"Everyone has a song. God gives us each a song. That's how we know who we are. Our song tells us who we are."
Charlie Knight, UTE
As we start to walk the Red Road and as we develop ourselves as Warriors, a song will come to us. This song is given to each of us from the Great Spirit. Whenever we sing this song, we will receive courage and strength not only for ourselves but if we sing this song for others, it will also help them. The song will give us power and make us feel really good. The song will make us see life in a sacred way. If you don't have your song yet, ask the Creator in prayer if He will give you your song. With the song comes a responsibility - the responsibility to act and conduct oneself as a Warrior according to your song.
Oh my Creator, let me live my song. Let my song honor Your way of life. Let me sing my song each day. At the end of today, let my song tell people who I am. I am a beautiful child of the Creator.
Ooh nay thia and, Hee oo way gee'
E gah gwoo yah hay ee.
Naw gwoo Joe sah,
We you low say
E gah gwoo yah ho nah.
September 1 - Daily Feast
Our pride can rob us of the help we need - and the other person of the chance to do a good deed. Why is it so hard to accept help without feeling something very close to anger? Is it because we think we have not done as well as the other person or do we feel too great for self-sufficiency? When we need help we have not fallen short. If we have done everything we can to help ourselves then we should consider it the other person's time to give. If we are made to feel awkward for needing help, we can remember the feeling when it comes our time to help out. Pride is an admission of weakness and gratitude is a sign of strength. We can receive graciously and we can give the same way.
~ We should not despair of once more enjoying the blessings of peace in our new homes. ~
JOHN ROSS - CHEROKEE CHIEF
'A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II' by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 1
"Everyone has a song. God gives us each a song. That's how we know who we are. Our song tells us who we are."
Regret is something everyone has, but no one can afford to keep. Being remorseful is commendable when we should be sorry for wrong behavior, but to live with regret is to add to it day by day. There are those who are unable to admit they have ever been wrong. But there are more who carry with them so much regret they are bowed in spirit.
Thomas Moore, the Irish poet, once said, "Remorse is beholding heaven and feeling hell," but perhaps just knowing heaven can exist makes regret more hellish. And so often it renders the regretful almost powerless to lift themselves out of their predicament.
But there is forgiveness! A daily vow or affirmation can take us a step further in lifting ourselves above the things that cause regret. And if we've settled down in the middle of unhappiness to enjoy our lot in life, then, moment by moment, inch by inch, we shall overcome that, too!
"I remember Dawson (No Horse) said, 'Once you say your prayers, don't worry about them. If you worry about them, they'll just fade away.'"
Chuck Ross, LAKOTA
Today I need to remember You are everywhere. I need to remember how much You love me. I need to know, Grandfathers, that You are always listening. Today I need to know how much You care. Today I will remember the advice of the Elders. "Say your prayers and then don't worry - know that the Great One has heard you." It's so much easier to do this, Grandfather, when I feel connected to You.
My Creator, allow me this day to feel your presence. Let me walk the path of life today and talk to You many times. Give me faith, my Grandfather.
Everything has a reason. We may have to wait a while to understand, because much of what we see is a puzzle with all its pieces strewn about. The whole thing is there but in our present condition we do not comprehend the first thing about fitting the right pieces together. It is going to take some time. Maybe our dullness is necessary to keep us from making foolish moves. It is better to stand and let life creep back in and our blood to flow normally before we begin again. We still do not know the reason for something but we can handle the time better and we recover our sense more quickly.
~ We are all Seminoles here together. We want no long talk; we wish to have it short and good. ~
Have you noticed how hardheaded we are about clinging to the way we think something should be done? If it worked once, we think it should again, and perhaps it does. There are proven methods of getting successful results in many things. But every so often we try to use the same procedure, follow the same general pattern we've used before, only this time it doesn't work.
How we pound our fists against the stone wall! Insisting all the time that there used to be a door in exactly that spot. Who move the door? Frequently circumstances are to blame. But placing the blame is not the important thing. Finding the way is important.
The way may not be marked plainly, and we have to blaze a new trail, find a new method. But the hardest part of finding that new method is in admitting we need one. The first and most important step is in changing our idea of how it should be done. As soon as we have accepted this fact the mind has a reserve of experiences and knowledge that will hurry in to help. But only after we've admitted the need for it.
"Once you have achieved this oneness, when you talk, God talks; when you act, God acts."
Chuck Ross, LAKOTA
In my innermost self, I know this to be true. I know of this oneness. The more I am free of doubt, jealousy, judgment, selfishness, anger, the closer I am to this oneness. When I am right with the Creator, nothing can touch me. When I am right with the Creator I always say the right things. When I am right with the Creator, my thoughts are always good. When I am right with the Creator, my actions are always good.
Great Spirit, remove from me those things that block me from You. Allow me this day to experience the oneness.
The need for security can create an uneasy nest. Where do we go? What do we do? But the most unholy of questions is, "Where did I fail?" Change does not mean failure. It means upheaval and it means trial and effort, but it does not mean failure. Anger about change means we have not thought it through, we have not looked beyond the limits, beyond the perimeter of what is familiar. The biggest problem is that the ones who instigate it are not the ones that make the change. But those who make the change will eventually find it was the best thing that ever happened. It brought out new strengths and new thinking and the knowledge that security is not in other people - but in ourselves.
It has been said that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But it is even truer that there is no hell more furious than those human beings who feel scorn within themselves. It is natural but painful for those who do not know the meaning of love to find fault and grief within their own existence. Unable to accept the blame for their actions, there is a continual search for the cause in other people.
How can we tell what point in life others may have reached in their development? We can only see and sense the pain that some carry while they learn the way. If it is impossible to get along with them, we should get along without them, but condemning them will never turn the tide.
Understanding of others and of ourselves has been a great human need for all time. The fact that we do not look with a critical eye, pecking away in constant irritation at another's faults, but give some sign of friendliness, some patience for rebellious spirits, may serve as the turning point for that spirit. And to try for such understanding does no harm for the one who makes the effort.
"The Elders say that if you want something good, you have to suffer for it."
Chuck Ross, LAKOTA
People sometimes have a misconception of sacrifice. This is a strong word for Indian people. On the other side of sacrifice is another whole world. During sacrifice, our beliefs are tested. We may all have good beliefs but if you test a good belief, then you get real beliefs. Real beliefs make new people; real beliefs make new self images. Real beliefs allow determination and desires and faith to come true. Good is always available to us but we often can't bring it within until we let go of the old ways. We let go of the old ways by suffering. Suffering is only letting go of things that don't work anymore. On the other side of suffering is a new world.
Creator, help me to let go of old ways. Let my old thoughts and beliefs be abandoned. Every change is preceded by struggle. Help me go through the struggle today.
Some of us have used our minds like, u yo - leaving the lids off the can so that it collects, u yo, which is Cherokee for garbage. No wonder we have so little self-reliance, we learn so little from our experiences. Each of us needs to keep a close eye on everything we do. This is a whole new world without observance of many rules. We used to know what was safe and what should be watched, but the times have changed and many of the so-called rules have been rewritten. Good things and good people still exist and we should be a part of it. But it is not wise to leave ourselves open to every passing bit of trash.
~ The time was when our Father, who lives above the clouds, loved our fathers, who lived long ago, and His face was bright, and He talked with our fathers. ~
"Though we speak with the tongues of men and angels and give our bodies to be burned, if we are irritable or hard to live with, it all accounts for nothing," wrote Margaret Widdemer.
Wouldn't it be a blessing to ourselves and to others if we could be as gentle and considerate in temper as we expect others to be? It is not a good thing to keep pent up the emotions that rule us so continually, but neither is it good to be too quick and too constantly blowing off steam.
It may serve as a tension reliever to us, but it can soon ruin our relationships with others. And without our realizing it, we can soon become chronic complainers.
Worry, physical ailments and weariness can cause a short temper that we think others should understand. And most have a way of knowing if that is the case, but prolonged impositions on other people will wear that tolerance very thin. It takes two to have an argument, but it takes only one to start it.
The need to forgive and to be forgiven should never be overlooked. To pass over a disagreement quickly without thought to the damage we've done can take the shine off any friendship. There can be no merit in forgetting if we cannot first forgive.
There are two voices in this world that will be forever unpopular. One is the voice of self-pity, the other the voice that yells all the time. One declares itself to be the victim of great injustice, the other yells to demand justice.
Those who believe themselves to be the victims of injustice - those who believe they are meant to suffer - will always find conditions to prove they are right.
And those who yell, "Look what I've sacrificed," and always with the theme, "What I've tried to do for you," have slowed another's progress and stopped their own.
True victims of circumstances are easily recognized, and do not care to be noticed as such. And those who yell their merits have received their rewards, so there aren't any others.
Both have their attentions turned inward, but to the sorrow of most.....their voices are not.
"Decisions that have been made for the last couple of centuries have been decisions made without the presence of a real God....from the vision, not of God, but of money."
Tom Porter, MOHAWK
As we view the world today, it's easy to see the people are off track. We are no longer living in harmony. Focusing on the material only leads us from the path of the Creator. We must now pray for ourselves and the people in a pitiful way. We must be humble and ask the Great Spirit to intervene because if we don't, our children will continue to have troubles. They are acting out our behavior as adults. Today is a good time to start. We need to get the spiritual way back into our lives. We need to focus on the spiritual.
My Creator, help me to focus on the spiritual way.
On this long list of important things, is this present worry anywhere near the top? It could be, but most likely it isn't. In a split second fear can shuffle our priorities into a jumbled mess until we see it all as one big hurdle. Stop and ask if this is fact or fear. Fact can even be changed, but fear has a way of taking our deepest fear and molding it into a monster. We have a flair for begging monsters to stay away when we should be calling them cowards and shriveled and gone. We have the authority to do it - and it works because words have the power of life and death!
~ I want to tell you this, because I believe if you know it you will correct the evil. ~
True forgiveness could be described as a divine amnesty where we receive a pardon from the unworthy things we've done, and have another chance to prove our worth. Forgiveness is something we must give in order to receive. And we have a tendency to linger over old grudges, using them to bolster our reasons for not forgiving. But we cannot return to the past, not can we change one whit of anything that happened then. We cannot make up for resentments we've caused in others, no more than they can make up for ours.
To forgive is divine. God is above punishment, but we are not. It is we, not God, who punish by taking things into our own hands and making them work for our own selfish reasons. We demand punishment by hanging on to painful past experiences that produce self-pity. We are the ones who blame God's will for our illnesses, our poverty, our lack of friends. But we are wrong, for there is a moment of truth when we face ourselves and know that we are the guilty.
And there is a time such as William Wordsworth wrote about, "That blessed mood, in which the burden of the mystery, in which the heavy and weary weight of all this unintelligible world, is lightened".....because we've been forgiven.
"We all form self-images and much of our behavior is pretty well determined by how we feel about ourselves."
Eunice Baumann-Nelson, Ph.D., PENOBSCOT
There is a cycle of building beliefs called the self talk cycle. Our self talk builds our self image and our self image determines our behavior, our actions, and our self worth - how we feel about ourselves. If we want to change the way we feel about ourselves we need to change our self talk. We need to build ourselves up. We need to talk to ourselves in a kind, positive, uplifting, good way. We need to talk to ourselves about the good things that are happening and know that we are worthy and expect abundance.
Oh Great Spirit, today help me to know myself. Help me to see the joy, kindness, strength and beauty that I am.
We've known extremes. We have pushed beyond common sense and we have paid a price for it. Most of us know what is good for us, but we allowed ourselves to be influenced where we should have stood our ground. This is true even of the little things - though often the results are not little at all. Things like eating and drinking and talking too much, these things are not bad in particular, but so easily overdone. There's no obvious stopping place so we are well past the stop sign before we know it is there. Education? Awareness? Group understanding? These things may help, but a thorough adjustment in the soul and spirit is the only lasting answer.
~ My Great Father.....told me that fire and water were alike, and that we cannot live without either of them. ~
Hardly any of us are without some jealousy. We like to think of ourselves above that painful emotion, because such a monstrous feeling is a destructive thing. But if we have not yet felt a normal amount of it, it is because we have yet to doubt something we love very much.
Margaret, Queen of Navarre, and sister of Francis 1, King of France in the fifteenth century, wrote the following words:
"Love may exist without jealously, although this is rare; but jealousy may exist without love, and that is common; for jealousy can feed on that which is bitter, not less than on that which is sweet, and is sustained by pride as often as by affection."
Jealousy can rear its head when logic is giving you the facts, and throw the whole thing into chaos. But confidence is the enemy of jealousy. Confidence, trust, and faith are all strong parts of a nature where jealousy does not rule.
And jealousy, even in moderation, can introduce us to a serious problem with ourselves, if we let it grow out of proportion. It breeds rejection while maturity and understanding keep us safely within the bounds of permissiveness rather than possessiveness.
People have the ability to adapt. In these modern times we must get educated so the people don't lose. We need lawyers, doctors, nurses, foresters, scientists, educators, carpenters, welders. These skills are needed to help the people. While we are learning, we need to remember to keep the culture, learn the dances, sing the songs, learn the language and maintain the Red Road for future generations.
Great Spirit, let my education never lack the meaning and value of spirituality.
Many weak excuses come to mind to give us a right to self-pity - we don't feel well, we haven't slept in a week, or we simply don't know what others expect of us. All these things can be true and all have a devastating effect, but we could have said we are in the midst of a pity celebration. Mind games tell us we need an excuse to keep from being overwhelmed with obligations. We don't need any excuse to say we are simply not up to the challenges at this time. If people want to be offended it is their privilege, but right now self honesty and rest are more important.
~ I have no father or mother; I am alone in the world. No one cares for Cochise. ~
The destructive hand is one that never finds a friendly hand to shake. Its finger is always pointed at someone in an accusation. It is shaking in someone's face in a threat. The destructive hand is forever lifted against anyone who differs, ready to strike in disagreement, always lifted for attention to let them tell the wrong someone has done.
The destructive hand tries desperately to hold another's good luck back.....ready to sign a complaint.....forever in a gesture of disdain.
But pity the destructive hand. It will never know the tenderness of love nor find the clasp of friendship. It will never feel the sun warm on its palm while it lifts someone....or guide another to happier things.....or wave or cheer or praise and give thanks.
The destructive hand is the negative approach to all of life. It can never do anything but discourage and frighten. The positive approach to life is found in every gesture of the productive hand; it builds unbreakable structures, unbroken peace, and joy to soothe the most savage heart.
"Keep your life simple because the more you get, the more complicated it becomes."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
The old ones say, lead a simple life. The society we live in is all about getting more houses, cars, luxury and credit cards. The law of worry says, the more you have, the more you need to worry. You get a house, then you need insurance, then you need to take care of the yard and the list goes on. Next, you may want a bigger house with a bigger yard which costs more in insurance. Along with the accumulation of materialism, are other "gifts." Soon you become a slave and the materialism owns you. Lead a simple life and have peace of mind. Lead a simple life and be spiritual.
Creator, let my foundation be spiritual and simple.
Autumn shadows grow long across the land and a sunset washes the sky with colors of a ripe peach. The color deepens and spreads in cherry-colored streaks until even the grasses in the meadow are tinted pink. A single cry from the deep woods could be the wail of a coyote or the shriek of an owl. Such primitive voices speak of sameness even while they change the human world. Daytime activity ceases when evening draws its shadows through the woods. Deer feed quietly. Hounds pursue the raccoon and hundreds of tracks along the feed road tell us that humans may walk here but other species own the night.
~ We never did the white man any harm; we don't intend to. ~
Don't allow life to mean too much. Keep it light and shallow; spend as much time as possible scoffing at those things meaningful to others; forget the decency and patience in their attitudes.
And look with overbearing revenge to make them pay for what they believe....laugh at their efforts.....call attention to their imperfections.....and don't forget to learn how to live alone.....if not in body, then in spirit. And then don't take the blame for a desert-island soul. It is of one's own making. But remember, oh so well, that life does not stand still while we search for someone to blame for our isolation.
"...Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start truly living the life the Creator intended for you."
Lelia Fisher, HOH
There are many things that block us from wisdom such as selfishness, secrets, hate, anger, jealousy and judgments. Another thing that can block us from wisdom is trying too hard or wishing something would happen. Wishing implies doubt and trying implies control. We need to let go of these things. We need to abandon ourselves to the Creator. As soon as we surrender everything, the wisdom starts to flow. The Elders know how to help us with this. Just ask them.
My Great Spirit, today I surrender my life and my will to Your care.
There are ways you have not dreamed existed - until you can see beyond your own limited vision to possibilities of real substance. It takes a certain Mindset to stop believing in shortages and start seeing good things happen. Some people believe they will never see their dreams fulfilled - they accept it. And that acceptance solidifies such beliefs into reality. You have developed a consciousness of ga lu lo gi, the Cherokee's expression of lack. In the words of the prophet, "Is anything too hard for God?"
~ We are all poor men; and I think others have got all the goods. ~
There must be a great many persons who have questioned their own wisdom in having fought for a principle. To so many, it seems all they gleaned from it was the title "different." Isn't this why so many refused to stand up for what they believe? We look at them in disbelief, the idea that someone is trying to attract attention. If they are not twitted about their actions they are treated with cold indifference which can be even worse.
It seems that if persons have the strength to say they will fight for a certain truth, they must also have the strength to fight alone without depending on those around them to tell them how they should conform. They must not be embarrassed to be counted as unusual in the pursuit of their particular belief.
But the individuals who find themselves alone in the stand they take must remember that if it is truth they are following it will eventually win and at least they can live with themselves. Not everyone can say that.
H.W. Beecher has written, "It is often said it is no matter what a man believes if he is only sincere. But let a man sincerely believe that seed planted without ploughing is as good as with; that January is as favorable for seed-sowing as April; and that cockle seed will produce as good a harvest as wheat, and is it so?"
Sincerity, like trust, must be rooted in those basic truths that are for the good of everyone. If that which we sincerely believe in and live by is truly good, then the results will speak so loudly that all who really want to will see. Until we sincerely want to know good and do good, we will never know it. And until we do, we only half see.
"One of the first things Seneca children learned was that they might create their own world, their own environment, by visualizing actions and desires in prayer. The Senecas believed that everything that made life important came from within. Prayer assisted in developing a guideline toward discipline and self control."
Twylah Nitcsh, SENECA
All permanent and lasting change starts first on the inside and works its way out. Having constant prayer and Creator directed visions helps us to live in harmony. This is the best way to grow strong and become a Warrior. No matter what is going on outside of ourselves, it is our projection that makes it so. It is our projections that even give it any meaning. Another way is each day to turn our life and our will over to the care of the Great Spirit. Then He will show us His desire for us. When we are in alignment to His desire, we become very joyful and very happy.
Oh Great Spirit, You take care of me today and tell me what I can do for You today. Give me the discipline to talk to You whenever I am in doubt or fear. Let me come to You if I get irritated. You are my solution.
Having a lot to think about and maintain makes us think our memory is not as good as it once was - and more than likely it isn't. Not because of age or disease of some kind, but because we hear more then we used to; we have more trying to get our attention. But the main reason we don't recall as easily is that we don't want to. We are weary of having to be on our toes with useless facts and figures. If all the activities of daily life are important enough, we will make a way to remember. Deep thought and meditation can displace things of memory we once thought important.
~ Any good thing you say to me shall not be forgotten. ~
The truly humble are those who have no thought of using other people to their own avail. They are aware from their own intelligence and abilities, but because somewhere along the way they have acknowledged how inadequate they are alone.
The day of the self-sufficient person has never truly been. Without other people, without a sense of humility, success is lost to the overambitious.
English critic John Ruskin once said that the first test of a truly great person is humility.
There is greatness and sincerity when we can say to ourselves that we are only human and except for the grace of God we would even lack those qualities. We realize that the world owes us nothing, and no person owes us anything but love. It is not simply our job to serve ourselves, but it is our duty to serve others.
Humility is one of the finest qualities found in human nature. Without it we are nothing but a brash machine, with it we are warm and kind and always respected.
If we want to be friends to others, we must meet them on their level. This isn't to say we have to be the type they are, but understand them and realize that it is a good thing that we are not all alike. This is the beauty of humanity, the variations that keep the human race from being monotonous.
And there is nothing sweeter to the human ear than to hear someone talk its language. Great persons have realized this and have made themselves adaptable to the little and to the big, to the learned and to the unschooled, in order to be more widely understood.
Who knew better than the Wise Master the importance of meeting others on their own level? The Master looked into the lives of every type of person and saw many changes that needed to be made, but also saw much to love and to waken. And in this gentleness and compassion the Wise Master could meet us all and speak out languages, then to be understood and followed.
We live in such narrow existence's when we cannot communicate with anyone except those on our own level of thought and action. And if we only have one level on which to operate, there's danger of it becoming a shelf for immovable objects.
"Listen to all the teachers in the woods. Watch the trees, the animals and all living things - you'll learn more from them than from books."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
Nature is a living example of how communities live in harmony. If you go into the forest or mountain and sit still and watch, ask yourself, what lessons are being taught? Then watch how the animals conduct themselves. The trees could represent diversity. The flowers could represent people. Notice how everything in nature assists one another. See how balance works. See how conflict is handled. Can you see acts of forgiveness? Can you spot respect? Nature is full of wisdom if we will only consider her to be our teacher.
Everything is not our fault, All of life is not our doing. But the one thing we can count on is our thinking. Think things through honestly and without excuse. Don't tell it, and don't think that's all there is to it.The mind is the doorway to the heart and spirit. This is where the real part of us lives, where life springs forth or gives up. Knowing this, we can go in and clean house and begin to feed ourselves life-food. Life-food is from Galun lati, the Spirit - and without the Spirit, everything is our fault. Never be without the Spirit.
Human dignity is that silent something in us that keeps us from falling below the level where others look down on us to make light of our very existence. None of us exists who cannot sense to some degree the feeling that others hold for us. It may create in us a "show them" attitude that takes us through life more successfully, but it will more likely destroy our desire to be anything more than what is expected of us.
It is an appalling thing to see others impose their superiority upon the human dignity of those whose literacy may not be equal to their own. Only profound ignorance could convince anyone they have the right to see and idly judge another's intelligence, or to insult the dignity of any human being. The little silent people who have not yet discovered within themselves the abilities they need to lift themselves, still have the right and dignity of being human. A small amount of respect and direction might start them on the road to better things, though it might be all uphill. At least if they know it is all uphill they may work harder and reach a place where they can look back at those with lofty ideas about themselves, standing forever stagnant, and feel more compassion than they could ever have felt.
"If you get troubled, go and sit by the river. The flowing water will take your troubles away."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
Sometimes we get mixed up and we don't know what to do. Go to the river or creek. Take your sage and tobacco; sit and be still. Talk to the water, offer tobacco and the healing water will take your problems downstream. Give thanks.
Great Spirit, heal my mind today, let me see love.
If you are standing deep in trouble don't talk disparagingly of things spiritual. Spirit is your hope. It is your wisdom and your healing, key to your money and your relationships. If you believe these things are not true - then you have the reason for your emptiness. "Prove me now", the wisdom goes. Spiritual things are provable. There is wisdom that can be tapped and put to good use when it has made the right connections. Right connections are not just people but Spirit. Breakdowns occur without Him, breakthroughs happen with Him.
There is much to be said of small things. Even in this age of emphasis on bigness we must realize that bigness is only a mass of small things. An idea is a small thing. With it we can change our world. We can take a tiny seed and give it careful attention and reap a hundred fold. We can take a little idea and give it our attention and build it into a fortune.
A smile is a small thing. Smile once at someone in passing and three will return the smile. Smiling is so contagious that it moves from person to person until a hundred smiling faces are the result of one.
A thought is a small thing. One thought inspires another and another until a mental image is formed. From that mental image blueprints are drawn. And from those blueprints worlds are built.
Hope is a small thing. One tiny glimmer of hope can lift us out of the deepest pit of darkness. One whisper of encouragement will help us to know that as long as there's hope there is an excellent chance.
A wish is a small thing. Like a little prayer, it climbs the steps to an idea that makes a smile and gives us hope to make our wishes come true. For in small things are all great things formed, in little beginnings the possibilities of great events.
"The most important thing you can do during the course of the day is to pray."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
There are many things we do during the day that are important. There are many places we have to go and there are many things to accomplish. The old ones say, the most important thing we can do is remember to take the time to pray. We should pray every morning and every evening. In this way we can be sure that the Great Spirit is running our lives. With the Great Spirit we are everything but without Him we are nothing. All Warriors know their greatest weapon is prayer. To spend time talking to the Creator is a great honor.
Great Spirit, thank You for listening to my prayers.
It is good to keep the promises we make to ourselves to enjoy a peaceful hour. How long has it been? How long has it been since we walked on a grassy hillside and watched the shadows hover and move? Walking is good for the legs - but it does wonders for the soul. The autumn season is one of the best times to walk and think. There is a rhythm in the earth that rises into our feet when we walk. In it is the healing and it centers the soul so that the cares of the world cannot get in to destroy peace. And peace has so many side effects. It restores youth and gives perspective to a world-weary mind.
~ The Great Spirit made these mountains and rivers for us, and all this land. ~
"I owe no man anything but love" it is said. But what is love? Love is duty - whatever duty may require to accomplish a good thing.
Love is peace. One must not only be peaceful but contribute to the peace of others. Let there be peace and let it begin with me.
Love is sometimes pain. We must give up something that causes us pain because it is for the good of the greatest number.
Love is understanding. That others do not have to forever explain their actions to us. That we know their reasons without being told.
Love is courage. Courage to lead where on has the ability to lead. Courage to stand up for what one believes in and wants to live.
Love is faith. Faith in God, faith in self, and faith in others. Everyone is not above reproach, but we must have faith that the majority strives to be.
Coleridge wrote, "He prayeth best who loveth best," which seems to rule out all hollow and self-heard prayers. For those who truly love do not hear themselves only, or rule all life useless because they cannot love or pray.
Life can be as simple as love and prayer. Where the two mingle there can be no jealousy, resentment or fear.
Jealousy makes us compare our lot with another's. And there can be no comparison, for no two people are alike.
Resentment plunges an otherwise logical soul into despair and an endless journey of revenge.
And fear rushes us headlong into situations that detract, accidents that could be prevented, and long delays in reaching our goals.
But if we can, for a few moments, invite into our hearts a thing called love, then we can pray. And if we can pray we have the source of all answers in our soul.
"Knowledge is a beautiful thing, but the using of knowledge in a good way is what makes for wisdom. Learning how to use knowledge in a sacred manner, that's wisdom to me. And to me, that's what a true Elder is."
Sun Bear, CHIPPEWA
We grow in wisdom by developing ourselves according to the four directions of the Medicine Wheel - emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. Let's say we started drinking and drugging in our teenage years. Our emotional development will stop, but we will grow older physically. We could then develop into an immature adult. As adults we might be acting like we were teenagers. Once we stop drinking or drugging, our emotional development will begin again. We need to grow and nurture ourselves in all four directions. We need to involve the Great Spirit's guidance in our development. That's the only way we become wise individuals and live our lives in harmony and in a sacred way.
Oh Great Spirit, guide my thinking today. Let me walk in a sacred way on the Red Road. Let me be a learner of lessons and give me Your greatest gift - wisdom!
Zeal is very human, Every successful diet, every effort to think positively, and every good intention is preceded by zeal. But the results are often mixed, because without wisdom and understanding there is no power to sustain zeal - no real change inside. Human effort without spirituality is like the grasshopper in autumn. Its desire to spring as high as it did in spring is overtaken by lethargy. Ability is a hundred times more effective with a reasonable amount of zeal - but add wisdom and the grasshopper mentality is lost forever.
~ I have buried the past; and I don't want to be mad for the past. ~
Irritation, they say, is something gentle folk should never know. Always passive, they go along the way smiling, no matter what the cost to feelings. But have you ever tried to smile when all the street lights are red and someone honked loudly when you failed to move quickly enough.
Have you heard a politician slur the name of your candidate....and had a promise broken without so much as a faint explanation. Or perhaps the long explanations on how to do something you've done for years....and suddenly you want to make two lists of people you like and people you don't like!
And maybe you've answered the telephone and heard them hang up simply because your voice was not the right voice.....Or had them stand back empty handed while you with your packages opened the door for them?
Well, it's no easy matter to be gentle folk and the mildest can get angry all over again by just thinking of an injustice. Perhaps it is trifling to let such little things irritate. But the best of us feel the small things that we never quite get over. We forgive and forget except to think about it occasionally, and then we must consider the words of Seneca, "Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it."
We live in a continual round of adjustments. It is usually an admirable thing to be able to make adjustments easily. Not many can. And, yet, it makes us wonder at times if those who can so freely change and move without emotions have ever felt very deeply.
We tend to cling to familiar things and familiar customs. There is such great security in traveling a way we know by heart. The roughest road can usually be traveled without incident when we know every turn and bump.
It has been said by those who do scientific research that it takes at least three weeks to adjust to changes. But three months would do it more justice. And it must be done by abandonment, by setting aside for a period of time all things like the old way. Many times it is done not for ourselves alone, for it is foolish to believe a change involves only ourselves.
In our very complex way of life there is no situation to affect only one person. And often the most wonderful thing we can do for someone else is to find our own balance by making adjustments quickly, even in the middle of chaos.
"To me, the wisdom the Elders have to manifest is in teaching people how to live in harmony and balance with each other and the Earth."
Sun Bear, CHIPPEWA
You cannot give away what you don't have. You need to give away what you have in order to keep it. Our Elders have lived their lives with a lot of trial and error. They have experienced how to do things good and they have experienced what didn't work for them as they grew old. They know things about living that we don't know. So, through the years the Elders have gained wisdom. They usually have a whole different point of view because of all their experiences. There are two ways to learn. Someone tells us what they did and we do the same thing or someone tells us what they did and we choose not to do it. Both of these paths will help us to live.
My Creator, teach me about choices and decisions and consequences. Put an Elder in my life to guide me.
Perception can be very wise but reading between the lines in other people's lives is only guesswork. By rationalizing and putting two and two together it can almost be assumed that something is a certain way, right? Wrong. People identify with other people because of their likenesses - but there is nothing new under the sun. Human nature is human nature and will stay that way until we all stand close enough to the divine. We are ever so much better served not to guess about other people. And we are better people when we mind our own business.
~ The Apache was unlike any other Indian Tribe the whites have ever fought....He saw no reason for fighting unless there was something tangible and immediate to be gained. ~
We are all aware of the emotional effect color creates. And for this reason we choose colors that please the eye by first pleasing the inner emotions. Certain colors have the same effect on many, while other colors affect each of us individually and in particular ways.
Red has an exciting effect; green is cool serenity, orange is the color of vivacity; and brown tones are restful earthy colors. People dress to enhance their appearances with certain colors. Homes are decorated and offices are planned to create pleasant surroundings.
And we as individuals possess moods of many colors. Yet, we are far more careless about the color of that mood, letting the attitudes and colors of others dictate to us how we are to behave. If we could remember when we meet people whose moods are black, to remind ourselves that their moods are their own, there would be less involvement in the emotions of others.
We are so vividly aware of color, we must not be reckless in recognizing the color scheme within our own personality. Whether it is a vibrant color, sophisticated, or bright and witty, color always works its subtle magic.
"I am building myself. There are many roots. I plant, I pick, I prune. I consume."
Wendy Rose, HOPI/MIWOK
The most sacred thing on this Mother Earth is life. My life on this earth is governed by God's laws, principles and spiritual values. These things are my roots. Let me see Your gifts of growing and becoming a spiritual warrior. Make my strength based on values - spiritual values; on principles and laws, the laws of God that really run the universe. We need to realize the seeds we plant in the spring will be what shows up in our summer season of growth and will be the fruits that we will harvest in our fall season. We really have a lot to do with what shows up in our lives.
Great Spirit, let my seed that I plant today be based on values that will make You pleased with my selection.
Eagles soar more surely than we walk - but even so we are eagles in spirit. Physical wings are not so important to us if we can free our spirits to soar. As a symbol of freedom, the eagle builds its nest higher than any other nests and its eyes have vision that can survey anything moving far below. It sets its wings to catch the wind and its flight is graceful and beautiful. Unlike us, it takes time to renew and restore - even its beak is renewed and its old feathers replaced with new ones. When we set our minds and spirits to do something, nothing can bring us down. But rest and renewal are necessary - and never just luxuries to be avoided.
~ I am here by the will of the Great Spirit, and by His will I am chief. ~
I am letting you all know that I will be going to Alabama for Cherokee New Years on Oct. 4 and I will away from my PC for 2 or 4 weeks and I will not be Posting till I get back home unless I can use a PC in Alabama so if not Oct. 3 will be my last Post till I get Back Home…..
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 1
"Everyone has a song. God gives us each a song. That's how we know who we are. Our song tells us who we are."
Charlie Knight, UTE
As we start to walk the Red Road and as we develop ourselves as Warriors, a song will come to us. This song is given to each of us from the Great Spirit. Whenever we sing this song, we will receive courage and strength not only for ourselves but if we sing this song for others, it will also help them. The song will give us power and make us feel really good. The song will make us see life in a sacred way. If you don't have your song yet, ask the Creator in prayer if He will give you your song. With the song comes a responsibility - the responsibility to act and conduct oneself as a Warrior according to your song.
Oh my Creator, let me live my song. Let my song honor Your way of life. Let me sing my song each day. At the end of today, let my song tell people who I am. I am a beautiful child of the Creator.
Sep 1, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September
Du-li i-s-di
NINE
So' nali
NUT MONTH
Dulu stinee'
AMAZING GRACE
By John Newton
CHEROKEE VERSION
Ooh nay thia and,
Hee oo way gee'
E gah gwoo yah hay ee.
Naw gwoo Joe sah,
We you low say
E gah gwoo yah ho nah.
September 1 - Daily Feast
Our pride can rob us of the help we need - and the other person of the chance to do a good deed. Why is it so hard to accept help without feeling something very close to anger? Is it because we think we have not done as well as the other person or do we feel too great for self-sufficiency? When we need help we have not fallen short. If we have done everything we can to help ourselves then we should consider it the other person's time to give. If we are made to feel awkward for needing help, we can remember the feeling when it comes our time to help out. Pride is an admission of weakness and gratitude is a sign of strength. We can receive graciously and we can give the same way.
~ We should not despair of once more enjoying the blessings of peace in our new homes. ~
JOHN ROSS - CHEROKEE CHIEF
'A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II' by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 1
"Everyone has a song. God gives us each a song. That's how we know who we are. Our song tells us who we are."
Charlie Knight, UTE
Sep 1, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Regret is something everyone has, but no one can afford to keep. Being remorseful is commendable when we should be sorry for wrong behavior, but to live with regret is to add to it day by day. There are those who are unable to admit they have ever been wrong. But there are more who carry with them so much regret they are bowed in spirit.
Thomas Moore, the Irish poet, once said, "Remorse is beholding heaven and feeling hell," but perhaps just knowing heaven can exist makes regret more hellish. And so often it renders the regretful almost powerless to lift themselves out of their predicament.
But there is forgiveness! A daily vow or affirmation can take us a step further in lifting ourselves above the things that cause regret. And if we've settled down in the middle of unhappiness to enjoy our lot in life, then, moment by moment, inch by inch, we shall overcome that, too!
Sep 2, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 2
"I remember Dawson (No Horse) said, 'Once you say your prayers, don't worry about them. If you worry about them, they'll just fade away.'"
Chuck Ross, LAKOTA
Today I need to remember You are everywhere. I need to remember how much You love me. I need to know, Grandfathers, that You are always listening. Today I need to know how much You care. Today I will remember the advice of the Elders. "Say your prayers and then don't worry - know that the Great One has heard you." It's so much easier to do this, Grandfather, when I feel connected to You.
My Creator, allow me this day to feel your presence. Let me walk the path of life today and talk to You many times. Give me faith, my Grandfather.
Sep 2, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 2 - Daily Feast
Everything has a reason. We may have to wait a while to understand, because much of what we see is a puzzle with all its pieces strewn about. The whole thing is there but in our present condition we do not comprehend the first thing about fitting the right pieces together. It is going to take some time. Maybe our dullness is necessary to keep us from making foolish moves. It is better to stand and let life creep back in and our blood to flow normally before we begin again. We still do not know the reason for something but we can handle the time better and we recover our sense more quickly.
~ We are all Seminoles here together. We want no long talk; we wish to have it short and good. ~
CHIEF JOHN HICKS - SEMINOLE, 1829
Sep 2, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Have you noticed how hardheaded we are about clinging to the way we think something should be done? If it worked once, we think it should again, and perhaps it does. There are proven methods of getting successful results in many things. But every so often we try to use the same procedure, follow the same general pattern we've used before, only this time it doesn't work.
How we pound our fists against the stone wall! Insisting all the time that there used to be a door in exactly that spot. Who move the door? Frequently circumstances are to blame. But placing the blame is not the important thing. Finding the way is important.
The way may not be marked plainly, and we have to blaze a new trail, find a new method. But the hardest part of finding that new method is in admitting we need one. The first and most important step is in changing our idea of how it should be done. As soon as we have accepted this fact the mind has a reserve of experiences and knowledge that will hurry in to help. But only after we've admitted the need for it.
Sep 3, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 3
"Once you have achieved this oneness, when you talk, God talks; when you act, God acts."
Chuck Ross, LAKOTA
In my innermost self, I know this to be true. I know of this oneness. The more I am free of doubt, jealousy, judgment, selfishness, anger, the closer I am to this oneness. When I am right with the Creator, nothing can touch me. When I am right with the Creator I always say the right things. When I am right with the Creator, my thoughts are always good. When I am right with the Creator, my actions are always good.
Great Spirit, remove from me those things that block me from You. Allow me this day to experience the oneness.
Sep 3, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 3 - Daily Feast
The need for security can create an uneasy nest. Where do we go? What do we do? But the most unholy of questions is, "Where did I fail?" Change does not mean failure. It means upheaval and it means trial and effort, but it does not mean failure. Anger about change means we have not thought it through, we have not looked beyond the limits, beyond the perimeter of what is familiar. The biggest problem is that the ones who instigate it are not the ones that make the change. But those who make the change will eventually find it was the best thing that ever happened. It brought out new strengths and new thinking and the knowledge that security is not in other people - but in ourselves.
~ Day and night cannot dwell together. ~
SEATTLE - SUQUAMISH CHIEF
Sep 3, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
It has been said that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But it is even truer that there is no hell more furious than those human beings who feel scorn within themselves. It is natural but painful for those who do not know the meaning of love to find fault and grief within their own existence. Unable to accept the blame for their actions, there is a continual search for the cause in other people.
How can we tell what point in life others may have reached in their development? We can only see and sense the pain that some carry while they learn the way. If it is impossible to get along with them, we should get along without them, but condemning them will never turn the tide.
Understanding of others and of ourselves has been a great human need for all time. The fact that we do not look with a critical eye, pecking away in constant irritation at another's faults, but give some sign of friendliness, some patience for rebellious spirits, may serve as the turning point for that spirit. And to try for such understanding does no harm for the one who makes the effort.
Sep 4, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 4
"The Elders say that if you want something good, you have to suffer for it."
Chuck Ross, LAKOTA
People sometimes have a misconception of sacrifice. This is a strong word for Indian people. On the other side of sacrifice is another whole world. During sacrifice, our beliefs are tested. We may all have good beliefs but if you test a good belief, then you get real beliefs. Real beliefs make new people; real beliefs make new self images. Real beliefs allow determination and desires and faith to come true. Good is always available to us but we often can't bring it within until we let go of the old ways. We let go of the old ways by suffering. Suffering is only letting go of things that don't work anymore. On the other side of suffering is a new world.
Creator, help me to let go of old ways. Let my old thoughts and beliefs be abandoned. Every change is preceded by struggle. Help me go through the struggle today.
Sep 4, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 4 - Daily Feast
Some of us have used our minds like, u yo - leaving the lids off the can so that it collects, u yo, which is Cherokee for garbage. No wonder we have so little self-reliance, we learn so little from our experiences. Each of us needs to keep a close eye on everything we do. This is a whole new world without observance of many rules. We used to know what was safe and what should be watched, but the times have changed and many of the so-called rules have been rewritten. Good things and good people still exist and we should be a part of it. But it is not wise to leave ourselves open to every passing bit of trash.
~ The time was when our Father, who lives above the clouds, loved our fathers, who lived long ago, and His face was bright, and He talked with our fathers. ~
WASHAKIE - SHOSHONE
Sep 4, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
"Though we speak with the tongues of men and angels and give our bodies to be burned, if we are irritable or hard to live with, it all accounts for nothing," wrote Margaret Widdemer.
Wouldn't it be a blessing to ourselves and to others if we could be as gentle and considerate in temper as we expect others to be? It is not a good thing to keep pent up the emotions that rule us so continually, but neither is it good to be too quick and too constantly blowing off steam.
It may serve as a tension reliever to us, but it can soon ruin our relationships with others. And without our realizing it, we can soon become chronic complainers.
Worry, physical ailments and weariness can cause a short temper that we think others should understand. And most have a way of knowing if that is the case, but prolonged impositions on other people will wear that tolerance very thin. It takes two to have an argument, but it takes only one to start it.
The need to forgive and to be forgiven should never be overlooked. To pass over a disagreement quickly without thought to the damage we've done can take the shine off any friendship. There can be no merit in forgetting if we cannot first forgive.
There are two voices in this world that will be forever unpopular. One is the voice of self-pity, the other the voice that yells all the time. One declares itself to be the victim of great injustice, the other yells to demand justice.
Those who believe themselves to be the victims of injustice - those who believe they are meant to suffer - will always find conditions to prove they are right.
And those who yell, "Look what I've sacrificed," and always with the theme, "What I've tried to do for you," have slowed another's progress and stopped their own.
True victims of circumstances are easily recognized, and do not care to be noticed as such. And those who yell their merits have received their rewards, so there aren't any others.
Both have their attentions turned inward, but to the sorrow of most.....their voices are not.
Sep 5, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 5
"Decisions that have been made for the last couple of centuries have been decisions made without the presence of a real God....from the vision, not of God, but of money."
Tom Porter, MOHAWK
As we view the world today, it's easy to see the people are off track. We are no longer living in harmony. Focusing on the material only leads us from the path of the Creator. We must now pray for ourselves and the people in a pitiful way. We must be humble and ask the Great Spirit to intervene because if we don't, our children will continue to have troubles. They are acting out our behavior as adults. Today is a good time to start. We need to get the spiritual way back into our lives. We need to focus on the spiritual.
My Creator, help me to focus on the spiritual way.
Sep 5, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 5 - Daily Feast
On this long list of important things, is this present worry anywhere near the top? It could be, but most likely it isn't. In a split second fear can shuffle our priorities into a jumbled mess until we see it all as one big hurdle. Stop and ask if this is fact or fear. Fact can even be changed, but fear has a way of taking our deepest fear and molding it into a monster. We have a flair for begging monsters to stay away when we should be calling them cowards and shriveled and gone. We have the authority to do it - and it works because words have the power of life and death!
~ I want to tell you this, because I believe if you know it you will correct the evil. ~
LITTLE RAVEN - ARAPAHO
Sep 5, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
True forgiveness could be described as a divine amnesty where we receive a pardon from the unworthy things we've done, and have another chance to prove our worth. Forgiveness is something we must give in order to receive. And we have a tendency to linger over old grudges, using them to bolster our reasons for not forgiving. But we cannot return to the past, not can we change one whit of anything that happened then. We cannot make up for resentments we've caused in others, no more than they can make up for ours.
To forgive is divine. God is above punishment, but we are not. It is we, not God, who punish by taking things into our own hands and making them work for our own selfish reasons. We demand punishment by hanging on to painful past experiences that produce self-pity. We are the ones who blame God's will for our illnesses, our poverty, our lack of friends. But we are wrong, for there is a moment of truth when we face ourselves and know that we are the guilty.
And there is a time such as William Wordsworth wrote about, "That blessed mood, in which the burden of the mystery, in which the heavy and weary weight of all this unintelligible world, is lightened".....because we've been forgiven.
Sep 6, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 6
"We all form self-images and much of our behavior is pretty well determined by how we feel about ourselves."
Eunice Baumann-Nelson, Ph.D., PENOBSCOT
There is a cycle of building beliefs called the self talk cycle. Our self talk builds our self image and our self image determines our behavior, our actions, and our self worth - how we feel about ourselves. If we want to change the way we feel about ourselves we need to change our self talk. We need to build ourselves up. We need to talk to ourselves in a kind, positive, uplifting, good way. We need to talk to ourselves about the good things that are happening and know that we are worthy and expect abundance.
Oh Great Spirit, today help me to know myself. Help me to see the joy, kindness, strength and beauty that I am.
Sep 6, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 6 - Daily Feast
We've known extremes. We have pushed beyond common sense and we have paid a price for it. Most of us know what is good for us, but we allowed ourselves to be influenced where we should have stood our ground. This is true even of the little things - though often the results are not little at all. Things like eating and drinking and talking too much, these things are not bad in particular, but so easily overdone. There's no obvious stopping place so we are well past the stop sign before we know it is there. Education? Awareness? Group understanding? These things may help, but a thorough adjustment in the soul and spirit is the only lasting answer.
~ My Great Father.....told me that fire and water were alike, and that we cannot live without either of them. ~
LONE WOLF - KIOWA
Sep 6, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Hardly any of us are without some jealousy. We like to think of ourselves above that painful emotion, because such a monstrous feeling is a destructive thing. But if we have not yet felt a normal amount of it, it is because we have yet to doubt something we love very much.
Margaret, Queen of Navarre, and sister of Francis 1, King of France in the fifteenth century, wrote the following words:
"Love may exist without jealously, although this is rare; but jealousy may exist without love, and that is common; for jealousy can feed on that which is bitter, not less than on that which is sweet, and is sustained by pride as often as by affection."
Jealousy can rear its head when logic is giving you the facts, and throw the whole thing into chaos. But confidence is the enemy of jealousy. Confidence, trust, and faith are all strong parts of a nature where jealousy does not rule.
And jealousy, even in moderation, can introduce us to a serious problem with ourselves, if we let it grow out of proportion. It breeds rejection while maturity and understanding keep us safely within the bounds of permissiveness rather than possessiveness.
Sep 7, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 7
"Education is the new weapon of Indian people."
Eddie Box, SOUTHERN UTE
People have the ability to adapt. In these modern times we must get educated so the people don't lose. We need lawyers, doctors, nurses, foresters, scientists, educators, carpenters, welders. These skills are needed to help the people. While we are learning, we need to remember to keep the culture, learn the dances, sing the songs, learn the language and maintain the Red Road for future generations.
Great Spirit, let my education never lack the meaning and value of spirituality.
Sep 7, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 7 - Daily Feast
Many weak excuses come to mind to give us a right to self-pity - we don't feel well, we haven't slept in a week, or we simply don't know what others expect of us. All these things can be true and all have a devastating effect, but we could have said we are in the midst of a pity celebration. Mind games tell us we need an excuse to keep from being overwhelmed with obligations. We don't need any excuse to say we are simply not up to the challenges at this time. If people want to be offended it is their privilege, but right now self honesty and rest are more important.
~ I have no father or mother; I am alone in the world. No one cares for Cochise. ~
COCHISE - APACHE
Sep 7, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
The destructive hand is one that never finds a friendly hand to shake. Its finger is always pointed at someone in an accusation. It is shaking in someone's face in a threat. The destructive hand is forever lifted against anyone who differs, ready to strike in disagreement, always lifted for attention to let them tell the wrong someone has done.
The destructive hand tries desperately to hold another's good luck back.....ready to sign a complaint.....forever in a gesture of disdain.
But pity the destructive hand. It will never know the tenderness of love nor find the clasp of friendship. It will never feel the sun warm on its palm while it lifts someone....or guide another to happier things.....or wave or cheer or praise and give thanks.
The destructive hand is the negative approach to all of life. It can never do anything but discourage and frighten. The positive approach to life is found in every gesture of the productive hand; it builds unbreakable structures, unbroken peace, and joy to soothe the most savage heart.
Sep 8, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 8
"Keep your life simple because the more you get, the more complicated it becomes."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
The old ones say, lead a simple life. The society we live in is all about getting more houses, cars, luxury and credit cards. The law of worry says, the more you have, the more you need to worry. You get a house, then you need insurance, then you need to take care of the yard and the list goes on. Next, you may want a bigger house with a bigger yard which costs more in insurance. Along with the accumulation of materialism, are other "gifts." Soon you become a slave and the materialism owns you. Lead a simple life and have peace of mind. Lead a simple life and be spiritual.
Creator, let my foundation be spiritual and simple.
Sep 8, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 8 - Daily Feast
Autumn shadows grow long across the land and a sunset washes the sky with colors of a ripe peach. The color deepens and spreads in cherry-colored streaks until even the grasses in the meadow are tinted pink. A single cry from the deep woods could be the wail of a coyote or the shriek of an owl. Such primitive voices speak of sameness even while they change the human world. Daytime activity ceases when evening draws its shadows through the woods. Deer feed quietly. Hounds pursue the raccoon and hundreds of tracks along the feed road tell us that humans may walk here but other species own the night.
~ We never did the white man any harm; we don't intend to. ~
TALL BULL - CHEYENNE
Sep 8, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Don't allow life to mean too much. Keep it light and shallow; spend as much time as possible scoffing at those things meaningful to others; forget the decency and patience in their attitudes.
And look with overbearing revenge to make them pay for what they believe....laugh at their efforts.....call attention to their imperfections.....and don't forget to learn how to live alone.....if not in body, then in spirit. And then don't take the blame for a desert-island soul. It is of one's own making. But remember, oh so well, that life does not stand still while we search for someone to blame for our isolation.
Sep 9, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 9
"...Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start truly living the life the Creator intended for you."
Lelia Fisher, HOH
There are many things that block us from wisdom such as selfishness, secrets, hate, anger, jealousy and judgments. Another thing that can block us from wisdom is trying too hard or wishing something would happen. Wishing implies doubt and trying implies control. We need to let go of these things. We need to abandon ourselves to the Creator. As soon as we surrender everything, the wisdom starts to flow. The Elders know how to help us with this. Just ask them.
My Great Spirit, today I surrender my life and my will to Your care.
Sep 9, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 9 - Daily Feast
There are ways you have not dreamed existed - until you can see beyond your own limited vision to possibilities of real substance. It takes a certain Mindset to stop believing in shortages and start seeing good things happen. Some people believe they will never see their dreams fulfilled - they accept it. And that acceptance solidifies such beliefs into reality. You have developed a consciousness of ga lu lo gi, the Cherokee's expression of lack. In the words of the prophet, "Is anything too hard for God?"
~ We are all poor men; and I think others have got all the goods. ~
SATANTA - KIOWA
Sep 9, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
There must be a great many persons who have questioned their own wisdom in having fought for a principle. To so many, it seems all they gleaned from it was the title "different." Isn't this why so many refused to stand up for what they believe? We look at them in disbelief, the idea that someone is trying to attract attention. If they are not twitted about their actions they are treated with cold indifference which can be even worse.
It seems that if persons have the strength to say they will fight for a certain truth, they must also have the strength to fight alone without depending on those around them to tell them how they should conform. They must not be embarrassed to be counted as unusual in the pursuit of their particular belief.
But the individuals who find themselves alone in the stand they take must remember that if it is truth they are following it will eventually win and at least they can live with themselves. Not everyone can say that.
H.W. Beecher has written, "It is often said it is no matter what a man believes if he is only sincere. But let a man sincerely believe that seed planted without ploughing is as good as with; that January is as favorable for seed-sowing as April; and that cockle seed will produce as good a harvest as wheat, and is it so?"
Sincerity, like trust, must be rooted in those basic truths that are for the good of everyone. If that which we sincerely believe in and live by is truly good, then the results will speak so loudly that all who really want to will see. Until we sincerely want to know good and do good, we will never know it. And until we do, we only half see.
Sep 10, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 10
"One of the first things Seneca children learned was that they might create their own world, their own environment, by visualizing actions and desires in prayer. The Senecas believed that everything that made life important came from within. Prayer assisted in developing a guideline toward discipline and self control."
Twylah Nitcsh, SENECA
All permanent and lasting change starts first on the inside and works its way out. Having constant prayer and Creator directed visions helps us to live in harmony. This is the best way to grow strong and become a Warrior. No matter what is going on outside of ourselves, it is our projection that makes it so. It is our projections that even give it any meaning. Another way is each day to turn our life and our will over to the care of the Great Spirit. Then He will show us His desire for us. When we are in alignment to His desire, we become very joyful and very happy.
Oh Great Spirit, You take care of me today and tell me what I can do for You today. Give me the discipline to talk to You whenever I am in doubt or fear. Let me come to You if I get irritated. You are my solution.
Sep 10, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 10 - Daily Feast
Having a lot to think about and maintain makes us think our memory is not as good as it once was - and more than likely it isn't. Not because of age or disease of some kind, but because we hear more then we used to; we have more trying to get our attention. But the main reason we don't recall as easily is that we don't want to. We are weary of having to be on our toes with useless facts and figures. If all the activities of daily life are important enough, we will make a way to remember. Deep thought and meditation can displace things of memory we once thought important.
~ Any good thing you say to me shall not be forgotten. ~
TEN BEARS - COMANCHE
Sep 10, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
The truly humble are those who have no thought of using other people to their own avail. They are aware from their own intelligence and abilities, but because somewhere along the way they have acknowledged how inadequate they are alone.
The day of the self-sufficient person has never truly been. Without other people, without a sense of humility, success is lost to the overambitious.
English critic John Ruskin once said that the first test of a truly great person is humility.
There is greatness and sincerity when we can say to ourselves that we are only human and except for the grace of God we would even lack those qualities. We realize that the world owes us nothing, and no person owes us anything but love. It is not simply our job to serve ourselves, but it is our duty to serve others.
Humility is one of the finest qualities found in human nature. Without it we are nothing but a brash machine, with it we are warm and kind and always respected.
If we want to be friends to others, we must meet them on their level. This isn't to say we have to be the type they are, but understand them and realize that it is a good thing that we are not all alike. This is the beauty of humanity, the variations that keep the human race from being monotonous.
And there is nothing sweeter to the human ear than to hear someone talk its language. Great persons have realized this and have made themselves adaptable to the little and to the big, to the learned and to the unschooled, in order to be more widely understood.
Who knew better than the Wise Master the importance of meeting others on their own level? The Master looked into the lives of every type of person and saw many changes that needed to be made, but also saw much to love and to waken. And in this gentleness and compassion the Wise Master could meet us all and speak out languages, then to be understood and followed.
We live in such narrow existence's when we cannot communicate with anyone except those on our own level of thought and action. And if we only have one level on which to operate, there's danger of it becoming a shelf for immovable objects.
Sep 11, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 11
"Listen to all the teachers in the woods. Watch the trees, the animals and all living things - you'll learn more from them than from books."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
Nature is a living example of how communities live in harmony. If you go into the forest or mountain and sit still and watch, ask yourself, what lessons are being taught? Then watch how the animals conduct themselves. The trees could represent diversity. The flowers could represent people. Notice how everything in nature assists one another. See how balance works. See how conflict is handled. Can you see acts of forgiveness? Can you spot respect? Nature is full of wisdom if we will only consider her to be our teacher.
My Creator, today let me learn from nature.
Sep 11, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 11 - Daily Feast
Everything is not our fault, All of life is not our doing. But the one thing we can count on is our thinking. Think things through honestly and without excuse. Don't tell it, and don't think that's all there is to it.The mind is the doorway to the heart and spirit. This is where the real part of us lives, where life springs forth or gives up. Knowing this, we can go in and clean house and begin to feed ourselves life-food. Life-food is from Galun lati, the Spirit - and without the Spirit, everything is our fault. Never be without the Spirit.
~ You fought me and I had to fight back. ~
GALL - HUNKPAPA SIOUX
Sep 11, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Human dignity is that silent something in us that keeps us from falling below the level where others look down on us to make light of our very existence. None of us exists who cannot sense to some degree the feeling that others hold for us. It may create in us a "show them" attitude that takes us through life more successfully, but it will more likely destroy our desire to be anything more than what is expected of us.
It is an appalling thing to see others impose their superiority upon the human dignity of those whose literacy may not be equal to their own. Only profound ignorance could convince anyone they have the right to see and idly judge another's intelligence, or to insult the dignity of any human being. The little silent people who have not yet discovered within themselves the abilities they need to lift themselves, still have the right and dignity of being human. A small amount of respect and direction might start them on the road to better things, though it might be all uphill. At least if they know it is all uphill they may work harder and reach a place where they can look back at those with lofty ideas about themselves, standing forever stagnant, and feel more compassion than they could ever have felt.
Sep 12, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 12
"If you get troubled, go and sit by the river. The flowing water will take your troubles away."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
Sometimes we get mixed up and we don't know what to do. Go to the river or creek. Take your sage and tobacco; sit and be still. Talk to the water, offer tobacco and the healing water will take your problems downstream. Give thanks.
Great Spirit, heal my mind today, let me see love.
Sep 12, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 12 - Daily Feast
If you are standing deep in trouble don't talk disparagingly of things spiritual. Spirit is your hope. It is your wisdom and your healing, key to your money and your relationships. If you believe these things are not true - then you have the reason for your emptiness. "Prove me now", the wisdom goes. Spiritual things are provable. There is wisdom that can be tapped and put to good use when it has made the right connections. Right connections are not just people but Spirit. Breakdowns occur without Him, breakthroughs happen with Him.
~ We want to keep peace; will you help us? ~
RED CLOUD - SIOUX CHIEFTAIN
Sep 12, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
There is much to be said of small things. Even in this age of emphasis on bigness we must realize that bigness is only a mass of small things. An idea is a small thing. With it we can change our world. We can take a tiny seed and give it careful attention and reap a hundred fold. We can take a little idea and give it our attention and build it into a fortune.
A smile is a small thing. Smile once at someone in passing and three will return the smile. Smiling is so contagious that it moves from person to person until a hundred smiling faces are the result of one.
A thought is a small thing. One thought inspires another and another until a mental image is formed. From that mental image blueprints are drawn. And from those blueprints worlds are built.
Hope is a small thing. One tiny glimmer of hope can lift us out of the deepest pit of darkness. One whisper of encouragement will help us to know that as long as there's hope there is an excellent chance.
A wish is a small thing. Like a little prayer, it climbs the steps to an idea that makes a smile and gives us hope to make our wishes come true. For in small things are all great things formed, in little beginnings the possibilities of great events.
Sep 13, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 13
"The most important thing you can do during the course of the day is to pray."
Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
There are many things we do during the day that are important. There are many places we have to go and there are many things to accomplish. The old ones say, the most important thing we can do is remember to take the time to pray. We should pray every morning and every evening. In this way we can be sure that the Great Spirit is running our lives. With the Great Spirit we are everything but without Him we are nothing. All Warriors know their greatest weapon is prayer. To spend time talking to the Creator is a great honor.
Great Spirit, thank You for listening to my prayers.
Sep 13, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 13 - Daily Feast
It is good to keep the promises we make to ourselves to enjoy a peaceful hour. How long has it been? How long has it been since we walked on a grassy hillside and watched the shadows hover and move? Walking is good for the legs - but it does wonders for the soul. The autumn season is one of the best times to walk and think. There is a rhythm in the earth that rises into our feet when we walk. In it is the healing and it centers the soul so that the cares of the world cannot get in to destroy peace. And peace has so many side effects. It restores youth and gives perspective to a world-weary mind.
~ The Great Spirit made these mountains and rivers for us, and all this land. ~
BLACKFOOT - CROW, 1850's
Sep 13, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
"I owe no man anything but love" it is said. But what is love? Love is duty - whatever duty may require to accomplish a good thing.
Love is peace. One must not only be peaceful but contribute to the peace of others. Let there be peace and let it begin with me.
Love is sometimes pain. We must give up something that causes us pain because it is for the good of the greatest number.
Love is understanding. That others do not have to forever explain their actions to us. That we know their reasons without being told.
Love is courage. Courage to lead where on has the ability to lead. Courage to stand up for what one believes in and wants to live.
Love is faith. Faith in God, faith in self, and faith in others. Everyone is not above reproach, but we must have faith that the majority strives to be.
Coleridge wrote, "He prayeth best who loveth best," which seems to rule out all hollow and self-heard prayers. For those who truly love do not hear themselves only, or rule all life useless because they cannot love or pray.
Life can be as simple as love and prayer. Where the two mingle there can be no jealousy, resentment or fear.
Jealousy makes us compare our lot with another's. And there can be no comparison, for no two people are alike.
Resentment plunges an otherwise logical soul into despair and an endless journey of revenge.
And fear rushes us headlong into situations that detract, accidents that could be prevented, and long delays in reaching our goals.
But if we can, for a few moments, invite into our hearts a thing called love, then we can pray. And if we can pray we have the source of all answers in our soul.
Sep 15, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 15
"Knowledge is a beautiful thing, but the using of knowledge in a good way is what makes for wisdom. Learning how to use knowledge in a sacred manner, that's wisdom to me. And to me, that's what a true Elder is."
Sun Bear, CHIPPEWA
We grow in wisdom by developing ourselves according to the four directions of the Medicine Wheel - emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. Let's say we started drinking and drugging in our teenage years. Our emotional development will stop, but we will grow older physically. We could then develop into an immature adult. As adults we might be acting like we were teenagers. Once we stop drinking or drugging, our emotional development will begin again. We need to grow and nurture ourselves in all four directions. We need to involve the Great Spirit's guidance in our development. That's the only way we become wise individuals and live our lives in harmony and in a sacred way.
Oh Great Spirit, guide my thinking today. Let me walk in a sacred way on the Red Road. Let me be a learner of lessons and give me Your greatest gift - wisdom!
Sep 15, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 15 - Daily Feast
Zeal is very human, Every successful diet, every effort to think positively, and every good intention is preceded by zeal. But the results are often mixed, because without wisdom and understanding there is no power to sustain zeal - no real change inside. Human effort without spirituality is like the grasshopper in autumn. Its desire to spring as high as it did in spring is overtaken by lethargy. Ability is a hundred times more effective with a reasonable amount of zeal - but add wisdom and the grasshopper mentality is lost forever.
~ I have buried the past; and I don't want to be mad for the past. ~
CAPTAIN JACK - MODOC
Sep 15, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Irritation, they say, is something gentle folk should never know. Always passive, they go along the way smiling, no matter what the cost to feelings. But have you ever tried to smile when all the street lights are red and someone honked loudly when you failed to move quickly enough.
Have you heard a politician slur the name of your candidate....and had a promise broken without so much as a faint explanation. Or perhaps the long explanations on how to do something you've done for years....and suddenly you want to make two lists of people you like and people you don't like!
And maybe you've answered the telephone and heard them hang up simply because your voice was not the right voice.....Or had them stand back empty handed while you with your packages opened the door for them?
Well, it's no easy matter to be gentle folk and the mildest can get angry all over again by just thinking of an injustice. Perhaps it is trifling to let such little things irritate. But the best of us feel the small things that we never quite get over. We forgive and forget except to think about it occasionally, and then we must consider the words of Seneca, "Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it."
We live in a continual round of adjustments. It is usually an admirable thing to be able to make adjustments easily. Not many can. And, yet, it makes us wonder at times if those who can so freely change and move without emotions have ever felt very deeply.
We tend to cling to familiar things and familiar customs. There is such great security in traveling a way we know by heart. The roughest road can usually be traveled without incident when we know every turn and bump.
It has been said by those who do scientific research that it takes at least three weeks to adjust to changes. But three months would do it more justice. And it must be done by abandonment, by setting aside for a period of time all things like the old way. Many times it is done not for ourselves alone, for it is foolish to believe a change involves only ourselves.
In our very complex way of life there is no situation to affect only one person. And often the most wonderful thing we can do for someone else is to find our own balance by making adjustments quickly, even in the middle of chaos.
Sep 16, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 16
"To me, the wisdom the Elders have to manifest is in teaching people how to live in harmony and balance with each other and the Earth."
Sun Bear, CHIPPEWA
You cannot give away what you don't have. You need to give away what you have in order to keep it. Our Elders have lived their lives with a lot of trial and error. They have experienced how to do things good and they have experienced what didn't work for them as they grew old. They know things about living that we don't know. So, through the years the Elders have gained wisdom. They usually have a whole different point of view because of all their experiences. There are two ways to learn. Someone tells us what they did and we do the same thing or someone tells us what they did and we choose not to do it. Both of these paths will help us to live.
My Creator, teach me about choices and decisions and consequences. Put an Elder in my life to guide me.
Sep 16, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 16 - Daily Feast
Perception can be very wise but reading between the lines in other people's lives is only guesswork. By rationalizing and putting two and two together it can almost be assumed that something is a certain way, right? Wrong. People identify with other people because of their likenesses - but there is nothing new under the sun. Human nature is human nature and will stay that way until we all stand close enough to the divine. We are ever so much better served not to guess about other people. And we are better people when we mind our own business.
~ The Apache was unlike any other Indian Tribe the whites have ever fought....He saw no reason for fighting unless there was something tangible and immediate to be gained. ~
A FRONTIER CAMPAIGN OFFICER - CIRCA 1860
Sep 16, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
We are all aware of the emotional effect color creates. And for this reason we choose colors that please the eye by first pleasing the inner emotions. Certain colors have the same effect on many, while other colors affect each of us individually and in particular ways.
Red has an exciting effect; green is cool serenity, orange is the color of vivacity; and brown tones are restful earthy colors. People dress to enhance their appearances with certain colors. Homes are decorated and offices are planned to create pleasant surroundings.
And we as individuals possess moods of many colors. Yet, we are far more careless about the color of that mood, letting the attitudes and colors of others dictate to us how we are to behave. If we could remember when we meet people whose moods are black, to remind ourselves that their moods are their own, there would be less involvement in the emotions of others.
We are so vividly aware of color, we must not be reckless in recognizing the color scheme within our own personality. Whether it is a vibrant color, sophisticated, or bright and witty, color always works its subtle magic.
Sep 19, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Elder's Meditation of the Day - September 19
"I am building myself. There are many roots. I plant, I pick, I prune. I consume."
Wendy Rose, HOPI/MIWOK
The most sacred thing on this Mother Earth is life. My life on this earth is governed by God's laws, principles and spiritual values. These things are my roots. Let me see Your gifts of growing and becoming a spiritual warrior. Make my strength based on values - spiritual values; on principles and laws, the laws of God that really run the universe. We need to realize the seeds we plant in the spring will be what shows up in our summer season of growth and will be the fruits that we will harvest in our fall season. We really have a lot to do with what shows up in our lives.
Great Spirit, let my seed that I plant today be based on values that will make You pleased with my selection.
Sep 19, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
September 19 - Daily Feast
Eagles soar more surely than we walk - but even so we are eagles in spirit. Physical wings are not so important to us if we can free our spirits to soar. As a symbol of freedom, the eagle builds its nest higher than any other nests and its eyes have vision that can survey anything moving far below. It sets its wings to catch the wind and its flight is graceful and beautiful. Unlike us, it takes time to renew and restore - even its beak is renewed and its old feathers replaced with new ones. When we set our minds and spirits to do something, nothing can bring us down. But rest and renewal are necessary - and never just luxuries to be avoided.
~ I am here by the will of the Great Spirit, and by His will I am chief. ~
SITTING BULL - SIOUX
Sep 19, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Osiyo ( Hello )
I am letting you all know that I will be going to Alabama for Cherokee New Years on Oct. 4 and I will away from my PC for 2 or 4 weeks and I will not be Posting till I get back home unless I can use a PC in Alabama so if not Oct. 3 will be my last Post till I get Back Home…..
Donvdagahv’I ( Until we meet again )
David White Hawk
Oct 2, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Nov 25, 2012
David White Hawk Administrator
Dec 2, 2012