I spent so much time looking through all the groups here, I just ran out of time. I couldn't finnish reading Elders Meditations. Trust me, next chance I get to get on the web, I WILL finnish reading them. But, what I really want to say is... I am such a "in the moment" person. I wish there was a way to save the felling I have when on this site. To take with me as a constant reminder of the wisdom found here. Bless you all.
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA
In the Spiritual World there is a spiritual Law. The Law says like attracts like. This means whatever mental picture we hold inside our minds we will attract from the Universe. To make this Law work we must maintain a constant picture. If we picture or vision something, and along with this picture we have doubting thoughts, our vision will not happen and we will get EXACTLY what we picture or vision. The Law always works. A doubting vision will not materialize what we want. A vision without doubt will always happen. This is a spiritual Law.
"The earth was created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was... The country was made without lines of demarcation, and it is no man's business to divide it..."
--Chief Joseph, NEZ PERCE
There is danger when we start to draw lines and boundaries. This is true whether outside ourselves or inside ourselves. The danger is losing sight of the interconnectedness. When we lose sight of interconnectedness, separation, possessiveness ( this is mine, I can do what I want) and infighting results. Even at an individual level, if we don't believe we are connected to all things we get self-centered and have self-seeking motives. We must think in harmony, balance and integrity. We must see our relationship to the great whole and conduct ourselves accordingly.
--Willaru Huayta, QUECHAU NATION, PERU
Our egos have character defects. These character defects we sometimes act out and they invariably bring results to our lives that we might not want. If we continue to use these character defects, we will continue to have undesirable results in our lives. How do we change ourselves or get rid of a character defect We can go to the heart-ask a question, make a decision-then honor the heart. For example, say I get angry today. I would go to the heart and ask, would I rather be right or would I rather be happy? How we answer this question can have an enormous impact on how our day goes. Once we decide the answer to this question, we need to honor the heart by saying, "Thank you for the power of changing my thoughts. I choose to be happy and to experience peace of mind."
"Come forward and join hands with us in this great work for the Creator."
--Traditional Circle of Elders, NORTHERN CHEYENNE
The Elders have spent years learning to pray and communicate with the Great Spirit. Their job is to pass this knowledge onto the young people. The Elders have told us we are now in a great time of healing. The Creator is guiding them to help the young people figure this out. We must get involved and participate. We should pray and see what it is the Great Spirit wants us to do. We need to sacrifice our time to help the people and to be of maximum use to the Creator. Every person is needed to accomplish this great healing.
--Mangas Coloradas, APACHE In these modern times we put too much emphasis on material things and on money. We believe that money is power. If we have money, people will respect us. If we have money, people will admire us. If we have money, we can have anything we want. Maybe we can purchase anything in the material world, but we cannot purchase anything in the Unseen World. The Unseen World is not for sale. It can only be given away. Love, affection, admiration, trust, respect, commitment -- these must be earned or given away. If we use these things from the Unseen World, we are using real power
The Creator gave each culture a path to God. To the Indian people, he revealed that the Creator is in everything. Everything is alive with the Spirit of God. The water is alive. The trees are alive. The woods are alive. The mountains are alive. The wind is alive. The Great Spirit's breath is in everything and that's why it's alive. All of nature is our church, we eat with our families in church, we go to sleep in church.
"We do not want riches, but we want to train our children right. Riches would do us no good. We could not take them with us to the other world. We do not want riches, we want peace and love."
--Red Cloud, OGLALA LAKOTA
The Elders say that what is important is peace and love. To have material things is okay, but if not, that's okay too. To have peace and love is more important than anything material. Our children will see the value of peace and love only if adults show they are a priority. Too often we think we can offer material things and they will replace the time spent with our children. But the most important way to give our children peace and love is to spend time with them.
Runningfox M.
3:35 PM 
"Mothers must protect the lives they have helped to bring into the world." --Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders Every child is subject to the seeds each adult plants in his/her mind. If we plant praise and "you can do it", the child will grow up with certain predictable behavior patterns. If we plant ideas that there's something wrong with you or you're good for nothing, the child will grow up with predictable behavior patterns. We need to honor and respect the mothers who protect the children and plant positive seeds for their growth.
"The honor of the people lies in the moccasin tracks of the woman. Walk the good road.... Be dutiful, respectful, gentle and modest my daughter... Be strong with the warm, strong heart of the earth. No people goes down until their women are weak and dishonored, or dead upon the ground. Be strong and sing the strength of the Great Powers within you, all around you." --Village Wise Man, SIOUX The Elders say the Native American women will lead the healing among the tribes. We need to especially pray for our women, and ask the Creator to bless them and give them strength. Inside them are the powers of love and strength given by the Moon and the Earth. When everyone else gives up, it is the women who sings the songs of strength. She is the backbone of the people. So, to our women we say, sing your songs of strength; pray for your special powers; keep our people strong; be respectful, gentle and modest.
Even the trees have spirits - everything has a spirit."
--Mary Hayes, CLAYOQUOT
The trees are great teachers. The trees are great listeners. That is why we should meditate in their presence. The Great spirit is in every rock,
every animal, every human being and in every tree. The Great Spirit has been in some trees for hundreds of years. Therefore, the trees have witnessed and heard
much. The trees are the Elders of the Elders. Their spirits are strong and very healing.
"As Elders, it is our place to show respect to our young
people in order to gain respect."
--Grace Azak, NISGA'A
The attitude of our leaders will be the attitude of the people.
The attitude of the parents will be the attitude of the children. If respect is
shown from above, respect will be developed below. If the Elders show respect,
the younger people will be respectful. As above, so below. This happens because
of interconnectedness. The heart of the Elders is connected to the heart of the
youth.
--Paula Weasel Head, BLOOD A long time ago the Elders and our ancestors learned to walk on the Earth and to live in harmony. They were taught the Laws which govern everything, and they were taught traditional values. This wisdom should be made available to the younger generations. We need to speak to the Elders and learn from them. We need to do this so we can pass the knowledge on to our children.
The Creator put on this Earth many
different religions which represent different roads to walk to God. All
religions are right and good if the path is the path to God. Should we be
judging which road is better or worse than the other? When we accept each
other's way we can stand in a circle, hold hands and listen to each other as we
pray to God. Let us be more accepting of the religions of others
"We have and old saying, Everything living must die. Only
the rocks and mountains are forever."
--Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA
The Creator designed all life to happen in a circle. For example,
the cycle of life for the human being is Baby, Youth, Adult, Elder, then we die.
The trees and the leaves happen in a circle; the leaves bud, then the leaves
mature, next the leaves change color and at last they fall off the tree to
return to the Mother Earth. The birds bear their young, raise their young, then
they die. The salmon are born, swim to the ocean, live their lives, swim back to
the spawning grounds, then die. All aspects of the Life Cycle should be honored.
--Don Jose Matsua, HUICHOL SIERRA MADRE MEXICO
Only through prayer can we make spiritual changes that are
permanent. You have told us that all life is sacred. Today I intend to serve
you, my Creator. Allow me to overcome temptation, and if one comes along, let me
see the lessons that will give balance. You have told us that all life is
sacred. Let me see today with a sacred eye. Let me see beauty in all things.
--Don Jose Matsua, HUICHOL SIERRA MADRE MEXICO
Only through prayer can we make spiritual changes that are
permanent. You have told us that all life is sacred. Today I intend to serve
you, my Creator. Allow me to overcome temptation, and if one comes along, let me
see the lessons that will give balance. You have told us that all life is
sacred. Let me see today with a sacred eye. Let me see beauty in all things. [
send green star]
4:06 PM
"If you get troubled, go and sit by the river. The flowing
water will take your troubles away."
--Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
Sometimes we get mixed up and we don't know what to do. Go to the
river or creek. Take your sage and tobacco; sit and be still. Talk to the water,
offer tobacco and the healing water will take your problems downstream. Give
thanks.
men or women and elders because a true shaman,teacher,medicine person or elder
has no need to advertise for their very actions and life will show the world who
they are..Those who charge for teachings of ceremonies or American Indian sacred
rituals and traditions should also be avoided.. Our ceremonies, sacred rituals
and traditions are not to be sold but shared freely by those who are in the know
who are true shamans,teachers,medicine people and elders..
"Listen to all the teachers in the woods. Watch the trees,
the animals and all living things - you'll learn more from them than from
books."
--Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
Nature is a living example of how communities live in harmony. If
you go into the forest or mountain and sit still and watch, ask yourself, what
lessons are being taught? Then watch how the animals conduct themselves. The
trees could represent diversity. The flowers could represent people. Notice how
everything in nature assists one another. See how balance works. See how
conflict is handled. Can you see acts of forgiveness? Can you spot respect?
Nature is full of wisdom if we will only consider her to be our teacher.
"What could be greater than to be Wakan-Tanka's mind, eyes,
ears, nose, mouth, arms, hands, legs, and feet here on earth?"
--Fools Crow, LAKOTA
In order for the Creator to do His work on this earth, He needs
the human being to do it. How He guides us is through our eyes, ears, hands,
nose, mouth, arms legs and feet. We are instruments of the Creator. We are His
keepers of the earth. We are the keepers of our brothers. We are to teach His
children. We are to respect the things He has made. We are to take care of
ourselves and treat our bodies and our minds with respect. We are to do
respectful things. We are to walk the Sacred Path. We should have good thoughts.
We should do only things that we think the Creator would have us do. What an
honor to be a human being. What an honor that He would talk to us and guide us
to perform His wonders.
--Thomas Banyacya, HOPI We are at a critical time in transferring cultural knowledge, spiritual ways. During the last few years the young people have not been interested in learning the old ways. The only place this knowledge is found is among the Elders. We must encourage the young to visit with the Elders. The adults need to think also about learning the culture. The Elders are getting old and soon will go to the other side. Each of us must pause and think about our individual responsibility to learn the culture and teach this to our young.
Elder's Meditation of the Day August 26"Those who live for one another learn that love is the bond of perfect unity." --Fools Crow, LAKOTA To serve each other, to respect each other, to trust each other, to honor each other, to love each other, to cooperate with each other, to care for each other, to forgive one another, to focus on peoples' good, to laugh with one another, to learn from one another; to pray for each other - these are all acts of love. These values and actions will connect us to one another in the Unseen World. Nature is a good example of how we should get along with one another. Watch nature. She is our teacher. Nature lives to give to one another. The insects give to the birds who give to the four legged who give to the two legged. The Creator made all things perfect.
"...remember and think about the closeness of Wanka-Tanka. If they live in this wisdom, it will give them endless strength and hope."
--Fools Crow, LAKOTA The value of staying close to the Creator is the immediate help we have available to us whenever we need it. I can listen to the whisper of my heart for this is the place He communicates with me. Staying close helps me remember that we are here to serve Him and to help other people. The Grandfathers are my direct access to wisdom. He who has wisdom has everything. If we have wisdom, then we will see our lives become more effective in the areas of jobs, relationships, family, friends and finances.
"With one mind we address our acknowledgement, respect, and gratefulness to all the sacred Cycle of Life. We, as humans, must remember to be humble and acknowledge the gifts we use so freely in our daily lives."
--Audrey Shenandoah, ONONDAGA
The sacred Cycle of life - the baby, the youth, the adult, the Elder. Let us respect all directions, the four directions of the Grandfathers; let us respect their power. Let us remember we belong to the earth, the earth does not belong to us. Help us to be respectful to all the gifts You have given us.
"Everyone got to find the right path. You can't see it so it's hard to find. No one can show you. Each person got to find the path by himself." --Charlie Knight, UTE There are certain times in our lives when a voice whispers to us. The voice doesn't always talk. Usually we hear it best when we are sick an tired of being sick and tired. Inside of every person is the knowledge that a Supreme Being exists. Sometimes a restlessness occurs and it makes me feel I need to be doing something or I need to be going somewhere or maybe I start wondering who am I? Often when this happens, I feel lost. Inside of everyone is the natural, built-in desire to be walking the Red Road, or to be seeking a relationship with the Creator. No one can force us to make this journey. We must make this journey because we want to. This journey is not on the outside. The path is inside of ourselves. It is inside that we must begin our search.
Elder's Meditation of the Day - July 31Look behind you. See your sons and your daughters. They are your future. Look farther and see your sons' and your daughters' children and their children's children even unto the Seventh Generation. That's the way we were taught. Think about it: you yourself are a Seventh Generation." --Leon Shenandoah, ONONDAGA
The Creator designed us with a free will. That means we function from choices and consequences. It is important that we practice thinking about consequences before we make decisions about choices. Every choice I make is like setting up dominos one after the other that produce consequences. Not just for me but also for my children and for the children that are unborn. My choices and decision today will have consequences for seven generations. For example, if I work on my own spiritual development and I walk the Red Road, the odds are that my children will. They will marry and their children will follow the Red Road and so will my grandchildren even up to the seventh generation. This will happen because of the choices and decisions that I make today.
Great Spirit, grant that the choices and decisions that I make today will honor Your laws and values. May I live in peace today that will ripple into the seventh generation
This tops off the whole week in regards to the messages being sent. It is so easy to talk the walk instead walk the talk. Bottom line is about choices. Everyday, every thought, every word, every way we see is really a choice. This creates our actions, this is sent forth from our center of our own Medicine wheel, as we all know, what goes forth, also returns. Everything we do creates another action, it is these actions that we leave behind for our children and grandchildren, and so on. All we need to do is stop and look around today, to see how choices made 10-15-25-50 years ago is creating events we are involved with today. This is not said to lay blame to those that went before us, but to see how choices creates consequences for the next generations to come. To show us that every little bit we can change does make a difference. Just as you drop a pebble in a quiet pond, the ripple spreads, until it reaches the whole pond. So, we have to be vigilant on our choices, on our words, and on what we are teaching the next generation.
It has to begin with us first. Yes, if we just talk the walk, than we are only living the illusion we are trying to overcome. Free-Will is about choices, and each of us can make those choices for ourselves, just as our children have to learn they have to make choices based on thier own free-will. In that lies the truth of ourselves, and the Great Spirit.
rusty
"That is not our way, to set yourself apart and talk about
who you are and what you've done. You let your life speak for you. With the
Mohawk people, wisdom is how you live and how you interpret what your mother and
father, what your grandmothers and grandfathers have told you about this world -
and then how you interpret that into the fact of living every day."
--Tom Porter, MOHAWK
It is said, how you live your life makes so much noise that
people can't hear what you are saying anyway. It is so easy to see people who do
not walk the talk.
"When we want to talk to Him we burn tobacco and it takes
our prayers all the way up to the Sky World."
--Louis Farmer, ONONDAGA
Our herbs and our medicines are all here for the purpose of
serving. Offering tobacco as a gift to the Creator is proper use of our
medicine. In this way, we are able to communicate from the physical world to the
spiritual world. Sometimes we have a hard time coming up with the right words
when we pray especially if we are really mixed up. The tobacco and the sage will
take the intent to the spirit world. The meaning behind the words are more
important the the words. The Creator always knows our intent. The tobacco helps
us get to the Sky World
"A good heart and a good mind - those are
what you need to be a chief."
--Louis Farmer, ONONDAGA
The combination of heart and mind is very
powerful. The Medicine Wheel teaches that two
worlds exist - the seen and the unseen. The seen
world is the physical and the unseen is the spiritual
world. Both of the worlds are necessary to
discover true reality. The seen world is easiest
seen by the male side. The unseen is easiest seen
by the female side. The heart is the unseen and
the mind is the seen. Blessed is the leader or
person who has developed the heart and the
mind. Truly, the person is of tremendous value
to the Creator and the people.
"Let us put our minds together as one."
-Irving Powless, Sr., ONONDAGA
If we sat in a circle and put an object in the
center of the circle and we all described what we
saw, everyone would see different points of views
from each other. Some would even see opposites
because they would be sitting on opposite
sides of the circle. In other words, you don't
have to see what I see for you to be right. In fact,
everyone in the circle is right based on their own
point of view.
If we are willing to listen to everyone's point of
view, then we can get a more accurate description
of the object in the center. This is one way
to put our minds together. When we get the
clarity from each other, we should give thanks
and be grateful to each other.
"These are our times and our
responsibilities. Every human being has a
sacred duty to protect the welfare of our
Mother Earth, from whom all life comes. In
order to do this, we must recognize the
enemy - the one within us. We must begin
with ourselves..."-Leon Shenandoah, ONONDAGA
The outside is merely a reflection of our insides.
My mind is designed to tell me that I'm not
crazy for thinking what I am thinking. Even if I
have angry thought, my mind is giving me excuses
and reasons why it is OK to think what I'm
thinking. I need to be knowledgeable about the
laws of harmony and balance. I cannot twist the
laws to serve me but I can adjust my life to serve
the laws. This is the law - I am here to serve the
earth. The earth is not here for me to misuse
and abuse.
"People need to wake up. They can't hear God's voice if
they're asleep."
--Vernon Cooper, LUMBEE
Black Elk, a Sioux, talks about the hoop of many hoops. He says
that above the people is a hoop, a conscience, the total belief of the people.
If the hoop is sick, meaning dysfunctional, co-dependent, a lot of alcoholism,
family abuse, violence, racism and sexual abuse, the people can get used to this
and think this is normal. In other words, the people are asleep. If we have left
the spiritual way of life, the people are asleep. If we are giving our power to
another entity, the people are asleep. In most tribes, there are Coyote Clans.
The job of the Coyote Clan people is to wake the people up. They need to become
a nuisance and irritate the people. We must return to the spiritual walk.
"One of the essential characteristics we need to learn as
men was to be gentle, and to be gentle means to be serene, to enter meditation
or a prayerful state in the morning and evening."
--Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA
The most important talk we can do during any day, is to start the
day with prayer and meditation. We need to ask the Creator to be in our lives.
We ask Him to direct our thinking. We ask Him for the courage and the power to
be gentle. In the morning quiet time, we make our request for guidance using our
spiritual tools. We pray for the people and we pray for ourselves. In the
evening we thank the Creator for the day, for the lessons and for the
opportunity to be of service to others. Then we go to sleep.
"I'm an Indian, I'm one of God's children."
--Mathew King, LAKOTA
My Creator, today let me remember the reason I'm here on Mother
Earth. Let me look into my own eyes and see the beauty You have created. Let me
have good thoughts. Being Indian is not the color of my skin. Being Indian is to
listen to my heart, to think only the things You have taught, to watch nature
and live in harmony. Being Indian is to walk in prayer, to talk to You
constantly during the day. Being Indian is to act and to walk in a sacred way.
--Cochise "Like Ironweed" CHIRICAHUA APACHE
Come into my heart this morning. Allow me this
day to live in the now. Help me to see all the
beauty You have created in all things. Let me
know myself. Today, as I make mistakes, let me
see them as lessons. Guide me. When I see
others make mistakes, let me honor them for
where they are. Let me realize that they are Your
children and only You, my Grandfather, knows
what is really going on. When my lips move, let
the words be Your words.
--Teedyuschung, DELAWARE
All things have their seasons. All thoughts are
real. We must think to cause action and each
action creates results. Big visions require many
thoughts. It takes a series of thoughts to create a
series of actions. A series of actions creates a
series of results. These results are what makes
vision become real. If we are here to serve the
Creator then we can expect to be accomplishing
big visions. How do we do this: One step at a
time.
"We must remember that the heart of our religion is alive
and that each person has the ability within to awaken and walk in a sacred
manner."
---- Thomas Yellowtail, CROW
The Native Spirituality is full of life. When we seek it we
become alive. Even if we have gone astray and have conducted ourselves in a bad
way, we can look within and have a new awakening to life. Maybe we have drunk
too much alcohol; maybe we have cheated on our spouse; maybe we have done things
that make us feel guilty and ashamed. If we look outside ourselves, we will not
find life; if we look inside, we will find life. Anytime we choose to change our
lives, we only need to look inside. How do we do this? Take some sage and light
it, close your eyes and say to the Great Sirit, I'm tired, I need your help.
Please help me change.
---- Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders
Mother Earth is the source of all life. We should not only be
concerned about the part of the Earth we live on, but we should be concerned
about the parts of the Earth that other people live on. The Earth is one great
whole. The trees in Brazil generate the air in the Untied States. If the trees
are cut in Brazil, it affects the air that all people breathe. Every person
needs to conscientiously think about how they respect the Earth. Do we dump our
garbage out of the car? Do we poison the water? Do we poison the air? Am I
taking on the responsibility of being a caretaker of the Earth?
"Every thing or living being that exists in this world, be it trees, flowers, birds, grasses, rocks, soil of the earth, or human beings, has its unique manner of existence --its essence, its spirit that makes it what it is. That is what is meant by connectedness." --Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA Scientists are finally realizing what the Elders have taught for thousands of years-every- thing is connected. Because everything is interconnected, whatever you do to any one thing, you do to everything. If you poison any part of the earth, the poison eventually affects everything else. If you poison the plants, the birds will eat the plants, which poisons the birds. The birds are eaten by humans which poisons the humans. The humans will have babies who could be deformed because the plants were poisoned. We must learn to live in harmony with the earth. We must learn to think good things. Every good thought is felt by everything, which causes everything to be happy.
"One of the things the old people taught me about the
spirits was to never have a doubt."
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA
The spirit world is sometimes hard to believe in because we can't
see it. Out minds convince us to seek proof for everything. We need to believe
that the Unseen World exists and the Unseen World is guided by principles, laws
and values. If we have doubts, we can pray to the Great Spirit to remove the
doubt. He understands how difficult it can be sometimes, so He's always ready to
help us during our doubtful times. We are lucky to have such an understanding
and helpful Father.
"Each day, whatever I am doing, I am
always praying and thinking of God."-Thomas Yellowtail, CROW
Have you ever tries going through your day and
carrying on a conversation with the Creator?
Many of our Elders live in prayer. They talk to
the Creator like the Creator is their best friend.
It is easiest to do this if we pray in the morning
and ask the Great Spirit to direct our thinking.
When the Creator in involved in guiding our
lives, we will have less stress, anxiety and tension.
Maybe this is something we would like to
try today. "Oh, Creator, look at the Sun, how
beautiful you have made it. Oh, look at this
child, isn't she just beautiful! Well, Creator, I'm
not sure how I should do this task, what do you
think? This person is starting to irritate me; I
need your help to redirect my thinking. Thanks
for returning me to a peaceful mind." Remember,
the Creator also has a sense of humor.
"We need to save those Elders who cannot speak for themselves -- the trees."
--Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders
The trees are the Elders of the Earth. Go to the forest or to the mountains and find a young tree. Then find and old tree. Spend time with each. Sit by the young tree and listen to your thoughts. Then move to an old tree and listen to your thoughts again. Just being in the presence of an old tree, you will feel more calm. Your thoughts will contain wisdom and your answers will be deeper. Why is this so? These old trees know more, have heard more and are the Elders of the Earth. We must ensure these trees live so we can learn from them.
"Wakan Tanka never stops creating."--Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA The Medicine Wheel teaches about change. It says that which is created will fall apart; that which is loose, will be used to create new. In other words, everything on Earth is participating in a constant change that is being directed by an order of laws and principles which were originated by the Great Spirit. We humans are equipped with natural change abilities. We have the ability to vision; we can use imagination and imagery; we can change belief, attitude, habits and expectations. We need to know ourselves and we need to know how we work inside to enable us to change naturally.
"You have to have a lot of patience to hear those old people talk, because when they talk, they talk about motivation, the feeling, the unsound that is around the universe. They explain everything to one understanding. They bring it all together, and when they finish, just one word comes out. Just one word. They might talk all day, and just one word comes out."-Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA We need to be careful about judging the old ones when we talk. At first they may not make sense to us. Maybe we'll say they're old fashioned and don't understand. But the old ones do understand! When they speak, listen very carefully. Often it will take weeks or maybe even years before we understand what they are really saying. This is the way of Wisdom. We need to listen, listen, listen
"Sell a country? Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children?"-Tecumseh, SHAWNEE The White Man's way is to possess, control and divide. It has always been difficult for Indian people to understand this. There are certain things we cannot own that must be shared. The Land is one of these things. We need to re-look as what what we are doing to the Earth. We are digging in her veins and foolishly diminishing the natural resources. We are not living in balance. We do not own the Earth; the Earth owns us. Today, let us ponder the true relationship between the Earth and ourselves.
"One of the things the old people taught me about the spirits was to never have a doubt."
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA The spirit world is sometimes hard to believe in because we can't see it. Out minds convince us to seek proof for everything. We need to believe that the Unseen World exists and the Unseen World is guided by principles, laws and values. If we have doubts, we can pray to the Great Spirit to remove the doubt. He understands how difficult it can be sometimes, so He's always ready to help us during our doubtful times. We are lucky to have such an understanding and helpful Father.
--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA There is a relationship between thought and reality. Every thought is alive, and as soon as you think it a result occurs immediately. However, to make something happen it may take a series of 1,000 thoughts before you can actually see it with your eyes. This occurs because the Laws of the Great Spirit act immediately. When you tell a lie, you immediately experience fear. When you tell the truth, you immediately experience freedom. To the Creator, there is no time. For us to experience the meaning of this requires us to act on faith. Faith is belief without evidence.
"If the Great Spirit wanted men to stay in
one place He would make the world stand
still; but He made it to always change..."-Chief Flying Hawk, OGLALA SIOUX
The Elders tell us change occurs in two directions.
They say, "That which is built is constantly
being destroyed; that which is loose is
being used to build the New." In other words,
change is constantly going on. Many times we
hear people say, "I hate change." Does it make
sense that the Great Spirit would design people
to hate it? The Great Spirit designed people
with change abilities such as visioning, imagery
and imagination. Maybe we need to learn to
use these tools and then we'll look forward
to change.
"We must have respect and
understanding for women and all female
life on this Earth which bears the sacred
gift of life."-Traditional Circle of Elders. ONONDAGA
At a gathering of Native Elders we were told
that many men of today had lost their ability
to look at the Woman in a sacred way. They
said we were only looking at Her in a physical
sense and had lost the ability to look at Her
sacredness. They said the Woman has a
powerful position in the Unseen World. She has
the special ability to bring forth life. They told
us to start showing Her respect and to look
upon her in a sacred manner. We must start
this today.
"But the great spirit has provided you and me with an opportunity for study in nature's university, the forests, the rivers, the mountains, and the animals which include us."
---- Walking Buffalo, STONEY
What we really need to learn is how to live life. Nature is the greatest university when we want to learn about balance, harmony, the Natural Laws and how to live life. But we will never learn unless we spend time in the "living university." Nature is full of examples, lessons, and exercises about life. Nature will help humans learn. Nature will help humans heal. Nature will help with Medicine, knowledge and healing. The reason our Elders are so wise is because they have attended the right educational system - nature's university.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The above photo is a photo I took when I was in my backyard there is an alligator and a Blue Egret or maybe it is in the Heron family not sure what kind it is really I just know it is a resident of the area and really neat to watch..
"We must all become caretakers of the Earth."--- Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders Mother Earth is the source of all life. We should not only be concerned about the part of the Earth we live on, but we should be concerned about the parts of the Earth that other people live on. The Earth is one great whole. The trees in Brazil generate the air in the Untied States. If the trees are cut in Brazil, it affects the air that all people breathe. Every person needs to conscientiously think about how they respect the Earth. Do we dump our garbage out of the car? Do we poison the water? Do we poison the air? Am I taking on the responsibility of being a caretaker of the Earth
"Think only about what is holy. Empty your mind."
--Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA If we let our minds wander, we will come up with a lot of junk: maybe bad thoughts about a brother or sister, maybe angry thoughts, maybe self-pity thoughts. Our minds are not the boss. We can instruct our mind to think about whatever we want to think about. We cannot stop thinking, be we can choose what to think about. The Elders say we move towards what we think about. That's why they say, "Think about what is holy, think about the Grandfathers, think about culture, think about values, think about ceremonies, and think about good."
"All living creatures and all plants derive their life from the sun. If it were not for the sun, there would be darkness and nothing could grow—the earth would be without life."
--Okute, TETON SIOUX This is why we call the sun, Father Sun. Father Sun shines life on Mother Earth and from this Father and Mother all life forms exist and continue to reproduce. The Sun shines on all; it is not selective. We should not allow anything to block the Sun from shining on the Earth. We must not pollute the air because the pollutants block the light of life to the Earth. If the Earth cannot receive this light, then life will start to be affected. We must live in harmony with the Sun and Earth. Otherwise, we are harming ourselves.
