Just wondering how many people in here are into discussing traditional spirituality... This is not about the New Age versions... I'm talking about the belief system, the ceremony (without discussing details) and how we are all connected with all parts of creation..

We had a really good thread going on POF years ago.., so I thought it might of interest to some in here..

It doesn't matter whether you are full blood, half breed, or 164th.. It's how you walk your pathway..

Anybody interested..?

"STOP, CONSIDER, CHANGE and CORRECT"

"Stop, what you are doing....,
Consider the effects..., of what you are doing....

Is it upholding life on this land...?
Or is it destructive to the life on this land?

If it is destructive, than change your value system..., and your actions....

We are not suppose to be subduing the Earth...,
Treading it underfoot...,
Vanquishing the Earth.., and all it's life...

We are suppose to be taking care of this land...,
And the life upon it.

So..., it's up to you..,
To consider which side...,
You are going to be on.."

(Thomas Banyanca & Craig Carpenter)

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 sun, 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."

----- 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

Some recipes to share:

ALTERNATIVE HEALING REMEDIES (…in alphabetical order, for quick reference. GJB - 2004)

“Although I am not finished with this list yet, I thought that with summer here, that some of these remedies might come in handy. This section is meant to be used an alternative resource for dealing with various ailments and symptoms, and is not intended to conflict with any of the advice from your own medical practioner, and/or any of the prescribed medications administered. Check with your doctor first, if you are not certain of the possible interactions between various natural & pharmaceutical medications. …And always be sure to positively identify any plant, before you use it. Many plants can look the same, but have very different properties.”



ACNE: 1) A PASTE MADE FROM THE MUD OF RED CLAY
*(READ BELOW: ALLERGIES - SKIN REACTIONS)
Do this every day, four times a day, for four days.
Then..(if neccesary), four times a day,
....once, or twice a week.

2) REFRAINING FROM FOODS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM.

One of the hardest things for a teenager, is to NOT do something.
(I can hear the parents saying: “What is he talking about?”) I’m
not talking about the times where there is a “choice” about things.
I mean that, when you tell a teenager: “You can’t have that” or “You
can’t do that” the chances are they’ll want to do it even more, just
to spite you. But.., it is even harder when the teenager knows
themself, that they really shouldn’t do something. Acne isn’t
just a teenage problem, but it brings out the “teenager inside”
in our feelings about it. Foods such as: tomatoes; oranges; colas;
chocolate; coffee; fried items and other sugar-based foods can
escalate the production of acne. People with acne problems
should also practice a little “Felix Unger” for awhile, with their
grooming habits. Washing the area with a good bar of soap, at
least four times a day, is recommended. Always wash with
warm-water, and do a final rinse with cold. This will help to
close the pores, after you cleanse them.

ALLERGIES: (Respiratory)
THE SMOKE OF MULLEN LEAVES *(READ BELOW: ASTHMA)

(Skin Reactions: Rashes; Hives; Itching; Etc.)
A PASTE MADE FROM THE MUD OF RED CLAY

You can get relief from almost any skin problem and chemical
reaction, with the use of red clay. It is sometimes a hard source
to find, but when you do… be thankful. Mixing the clay with
water produces a creamy, thick paste that is easily applied to the
skin. Unlike many medicines, this can be applied to almost every
external part of the body. The relief is often immediate. Try to
leave it on the skin for at least one hour, before washing off. The
clay absorbs irritants; toxins, poisons; infection and many other
things. It can also relieve pain from burns, cuts, sprains and stings.
Clay was often used as a sunscreen in many indigenous cultures,
and often mistaken for unusual body painting, by many.
Some ladies might also be interested to know that red clay “masks”
were used by many Mesopotamian & Egyptian women, as a means
to tighten sagging skin areas, and to remove unwanted blemishes.

ASTHMA: 1) TEA MADE FROM COMFREY ROOT AND/OR LEAVES

The root is the better of the two, because it is much stronger
in potency. Put the comfrey root/leaves in a tea ball, OR strain
when serving. Let the tea steep for twenty to twenty-five
minutes. About two or three heaping teaspoons of comfrey
per/cup is a good amount. You might want to add a little honey
to it for children, as the tea turns into a thick & sour tasting brew.
But…, it works! You don’t always get the “immediate” results, as
you do with inhalers, but the effects of the comfrey can last quite
a bit longer. It’s best use, is as a “pre-attack” tea, as it can often
help to prepare the respiratory system for upcoming bad weather
and/or other environmental conditions that are unavoidable.

Some people do not realize the negative effects that cow milk products can
produce, in those with asthma. Milk, cheese (primarily, processed)
ice-cream and chocolate are just a few things to watch out for.



ASTHMA: 2) THE SMOKE OF MULLEN LEAVES

Mullen contains one of nature’s natural anti-histamines. You can
either burn the dried Mullen leaves in an incense holder and waft
it towards the face, or it can be rolled like tobacco, into cigarettes
and smoked (the latter proving to be easier). The smoke is extremely
mild. Children in the southern parts of the States, and in other
parts of the world have been using this method for centuries.
Breathe the smoke in slowly (through the nose, is actually easier
for children). Hold the smoke in the lungs for a few seconds
(longer, if possible). About the same amount to roll one, large
cigarette will do fine.

You can also make a tea from the Mullen
leaves the same way as the above (Comfrey Root) remedy, but I
have found the tea to be a much weaker medicine.

*NOTE: If someone is going to use a pipe to smoke this through, please
be sure that it is an “un-used” pipe. Tobacco can irritate the lungs.



ASTHMA: 3) A GOOD STRONG CUP OF BLACK COFFEE

A good strong cup of coffee (without any creamer; milk; etc.) can often
relieve the asthma attack. Sitting in a bathroom with the hot water
running, while you are drinking the coffee, will help even more.
A little deep breathing of the warm mist will help to loosen the chest
Walls, and allow deeper breathing.


BEE STINGS: 1) PASTE MADE FROM THE MUD OF RED CLAY
*(READ ABOVE: ALLERGIES - SKIN REACTIONS)

Put the paste on gently & thickly, and let dry. Gently remove
the dried clay, only after it is completely dry. The stinger
should come off with the clay, and also, most of the toxin.

2) PASTE MADE FROM RAW TOBACCO AND SALIVA

Put the cigarette tobacco in your mouth (about an eighth of a
teaspoon) and let it get soaked with your saliva (DO NOT
SWALLOW). Of course, we’re assuming that the person
who is doing this has no infectious diseases. Once the
tobacco is completely saturated with saliva, “gently” press
the wad of wet tobacco mix onto the stung area. Leave
uncovered, and let dry for about twenty minutes. When
you peel off the dry tobacco, the stinger and toxin should be
removed with it. This also works well with wasp & hornet
stings. Others with severe reactions to stings are still advised
to seek immediate medical attention. But…, this will help, if
there are no other means available.

COLD SORES: 1) EAR- WAX APPLICATIONS

Yes..., ear-wax! (NO JOKE!) A very old friend of mine on the west coast was
the first to share this bit of knowledge with me, and although
I had at first doubted her, I thank her for her wisdom.

Spread a small amount of “your own” fresh ear-wax onto a
cold sore (and/or, onto an area that where a cold sore is forming)
You will feel “immediate” relief of the itching & burning. With
usually only one or two of these treatments, the cold sore will
start to disappear. A healthy ear canal produces a natural
anti-biotic that helps protect the brain from infection. This can
be used on most external, infected areas of the body. But…,
the quickest and most noticeable medicinal attribute I have
seen in the use of ear-wax, is in the healing of cold sores. You
only need a little. Even the oil from your ear will do. BUT…,
do not repeat the process, without cleaning your finger

COLD SORES: 2) DRY BAKING SODA

For the less adventurous out there, I have offered this second
remedy. It doesn’t work nearly as well as ear-wax, but if you
apply a small dab of baking soda on the area of the Herpes 1
area (cold sore) for about thirty minutes, it will dry up the
area, and stop the escalation of fluid build-up. This method
will also leave a very dry scab though, and I recommend that
you keep the area moist the next few days with an aloe-based
product, or the contents from a Vitamin E gel-tab. This will
help heal the area, and boost elasticity in the skin.


CUTS: MASKS OF: VITAMIN E; ALOE VERA AND/OR SWORD FERN

The use of Vitamin E & the Aloe Vera plant are becoming
common knowledge. Both have excellent healing properties
that can promote a much faster & less painful recovery period.
Regular applications on the severed area will induce faster
cell reproduction. (Even more so, with Sword Fern.) A balm
made with Sword Fern can work miracles! I have seen a seven
inch gash close up completely, in less than forty-eight hours.

It is still extremely important that you identify the right plant
before using it, as many ferns resemble one another. If none
of these elements are available, red clay is your best bet, until
you get to other necessary medical treatment.

HEARTBURN: 1) PAPAYA FRUIT AND/OR PAPAYA ENZYME TABLETS

The Papaya plant is another one of those well-kept secrets.
It has been used for centuries in Hawaii, for the treatment of many
internal and external problems. This is one occasion, where I will
recommend getting the tablet form first, as it has a higher
concentration of the fruit, in a longer lasting and more
convenient package. Papaya fruit are often hard to judge
as being ripe, when bought in stores, and the tablets are easy
to carry with you, at any time. I have a friend in Northern
Ontario who has sworn off the use of anti-acids and stomach
medications, since I turned her on to papaya enzymes. They
also aid with indigestion, and with food allergy reactions.
One or two tablets, or one whole fruit will usually be right.

The inside “skin” of the Papaya fruit can also be used as a
skin conditioner and sun-screen. You may not want to do this
where there is an abundance of insects though, as they will
see you as a “walking buffet”.



HEARTBURN: 2) CLUB SODA

Ginger Ale has been more widely used as a relief for heartburn
and stomach/digestive problems, but I have found that the
baking soda content is a little higher in Club Soda, and that
the effects are quicker, and greater. If these products are not
available to you, a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water
will do just about the same thing.



HYPERACTIVITY: 1) RED LIQUORICE

If there was ever a candy that was meant to be given out
before bedtime, this is the one. Black liquorice is often
used as an aid in respiratory problems, but I do not
personally endorse that belief. Red liquorice, on the
other hand, is a great invention. A few pieces of this will
almost always slow down hyperactivity in children
(as long, as you’re not serving it with a glass of pop). It is
also a good snack for adults, when the stress level gets a
little too high. There is more flour in red liquorice, than
sugar. It also has much less sugar than most other candy.
But, of course, diabetics need always be aware of any sugar.



HYPERACTIVITY: 2) A GLASS OF WARM WATER

Not only does a glass of warm water relax you, but it also
increases your body’s ability to digest and eliminate food.

* For Singers: Warm water will wash down the mucus that
builds up “without” closing up your throat.
Cold drinks, alcohol and/or citrus drinks will
only hurt someone, while they are singing.
Citrus and alcohol are “astringents”.

ANYTHING cold, only contracts your throat
passage and vocal cords, fighting the whole
process of “warming up” for the singing. This
is also one of the ways that “nodes” develop.
Take care of your throat, the same way
as you would with your instrument!



INDIGESTION: 1) PAPAYA FRUIT AND/OR PAPAYA ENZYME TABLETS
*(READ ABOVE, UNDER: HEARTBURN)

2) CLUB SODA
* (READ ABOVE, UNDER: HEARTBURN)


INSOMNIA: 1) A GLASS OF WARM WATER *(READ ABOVE: HYPERACTIVITY)

2) TEA MADE WITH: CHAMOMILE AND/OR MINT LEAVES

Steep the tea for twenty minutes, and drink while warm.
I find that the fresher leaves from the natural food stores
are much more potent. Although.., nothing beats picking
them yourself. Peppermint is the most relaxing of the
mints. A combination of peppermint, chamomile and a touch
of valerian is a real “good night kiss” for the tougher times.

PAIN: 1) MASKS OF: VITAMIN E; ALOE VERA AND/OR SWORD FERN
* (READ ABOVE: CUTS)

2) PASTE MADE FROM THE MUD OF RED CLAY
* (READ ABOVE: ALLERGIES - SKIN REACTIONS)


SUN BURN: 1) PASTE MADE FROM THE MUD OF RED CLAY
* (READ ABOVE: ALLERGIES - SKIN REACTIONS)

2) ALOE-VERA (PLANT OR CREAM)

Apply liberally, and repetitively. Work it into the skin well.
Vitamin E (liquid form) will also repair severe areas.

3) THE INSIDE SKIN FROM A PAPAYA FRUIT

Rub the inside of the skin on the sunburned area
and do not rinse off, for one hour.

WEIGHT LOSS: GRAPEFRUIT AND PINEAPPLE “MIRACLES”

This is not a “fruit only” remedy. You can continue to
eat well-balanced meals and enjoy some physical
exercise, along with this.

ADD 3 to 4 fresh grapefruit (pink ones are naturally sweeter)
along with 2 to 3 bowls of unsweetened pineapple to your
daily intake of food. If you prefer.., just use fresh pineapple.

The grapefruit can be spread out over the day, and used as
snacks between meals. Just peal and eat them, like you
would do with an orange. Pink grapefruit are fine (but..,
the yellow ones do even more work!). Use the bowls of
pineapple as your chosen dessert. DO NOT USE A GRAPEFRUIT
KNIFE AND JUST EAT THE FRUIT. Peeling it like an orange
will allow you much more roughage, allowing a MUCH GREATER
elimination of toxins & fat. YOU WILL LOSE MORE WEIGHT,
this way (note: to Oprah & Dr. Oz....ha!)

The Vitamin C that is naturally present in the grapefruit
itself will increase your energy. The natural roughage in
these fruits will improve your digestion and regularity,
helping to eliminate unwanted sugars and starches.

The natural enzymes in grapefruit and pineapple are
the “secret ingredients”. They will “feast” on the fat cells,
giving you noticeable results within two weeks. But…,
yes… you need to watch your intake of sugars, salt, starches
and fried & sweetened foods. “Balance” is the key word.

* Note To The Wise: Try not to eat ANYTHING, 2-3 hours
before your usual bedtime. Even an
apple will turn into unwanted pounds,
after your metabolism has slowed
itself down for the day. Reversing
your lunch and supper portions, also
allows you to eat that bigger meal in
the middle of the day, allowing more
time for your body to break it down.
Eating grapefruit & pineapple
also helps with that mid-day hungry
feeling, that often leads to all those
stupid snacks. Try it!

An old Cherokee Chief was teaching his grandson about life.

"A fight is going on inside me" he said to the boy."It is a terrible fight
and it is between two wolves."

"One is evil-he is anger, envy,sorrow,regret,greed,arrogance,self pity,
guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt,
and ego."

"The other is good- he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generousity, truth,compassion, and faith.

"The same fight is going on inside of you-and inside every other person too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked " which wolf will win?"

The old Chief simply replied.

"THE ONE YOU FEED"

..."Animals. Spirits and Humans form a ritual community - a Co-Operative Mutual Assistance Group."...
(Kwakiutl Belief: "Hamatsa" - Jim McDowell - pg. 232)

..and these are some words from (who I see as) a great Canadian Indigenous person....

"If you talk to the animals...
They will talk back to you...
And you will know each other....
If you do not talk to them....
You will not know them....
And what you do not know....
You will fear....
What one fears..., One destroys..." --- (Chief Dan George)

WISE WORDS OF ELDERS


GREAT SPIRIT PRAYER
Chief Dan George, Salish,
British Columbia, 1899-1981

"O great spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, Whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me.
I need your strength and your wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hand respect the things that you have made, and my ear sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand the things that 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 hidden under 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 brothers and sisters, but to fight my greatest enemy - Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes, so that when life fades as the fading sunset my spirit will come to you without shame. All my relations."

--------------------------------------
BRAVE BUFFALO
(late 19th century)

"I have noticed in my life that all humans have a liking for some special animal, tree, plant, or spot of earth. If humans would pay more attention to these preferences and seek what is best to do in order to make themselves worthy of that toward which they are so attracted, they might have dreams which would purify their lives. Let Humans decide upon their favourite animal and make a study of it, learning its innocent ways. Let them learn to understand its sounds and motions. The animals want to communicate with humans, but Wakan Tanka does not intend they shall do so directly – humans must be the greater part in securing an understanding."

-----------------------------------
MOURNING DOVE, Salish
1888-1936

"Everything on earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence."

-----------------------------------
LUTHER STANDING BEAR
1868-1939
Oglala Lakota Chief

"I am going to venture that the man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures, and acknowledging unity with the universe of things was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization."

Chief Joseph,
Nimii-puu
(Nez Percé)
1830 - 1904

"The earth is the mother of all people, and all the people should have equal rights upon it. You might as well expect the rivers to run backward as that any man who was born a free man should be contented when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases."

--------------------------------
Chief Dan George, Salish,
British Columbia, 1899-1981

"There is a longing among all people and creatures to have a sense of purpose and worth. To satisfy that common longing in all of us we must respect each other. In the olden times man and creature walked as friends who carried the beauty of the land in their hearts. Now each one of us is needed to make sure the salmon can find a place to spawn and the bear cub a tree to climb. There is little time left and much effort is needed."

---------------------------------
George Copway,
(Kah-ge-ga-gah-bowh-Stands Fast)
1818-1863
Ojibwa Chief

"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 differently 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, honourable compact."

---------------------------------
Chief Joseph, Nimii-puu (Nez Percé)
1840 - 1904

"Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other, then we will have no more wars. We shall all be alike -- brothers of one father and one mother, with one sky above us and one country around us, and one government for all."

--------------------------------
Margaret Joseph-Amos, Elder
Born 1918. Clatoquot, Aesousista Reserve, B.C.

"Respect was a big word for us when we were growing up. We were taught that the meaning of respect was to have your own self-respect and respect others, to love others as well as yourself. We were raised to obey our parents and listen to what they say. Teachings we had...while we were sitting down eating, because a child swallows and it digests into the brain."

----------------------------------
Gandoox, Elder
Born 1912 -
Coast Tsimshian
(Photo circa 1931)

"We must broaden our way of thinking so that it recognizes the world as one human family. We are all children of one blood. It can be no other way, for there has to be a central source of all humanity where all living beings were created. Original Creator gave us the ability to find out things for ourselves and put them together usually for the greater good....Remember, when the flood recedes, clear water and an enriched land is left."

"Dignity is always on the side of the person on the receiving end of a racial slur."

----------------------------------
Sarah Smith, Elder
Mohawk

"I stand for the children of tomorrow. I believe in the constructive aspect of humanity. We need each other. We need to come together in the circle of life, and not leave anyone behind. We need to reach out to each other and accept each other unconditionally. More than ever, it is necessary for people to face the light and walk in balance. In every darkened valley there us a light source; walk toward it. Stand in your own truth. No one is like you. You have your own particular gift, and your own contribution to make."

-----------------------------------
BLACK ELK
(Oglala Lakota)

"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."

----------------------------------
JIM PELL
(Principal Chief, North Alabama Cherokee Nation)

"There is no such thing as part Cherokee. Either you're Cherokee or you're not. It isn't the quantity 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 who inspire the spirits of their ancestors because they make being Cherokee a proud part of their everyday life."

---------------------------------
RINA SWENTZELL
1939 -
(Santa Clara Pueblo)

"People when they walk on the land leave their breath wherever they go. So wherever we walk, that particular spot on earth never forgets us, and when we go back, we know that the people who have lived there are in some way still there, and that we can actually partake of their breath and their spirit."

-------------------------------
Sitting Bull - (Tatanka Iotanka)

Hunkpapa Lakota
1831-assassinated, 1890

"The love of possessions is a disease with them [Americans]. They take tithes from the poor and weak to support the rich who rule. They claim this mother of ours, the Earth, for their own and fence their neighbours away. If America had been twice the size it is, there still would not have been enough; the Indian would still have been dispossessed."

----------------------------------
**** GERONIMO (Goyathlay -"one who yawns") ****

1829-1909 (Prisoner of War in his own land)

'We took an oath not to do any wrong to each other or to scheme against each other. I cannot think that we are useless or God would not have created us. There is one God looking down on us all. We are all the children of one God. The sun, the darkness, the winds are all listening to what we have to say. When a child, my mother taught me to kneel and pray to Usen for strength, health, wisdom and protection. Sometimes we prayed in silence, sometimes each one prayed aloud; sometimes an aged person prayed for all of us... and to Usen. I was born on the prairies where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures."

----------------------------------
Jake (Jacob Ezra) Thomas
Hadajigrenta (he-makes-the-clouds descend)
Sandpiper Clan, Cayuga Nation Hereditary Chief
January 6, 1922 - August 18, 1998
"I don't know much but what I do know is a lot."

"I can only perfect myself with each new day. I can't be better than someone else but I can become a better Jake Thomas today then I was yesterday."

"I am not going to listen to gossip. If the people don't like what I'm doing it's their problem not mine. I close my ears. I am going to do what I think is right."

"All I can give to you, my people, is what I know."

"One cannot hide from the Creator. The Creator is watching us whatever we do on earth. We must always be honest with one another, and to have love and peace among ourselves. Life is too short. We cannot afford to waste our lives on wrong doings by hurting one another's feelings."

--------------------------------------
Crowfoot,
Blackfoot Warrior and Oratort

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."

-------------------------------------
Flat-Iron
Maza Blaska Oglala Lakota Chief

"From Wakan-Tanka, the Great Mystery, comes all power. It is from Wakan-Tanka that the holy man has wisdom and the power to heal and make holy charms. Man knows that all healing plants are given by Wakan-Tanka, therefore they are holy. So too is the buffalo holy, because it is the gift of Wakan-Tanka."

------------------------------------
Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa)
Pawnee

"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."

William Commanda,
Mamiwinini
(Algonquin, Quebec)
1913 -

"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."

--------------------------------
Sarah Winnemucca, Paiute
(1844-1891)

"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 prayers 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 ..."

--------------------------------
Floyd Westerman
Lakota Musician and Activist
Born 1936 -

"I would like to quote a very prejudicial doctrine that was handed down by the Supreme Court in 1823. It was written by the Church. This doctrine should be denounced...in some formal way. It said that the Indian Nations do not have title to their lands, they only have title of occupancy, because they weren't Christians when the Europeans first got here. That the first Christian Nations to discover an area of heathen and infidel lands has the ultimate dominion over those lands and the absolute title."

..."No part, no person, no tribe, no species, no body of supernatural being is self-sufficient. Each possess a portion of the sum of all powers and properties of the cosmos. Each must share with all, or the entire system of nature dies.."...
..."Kwakiutl religion represents the concern of The People to occupy their proper place within the total system of life, and to act responsibly within it, so as to acquire and control the powers that sustain life..."... ---- ("Hamatsa" - 1975)

"Man feels lost in the cosmos because he is no longer involved in nature. He has freed himself from superstition, but in the process, has lost his spiritual values, to a positively dangerous degree." ---- (Carl Jung - 1977)

STATEMENT OF THE IROQUOIS INDIANS TO THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE

"Today, the species of Man is facing a question of (it's) very survival.... The way of life known as Western Civilization is on a death path, on which their own culture has no viable answers. When faced of the reality of their own destructiveness, they can only go forward into areas of more efficient destructiveness." ---- (Mohawk Nation - 1978)

..."And with it all, I am always amazed at the wonder of nature, it's multiplicity, and especially at what it is saying to me about my own life, at the time of such encounters. I look for what it is trying to teach me. I know nature speaks to us, if we listen. Every animal has a story to tell. Every flower blossoms with reminders to be creative, ... and every tree whispers with it's rustling leaves, the secrets of life."... (Ted Andrews - "Animal-Speak" 1996)

"Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike...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 the quiet." ----Black Elk (1863-1950) Oglala Sioux holy man.

"My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen." ---- Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee

"...I am poor and naked, but I am the chief of the nation. We do not want riches but we do 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 (Makhpiya-luta) April, 1870

"You must speak straight so that your words may go as sunlight into our hearts." ----Cochise "Like Ironweed" Chiricahua Apache

"When a man does a piece of work which is admired by all we say that it is wonderful; but when we see the changes of day and night, the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky, and the changing seasons upon the earth, with their ripening fruits, anyone must realize that it is the work of someone more powerful than man." ---- Chased-by-Bears (1843-1915) Santee-Yanktonai Sioux

"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

"Life is like a path...and we all have to walk the path...As we walk...we'll find experiences like little scraps of paper in front of us along the way. We must pick up those pieces of scrap paper and put them in our pocket... Then, one day, we will have enough scraps of papers to put together and see what they say... Read the information and take it to heart."
---- Uncle Frank Davis (quoting his mother) Pawnee

"Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agreed, as you can all read the Book?" ---- Sogoyewapha, "Red Jacket" - Seneca

"When you begin a great work you can't expect to finish it all at once; therefore, do you and your brothers press on and let nothing discourage you until you have entirely finished what you have begun." ---- Teedyuschung Delaware

"Let us put our minds together as one." ---- Irving Powless Sr., Onondaga

"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..."
"...the greatest strength is in gentleness." ---- Leon Shenandoah Onondaga

"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."
---- Luther Standing Bear-Oglala Sioux

"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

"We were taught to believe that the Great Spirit sees and hears everything, and that He never forgets, that hereafter He will give every man a spirit-home according to his deserts: If he has been a good man, he will have a good home; if he has been a bad man, he will have a bad home." ---- Chief Joseph Nez Perce

"My friends, how desperately do we need to be loved and to love." ---- Chief Dan George Skokomish

"Grandfather says...you must not hurt anybody or do harm to anyone. You must not fight. Do right always. It will give you satisfaction in life." ---- Wovoka Paiute

"It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth... The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing." ---- Chief Luther Standing Bear Teton 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...You are the life of all things." ---- Black Elk Oglala Sioux

"Laughter is a necessity in life that does not cost much, and the Old Ones say that one of the greatest healing powers in our life is the ability to laugh." ---- Larry P. Aitken Chippewa

"When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and give thanks for the joy of living and if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks rest assured the fault is yourself."
---- Wabasha Lakota Santee

"If I destroy you, I destroy myself. If I honor you, I honor myself." ---- Hunbatz Men Mayan

"Words hypnotize and deceive everyone at one time or another, but these hypnotic words cannot last long in the hearts of true warriors." ---- Barney Bush Shawnee

"We forget so we consider ourselves superior. But we are, after all, a mere part of the creation and we must consider to understand where we are and we stand somewhere between the mountain and the Ant. Somewhere and only there is a part and parcel of the creation." ---- Chief Oren Lyons Onondaga

"Whenever you take anything from the earth, remember to leave an offering." ---- Joe Coyhis Stockbridge-Munsee

"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

"Each man is good in the sight of the Great Spirit." ---- Sitting Bull Lakota

"The one who wishes to be a true medicine person must be a person of faith, and they can only work successfully with those who also have faith." ---- Fools Crow Lakota

"But in the Indian Spirit the land is still vested; it will be until other men are able to divine and meet its rhythm. Men must be born and reborn to belong. Their bodies must be formed of the dust of their forefathers' bones." ---- Luther Standing Bear Oglala Sioux

"I cured with the power that came through me. Of course, it was not I who cured, it was the power from the Outer World, the visions and the ceremonies had only made me like a hole through which the power could come to the two-leggeds."
"If I thought that I was doing it myself, the hole would close up and no power could come through. Then everything I could do would be foolish." ---- Black Elk Oglala Sioux

"The faces of our future generations are looking up to us from the earth and we step with great care not to disturb our grandchildren." ---- Traditional Circle of Elders

"The mind’s eye changes the way we judge things." ---- Fool’s Crow Lakota

"If there is a shadow of a doubt someplace, that will cause a weakness." ---- Wallace Black Elk Lakota

"We need to save those Elders who cannot speak for themselves -- the trees." ---- Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders

"IN THE BEGINNING were the Instructions... The Instructions was to live in a good way and be respectful to everybody and everything." ---- Vickie Downey Tewa/Tesuque Pueblo

"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 land is a sacred trust held in common for the benefit of the future of our nations."
---- Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders

"If you listen close at night, you will hear the creatures of the dark, all of them sacred -- the owls, the crickets, the frogs, the night birds -- and you will hear beautiful songs, songs you have never heard before. Listen with your heart. Never stop listening."
---- Henry Quick Bear Lakota

"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

"You are full of the white man's devil water. You are like dogs in the hot moon when they run mad and snap at their own shadows...You are fools you cannot see the face of your chief; your eyes are full of smoke. You cannot hear his voice; your ears are full of roaring water. Braves, you are little children--you are fools." ---- Little Crow Lakota

"When I saw the Great Spirit he told me to throw all our bad acts away...Everything belongs to the Great Spirit...I trust the Great Spirit." ---- Kanakuk Kickapoo

"It's time. If you are to walk the path of heart, then it is time..." ---- Nippawanock Arapahoe

Wow that's a lot of information! I'm not any percentage Native American but I'm interested in the topic. I'll be back later to read some of this.

edit.

Interesting subject. Can't wait to read what you have to say.

It will take up a dateless night... LOL!

That's ok...I have them...'dateless nights' ...in abundance !

You and me both, Viv..

Natives were simple intelligent people that knew the way to that which we struggle with each and every day. Their beliefs were simple, direct and true. We all should have had the honor and chance to learn from them.
Myself and two other people , several years ago, were chosen to bring home the remains of an Native American, lost in the last battles before they were herded onto reservations. Our Blessing before the assembled Tribes is an event that I will always remember.

Really like everything you have said here, Viv... The only question I have is why you use the past tense "were".., instead of "are"..?

lol..I was thinking in terms of the 'past" not the 'now.'.it was just the line of thought I was following..and the quotes from the Indians above that are dead. Wasn't trying to take anything away from the present day tribes.