Native American Spirituality

[Spirit Dancer]

Is your mind free? Are you able to make the best of every situation, or at least see the best if the situation is out of your control? Or do circumstances determine how you feel, how you react, and how you see yourself?

Part of the purpose of our life experiences, I'm certain, is to help us to learn to be independent of circumstances. Yes, things happen, and many bad things happen to us and to those we love. But when we finally reach a point at which our own peace of mind or our own self-esteem aren't affected by what happens to and around us, then we are close to becoming the people we were meant to be. When we constantly react to situations, the person that other people see is depending on the circumstances to define him or herself. We should be able to define ourselves on our own terms, not on the terms of circumstance or coincidence.

Yes, it is difficult. It takes focus and effort to learn from events rather than to let them define us. It takes courage and commitment to devote ourselves to our principles that will allow us to live freely and lovingly, and to maintain that devotion even in the face of diversity.

Life flows, life moves, life changes. Part of our task while we're here on earth is to establish ourselves as islands in the stream, islands that will stand strong no matter what the weather, islands that will withstand the torrents of any kind of weather, living a life of principles that will keep us strong no matter what life is sending by us or to us.

[Spirit Dancer]

"We learned to be patient observers like the owl. We learned cleverness from the crow, and courage from the jay, who will attack an owl ten times its size to drive it off its territory. But above all of them ranked the chickadee because of its indomitable spirit." - Tom Brown, Jr., The Tracker

[Spirit Dancer]

Recognizing Happiness
Analyzing the Path



When we take the time to recognize when we are happy and what that feels like, it becomes easier to recreate.


Those of us on the path of personal and spiritual growth have a tendency to analyze our unhappiness in order to find the causes and make improvements. But it is just as important, if not more so, to analyze our happiness. Since we have the ability to rise above and observe our emotions, we can recognize when we are feeling joyful and content. Then we can harness the power of the moment by savoring our feelings and taking time to be grateful for them.

Recognition is the first step in creating change, therefore recognizing what it feels like to be happy is the first step toward sustaining happiness in our lives. We can examine how joy feels in our bodies and what thoughts run through our minds in times of bliss. Without diminishing its power, we can retrace our steps to discover what may have put us in this frame of mind, and then we can take note of the choices we’ve made while there. We might realize that we are generally more giving and forgiving when there’s a smile on our face, or that we are more likely to laugh off small annoyances and the actions of others when they don’t resonate with our light mood.

Once we know what it feels like and can identify some of the triggers and are aware of our actions, we can recreate that happiness when we are feeling low. Knowing that like attracts like, we can pull ourselves out of a blue mood by focusing on joy. We might find that forcing ourselves to be giving and forgiving, even when it doesn’t seem to come naturally, helps us to reconnect with the joy that usually precedes it. If we can identify a song, a picture, or a pet as a happiness trigger, we can use them as tools to recapture joy if we are having trouble finding it. By focusing our energy on analyzing happiness and all that it encompasses, we feed, nurture, and attract more of it into our lives, eventually making a habit of happiness.

[Spirit Dancer]

My daughter said to me, "Mom what happens when all the trees are gone" there is so much construction going on and nature is leaving. Her query reminded me of this quote and it also reminded me how important it is to continue teaching her the values of her ancestors.


"The Natural Law is the final and absolute authority governing E Te No Ha, the earth we call our Mother."


Traditional Circle of Elders

[Spirit Dancer]

Centered and Safe
Keeping Your Energy Strong




Keeping our energy strong and pure throughout the day is vital to somebody that is sensitive.


Being a sensitive person in this world can sometimes feel very draining due to the fact that we are very receptive to the energy of the people and environment around us. Still, we want to be part of situations that involve small or large groups of people, and we would like to do it without becoming overwhelmed or exhausted. With a few simple strategies we can entertain at home and socialize in the world without running the risk of losing ourselves in someone else’s energy or giving our energy away. All this takes is a little time and practice, and the result—being part of social events without ending up depleted—is well worth the effort.

The whole purpose of this self-care ritual is to help keep yourself strong energetically when you are in a situation that could potentially be draining. For example, if you are having a party, you might take some time to prepare beforehand. Just as you spend time cleaning your home and preparing food, it is essential to prepare your inner home for the event. This can be as simple as taking a mindful walk or a cleansing bath, or engaging in any other activity that gives you energy. You can even just sit alone for a set period of time, tuning in to your energy and connecting to yourself so that you are less easily carried away by the energy outside of yourself. You may employ a mantra such as “I am centered and safe in the home of myself.” You can also charge a crystal or gemstone or any piece of jewelry with protective energy and wear it or carry it with you. This can be helpful during the event when just seeing it or touching it can remind you that you are centered and safe.

Keep in mind that it is always acceptable to excuse yourself for a bathroom break or to step outside for a moment. This can give you the time and space you need to check in with yourself and correct any energetic imbalances you detect. Whether you are at home or out in the world, taking care of yourself in this way enables you to keep your energy strong, even as you open yourself to others.

[Spirit Dancer]

"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 an 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.


My Creator, help me to protect the trees and listen to them.

[Okiebug61]

I would like to say the following. I grew up with a grandmother who was 1/2 Cherokee and was scared to death to profess. I have always embraced my Cherokee heritage without receiving any of the benefits and have no problems with any of it. I have always been totally pissed off at the attitude that has been projected on the "American Indian". How dare the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemonic_masculinity believe they have the right to claim anything. Thank you for your input!

[Spirit Dancer]

Originally Posted by Okiebug61

I would like to say the following. I grew up with a grandmother who was 1/2 Cherokee and was scared to death to profess. I have always embraced my Cherokee heritage without receiving any of the benefits and have no problems with any of it. I have always been totally pissed off at the attitude that has been projected on the "American Indian". How dare the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemonic_masculinity believe they have the right to claim anything. Thank you for your input!

Thank You Okie and welcome to the thread,

Here in lays the issue Wikki anything can be altered to fit their perception, from your above paragraph you were raised as was I with an influence from our Cherokee ancestors belief, The only claim I believe is that under Great Spirit we are equal with each having equal value, not withstanding the Two Spirited Theory, this I've seen and in my heart believe the Elders and Medicine people are correct.
Here's a link to Wikki on this thought

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Spirit_Identity_Theory
and here's a site I participate in
http://www.dancingtoeaglespiritsocie.../twospirit.php

[Spirit Dancer]

After speaking to an Elder and a bit of Sage advice this thought keeps
circling like an Eagle in flight;
My eyes are blinded by the thought we are only as isolated from each other as we allow ourselves to be, even if it's isolation for self preservation.

Great Spirit intended for there to be kinship, but no two people think or believe completely alike which is why we are each different, but in difference we still find isolation with race, creed, handicap or identity. The fact is we cannot at times get past ones weakness or mistakes to even be kind.
This day I ask Great Spirit to allow me to show kindness throughout my day.

[Lady Pamela]

[Lady Pamela]

sorry last picture came out so large..i did not think it would...but i wanted to post the prayer.

[Spirit Dancer]

Sitting with Our Sadness
The Heart of Humanity




Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and we will come out the other side.


The last thing most of us want to hear or think about when we are dealing with profound feelings of sadness is that deep learning can be found in this place. In the midst of our pain, we often feel picked on by life, or overwhelmed by the enormity of some loss, or simply too exhausted to try and examine the situation. We may feel far too disappointed and angry to look for anything resembling a bright side to our suffering. Still, somewhere in our hearts, we know that we will eventually emerge from the depths into the light of greater awareness. Remembering this truth, no matter how elusive it seems, can help.

The other thing we often would rather not hear when we are dealing with intense sadness is that the only way out of it is through it. Sitting with our sadness takes the courage to believe that we can bear the pain and the faith that we will come out the other side. With courage, we can allow ourselves to cycle through the grieving process with full inner permission to experience it. This is a powerful teaching that sadness has to offer us—the ability to surrender and the acceptance of change go hand in hand.

Another teaching of sadness is compassion for others who are in pain, because it is only in feeling our own pain that we can really understand and allow for someone else’s. Sadness is something we all go through, and we all learn from it and are deepened by its presence in our lives. While our own individual experiences of sadness carry with them unique lessons, the implications of what we learn are universal. The wisdom we gain from going through the process of feeling loss, heartbreak, or deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity.

[Spirit Dancer]

"So we are connected to the moon. That gives us power, a connection to the Earth and the moon, men don't know about."



Cecilia Mitchell, MOHAWK



The Elders tell us that the Woman has access to special powers. The Earth Mother gives her love in a special way to the Woman. The Moon also gives special powers to the Woman. She uses these powers to nurture, heal, and guide the people.


Great Spirit, today, give a special Blessing to our Women.

[StrongButch]

So I prayed but I had to pray from my heart. All of my concentration and thoughts went from my head to my heart. All of my senses-hearing,smell,taste and feeling were connected to my heart. (Wallace Black Elk- Lakota)

[Spirit Dancer]

When we feel fear strongly, it's very difficult to remind ourselves that there are forces in this world that are stronger than fear. Fear tends to take control of us, to overwhelm us, to put us in a state in which we can notice only the fear. And in those circumstances, the fear tends to build on itself like a fire, growing as it catches hold of other parts of ourselves.

If we can keep our minds open to the idea that there are forces stronger than fear, though, we can provide ourselves with a way out of the fear. As I grow older, I find that I have ways to counteract fear when it appears, and most of them have to do with reminding myself of the reality of the "big picture" rather than focusing so strongly on the particular situation that's causing me fear.

Fear depends on our attention to survive. If we don't give it the attention that it needs, if we're able to focus our thoughts elsewhere and maintain our peace of mind, we're making sure that fear doesn't have the conditions that it needs in order to thrive. If I can focus on my faith in the good things in life, then my fear will not rise past a healthy level--and yes, a certain level of fear can be very healthy.

Faith does not mean a particular set of beliefs in God as defined by any particular religious groups. Faith is our knowledge that life and God are positive, loving forces that will take care of us, and that have been doing so since we arrived on this planet. Faith is the knowledge the the truths in life are stronger than the lies that many people spread in an attempt to gain whatever they need or want for themselves.

Fear is as strong as we let it be. Faith is the same way. Which do you choose to be the stronger force in your life?

[Spirit Dancer]

"Today, what is important for us is to realize that the old sacred ways are correct, and that if we do not follow them we will be lost and without a guide."





--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW



A long time ago the Creator gave to the people all the knowledge on how we should live and conduct ourselves. The Native people have been influenced by outside "tribes" who don't know about the Sacred Way. Our Elders still know about the old sacred ways. We need to consult and talk to them before it's too late. Every family needs to seriously evaluate whether they are living according to the old knowledge. If we are fault finding, putting one another down, being selfish, being violent to our spouses or children, if we are cheating and being dishonest, then we are not living the old Sacred Way. The old way is about respect, love, forgiveness and sharing.


Great Spirt, today, teach me the old Sacred Way you taught my ancestors.

[Tommi]

Mitakuye Oyasin - A Lakota Indian Prayer

There is a simple but profound Lakota prayer: Mitakuye Oyasin.

These two words mean All My Relations or We are All Related.

To pray this prayer is to petition Great Spirit on behalf of everyone and everything on Earth.

Mitakuye Oyasin honors the sacredness of each person's individual spiritual path, acknowledges the sacredness of all life (human, animal, plant, etc.) and creates an energy of awareness which strengthens not only the person who prays but the entire planet.
It is a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life: other people, animals, birds, insects, trees and plants, and even rocks. It reminds us that we are connected to these other aspects of Creation, that we share a common kinship in the Hoop of Life.



May the wisdom spread across our land to those from the North, the South, the East and West.


Rolling Thunder

[Spirit Dancer]

Silent Change
Letting Nature Work




Change can enter our lives silently and this change can be just as important as change we have worked hard for.


We all see things about ourselves, our relationships, and our world that we want to change. Often, this desire leads us to take action toward inner work that we need to do or toward some external goal. Sometimes, without any big announcement or momentous shift, we wake up to find that change has happened, seemingly without us. This can feel like a miracle as we suddenly see that our self-esteem really does seem to be intact, or our partner actually is helping out around the house more. We may even wonder whether all of our hard work had anything to do with it, or if it just happened by way of grace.

As humans, sometimes we have relatively short attention spans, and we can easily lose track of time. We may worry about a seedling in a pot with our constant attention and watering for several weeks only to find ourselves enjoying the blooms it offers and wondering when that happened, and how we didn’t notice it. Nature, on the other hand, has infinite patience and stays with a thing all the way through its life. This doesn’t mean that our efforts play no part in the miracle of change—they do. It’s just that they are one small part of the picture that finally results in the flowering of a plant, the shifting of a relationship, the softening of our hearts.

The same laws that govern the growth of plants oversee our own internal and external changes. We observe, consider, work, and wonder, tilling the soil of our lives, planting seeds, and tending them. Sometimes the hard part is knowing when to stop and let go, handing it over to the universe. Usually this happens by way of distraction or disruption, our attention being called away to other more pressing concerns. And it is often at these times, when we are not looking, in the silence of nature’s embrace, that the miracle of change happens.

[Spirit Dancer]

"I am particularly fond of the little groves of oak trees. I love to look at them, because they endure the wintry storm and the summer's heat, and, not unlike ourselves, seem to flourish by them."

Sitting Bull, SIOUX

[Spirit Dancer]

Giving Away Power
Repressing the Inner Voice




We can avoid giving away our power on a daily basis by listening to our own voice of knowing.


In many ways, we are taught from the time we are children to give away our power to others. When we were told to kiss and hug relatives or friends of the family when we didn’t want to, for example, we were learning to override our inner sense of knowing and our right to determine for ourselves what we want to do. This repression continued, most likely, in many experiences at school and in situations at work. At this point, we may not even know how to hold on to our power, because giving it away is so automatic and ingrained.

To some degree, giving our energy to other people is simply part of the social contract, and we feel that we have to do it in order to survive. It is possible to exchange energy in a way that preserves our inner integrity and stability. This begins in a small way: by listening to the voice that continues to let us know what we want, no matter how many times we override its messages.

Other examples of how we give away our power are buying into trends, letting other people always make decisions for us, not voting, and not voicing an opinion when an inappropriate joke is made. But with not giving our power away we must also be aware of the opposite side, which is standing in our power but being aggressive. Being aggressive is a form of fear, and the remedy is to let our inner balance come back into play.
As we build a relationship with our power, and follow it, we begin to see that we don’t always have to do what we’re being asked to do by others, and we don’t have to jump on every trend. All we have to do is have the confidence to listen to our own voice and let it guide us as we make our own decisions in life and remember the necessity for balance.