“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.”
~John (Fire) Lame Deer
Are we civilized?
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A Different Perspective…
This quote speaks many truths within my being, so I thought I would share it with you today.
I often like to imagine how the world would be if we didn’t tear into our mother earth as if she was a valuable resource, but rather sit back and allow her to provide like she has for thousands of years. Imagine not having to wake up and go to work.
Imagine instead being able to go for a walk and collect the freshest of foods which grow in abundance all around us. Leisurely walks where we take in the beautiful scenery around us and let our senses be renewed. Breathe in the pure air, and watch the trees sway to the rhythm of the wind. The doe and her young nibble on fields of clover unafraid of your presence, because too often you have crossed paths. You share the earth, as it was ment to be shared and all of life prospers, in both peace and well-being. What a vision.
This vision is a true way of life, in alignment with spirit. This vision was lived upon the very land you read this less then a hundred and fifty years ago.
bosom? Then when I die she will not take me to her bosom to rest. You ask
me to dig for stones! Shall I dig under her skin for bones? Then when I die
I cannot enter her body to be born again. You ask me to cut grass and
make hay and sell it and be rich like white men, but how dare I cut my
mother’s hair. I want my people to stay with me here. All the dead men
will come to life again. Their spirits will come to their bodies again. We
must wait here in the homes of our fathers and be ready to meet them
in the bosom of our mother.
-WOVOKA (JACK WILSON),
PAIUTE SPIRITUAL LEADER, C. 1856-1932
The Origin of Medicine
At one time, animals and people lived together peaceably and talked with each other. But when mankind began to multiply rapidly, the animals were crowded into forests and deserts.
Man began to destroy animals wholesale for their skins and furs, not just for needed food. Animals became angry at such treatment by their former friends, resolving they must punish mankind.
The bear tribe met in council, presided over by Old White Bear, their Chief. After several bears had spoken against mankind for their bloodthirsty ways, war was unanimously agreed upon. But what kinds of weapons should the bears use?
Chief Old White Bear suggested that man’s weapon, the bow and arrow, should be turned against him. All of the council agreed. While the bears worked and made bows and arrows, they wondered what to do about bowstrings. One of the bears sacrificed himself to provide the strings, while the others searched for good arrow- wood.
When the first bow was completed and tried, the bear’s claws could not release the strings to shoot the arrow. One bear offered to cut his claws, but Chief Old White Bear would not allow him to do that, because without claws he could not climb trees for food and safety. He might starve.
The deer tribe called together its council led by Chief Little Deer. They decided that any Indian hunters, who killed deer without asking pardon in a suitable manner, should be afflicted with painful rheumatism in their joints.
After this decision, Chief Little Deer sent a messenger to their nearest neighbors, the Cherokee Indians.
“From now on, your hunters must first offer a prayer to the deer before killing him,” said the messenger. “You must ask his pardon, stating you are forced only by the hunger needs of your tribe to kill the deer. Otherwise, a terrible disease will come to the hunter.”
When a deer is slain by an Indian hunter, Chief Little Deer will run to the spot and ask the slain deer’s spirit; “Did you hear the hunter’s prayer for pardon?”
If the reply is yes, then all is well and Chief Little Deer returns to his cave. But if the answer is no, then the Chief tracks the hunter to his lodge and strikes him with the terrible disease of rheumatism, making him a helpless cripple unable to hunt again.
All the fishes and reptiles then held a council and decided they would haunt those Cherokee Indians, who tormented them, by telling them hideous dreams of serpents twining around them and eating them alive. These snake and fish dreams occurred often among the Cherokees. To get relief, the Cherokees pleaded with their Shaman to banish their frightening dreams if they no longer tormented the snakes and fish.
Now when the friendly plants heard what the animals had decided against mankind, they planned a countermove of their own. Each tree, shrub, herb, grass, and moss agreed to furnish a cure for one of the diseases named by the animals and insects.
Thereafter, when the Cherokee Indians visited their Shaman about their ailments and if the medicine man was in doubt, he communed with the spirits of the plants. They always suggested a proper remedy for mankind’s diseases.
This was the beginning of plant medicine from nature among the Cherokee Indian nation a long, long time ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Another Version~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In ancient times, people lived in harmony with Nature. They spoke the
same language as the animals and plants. They hunted for food only to
satisfy their hunger and needs, always offering a prayer of thanks for
what they had taken from Nature.As time went on, humans lost this innocence and harmony. They took more
than they needed. They forgot their prayers of gratitude. They killed
animals, and each other, for sport or pleasure. The Bear Tribe, chief
among the animals, called a meeting of all the animals. They decided
that something had to be done. The Bears suggested that they shoot back
when the humans shot at them, but the bow and arrow required too great a
sacrifice, for one bear would have to give up his life so that his sinew
coul d be used for the bowstring. The bear’s claws were too long for
shooting a bow Anyway, and would become entangled on the string.
The Deer Tribe offered another method of dealing with the problem. One
of their members said, “We will bring disease into the world. Each of us
will be responsible for a different illness. When humans live out of
balance with Nature, when they forget to give thanks for their food,
they will get sick.” And in fact the Deer did invoke rheumatism and
arthritis; each animal then decided to invoke a different
disease The Plant Tribe was more sympathetic and felt that this was too harsh a
punishment, so they volunteered their help. They said that for every
disease a human gets, one of them would be present to cure it. That way,
if people used their intelligence, they would be able to cure their
ailments and regain their balance. All of Nature agreed to this
strategy. One plant in particular spoke out. This was Tobacco, the chief
of the plants. He said, “I will be the sacred herb. I will not cure any
specific disease, but I will help people return to the sacred way of
life, provided I am smoked or offered with prayers and ceremony. But if
I am misused, if I am merely smoked for pleasure, I will cause cancer,
the worst disease of all.”
The close friends of the Plant Tribe, the Rock Tribe and the Mineral
Tribe, agreed to help. Each mineral would have a spiritual power, a
subtle vibration that could be used to regain perfect health. The Ruby,
worn as an amulet, would heal the heart; the Emerald would heal the
liver and eyes, and so on. The chief of the mineral tribe, Quartz
Crystal, was clear, like the light of Creation itself. Quartz put his
arms around his brother Tobacco and said, “I will be the sacred mineral.
I will heal the mind. I will help human beings see the origin of
disease. I will help to bring wisdom and clarity in dreams. And I will
record their spiritual history, including our meeting today, so that in
the future, if humans gaze into me, they may see their origin and the
way of harmony.” And so it is today.
Russell Means and The Republic of Lakota
I would like to point out that we are all human beings here on this earth. We all have our own stengths, weaknesses, faults, motives and dreams that enable us to learn our lessons here upon mother earth.
I believe the video above speaks of Russell’s dreams. The article below will show you a little more about Russell and his character. I ask that you keep an open mind and not judge this man. Recognize that he, like us, is human and reaching toward his dreams. ~Kat
Click this link for A different view of Russell Means.
More info can be found at: http://www.republicoflakotah.com/index.htm#SlideFrame_1
Call to heal our Earth Mother on 3/21/08
Passing along the word to bring healing for our Mother Earth, if you do not play the drums please take this opportunity to send up some prayers to our Creator. Lots of love to you all, Kat
8,000 Drums Healing Ceremony
March 21, 2008
2PM EST
Gilles Novaks, who is a Montagnais Indian from Montreal and a Medicine Man and a Healer, requests all Tribal people (actually all peoples) to participate in a worldwide ceremony called the ‘8,000 Drums’. He was contacted by two Huron Clan Grandmothers from up there in Canada and they asked him to help spread the word to all Indians everwhere. It will take place on March 21, 2008 at 12:00 noon MEXICO TIME (2:00PM Eastern Standard Time)!!
All you need to do is play a drum either alone, or with a group or have the whole Tribe participate. The purpose is to fulfill the OTOMI PROPHECY. The Otomi’s are Mayan Olmec and Toltec descendants. The drums will be played so that the Creator will hear us and grant our wishes as we pray for help in the Healing Process of our Mother Earth. The other races of people are destroying Her and our Mother Earth needs our prayers.
Thank you.
Ewo-wox-co-dah-wa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now you may be asking why 8000 drums? Here’s a good explaination. Lots of thanks to you Mark for passing this on. Many blessings to you.
8000 Drums Magic Number
The Otomi prophecy of 8,000 Sacred Drums joining together
and starting the the healing of Mother Earth is to occur
on March 21, 2008.
This number 8000 has a very special relationship.
It has been found that it takes a certain number of
people to start a shift within human consciousness.
That number is the square root of 1 per cent.
There are over 6.5 billion people on Mother Earth right
now and square root of 1 per cent is around 8000
So the 8000 is around the minimum number we need to start this
process of healing. Amazing!!! this prophesy has a number directly
related with our human consciousness.
But each of us contains within us the ancient ancestral memory
in which we are ALL ONE and thus each of the people participating
on March 21 may consciously connect into the ONE and it will
spread and touch everyone on Mother Earth “inviting” them to join
us … even if they have not heard of the 8,000 Drums.
As we do this drumming, we can also FEEL the HEALING
of ourselves and Mother Earth as if it has already happened.
In other words, step into that future where this healing has
already taken place and give THANKS to the CREATOR for
giving us this blessing.
Please pass this message to others
if you feel it would help.
Blessings,
Mark (Lahun OxLahun)
Benefits of Holding Good Thoughts
“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.
Creator, let my thoughts only be good thoughts.”
“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.”
by Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA
HOPE – The changes of Earth Mother
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for to make the changes upon our Earth Mother we seek. Turn your eyes and your hearts away from the worry and strife, and remember it all starts with you. There is nothing here more powerful for you to do then to let peace, love and compassion stream out from your being. Help another in need. Give the stranger in line who tells you their life story a hug. These waves of kindness will spread like wildfire among humanity if we focus on being the change we wish to see in the world. Do not forget the incredible power you have. Humans are angels on thier good days. Many blessings to you, Kat
Pine Ridge Activist under Seige
To those of you who believe that the Native American soverign nations are living in peace on this continent I urge you to open your eyes.
To my fellow americans, winter is one of the roughest times for most living on a reservation. Sources of heat are hard to come by. Support your local reservation by sending a care package. Blankets, clothes from christmas that are three sizes too big, canned foods, and candles are always appreciated.
To those of you who will read this and make an effort through prayers, through giving, and through spreading the word I wish for you miraculous blessings. There is strength in Unity and Peace. ~Kat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alex White Plume, the former tribal chief of the Ogalala Sioux Pine
Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, a fervent activist for Indian causes who has fought federal intrusions on Indian land, has suffered DEA raids and has had his crops destroyed because he exercised the rights of sovereignty. He lost his home in a fire on December 21st.
It burned to the ground with all his belongings, caused by what is now
believed to be an electrical spark. (See report in the Daily Kos.
HYPERLINK
“http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Alex%20White%20Plume”
His wife, Debra White Plume, has been an activist most of her adult
life, beginning with the standoff at Wounded Knee in 1973, through
several succeeding years of a “reign of terror” during which she was
shot for speaking candidly about her views. She is a frequent lobbyist
in Washington DC for Indian causes in general and for her people. Alex, who has also been a successful rancher and entrepreneur, who with his wife, have been good friends of mine for several years, and has raised horses and buffalo, chose to engage in industrial hemp farming, with the full approval and blessings of the Pine Ridge tribal council in the late 1990’s, and I helped him plant by hand, in 2000, without the use of any mechanized tools, a year’s worth of seeds which enjoyed the blessings and prayers of the tribe with special ancient Lakota rituals. With his tiospaye (extended family), we crawled across that dry earth for hours at a time on our hands and knees planting
seeds, praying over each one of them. That experiment resulted later
in a raid by the DEA, in which they appeared with guns drawn and
helicopters flying overhead, and slashed his crop to pieces, hauling off
the tall healthy stalks which had been pre-sold to actor Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers, The People vs. Larry Flynt, etc.) and another buyer in Kentucky. This raid directly challenged the sovereign right of the Oglala Lakota Nation to form its own laws and policies concerning such issues. He has since suffered repeated harrassment by the FBI, the DEA, and the courts in South Dakota, and is under a court restraining order now. A PBS documentary has been made about the planting and the raid. See HYPERLINK
“http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2007/standing/“http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2007/standing/
With the recent blizzard, he is obviously under seige. He needs help.
They lost absolutely everything, and now they suffer severe weather
conditions and few resources.
Pine Ridge has a population of 28,000, according to a Colorado State
University study, and occupies the poorest region of the United States, on par with third world countries, at 85%.
If you can not see the trailer through the above links try this one:
