This was shared to me by an Elder who asked me if I knew how the Raven became black. since my response was no this is what Black elk Shared with me…and now in turn I share with you..
Long ago, during the very beginning of the world, Gray Eagle was the guardian of the sun, the moon, the stars, fresh water and fire. Gray Eagle hated people so much that he kept these things hidden. The peoples lived in darkness, without fire and without fresh water.
Gray Eagle also had a beautiful daughter, and when Raven saw her he instantly fell in love with her. At that time Raven was a handsome young man so he came up with a plan to change himself into a snow-white bird. As the snow-white bird he pleased Gray Eagle’s daughter and soon she fell madly in love with him. So much so that she invited him to her father’s lodge.
Raven was surprised when he he entered the lodge for he saw the sun ,the moon, the stars and the fresh water hanging on the sides of Gray Eagle’s lodge walls, he knew instantly what he should do, what he had to do. So carefully watching for his chance to seize them when no one was looking, Raven stole all of them along with a spark of fire. Then he flew upward and out of the lodge through a smoke hole above.
As soon as Raven got outside, he hung the sun up in the sky. It created so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. As soon as the sun set, he fastened the moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places. With the moonlight there to help guide him, he continued to fly carrying with him the fresh water and the spark of fire he had stolen. Soon the water fell to the ground and there it became the source of all the freshwater streams and lakes around the world.
Still the Raven flew on holding in his mouth the spark of fire. The smoke from the fire blowing back over his white feathers coating them black. Soon his bill began to burn and he had to drop the fire spark. When it landed and struck the rocks below, it sparked brighter and created fire. That is why even today if you strike two stones together with a stick, it will spark and fire will burn and share its warmth and glow.
Raven’s feathers never became white again after they were blackened by the smoke from carrying the spark of fire.
I was asked to share the The Seven Grandfather Teachings once again, so I happily will oblige.
I learned of these teaching through the Anishinaabe’ people here where I live… it is a teaching that reaches within to my very core… and I would like to now share it with you…
Many Anishinaabe’ view the Seven Grandfather Teachings as traditional knowledge that represents what is needed for everyday life and survival, or simply put to walk the Red Road… a Good way of life. The origin of the teachings is unknown but my elders have shared that they are important and have long been a part of the language and handed down through generations of the People. These teachings have become known as the “Seven Grandfathers” once the Anishinaabe slowly began to control their own education during and after the American Indian Movement. As Our Elders began to retell stories they had heard as children it was realized once again that it was a connection from the present to a past when these values were a way of life.
The Ojibwas or Anishinaabe’ story of the Seven Grandfathers’ Teachings was passed down from parent to child for many generations. The story goes…
The Creator gave the Seven Grandfathers, who are very wise, the responsibility to watch over the people. The grandfathers saw that the people were living a hard life. There was all kinds of illnesses and bad things around. The Messenger was told, “Go down there, look around and find out what is happening. Bring back someone who we can tell about what life should be, with the Peoples” He left immediately and went to all places in the North, South, West and East. He could not find anyone. On his seventh try, while he was looking, he saw a baby. The grandfathers were happy with the choice made by the helper.
So the messenger brought the baby back to where the Grandfathers were sitting in a circle. He was still very tiny and wrapped inside His cradle board. One of the grandfathers looked at the baby very carefully. “This is the one. Messenger, pick up the baby. Take him all over; teach him carefully the way the People should lead their lives.” The Messenger picked him up and they traveled around the earth.
Seven years later they returned to the Grandfathers. By then He was a young man. The Grandfathers noticed that this boy was very honest. He understood everything that was taught. One of the grandfathers took a drum and started singing. Each of the grandfathers instilled within the boy a teaching telling him “These are the ones you will take with you, and share with the Peoples.”
The boy, because of all the time he had spent with the Grandfathers, was now an old man. So he returned to the Earth and gathered all the people around and shared his story of the journey to the seven grandfather’s lodge. He explained how to use the gifts and that it was now up to the people to try to follow the path of a good and healthy life using the seven grandfather’s teachings.
He shared each of these teachings and explaining that they must be used with the rest, and that you cannot have wisdom without love, respect, courage, honesty, humility and truth. You cannot be honest if you only use one or two of these, or if you leave out one. And to leave out one is to embrace the opposite of what that teaching is.
Now to the Teachings…
The Beaver teaches us WISDOM
The ability to make decisions based on personal experience and knowledge and to cherish that knowledge is to know WISDOM.
We can acquire more knowledge by being open to others and applying these teachings to our own lives, and in turn it is also about the ability to value your own knowledge and share it with others.
The building a strong foundation in our lives is about the teachings shared with us by the creator and how we in turn use and share these gifts in our lives. The Beaver’s example of using his sharp teeth for cutting trees and branches to build his dams and lodges expresses this teaching. If he did not use his teeth, the teeth would continue to grow until they became useless, ultimately making it impossible for him to sustain himself. The same can be said for human beings. One’s spirit will grow weak if it is not fulfilling its use. When used properly however, wisdom’s shared help bring about a peaceful and healthy life.
The Eagle teaches us LOVE.
Love must be unconditional. To feel true love is to know the Creator. Therefore, it is expected that one’s first love is to the Creator, the Great Spirit. Creator is considered the parent to all children, and the giver of human life. Love given to the Great Spirit is expressed through love of oneself, and it is understood that if one cannot love oneself, it is impossible to love anyone else.
To know LOVE is to know true peace. To be able to get along with others, sharing and being kind, willing to show that you care for others/self through sharing, being helpful and understanding the feelings of others; doing something that makes the day better for someone. To be accepting of each others’ differences.
The Buffalo teaches us RESPECT.
Respect is the condition of being honored. The Buffalo, through giving its life and sharing every part of its being, showed the deep respect it had for the people. No animal was more important to the existence of People than this animal, and its gift provided shelter, clothing and utensils for daily living. Native people believed themselves to be true caretakers of the great herds, and developed a sustainable relationship with the Buffalo resulting in a relationship that was a true expression of respect.
To honor all of the Creations is to have RESPECT. Respect for yourself. To treat others how you would want to be treated. Making sure your interactions with others are positive by showing positive manners, speaking kindly and honoring a person’s human right to be who they are. Accepting feedback as helpful and considering different outlooks on things.
The Bear teaches us COURAGE.
Courage is the ability to face danger, fear, or changes with confidence and bravery.
The Bear provides many lessons in the way it lives, but courage is the most important teaching it offers. Though gentle by nature, the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage. To have the mental and moral strength to overcome fears that prevent us from living our true spirit as human beings is a great challenge that must be met with the same tenacity and intensity as a mother Bear protecting her cub. Living of the heart and living of the spirit is difficult, but the Bear’s example shows us how to face any danger to achieve these goals.
We learn to deal with challenges positively without worry about the outcome. To work through and give all aspects of your life your best effort. Being able to accept responsibility for your behavior. Be willing to be a role model by standing up for your values/beliefs. Accepting challenges (conflicts) and learn from them.
The Sabe teaches us HONESTY.
Honesty is speaking and acting truthfully, and thereby remained morally upright.
Long ago, there was a giant called Kitch-Sabe who walked among the people to remind them to be honest to the laws of the creator and honest to each other. The highest honor that could be bestowed upon an individual was the saying “There walks an honest man. He can be trusted.” To be truly honest was to keep the promises one made to the Creator, to others and to oneself.
The Elders would say, “Never try to be someone else; live true to your spirit, be honest to yourself and accept who you are the way the Creator made you.”
HONESTY in facing a situation is to be true to self. It is not backing down when the situation seems too hard and you know that it needs to be dealt with to make your life better. By looking at what you do and realizing how it affects you and others either positively or negatively. To approach life situations and challenges with an open mind and heart.
The Wolf teaches us HUMILITY.
Humility is being humble and not arrogant Recognizing and acknowledging that there is a higher power than man and it is known as the Creator is to be deemed truly humble. To express deference or submission to the Creator through the acceptance that all beings are equal is to capture the spirit of humility. The expression of this humility is manifested through the consideration of others before ourselves. In this way, the Wolf became the teacher of this lesson. He bows his head in the presence of others out of deference, and once hunted, will not take of the food until it can be shared with the pack. His lack of arrogance and respect for his community is a hard lesson, but integral in the Aboriginal way.
HUMILITY is to know yourself as a sacred part of Creation. To be able to know that we are equal regardless of age, race or sex. Being able to be assertive, positively making your needs known, without becoming angry or withdrawn. Being able to listen to others with an open and non-judgmental mind.
The Turtle teaches us TRUTH.
TRUTH is to know and understand all the seven teachings have been given to us by the Creator and we are to remain faithful to them. To know truth is to know and understand all of the original laws as they were shared with us. It is said that in the beginning, when the Creator made man and gave him the seven sacred laws, the Grandmother Turtle was present to ensure that the laws would never be lost or forgotten. On the back of a Turtle are the 13 moon, each representing the truth of one cycle of the Earth’s rotations around the sun. The 28 markings on her back represent the cycle of the moon an of a woman’s body. The shell of the Turtle represents the body real events as created by the Higher Power, and serves as a reminder of the Creator’s will and teachings.
TRUTH is to know all of these things. Be true to yourself and your fellow man. Be able to speak the truth. This is considered the final and last teaching because to live this teaching, one must achieve and understand the first six teachings. By being honest with those around you with your feelings and behaviors; by loving yourself and others; by respecting others with what they say and do; by being humble – knowing that everyone around you deserves your respect as you theirs; by being brave when facing new challenges and by accepting your own and others wisdom.
These are the seven Sacred Teachings as were taught to me…and now I have shared them with you…it is not so much that you all don’t know these teachings from what ever background or culture you walk in. but I hope it has served all as a reminder of how we all need to walk as Humans.
A time long since past, there was a young warrior of the Blackfoot Nation experienced a vision of a far away lake where large and unique animals called home. The Ancestors spoke to him and shared the knowledge of these great animals that could be gentle, loyal, strong able to pull the peoples travois or carry packs.
“Travel to this lake,” he was told,” take rope with you so that you can catch these great animals.”
When the young warrior woke he gathered rope that was made of strips of a bull buffalo’s hide to ensure its strength. He traveled beyond the Sweetgrass Hills to a large lake he had seen in his vision. Digging a hole in the sandy beach he concealed himself so he could watch without disturbing the life cycle. Animals came to the lake to drink the clean fresh water, deer, coyotes, elk and buffalo all respectfully shared what nature offered them to survive.
Soon the winds began to stir. Waves rose upon the lake and began to roll and splash across the beachfront. Then suddenly a herd of large animals, unlike any the young warrior had ever seen walked before him. Their size was that of an elk but they had long tails that hung to the ground. There were some that were white, black, red and even spotted ones. They had young ones with them that stayed close to their mothers. Soon they reached the water and bent their heads to drink.
The Ancestors then whispered, “Throw your rope and catch one.”
The young warrior did as he was instructed and threw his rope, catching one of the largest of the animals. It struggled and pulled and dragged the man around and soon he found he was not strong enough to hold the animal. With one sudden jerk of its head it pulled the rope out of the young warrior’s hands, and led the whole herd into the lake disappearing beneath the water. With great sadness he chose to return to his village, heading into his lodge praying for help to the Ancestors who had shared the vision with him.
The Ancestors heard his prayers and said, “Four times you may try to catch these animals. If in four times trying you do not catch them, you will never see them again.”
Before going to sleep, the young warrior once again prayed for the Ancestors to help him, and while he slept told him he was not strong enough to catch one of the big animals they instructing him instead to try and catch one of the younger animals, and then perhaps you will be able to hold it.”
As soon as he awoke the next morning, the young warrior traveled beyond the Sweetgrass Hills to the large lake again digging a hole in the sand staying hidden
while the deer, the coyotes, the elk and the buffalo came to drink.
At last the wind began to stir and the waves rolled and splash upon the beach.
Then came the herd of strange animals to drink at the lake, and again the young warrior threw his rope. This time he caught one of the young animals and was able to hold on to it. One by one he caught all the young animals from the herd and led them back to his village.
After the young ones had been there for a short time, the mares the mothers of these foals came trotting into the camp looking for their young, as their udders were filled with milk for the foals to drink. Not long after the mares came, the stallions of the herd followed.
At first the people of the village were afraid of these new animals not wanting to go near them, but the young warrior told everybody that they would not harm them and soon the animals became so tame that they followed the people everywhere. As the people moved their camp from place to place, season to season they would place packs on them. They called this animal po-no-kah- mita, or elk dog, because they were big reminding them of the elk and could carry a pack like a dog.
This is how the Ancestors and a young warrior brought horses to the Blackfoot Nation.
This was how the story was shared with me, and I too share with you…
A Storm is described as a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. It can also refer to moving angrily or forcefully in a specific direction. Whatever way you choose to describe it, the Thunder nation was busy throughout the night and into the early morning hours here at the lake.
I sat and watched as the lightening danced on top of the water and the sky echoed and rolled with its partner, Thunder. Rain, cleansing and ever revitalizing, continued to fall, sometimes in a fierce way and at other times as gentle reminders it is hear to help nurture, grow and supply life to creation itself.
It reminded me that it is similar to us humans, as in nature… sometimes we bring about mighty storms forcefully sending out emotion, energy, anger or grief out to the universe around us and into our very lives. Yet other times it seems to continue for lifetimes, and at others it comes in short quick bursts but still holding that wicked sting as if it were lightening itself.
Then like the rain, the tears fall…sometimes gently and sometimes like the floodgates themselves were released. Emotion again pours out and releases, renewing self it is a way to let go of what we can not, do not control.
It is a renewal of faith that the world continues …that all of creation is cared for… that there are cycles that begin and end… that it is a circle of life, beginning to end and back again to start new and fresh. Transitions, Awakenings, Understandings of Hope and Faith all continue in that circle.
As Mother Theresa said, “More tears have been shed for prayers that have been answered than for those prayers that have not.” So have faith that after the storms of your life pass, there will be renewal, new purpose just remember you are unique and perfect within your own imperfections… and that even through all the storms the Creator God loves us all unconditionally.
Over the past week, I have had a number of people share with me some extraordinary events that have occurred between them and the animal kingdom, things that for the most part are not common everyday happenings or occurrences. Things that make us stop and pay attention. Reactions were varied for the people to the occurrences from, “I was so scared,” to “How cool was that.”
Myself I can not remember a time when I did not notice the world of creatures large and small around me… when most kids were riding bikes and playing with their friends, my parents would more than not, find me playing or napping with my dog in the sun or lying on the ground watching the little peeper toads as they flooded the lawn and begging my father to not cut the grass. As I got older the ventures went to snakes, turtles and whatever other cool creatures I could find in the wilds of my backyard in Detroit. Then I expanded into vacations to the lake… I would disappear for hours into the heart of the woods. (the days when that wasn’t a scary idea) listening to the Owls at nightfall or the Loons awakening in the mists of the morning along the lake front.
The thing is, I had that connection with the animal kingdom and to me it was simply part of who I was. Never thought twice about standing in front of the bears, or watching sitting watching wolves play in a field, or listening to the Coyotes sing and call back to one another during their hunts.
In today’s modern world, that is probably one of the primary reasons for me living where I do. The animals talk to us all if we will listen, they have much to share and teach. They will not, do not fear us unless we give them reason to. It is all about respect, honor and communication with each other. They are a necessary part of the eco system, even if often humans do not want to admit it. They were here before we were in most areas, and we have taken there woods, there forests away from them… much as humans often do. We want to dominate, to own, to rule over… For the animal kingdom it is about co-existence, the circle of life itself.
I was sharing a story with Wolfdancer this morning, and told her about a woman that recently encountered a wolf while she was in the woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The woman had told me how scared she had felt because she had always been told Wolves leave humans alone for the most part. She went on to tell me how she stopped and they sat just looking at each other for a short while, and then because she was so scared she stood up and waved her arms in the air and made all kinds of weird noises. I then asked her what the Wolf had done…she replied, “Nothing it just sat there looking at me.”
I laughed and as I told it so did Wolfdancer. She said the same that was in my heart, “The Wolf probably was sitting there thinking how crazy the human looked waving and yelling for no reason. If it had been me I would have just sat on the ground and enjoyed being in the presence of a wolf brother or sister.”
So the point of sharing some ponderings with you all today… is perhaps to awaken some kinship, some curiosity within each of you…maybe not for you to seek out a creature in the wild, but to be more observant of the ones that are in your life. To smile when that dragonfly lands on your hand, or to take a deep breathe in as the butterfly spreads its wings. When the songbird sings for you in the morning, listen to the glorious voice it is sharing…for it is singing of joy and happiness, it sings to tell the Creator God that it is thankful and loves its life. And when a creature walks on your path whether it is in realtime or dream state, don’t wave your arms about screaming at it, rather listen to the lessons it is sharing with you, and gently thank it for blessing your path this day. “For all things are Sacred”
Most of the Peoples Nations have stories about the ‘Sacred Pipe’. Many of you may think of it as a Peace Pipe. Hollywood has glamorized the pipe through old western movies. Yet they could not be farther from the truth.
Sacred Pipe is to the Native American People as the cross would be to Christian cultures. The pipe, in many forms is prevalent in most tribal cultures around the world. Every Nation has used the pipe in some form of ritual and have passed the stories of where the pipe came from. One of the more well known is the Lakota story of the White Buffalo Woman bringing and sharing wisdom’s with them.
It is not important how the pipe first arrived, or who it came to first. What is important is that the pipe is revered as a sacred item and was a gift handed to us by The Creator. The Sacred Pipe was brought to all people of this world, for we all must share this world, as one race …the Human race This story shows the importance once again of the Pipe as means to Prayer, Balance and healing.
At a time when the world was new, a tribe of red skinned people came to live on the lands around The Blue Smoke Mountains. This is a time animals of the world still spoke to all of us teaching us how to live and care for the land. These people were called “Ani Yun Wiya” or the One True People. In this tribe lived a brave warrior woman.
She was called ‘Arrow Woman’. As a young woman she was taught to use the bow, the spear and the knife. Even though it was a man’s job to hunt and fight, Arrow Woman could shoot straighter with the bow than any man. She could throw the knife so as split a branch no bigger than your thumb and she could throw the spear into eye of a hawk in flight. Because of all this, no one would tell her to act like a woman should within the tribe.
One day while on a hunt, Arrow Woman came upon the tracks of “Yona” the bear. She saw blood on the ground and knew him to be wounded, so she followed his tracks high into the mountains. Soon she came to a place that she did not know. It was at this place, a place known only to the animals that she finally saw “Yona” the bear. He had a deep gash in his side. As she watched him, he bowed down in prayer. She saw him bowing toward a large field of tall grass and speaking words that she had not heard before. Suddenly, the grass shimmered and became a lake. Arrow Woman saw “Yona” the bear, dive into the water. After a time he emerged from the water, his side was completely healed.
“Yona” the bear looked up and saw Arrow Woman walking towards her he spoke, “This is the sacred lake of the animals. It is called, ‘Atagahi’ and its location is known only to the animals. It is where we come for healing and strength. You are the first human to see the Sacred Lake. You must never tell your kind of it’s location for it is the home of ‘The Great Uktena’. After speaking to her “Yona” the Bear turned and walked into the woods and disappeared.
Arrow Woman sat and contemplated all that had occurred. Yet she was tired from following “Yona” all day and needed to rest a while. So she built a small fire next to the lake, and sitting down she began to prepare a meal that she had brought with her. She reached over and took a drink of the water from the lake as she did Arrow Woman felt instantly refreshed. Amazed, she felt strong as Yan’si the Buffalo, and as if she could run faster than Coga the Raven could fly. The woods were quiet, the Sacred Winds where sleeping, Father Sun was shining bright, the surface upon the lake was completely calm, Arrow Woman began to get sleepy.
It was at this time that ‘Uktena’ appeared to her. As a child she had been told of him yet no one in her tribe ever claimed to have seen him. High above the water he raised his great serpent’s head, the jewel in his forehead glistening. He began to move toward her. Arrow Woman grabbed up her spear and stood up to face the great creature coming to her, standing proud, showing no fear, the way any warrior should. She raised her spear and prepared to strike the huge beast.
Uktena stopped a short distance from her. He smiled at her, showing his fierce rows of teeth he began speaking to the brave woman on the bank of his lake, “Put down your weapons for I mean you no harm. I come only to teach.” Arrow Woman laid down her spear and began to relax, somehow knowing He spoke truly.
Uktena told her to sit and to listen. He then dipped his head below the surface and came back up a moment later. In his mouth he had a strangely crooked stick and a leather pouch. These things he laid on the ground in front of Arrow Woman. Then the teaching began.
“This that I have laid before you is the Sacred Pipe of The Creator. Pick up the pipe. The bowl is of the same red clay The Creator used to make your kind. The red clay is Woman kind and is from the Earth. Just as a woman bears the children and brings forth life, the bowl bears the sacred tobacco and brings forth smoke. The stem is Man. Rigid and strong the stem is from the plant kingdom and like a man it supports the bowl just as man supports his family.”
He then showed Arrow Woman how to join the bowl to the stem saying, ” Just as a man and a woman remain separate until joined in marriage so too are the bowl and stem separate. Never to be joined unless the pipe is used.” Uktena then showed her how place the sacred tobacco into the pipe and with an ember from the fire lit it so it burned slightly. He then spoke these words, “The smoke is the breath of The Creator, When you draw the smoke into your body, you will be cleansed and made whole. When the smoke leaves your mouth, it will rise to The Creator. Your prayers, your dreams, your hopes and desires will be taken to Him in the smoke. Also the truth in your soul will be shown to Him when you smoke the pipe. If you are not true, do not smoke the pipe. If your spirit is bad and you seek to deceive, do not smoke the pipe.”
Uktena continued his lesson well into the night teaching Arrow Woman all of the prayers used with the pipe and all of the reasons for using the pipe. He finished just as the moon was beginning her nightly journey across the sky in search of her true love. He told Arrow Woman to wrap the pipe in cloth, keeping the parts separate. With this done He told her that she would never again be able to find this place but to remember all that she had learned. He then returned to depths of the lake. Arrow Woman saw the water shimmer and become again the field of grass. She left, taking with her the pipe and her lessons and a wondrous tale. Ever since that time, the People have used the sacred pipe and never again has any man seen the sacred lake of Uktena.
The Sacred Pipe is not a symbol of things that are sacred. The Pipe itself is sacred. Not everyone is called upon to be a pipe bearer. The person who carries the pipe and practices the pipe ceremonies and traditions has a great responsibility to his brothers and sisters, his land and country and to the Great Earth Mother.
The pipe bearer does not ‘own’ the pipe that they carry. They simply carry the pipe until the time comes for them to pass it to the next bearer. The pipe bearer is given certain powers of sight from the pipe as well as an ability to heal and purify. Should the bearer fall from grace and become a liar, thief, neglected their duties when asked, or become deceitful, the pipe would repossess these gifts and then the possibility of misfortune for the former bearer may exist.
I ask that today and all days ahead, that we hear the words of this Pipe story, that like the pipe we honor and respect ourselves, treating tradition and ceremony as Sacred. That we understand our responsibilities that we carry as we walk. Accepting the great gift Creator has asked us to care for…our human selves.
So my wish to you all today is that you have heard the words I shared today, and it helps you to stop and think, we are all sacred…we have all been given a great gift and responsibility. Our human self is like the pipe that was shared with the Ancestors in time long ago…but that to this day it is to be considered Sacred. So treat yourselves with honor… with respect… for like the pipe…we do not ‘own’ this human vessel that holds our soul. It simply carries us our soul until the time comes for us to journey to the next realm.
Blessings,
bear Medicinewalker
“Prayers from Within” by Award Winning Musician Jan Micheal Lookingwolf available at http://www.lookingwolf.com/
