Native American Spirituality

[Spirit Dancer]

Our first teacher is our own heart. - Cheyenne

[Spirit Dancer]

Lakota Instructions for Living

Friend do it this way - that is,
whatever you do in life,
do the very best you can
with both your heart and mind.

And if you do it that way,
the Power Of The Universe
will come to your assistance,
if your heart and mind are in Unity.

When one sits in the Hoop Of The People,
one must be responsible because
All of Creation is related.
And the hurt of one is the hurt of all.
And the honor of one is the honor of all.
And whatever we do effects everything in the universe.

If you do it that way - that is,
if you truly join your heart and mind
as One - whatever you ask for,
that's the Way It's Going To Be.

Passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman

[Spirit Dancer]

"For me writing has become prayers that say, `Great Spirit, return to us our freedom, our land, and our lives. We are thankful for the present from which we learn how to be thankful for the past, and how to be hopeful for the future."
--Barney Bush, SHAWNEE
We Native people have really been tested. This testing is having our land taken from us, our culture challenged, and our way of living altered. Gratefully, we have not lost our spirituality. Our spirituality has been the key for our people making it through all of these tests. Our prayers are strong. Indian people have also been able to adjust to change and still keep their culture and spirituality. Today, we should be grateful to the Creator for the present and for the lessons of the past. May our future be guided by the Great Spirit.

Great Spirit, thank You for Mother Earth and Father Sky. Thank You for my life.

[Spirit Dancer]

Like the elephant, we are unconscious of our own strength. When it comes to
understanding the power we have to make a difference in our own lives, we might
as well be asleep. If you want to make your dreams come true, wake up. Wake
up to your own strength. Wake up to the role you play in your own destiny.
Wake up to the power you have to choose what you think, do, and say.

[TIMBERWOLF]

The Creator designed us to learn by trial and error. The path of life we walk is very wide. Everything on the path is sacred - what we do right is sacred - but our mistakes are also sacred. This is the Creator's way of teaching spiritual people. To criticize ourselves when we make mistakes is not part of the spiritual path. To criticize mistakes is not the Indian way. To learn from our mistakes is the Indian way. The definition of a spiritual person is someone who makes 30-50 mistakes each day and talks to the Creator after each one to see what to do next time. This is the way of the Warrior.

[TIMBERWOLF]

Prayer of Renewal

Beginnings, fresh and clean, Part of the Sacred Wheel
Each morning is a new opportunity,
To share our love, our Souls, and Spirits,
With those who choose to Walk this Path along with us,
To learn the lessons of the Wheel, and grow closer,
To The One Who- Created- All.
Each day is fresh and unblemished, clean and pure.
Look around, Rejoice in the New Beginning,
The Sun rises again, our hearts beat within our bodies,
We draw fresh Breath, and re-enter the World.
Set aside the pain of past days, each day begins afresh,
Build upon the past, its lessons and joys,
Be strengthened by the love within,
Reach out in love to those around us.
For each day is a gift, given but once.

KiiskeeN'tum- She Who Remembers -Mohawk

[Daywalker]

Hey there...I wanted to share an Article from yesterday about a woman
who is ending her Journey, and oh...what a Journey is has been.

A friend of mine is in close Relations with her
and asked for prayer and energy for Wilma Mankiller:


Ex Cherokee Chief Mankiller Diagnosed with Cancer:

Oklahoma - TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) - The husband of former Cherokee Nation
principal chief Wilma Mankiller says Mankiller has been diagnosed with
advanced pancreatic cancer. Charlie Soap, Mankiller's husband, made the
announcement Tuesday in a news release issued by the American Indian tribe.
Soap says the 64-year-old Mankiller has stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer
but offered no other details. He asked that the public respect the family's
privacy. Mankiller served as the tribe's chief from December 1985 until retiring
in 1995. In September, Northeastern State University in Tahlequah named her
as its first Sequoyah Institute Fellow. Mankiller says in a statement that she is
"mentally and spiritually prepared" for dealing with the cancer.




Also, there is a Group on Facebook that I joined that showcases,
and invites folks to submit Native American Photos from all Tribes:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/NATIVE-AMERICAN-INDIAN-Old-Photos/10150102703945578?ref=mf

Pilomaya

[Spirit Dancer]

Forgiveness is the perfume the trampled flower
casts back on the foot that crushed it.

Author Unknown

[Spirit Dancer]

"I have always searched for my place and my people."
--Wendy Rose, HOPI/MIWOK
For every human being to feel connected, we must have the feeling of belonging. That is one of the values and benefits of a culture: it creates the feeling of belonging. If for some reason, while you were growing up, you did not develop the feeling of belonging, a search will be triggered and a restlessness will be present in your heart. You will have a hole inside you, something missing, until you find your place and your people. Remember, we can get this feeling of belonging when we realize we belong to the Great Spirit and that He really loves us a lot.

My Creator, today, I belong to You. Let me feel Your presence. Thank You.

[Spirit Dancer]

Kill the snake of doubt in your soul,
crush the worms of fear in your heart
and mountains will move out of your way.

Kate Seredy

[Andrew, Jr.]

I am really enjoying this thread. Thanks everyone for sharing and participating.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by Spirit Dancer

"I have always searched for my place and my people."
--Wendy Rose, HOPI/MIWOK
For every human being to feel connected, we must have the feeling of belonging. That is one of the values and benefits of a culture: it creates the feeling of belonging. If for some reason, while you were growing up, you did not develop the feeling of belonging, a search will be triggered and a restlessness will be present in your heart. You will have a hole inside you, something missing, until you find your place and your people. Remember, we can get this feeling of belonging when we realize we belong to the Great Spirit and that He really loves us a lot.

My Creator, today, I belong to You. Let me feel Your presence. Thank You.

"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 blood quantum who inspire the spirits of their ancestors
because, they make being Cherokee a proud part of a their everyday life."


~Jim Pell: Principal Chief of the North Alabama Cherokee Tribe ~

[Passionaria]

Someone who always makes me think, I love him for that.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbjzujo1Qx8"]YouTube- John Trudell " Religious vs Spiritual" Perception of Reality[/ame]

[TROOPER]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqcM5lVoteQ"]YouTube- rage against the machine - freedom[/ame]

[violaine]

do you remember
owl found us in daylight
the first time we met-

driving through mountains
visited by hawks and crows
we knew of them all-

[Spirit Dancer]

"The sacred fire used to heat the rocks represents the eternal fire that burns at the center of the universe."
--Dr. A.C. Ross (Ehanamani), LAKOTA
Our Sweat Lodge represents the womb of Mother Earth. This is the place of forgiveness. The altar is the place where the Grandfathers are heated. The Sweat Lodge and the altar represent the whole story of the universe. The Sweat Lodge and the ceremonies are sacred. The Great Spirit gave these things to us to help us. He taught us to do the ceremonies in harmony with Mother Earth. We need to know and understand these things.

Great Spirit, let me understand harmony.

[Spirit Dancer]

"The manner with which we walk through life is each man's most important responsibility, and we should remember this with every new sunrise."
--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW
Every spiritual person should carry a vision of God's will in every area of their life. One day at a time, each morning at sunrise, we should spend time praying to the Creator. We should say something like, my Creator, this morning I ask you to show me, in terms I can understand, what you have for me to do. By doing this daily, over time, we will develop an unquestionable vision. Each person is responsible for taking the time to do this. It will bring great joy and peace of mind to those warriors who do.

My Creator, give me the vision, today, of what you want me to do.

[Spirit Dancer]

A plant is a weed only within a certain context; one person’s weed is another person’s wildflower.


Simply expressed, a weed is any plant that grows where it isn’t wanted. Weeds are defined by their tendency to flourish at the expense of a gardener’s overall vision, and we tend to battle their presence in our yards. It is interesting to consider, though, that a plant is a weed only within a certain context, which is to say that one person’s weed is another person’s wildflower. Most of us have pulled at least one dandelion up by its roots and disposed of it in the interest of preserving the look of a perfect green lawn, yet the dandelion is good medicine, packed with healing properties and vitamin-rich leaves that are a delicious, spicy surprise in a summer salad.

In the wild, there is no such thing as a weed because the overall vision is in the hands of Mother Nature, who accommodates and incorporates all forms of life. In nature, balance is achieved over the long term, without the aid, or interference, of a human supervisor. While one plant may prevail over others for a certain period of time, eventually it will reach an apex and then it will naturally decline, allowing for other forms to be born and survive. This self-regulating realm was the first garden of our ancestors, who learned the art of agriculture from studying the forests and fields of the as yet uncultivated earth. In a sense, weeds are harbingers of this wildness, pushing their way into our well-ordered plots, undermining more delicate flora, and flourishing in spite of us.

The next time you see a weed, you might want to look deeply into its roots, discover its name, its habits, and its possible uses. Instead of seeing an unwanted intruder, you might see a healer offering its leaves for a medicinal tea or its flowers for a colorful salad. At the very least, if you look long enough, you will see a messenger from the wilderness of Mother Earth, reminding you that, even in the most carefully controlled garden, she cannot be completely ruled out.

[Spirit Dancer]

"And there are Four Corners of the Earth that we talk about, the Four Colors of people, and the Four Winds. You see the winds - they are spirits."
--Grandfather William Commanda, ALGONQUIN
The Elders teach us about the four directions. If we learn about direction, we also learn about attention, about focus, and about power. Each direction has spiritual power. In the morning, go outside, face the east and get still; then, listen to your thoughts. After you have done this for a while, turn and face the west. Get quiet once again and listen to your thoughts. Did your thinking change when you changed direction?

Great Spirit, teach me the power of the four directions

[Spirit Dancer]

Miracles rest not so much upon healing power coming suddenly
near us from afar, but upon our perceptions being made finer,
so that for the moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear
what has been there around us always.
Willa Cather