
Hear me, four quarters of the world - a relative I am!
Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is!
Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you.
With your power only can I face the winds.
Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike.
With tenderness have these come up out of the ground.
Look upon these faces of children without number and with children in their arms,
that they may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet.
This is my prayer; hear me!
The voice I have sent is weak, yet with earnestness I have sent it.
Hear me!
It is finished. Hetchetu aloh!
Now, my friend, let us smoke together so that there may be only good between us.
Black Elk Speaks, John G. Neihardt, Lincoln:Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1979.
Tsalagi Prayer Blessing
May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your Mocassins
Make happy tracks
in many snows,
and may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.
PRAYER FOR THE WHITE MAN
And now, Grandfather, I ask you to bless
the White Man.
He needs your Wisdom, your guidance.
You see, for so long,
he has tried to destroy my people,
and only feels comfortable
when given power.
Bless them, show them the peace we understand,
teach them humility.
For I fear they will someday destroy themselves
and their children,
As they have done so Mother Earth.
I plead, I cry.
After all, They are my Brothers.......
SIOUX PRAYER
Grandfather Great Spirit All Over The World
The Faces Of Living Things Are Alike.
With Tenderness, They Have Come Up Out Of The Ground.
Look Upon Your Children That They May Face The Winds
And Walk The Good Road To The Day Of Quiet.
Grandfather Great Spirit
Fill Us With The Light.
Give Us The Strength To Understand And The Eyes To See.
Teach Us To Walk The Soft Earth As Relatives
To All That Live.
~Sioux Prayer~
Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you."
~Pueblo Blessing ~
Dance to Heal the Earth
by Dee Smith
Whenever you dance, wherever you dance, dance to heal the earth!
Dancing is power. Dancing is prayer. Some say that all is dance. Maybe. Now there's a big dance coming, a dance to heal the earth. If you're reading this, you're probably part of it. You take part whenever you do whatever you do to help heal the earth. When you recycle. When you choose to show love, to fight for justice, to bring healing, to bring out what is good in others. When you avoid cruelty and dishonesty and waste. When you are outraged. When you speak out. When you give. When you consider the generations to come. When you protest to the oppressors and encourage those who feel the cutting edge of injustice. And, of course, when you dance. There is a tree that all the prophets see, and whenever you let your love show, you make the flowers grow.
Soon this dance will be done in a big way, in the old way, on sacred ground. All living things will take part. If you want to, you can take part. No one is twisting your arm. You can stop any time you need to, and start up again whenever you're ready. If you've read this far, you probably know what I'm talking about. You've probably been doing it in one way or another for a good while. Soon will be the time to make no bones about it! Cut loose!
Anytime you dance, anywhere, whether at a party or in church, dance to heal the earth! Let your feet beat a healing rhythm into the earth. Let your feet beat a strengthening rhythm for those who struggle the hardest. Let your feet beat a life-giving rhythm for all peoples, regardless of race or national boundary, regardless of whether we're human or whether we're the trees, the air, the fish, the birds, the buffalo, the bear, the crow. We come out of hiding, we come back from the dead, and we dance, and our dance is a prayer, and our songs and our rhythms and our breath give life.
Is the music they're playing some mindless jingle? Never mind, as long as it's not bad music, and you can dance to the beat! Make your own words, and make the words a prayer. A prayer for the end of exploitation, a prayer for the end of lies, a prayer for healing, for justice, for life. Remember your prayer-song, feed it and let it get strong and pass it along. Dance and pray, whenever you dance, dance to heal the earth.
Have you seen anything? Wear it out! Make it so that all can see what you see! Take a white T-shirt and mark it with your dreams. Is there anything you'd like to tell the world? Take your shirt and mark it with your song! This is the way it has been done, so you can do it too. Use any color except black (there are reasons for that that will become clearer later), and you'll probably find that a loose, pure cotton T is most comfortable for dancing in. Cos this is an actual dance, you dance hard, you sing and breathe hard and sweat. Wear it when you plan to go out dancing, to dance to heal the earth.
Some people do this dance while fasting, and dance for several days straight. But even a few minutes of dancing helps, and joins with all the other dancing going on, everywhere on Earth. Not everyone can fast these days. Besides, you never know when you're gonna dance, and you have to eat sometimes! But if you plan to dance, hold off eating till later, or just have a little. It's easier to dance if you don't have a hotdog weighing you down.
Some people say, do not do sacred things where people are drinking and partying. But all the universe is a sacred place. It really doesn't matter what others are doing, you can make a place sacred wherever you are, with your intention and your prayers. Some people use smoke to make a place sacred; a cigarette or incense stick will do fine. You can dance to heal the earth anywhere, even a party or a bar! The earth is everywhere, so you can dance anywhere to heal her. Only one thing. Please hold off drinking or using any other intoxicants till you're done. It works better that way.
The Lie has gone far enough. It spreads and makes everyone sick. Now is the time for this dance to begin. It, too, will spread, and it will bring healing to all. In the beginning, they say, God put a rainbow in the sky, to let us know that Spirit never forgets. Now is the time for us to put a rainbow across the earth, to let God know that we, too, remember.
Dance to heal the earth. Not just when you're dancing, but always. Live the dance, whenever you move, in all you do, dance to heal the earth.
Thanksgiving Prayer
We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness, and Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
Iroquois Prayer, adapted
Give Thanks
When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength.
Give thanks for your food and the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Tecumseh
Prayer before the U.S. Senate - 1975
by Frank Fools Crow, Old Lord of the Holy Men
Ceremonial Chief and Medicine Man of the Lakota Nation
"In the presence of this house, Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, and from
the directions where the sun sets,
and from the direction of cleansing power,
and from the direction of the rising un,
and from the direction of the middle of the day.
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka,
Grandmother, the Earth who hears everything,
Grandmother, because you are woman, for this reason you are kind,
I come to you this day.
To tell you to love the red men, and watch over them,
and give these young men the understanding
because, Grandmother, from you comes the good things, good things
that are beyond our eyes to see have been blessed in our midst
for this reason I make my supplication known to you again.
Give us a blessing so that our words and actions be one in unity,
and that we be able to listen to each other, in so doing,
we shall with good heart walk hand in hand to face the future.
In the presence of the outside, we are thankful for many blessings.
I make my prayer for all people, the children, the women and the men.
I pray that no harm will come to them,
and that on the great island, there be no war,
that there be no ill feelings among us
From this day on may we walk hand in hand
So be it.
Chinok Lordís Prayer
Nesika papa klaksta mitlite kopa saghalie
Our Father Who dwells in High
Kloshe kopa nesika tumtum mika nem.
Good for our hearts Your Name.
Kloske mika tyee kopa konaway tillikum;
Good you Chief of all people;
Kloshe mika tumtum kopa illahee kahkwa kopa saghalie;
God Your heart to make our country such as Yours up above;
Potlach konaway sun nesika muckamuck,
Gice us all days our food,
Pee kopet-kumtux donaway nesika mesachie,
And stop remembering all our sins we make to them,
Kahkwa nesilka mamook kopa klasksta spose mamook mesachie kopa nesia;
As we suppose not their sin against us;
Mahah siah kopa nesika konaway mesachie.
Throw far away from us all evil.
Kloshe kahkwa.
Amen.
The Lights
The Sun is a luminous shield
Borne up the blue path
By a god;
The moon is the torch
Of an old man
Who stumbles over the stars.
-Eda Lou Walton
Sun Tracks
the Track of the Sun
across the Sky
leaves its shining message,
Illuminating,
Strengthening,
Warming,
us who are here,
showing us we are not alone,
we are yet ALIVE!
And this fireÖ
Our fireÖ
Shall not die!
-Atoni (Choctaw)
Ojibwa Prayer
Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds
And whose breath gives life to everyone,
Hear me.
I come to you as one of your many children;
I am weakÖI am smallÖI need your wisdom and your strength.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever
behold the red and purple sunsets.
Make my hands respect the things you have made,
and make my ears sharp so I may hear your voice.
Make me wise, so that I may understand what you
have taught my people and
The lessons you have hidden in each leaf
and each rock.
I ask for wisdom and strength,
Not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able
to fight my greatest enemy, myself.
Make me ever ready to come before you with
clean hands and a straight eye,
So as life fades away as a fading sunset,
My spirit may come to you without shame.
-Author Unknown
The Hunters
There were but two beneath the sky ñ
The thing I came to kill, and I.
I, under covert, quietly
Watched him sense eternity
From quivering brush to pointed nose
My gun to shoulder level rose
And then I felt (I could not see)
Far off a hunter watching me.
I slowly put my rifle by,
For there were two who had to die ñ
The thing I wished to kill, and I.
-Author Unknown
The Moccasins of an Old Man
I hung you there, moccasins of worn buckskin.
I hung you there and there you are still.
I took you from the hot flesh of a swift buck.
I took you to my woman.
She tanned you with buck brains.
She cut and sewed and beaded.
I wore you with pride.
I wore you with leaping steps over many grounds.
Now, I sit here and my bones
are stiff with many winters.
You hang there and I shall sit.
We shall watch the night approach.
-Romona Carden (Colville)
Voices That Beautify The Earth
Voice above,
Voice of Thunder,
Speak from the dark of clouds;
Voice below,
Grasshopper-voice,
Speak from the green of plants;
So may the earth be beautiful.
The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged....
Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom, an intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations.
You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....
Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.
-Black Elk (Oglala) 1863-1950
In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beast, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and moon should man learn.. all things tell of Tirawa.
All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two, good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly.... We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to a good. So are all things two, all two.
-Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee
"We know our lands have now become more valuable. The white people think we do not know their value; but we know that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone."
-Canassatego
... I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself.
-Lone Man (Isna-la-wica)(Teton Sioux)
"Where today are the Pequot? Where are the Narragansett, the Mohican, the Pokanoket, and many other once powerful tribes of our people? They have vanished before the avarice and the oppression of the White Man, as snow before a summer sun.
"Will we let ourselves be destroyed in our turn without a struggle, give up our homes, our country bequeathed to us by the Great Spirit, the graves of our dead and everything that is dear and sacred to us? I know you will cry with me, 'Never! Never!'"
-Tecumseh (Shawnee)
"The white people, who are trying to make us over into their image, they want us to be what they call "assimilated," bringing the Indians into the mainstream and destroying our own way of life and our own cultural patterns. They believe we should be contented like those whose concept of happiness is materialistic and greedy, which is very different from our way.
We want freedom from the white man rather than to be integrated. We don't want any part of the establishment, we want to be free to raise our children in our religion, in our ways, to be able to hunt and fish and live in peace. We don't want power, we don't want to be congressmen, or bankers....we want to be ourselves. We want to have our heritage, because we are the owners of this land and because we belong here.
The white man says, there is freedom and justice for all. We have had "freedom and justice," and that is why we have been almost exterminated. We shall not forget this."
-From the 1927 Grand Council of American Indians
"The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the blood of our ancestors."
Chief Plenty Coups (Crow)
"How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right."
-Black Hawk (Sauk)
"There are many things to be shared with the Four Colors of humanity in our common destiny as one with our Mother the Earth. It is this sharing that must be considered with great care by the Elders and the medicine people who carry the Sacred Trusts, so that no harm may come to people through ignorance and misuse of these powerful forces."
-Resolution of the Fifth Annual Meetings of the Traditional Elders Circle, 1980
"My father, you have made promises to me and to my children. If the promises had been made by a person of no standing, I should not be surprised to see his promises fail. But you, who are so great in riches and power; I am astonished that I do not see your promises fulfilled!
"I would have been better pleased if you had never made such promises than that you should have made them and not performed them. . ."
-Shinguaconse ("Little Pine")
"When we Indians kill meat, we eat it all up. When we dig roots, we make little holes. When we build houses, we make little holes. When we burn grass for grasshoppers, we don't ruin things. We shake down acorns and pine nuts. We don't chop down the trees. We only use dead wood. But the white people plow up the ground, pull down the trees, kill everything. ... the White people pay no attention. ...How can the spirit of the earth like the White man? ... everywhere the White man has touched it, it is sore."
-Wintu Woman, 19th Century
"Traditional people of Indian nations have interpreted the two roads that face the light-skinned race as the road to technology and the road to spirituality. We feel that the road to technology.... has led modern society to a damaged and seared earth. Could it be that the road to technology represents a rush to destruction, and that the road to spirituality represents the slower path that the traditional native people have traveled and are now seeking again? The earth is not scorched on this trail. The grass is still growing there."
-William Commanda, Mamiwinini, Canada, 1991
The Sacred Tree
Among the Indians there have been no written laws. Customs handed down from generation to generation have been the only laws to guide them. Every one might act different from what was considered right did he choose to do so, but such acts would bring upon him the censure of the Nation.... This fear of the Nation's censure acted as a mighty band, binding all in one social, honorable compact.
-George Copway (Kah-ge-ga-bowh)(Ojibwa Chief 1818-1863)
The promise Creator gives us
Comes with every new day,
The gift of breath, the gift of life,
Opportunities in a vast array.
How do we count our blessings,
Through the choices life can bring?
Is it through joyful lessons?
Or the fears to which we cling?
Are we learning to show gratitude,
For the victories over human pain?
By honoring the feeling choices,
We grasp the will we've regained.
Can we change our focus,
With no need to defend?
Acknowledging joy and sorrow,
Without judging foe or friend?
Tomorrow promises the fullness
Of every human way to know:
How we master each challenge
Determines our balance -
reflecting how we grow.
The Promise of Tomorrow
Jamie Sams
"Earth Medicine"
Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.
And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy...
But anywhere is the center of the world.
Black Elk
Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux
The traditions of our people are handed down from father to son. The Chief is considered to be the most learned, and the leader of the tribe. The Doctor, however, is thought to have more inspiration. He is supposed to be in communion with spirits... He cures the sick by the laying of hands, and payers and incantations and heavenly songs. He infuses new life into the patient, and performs most wonderful feats of skill in his practice.... He clothes himself in the skins of young innocent animals, such as the fawn, and decorated himself with the plumage of harmless birds, such as the dove and hummingbird ...
-Sarah Winnemucca (Paiute)1844-1891
"If today I had a young mind to direct, to start on the journey of life, and I was faced with the duty of choosing between the natural way of my forefathers and that of the... present way of civilization, I would, for its welfare, unhesitatingly set that child's feet in the path of my forefathers. I would raise him to be an Indian!"
"We learned to be patient observers like the owl. We learned cleverness from the crow, and courage from the jay, who will attack an owl ten times its size to drive it off its territory. But above all of them ranked the chickadee because of its indomitable spirit."
-Tom Brown, Jr., The Tracker
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting in your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit in pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tip of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from God's presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
The Invitation
By Oriah Mountain Dreamer
(A Native American Elder)
Stone People medicine:
Carnelian- is a translucent to clear waxy form of quartz, it is flesh colored, or red, orange, or reddish-brown. It is the stone of integrity & a symbol of the strength & beauty of the earth. Carnelian is attributed with the ability to stimulate & to stir into action. It softens anger & disperses strife. It promotes contentment, thus it is a good stone to wear. Carnelian helps a person to develop self-control. It is a stone of blood ties & family unity since it's primary attribute is to strengthen. Ancient people accredited carnelian with currative powers & it was used in general healing.
Resource: Earth Medicine by Kenneth Meadows
The Stone People (Rocks) are the Eldest living beings on Mother Earth, therefore are deserving of the utmost respect. I have been taught that they serve the role of record-keepers. It was also explained to me that Great Mystery breathed it's breath into each & every stone thus granting them all unique & valuable gifts & lessons to bestow upon earth's other creatures.
When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life
in such a manner that when you die, the world cried and you rejoice.
Great Spirit Prayer
"Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice
Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy
Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
"May you always walk in Beauty."
Ancient Prayer
Wae Wae Non Ne Mot, Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin
"The Creator above is the Great Spirit and the Great Mystery, His gifts are plentiful therefore you want not. He holds out a branch of love and protection and He draws you to where the ground is undisturbed, where the air is pure and the water is clear and clean enough to give life. You walk, you breathe, you feed, for you are pleasured. The times when your heart is weak, your circle is out of balance, He lifts you up again and draws you to the good Menominee road, for He is strength and wisdom."
Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux
"Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you -- the two-legged, the four-legged, the wings of the air, and all green things that live.
"You have set the powers of the four quarters of the earth to cross each other. You have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties, and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in, day out, forevermore, you are the life of things."
Big Thunder (Bedagi), late 19th century Algonquin
"The Great Spirit is in all things, is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us; that which we put into the ground, She returns to us...."
Give Us Hearts to Understand
Give us hearts to understand;
Never to take from creation's beauty more than we give;
never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed;
Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty;
never to take from her what we cannot use.
Give us hearts to understand
That to destroy earth's music is to create confusion;
that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty;
That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench;
that as we care for her she will care for us.
We have forgotten who we are.
We have sought only our own security.
We have exploited simply for our own ends.
We have distorted our knowledge.
We have abused our power.
Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst,
Help us to find the way to refresh your lands.
Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution,
help us to find the way to cleanse your waters.
Great Spirit, whose beautiful earth grows ugly with misuse,
help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork.
Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed,
help us to find a way to replenish them.
Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption,
help us to find the way to restore our humanity.
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
whose breath gives life to the world, hear me;
I need your strength and wisdom.
May I walk in Beauty.
Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding
by Larry Kibby
Great Spirit Grandfather,
I send these words to you,
Hear my prayer.
For these are my words,
To Father Sun,
To Grandmother Moon,
To Mother Earth
To all my relations,
That have been Created as I.
To the Four Winds,
That bring us the
Seasons of Life.
To the East
Where Father Sun rises
Bringing to us a new day
A new meaning of life,
A light in which to see
The path before us.
To the South
Where the warm air comes to us
Bringing heat and warmth,
The seasons of spring
And summer.
To the West
Where Father Sun goes
To bring to us darkness,
So as we may see the universe
And search for the questions
Of our life.
To the North
Where the cold winds come from
Bringing to us the seasons
Of fall and winter.
Oh Great Spirit
Hear my words
For to you I offer
My heart and soul
You made me
What I am
And I am Indian
America's Prisoners of War
I pray for my people of the past
Whose blood covers this our Mother Earth
I pray now as an Indian
Blood of my Ancestors.
Great Spirit Grandfather,
Look down upon
Your people,
For we are humble
Before you.
We seek your guidance,
So that we your people
May walk forever
In a proud manner
Before you.
Great Spirit Grandfather,
You gave your people
The breath of life,
So that we may live
With dignity and pride,
To always know
And understand
That life was meant for us
Your most humble
Traditional people,
And all that
Was Created
And given
The breath of life.
Great Spirit Grandfather,
Let my heart
Soul and mind
Be always strong with
Wisdom, knowledge
And Understanding.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Hear my words
For wisdom
So that I may open
My eyes and
See all that
Is good around me.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Hear my words
For wisdom
So that I may open my ears
And hear all that is good
Around me.
For I am humble
Before you.
I seek the strength
To continue on this path
That I travel on before you
In a most Sacred manner.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Hear my words
For they are words
That come from the
Heart, soul and mind,
And are filled with
Wisdom, knowledge and
Understanding.
Great Spirit Grandfather
My words are for you
To know and understand
That in a most Sacred manner
I honor and respect
The life you have put before me,
I seek the strength
To forever continue
Upon this Sacred path.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Upon the four winds
Are my words for strength
For they come from the
Heart, soul and mind
Words I send to you
In a Sacred manner.
Great Spirit Grandfather
Let all
The wisdom, knowledge and understanding
Be my strength
To continue on this path
That I travel on before you
As a Traditional Native American Indian,
Now and forever.
The Circle Of Life
Oh Great Spirit
Of the Indian People
Hear my words
For they are words that come
From the heart, soul and mind.
Oh Great Spirit
Be my mind,
Be my eyes,
Be my ears,
Be my heart,
Be my soul,
So that I may walk
With dignity and pride.
Oh Great Spirit
Of the Indian People
Know of me.
For I am of your people.
I am Indian,
An Indian of the Circle of Life
A prisoner of War
In my own Land!
Oh Great Spirit,
Of the Indian people,
Hear my words
For they are for you.
They are of you.
You are my way of life
In the Circle of Life.
An Indian Prayer
by H. Kent Craig
My grandfather is the fire
My grandmother is the wind
The Earth is my mother
The Great Spirit is my father
The World stopped at my birth
and laid itself at my feet
And I shall swallow the Earth whole when I die
and the Earth and I will be one
Hail The Great Spirit, my father
without him no one could exist
because there would be no will to live
Hail The Earth, my mother
without which no food could be grown
and so cause the will to live to starve
Hail the wind, my grandmother
for she brings loving, lifegiving rain
nourishing us as she nourishes our crops
Hail the fire, my grandfather
for the light, the warmth, the comfort he brings
without which we be animals, not men
Hail my parent and grandparents
without which
not I
nor you
nor anyone else
could have existed
Life gives life
which gives unto itself
a promise of new life
Hail the Great Spirit, The Earth, the wind, the fire
praise my parents loudly
for they are your parents, too
Oh, Great Spirit, giver of my life
please accept this humble offering of prayer
this offering of praise
this honest reverence of my love for you.
Oh Great Spirit,
Whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to the world,
Hear me!
I come to you as one of your many children.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
May I walk in beauty.
Make my eyes behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things that you have made,
And my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may know the things
That you have taught your children--
The lessons that you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Make me strong, not to be superior to my brothers, but to be
able to fight my greatest enemy: myself.
Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes, so that
When life fades as the faded sunset
My spirit will come to you without shame.
Earth Teach Me to Remember
by John Yellow Lark
Earth teach me stillness
as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth Teach me caring
as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me courage
as the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep in the rain.
Ute, North American
As I Walk with Beauty
As I walk, as I walk
The universe is walking with me
In beauty it walks before me
In beauty it walks behind me
In beauty it walks below me
In beauty it walks above me
Beauty is on every side
As I walk, I walk with Beauty.
Traditional Navajo Prayer
Hear Me
Hear me, four quarters of the world-- a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth. Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds. Great Spirit...all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike. With tenderness have these come up out of the ground. Look upon these faces of children without number and with children in their arms, that they may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet. This is my prayer' hear me!
Black Elk, Sioux Indian
The Offering of the Pipe, from Black Elk Speaks:
Hey hey! Hey hey! Hey hey! Hey hey!
Grandfather, Great Spirit, you have been always, and before you no one has been.
There is no other one to pray to but you.
You yourself, everything that you see, everything has been made by you.
The star nations all over the universe you have finished.
The four quarters of the earth you have finished.
The day, and in that day, everything you have finished.
Grandfather, Great Spirit, lean close to the earth that you may hear the voice I send.
You towards where the sun goes down, behold me;
Thunder Beings, behold me!
You where the White Giant lives in power, behold me!
You where the sun shines continually, whence come the day-break star and the day, behold me!
You where the summer lives, behold me!
You in the depths of the heavens, an eagle of power, behold me!
And you, Mother Earth, the only Mother, you who have shown mercy to your children!
Hear me, four quarters of the world - a relative I am!
Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is!
Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you.
With your power only can I face the winds.
Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike.
With tenderness have these come up out of the ground.
Look upon these faces of children without number and with children in their arms,
that they may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet.
This is my prayer; hear me!
The voice I have sent is weak, yet with earnestness I have sent it.
Hear me!
It is finished. Hetchetu aloh!
Now, my friend, let us smoke together so that there may be only good between us.
Black Elk Speaks, John G. Neihardt, Lincoln:Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1979.
Tsalagi Prayer Blessing
May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your Mocassins
Make happy tracks
in many snows,
and may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.
PRAYER FOR THE WHITE MAN
And now, Grandfather, I ask you to bless
the White Man.
He needs your Wisdom, your guidance.
You see, for so long,
he has tried to destroy my people,
and only feels comfortable
when given power.
Bless them, show them the peace we understand,
teach them humility.
For I fear they will someday destroy themselves
and their children,
As they have done so Mother Earth.
I plead, I cry.
After all, They are my Brothers.......
SIOUX PRAYER
Grandfather Great Spirit All Over The World
The Faces Of Living Things Are Alike.
With Tenderness, They Have Come Up Out Of The Ground.
Look Upon Your Children That They May Face The Winds
And Walk The Good Road To The Day Of Quiet.
Grandfather Great Spirit
Fill Us With The Light.
Give Us The Strength To Understand And The Eyes To See.
Teach Us To Walk The Soft Earth As Relatives
To All That Live.
~Sioux Prayer~
Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you."
~Pueblo Blessing ~
Dance to Heal the Earth
by Dee Smith
Whenever you dance, wherever you dance, dance to heal the earth!
Dancing is power. Dancing is prayer. Some say that all is dance. Maybe. Now there's a big dance coming, a dance to heal the earth. If you're reading this, you're probably part of it. You take part whenever you do whatever you do to help heal the earth. When you recycle. When you choose to show love, to fight for justice, to bring healing, to bring out what is good in others. When you avoid cruelty and dishonesty and waste. When you are outraged. When you speak out. When you give. When you consider the generations to come. When you protest to the oppressors and encourage those who feel the cutting edge of injustice. And, of course, when you dance. There is a tree that all the prophets see, and whenever you let your love show, you make the flowers grow.
Soon this dance will be done in a big way, in the old way, on sacred ground. All living things will take part. If you want to, you can take part. No one is twisting your arm. You can stop any time you need to, and start up again whenever you're ready. If you've read this far, you probably know what I'm talking about. You've probably been doing it in one way or another for a good while. Soon will be the time to make no bones about it! Cut loose!
Anytime you dance, anywhere, whether at a party or in church, dance to heal the earth! Let your feet beat a healing rhythm into the earth. Let your feet beat a strengthening rhythm for those who struggle the hardest. Let your feet beat a life-giving rhythm for all peoples, regardless of race or national boundary, regardless of whether we're human or whether we're the trees, the air, the fish, the birds, the buffalo, the bear, the crow. We come out of hiding, we come back from the dead, and we dance, and our dance is a prayer, and our songs and our rhythms and our breath give life.
Is the music they're playing some mindless jingle? Never mind, as long as it's not bad music, and you can dance to the beat! Make your own words, and make the words a prayer. A prayer for the end of exploitation, a prayer for the end of lies, a prayer for healing, for justice, for life. Remember your prayer-song, feed it and let it get strong and pass it along. Dance and pray, whenever you dance, dance to heal the earth.
Have you seen anything? Wear it out! Make it so that all can see what you see! Take a white T-shirt and mark it with your dreams. Is there anything you'd like to tell the world? Take your shirt and mark it with your song! This is the way it has been done, so you can do it too. Use any color except black (there are reasons for that that will become clearer later), and you'll probably find that a loose, pure cotton T is most comfortable for dancing in. Cos this is an actual dance, you dance hard, you sing and breathe hard and sweat. Wear it when you plan to go out dancing, to dance to heal the earth.
Some people do this dance while fasting, and dance for several days straight. But even a few minutes of dancing helps, and joins with all the other dancing going on, everywhere on Earth. Not everyone can fast these days. Besides, you never know when you're gonna dance, and you have to eat sometimes! But if you plan to dance, hold off eating till later, or just have a little. It's easier to dance if you don't have a hotdog weighing you down.
Some people say, do not do sacred things where people are drinking and partying. But all the universe is a sacred place. It really doesn't matter what others are doing, you can make a place sacred wherever you are, with your intention and your prayers. Some people use smoke to make a place sacred; a cigarette or incense stick will do fine. You can dance to heal the earth anywhere, even a party or a bar! The earth is everywhere, so you can dance anywhere to heal her. Only one thing. Please hold off drinking or using any other intoxicants till you're done. It works better that way.
The Lie has gone far enough. It spreads and makes everyone sick. Now is the time for this dance to begin. It, too, will spread, and it will bring healing to all. In the beginning, they say, God put a rainbow in the sky, to let us know that Spirit never forgets. Now is the time for us to put a rainbow across the earth, to let God know that we, too, remember.
Dance to heal the earth. Not just when you're dancing, but always. Live the dance, whenever you move, in all you do, dance to heal the earth.
Thanksgiving Prayer
We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness, and Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
Iroquois Prayer, adapted
Give Thanks
When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength.
Give thanks for your food and the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Tecumseh
Prayer before the U.S. Senate - 1975
by Frank Fools Crow, Old Lord of the Holy Men
Ceremonial Chief and Medicine Man of the Lakota Nation
"In the presence of this house, Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, and from
the directions where the sun sets,
and from the direction of cleansing power,
and from the direction of the rising un,
and from the direction of the middle of the day.
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka,
Grandmother, the Earth who hears everything,
Grandmother, because you are woman, for this reason you are kind,
I come to you this day.
To tell you to love the red men, and watch over them,
and give these young men the understanding
because, Grandmother, from you comes the good things, good things
that are beyond our eyes to see have been blessed in our midst
for this reason I make my supplication known to you again.
Give us a blessing so that our words and actions be one in unity,
and that we be able to listen to each other, in so doing,
we shall with good heart walk hand in hand to face the future.
In the presence of the outside, we are thankful for many blessings.
I make my prayer for all people, the children, the women and the men.
I pray that no harm will come to them,
and that on the great island, there be no war,
that there be no ill feelings among us
From this day on may we walk hand in hand
So be it.
Chinok Lordís Prayer
Nesika papa klaksta mitlite kopa saghalie
Our Father Who dwells in High
Kloshe kopa nesika tumtum mika nem.
Good for our hearts Your Name.
Kloske mika tyee kopa konaway tillikum;
Good you Chief of all people;
Kloshe mika tumtum kopa illahee kahkwa kopa saghalie;
God Your heart to make our country such as Yours up above;
Potlach konaway sun nesika muckamuck,
Gice us all days our food,
Pee kopet-kumtux donaway nesika mesachie,
And stop remembering all our sins we make to them,
Kahkwa nesilka mamook kopa klasksta spose mamook mesachie kopa nesia;
As we suppose not their sin against us;
Mahah siah kopa nesika konaway mesachie.
Throw far away from us all evil.
Kloshe kahkwa.
Amen.
The Lights
The Sun is a luminous shield
Borne up the blue path
By a god;
The moon is the torch
Of an old man
Who stumbles over the stars.
-Eda Lou Walton
Sun Tracks
the Track of the Sun
across the Sky
leaves its shining message,
Illuminating,
Strengthening,
Warming,
us who are here,
showing us we are not alone,
we are yet ALIVE!
And this fireÖ
Our fireÖ
Shall not die!
-Atoni (Choctaw)
Ojibwa Prayer
Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds
And whose breath gives life to everyone,
Hear me.
I come to you as one of your many children;
I am weakÖI am smallÖI need your wisdom and your strength.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever
behold the red and purple sunsets.
Make my hands respect the things you have made,
and make my ears sharp so I may hear your voice.
Make me wise, so that I may understand what you
have taught my people and
The lessons you have hidden in each leaf
and each rock.
I ask for wisdom and strength,
Not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able
to fight my greatest enemy, myself.
Make me ever ready to come before you with
clean hands and a straight eye,
So as life fades away as a fading sunset,
My spirit may come to you without shame.
-Author Unknown
The Hunters
There were but two beneath the sky ñ
The thing I came to kill, and I.
I, under covert, quietly
Watched him sense eternity
From quivering brush to pointed nose
My gun to shoulder level rose
And then I felt (I could not see)
Far off a hunter watching me.
I slowly put my rifle by,
For there were two who had to die ñ
The thing I wished to kill, and I.
-Author Unknown
The Moccasins of an Old Man
I hung you there, moccasins of worn buckskin.
I hung you there and there you are still.
I took you from the hot flesh of a swift buck.
I took you to my woman.
She tanned you with buck brains.
She cut and sewed and beaded.
I wore you with pride.
I wore you with leaping steps over many grounds.
Now, I sit here and my bones
are stiff with many winters.
You hang there and I shall sit.
We shall watch the night approach.
-Romona Carden (Colville)
Voices That Beautify The Earth
Voice above,
Voice of Thunder,
Speak from the dark of clouds;
Voice below,
Grasshopper-voice,
Speak from the green of plants;
So may the earth be beautiful.