Words of Wisdom                            

 

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

  

 

  

When something is sacred, it does not have a price. I don't care if it is white people talking about heaven or Indian people talking about ceremonies. If you can buy it, it isn't sacred. And once you start to sell it, it doesn't matter whether your reasons are good or not. You are taking what is sacred and making it ordinary.

 "Dan" (Neither Wolf nor Dog"

Spirituality cannot be bought or sold and nobody has the right to capitalize by attempting to do so. Prayer cannot be purchased. Those who participate with and support the fraudulent 'Pipe Carriers', 'Medicine Men', 'Clan Leaders' and 'Shaman' heal only the exponent's personal finances and, in doing so, assist in the destruction of not only Lakota culture but the spiritual ways of all traditional indigenous people.

 Lakota Oyate

The battle inside people is two wolves. One is evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow,regret,greed,arrogance,self pitty,resentmint,guilt,inferiority,lies, false pride,superiority,and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compation and faith.

The wolf that wins is the one you feed !

Author unknown

Adapted from The Cherokee Full Circle, by J.T. Garrett and

Michael Tlanusta Garrett (Inner Traditions, 2002).

In our search for meaning and guidance for living our lives in more

balanced ways, many of us turn to the wisdom of Native Americans.

This beautiful Cherokee philosophy tells us about the purpose of life,

our place in the sacred circle, and more.

Simple Solution:

Native Americans believe that every life is a gift to be treated with

gratitude and respect. What has been referred to as the Harmony Ethic

guides much of Native American living. For the Cherokee this encompasses

the conscious avoidance of interpersonal conflict in an attempt to maintain

reciprocally harmonious relations with all members of the tribe.

The Harmony Ethic is a system based upon caring for fellow human beings

through the expression of deep respect. This is the way to achieve harmonious

survival. It also involves the presence of individual choice. To the Cherokee,

a person has just as much choice in creating harmony as in creating disharmony.

Within Native American traditions, it is widely believed that every person has

a purpose to fulfill during his or her lifetime. Every person, like every

animal, tree, plant, and mineral, possesses some unique quality or talent to

be discovered through a variety of experiences in this world. Harmony is the

key to meaningful life experiences in which all learning contributes to over

all life purpose. This purpose is manifested by a striving for the wisdom and

generosity exemplified by the Native American elder who has accumulated a

lifetime’s worth of experience in the world. Native American elders have

learned the inner secrets to a harmonious existence and are the keepers of

this wisdom.

Traditional wisdom tells us that it is our purpose to face the world with

courage in our hearts. This courage signifies a deep respect for the gift

that we have been given through the ability to live, as well as a respect

for all life. Courage transcends any circumstance, and ultimately comes from

a harmony within oneself and between oneself and one’s universe--an inner

strength derived from the unity of body, mind, nature, and spirit. There is

an old saying: All that moves is sacred--only by understanding this can you

realize the rhythm of Mother Earth, and thereby know how to place your feet.

"Does this path have heart? If it does,

the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of

no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one

has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes

for a joyful journey: as long as you follow

it, you are one with it. The other will

make you curse your life. One makes you

strong; the other weakens you."

      Don Juan

When we are faced with making decisions,

the voice of the heart is a true guide.

To help you find your path of the heart,

try these simple instructions and the

accompanying short meditation. Learn the

mudra, or ancient Hindu hand position,

that encourages energy to flow from your

heart; the meditation will calm you and

allow the heart's voice to make itself heard.

"Together the two paths form a north-south road,

the good Red Road. This is your spiritual path,

the one where you will be happiest."

~Medicine Hawk ~Council Chief of the Shadowlight Medicine Clan

"The strength of our future lies in the protecting of our past"

   Seminole Elder

"Being Indian is mainly in your heart. It's a way of walking WITH the earth instead of UPON it. A lot of history books talk about us Indians in the past thence, but we don't plan on going anywhere......We have lost so much, but the thing that holds us together is that we all belong to and are the protectors of the earth; that's the reason for us being here. Mother Earth is not a resource, she is a heirloom"

    David Ipinia

"Our Fathers have gave us many laws which they have learned from their fathers. They told us to treat all men as they treated us. That we should never be the first to break a bargain. That it was a disgrace to tell a lie. That we should speak only the truth. We were taught to believe that the Great Spirit sees and hears everything and that he never forgets. This I believe and all my people believe the same . "

     Chief Joseph

"Loose your temper and you lose a friend; lie and you lose yourself."

    Hopi

How can people say one skin is colored?" We who are clay blended by the Master Potter, come from the kiln of Creation in many hues. Where each has it's own coloration. What should it matter that one bowl is dark and the other pale, if each is of good design and serves its purpose well."

       Polongaysi Qoyawayma, Hopi

"There is no such thing as "part_ Cherokee." Either you're Cherokee or you're not.

It isn't the quanity of Cherokee blood in your veins that is important, but the quality of it....

your pride in it. I have seen full-bloods who have virtually no idea of the great legacy entrusted to their care. Yet, I have seen people with as little as 1/500th blood quantum who inspire the spirits of their ancestors because they make being Cherokee a proud part of their everyday life."

    Jim Pell: Principle Chief of the North Alabama Cherokee tribe

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

   Ancient Indian Proverb

Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.

You always work as a group, not somebody singled out. There is no such thing as that with the Apache. We say, "I walk with you," not " I walk before you" or "I walk behind you"....You are not a leader, you are a part.

  Philip Cassadore, Apach

The Great Spirit is displeased with you for accepting the ways of the white people. You can see for yourselves-your hunting is gone and you are planting the corn of the white men...You yourselves can see that the white people are entirely different beings from us; we are made from red clay.

     Clean fatherhood

"This is the sum of everything that is noble and honoruable-cleanfatherhod"

    The words of Chief Capilano of the Squamish

Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized men,

we didn't have any kind of prison. Because of this, we had no delinquents.

Without a prison, there can be no delinquents.

We had no locks nor keys and therefore among us there were no thieves.

When someone was so poor that he couldn't afford a horse, a tent or a blanket,

he would, in that case, receive it all as a gift.

We were too uncivilized to give great importance to private property.

We didn't know any kind of money and consequently, the value of a human being

was not determined by his wealth.

We had no written laws laid down, no lawyers, no politicians,

therefore we were not able to cheat and swindle one another.

We were really in bad shape before the white men arrived and I don't know

how to explain how we were able to manage without these fundamental things

that (so they tell us) are so necessary for a civilized society.