"The honor of the people lies in the moccasin tracks of the woman. Walk the good road.... Be dutiful, respectful, gentle and modest my daughter... Be strong with the warm, strong heart of the earth. No people goes down until their women are weak and dishonored, or dead upon the ground. Be strong and sing the strength of the Great Powers within you, all around you."
--Village Wise Man, SIOUX
The Elders say the Native American women will lead the healing among the tribes. We need to especially pray for our women, and ask the Creator to bless them and give them strength. Inside them are the powers of love and strength given by the Moon and the Earth. When everyone else gives up, it is the women who sings the songs of strength. She is the backbone of the people. So, to our women we say, sing your songs of strength; pray for your special powers; keep our people strong; be respectful, gentle and modest.
Oh, Great One, bless our women. Make them strong today.
Last edited by AniGequoti; 5th November 2009 at 11:20 AM.
Texture is that finely woven fabric of life that demands we have a congenial environment. It asks that we be industrious toward success, and that we should have a way of life, a purpose. We should hear the music of life and taste the bitter and the sweet.
Texture requires us to research every experience and hear the lesson in it. It orders us to communicate with life and make discoveries about ourselves and progress toward a texture where the course has been refined.
Frequently we should examine the texture of life to identify the quality. How wide is my world? How high is my sky?
All of us should know our own makeup, our capabilities, our gifts with which we have been divinely endowed. And we should think long on these words from Edna St. Vincent Millay's Renascence:
"The world stands out on either side no wider than the heart is wide. Above the world is stretched the sky, no higher than the soul is high."
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Secretly, we are afraid others will see what we know is true - that we don't have what it takes. The Cherokee says we are not u wo hi yu - we lack confidence and we suspect others can see it. But no one can do everything - and, even if they can, they seldom do it. What we fear, others fear. Our needs are others' needs. Our thoughts, our worries, though hidden from view, are not in the heart of just one person - but all. There's no need for a stumbling block. We may not be superhuman but we are spirit, and spirit has no limits. Spirit is not dwarfed by circumstances. It has all power and makes us worthy.
~ He has done nothing for which an Indian ought to be ashamed. ~
BLACK HAWK - SAUK AND FOX
'A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II' by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
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"You could study the ancestors, but without a deep feeling of communication with them it would be surface learning and surface talking. Once you have gone into yourself and have learnt very deeply, appreciate it, and relate to it very well, everything will come very easily."
--Ellen White, NANAIMO
Inside of every human being are our ancestors, and these ancestors still live. Today, the white man calls this DNA, but there is more than DNA. We have the ability to go inside of ourselves and learn from the ancestors. The ancestor teachings reside in the place of the center. The ancestors are waiting for us to come there so they can share the ancient teachings. It is said, "Be still and Know".
Great Spirit, let me walk in the stillness.
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There are many fears in the minds of man, but none so subtle, yet so effectual, as fear of failure.
We are so afraid we've been unwise and wasted valuable time and it makes us wonder how many times we've failed those who depended upon us, and how many times we've failed ourselves.
Time seems too short to make up and overcome the things long past. It seems sometimes that opportunities are there and gone before we've had time to make use of them. We condemn ourselves so much for the lack of knowledge when we most needed it. But if decisions were made on afterthought, they might not be as wise as those made quickly, without time to think.
We should no longer think about past failures, nor give undue thought to our chances for future ones, but only begin now to do the very best we can.
True failure comes only to those who stop trying, for no age, no time, no place can stop the person who decides to try one more time. As Frederick William Farrar, English author, has written, "There is only one real failure in life that is possible, and that is, not to be true to the best one knows."
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Native American Heritage month begins
by Helen Bao
Native American Heritage Month begins a celebration of “Native New York: Indigenous in the City.”
For attendees of the Native American Heritage Month kick-off Wednesday night, the evening was replete with cultural reflection—as well as fry bread and Indian tacos.
With a Native American-style banquet and speakers on hand in Barnard Hall, students and faculty celebrated the beginning of the month dedicated to appreciation of American Indian culture.
The presence of Native American studies has expanded on campus recently, especially with the addition of Audra Simpson to the Columbia anthropology department. While she is somewhat new to the Columbia scene, her pilot classes have been well attended, indicating a growing interest in the area. “I was stunned by my enrollments,” she said in an interview earlier this semester.
Simpson was the keynote speaker Wednesday, where she touched on her research as an anthropologist—one that emphasizes “the way we think about citizenship, nationality, indigenality,” she has previously said—and stressed the importance of having a particular month set aside to reflect on her Native American heritage in addition to an ongoing celebration of American Indian culture.
Obama meets with Native American leaders
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama discusses Native American issues Thursday with representatives of the 564 federally recognized tribes.
In the morning, Obama will deliver opening remarks and participate in an interactive discussion with tribal leaders at the White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Interior Department. He'll also deliver closing remarks in the afternoon.
Obama committed during his election campaign to meet regularly with tribal leaders, to hear directly from them about how his administration can meet their needs and help make their lives better.
After a series of meetings with the vice president, Cabinet members, advisers and lawmakers, the president welcomes President Ian Khama of Botswana to the White House.
Indian political awakening stirs Latin America
Written by FRANK BAJAK
Monday, 02 November 2009 16:03
JESUS DE MACHACA, Bolivia (AP) – In Ecuador, the Shuar are blocking highways to defend their hunting grounds. In Chile, the Mapuche are occupying ranches to pressure for land, schools and clinics. In Bolivia, a new constitution gives the country’s 36 indigenous peoples the right to self-rule.
All over Latin America, and especially in the Andes, a political awakening is emboldening Indians who have lived mostly as second-class citizens since the Spanish conquest.
Much of it is the result of better education and communication, especially as the Internet allows native leaders in far-flung villages to share ideas and strategies across international boundaries.
But much is born of necessity: Latin American nations are embarking on an unprecedented resource hunt, moving in on land that Indians consider their own – and whose pristine character is key to their survival.
The indigenous peoples of North America -- the First
Americans -- have woven rich and diverse threads into the
tapestry of our Nation's heritage. Throughout their long
history on this great land, they have faced moments of
profound triumph and tragedy alike. During National
Native American Heritage Month, we recognize their many
accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices, and we pay
tribute to their participation in all aspects of American
society.
This month, we celebrate the ancestry and time-honored
traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in North
America. They have guided our land stewardship policies,
added immeasurably to our cultural heritage, and demonstrated
courage in the face of adversity. From the American Revolution
to combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have fought
valiantly in defense of our Nation as dedicated servicemen and
women. Their native languages have also played a pivotal role
on the battlefield. During World Wars I and II, Native American
code talkers developed unbreakable codes to communicate military
messages that saved countless lives. Native Americans have
distinguished themselves as inventors, entrepreneurs, spiritual
leaders, and scholars. Our debt to our First Americans is
immense, as is our responsibility to ensure their fair, equal
treatment and honor the commitments we made to their forbears.
The Native American community today faces huge challenges
that have been ignored by our Government for too long. To help
address this disparity, the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act allocates more than $3 billion to help these communities
deal with their most pressing needs. In the Fiscal Year 2010
budget, my Administration has proposed over $17 billion for
programs carried out by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian
Health Service, and other Federal agencies that have a critical
role to play in improving the lives of Native Americans. These
programs will increase educational opportunities, address the
scourge of alcohol abuse and domestic violence, promote economic
development, and provide access to comprehensive, accessible,
and affordable health care. While funding increases do not make
up for past deficiencies, they do reflect our determination to
honor tribal sovereignty and ensure continued progress reservations across America.
As we seek to build on and strengthen our nation-to-nation
relationship, my Administration is committed to ensuring tribal
communities have a meaningful voice in our national policy
debates as we confront the challenges facing all Americans.
We will continue this constructive dialogue at the White House
Tribal Nations Conference held in Washington, D.C., this month.
Native American voices have echoed through the mountains,
valleys, and plains of our country for thousands of years, and
it is now our time to listen.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested
in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States,
do hereby proclaim November 2009 as National Native American
Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this
month with appropriate programs and activities, and to celebrate
November 27, 2009, as Native American Heritage Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
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Last edited by AniGequoti; 5th November 2009 at 11:56 AM.
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