Hummingbird and Tobacco

Long ago, when all people and animals spoke the same language, there was only one tobacco plant in all the world. From far and wide they come for their tobacco. All was well, until the greedy Dagul’ku geese stole the plant and flew far to the south with it where they guarded it night and day. Before long the people and animals began to suffer greatly because the tobacco was gone. One such person was a beloved Elder woman who had become very ill, so thin and weak that it was felt by all that she would die soon, and could only be saved by their Sacred tobacco and it disturbed them all that they could not provide what was needed. So it was decided that they should hold a council and make a plan on how to retrieve the tobacco that had been taken from them. They all agreed that the animals should be sent to see if they could get it back.

One by one, the animals all tried to get the plant, but each time they were seen by the Dagul’ku geese and could not reach the Sacred tobacco plant. From the largest to the smallest, the Four Leggeds failed. Then one among them, the Mole decided he should be the one that he would go. Everyone thought this to be a good idea since he would tunnel under the ground to the plant and be able to get it back. So off he went tunneling ever closer to the Sacred tobacco plant.

However the Dagul’ku geese were waiting for him for with their keen sense of hearing they heard him underneath as he was digging his tunnel and they waited at the plant for him to come out. As soon as he raised his head above ground the Dagul’ku geese attacked him and he went back to the village without the Sacred plant. The mood within the council was very somber after that. None could think of any way to get the Sacred tobacco plant away from the greedy Dagul’ku geese. No one wanted to go only to be attacked and sent back in defeat.

As the Hummingbird sat listening to all of the plans she had come up with one of her own. She boldly arose in front of the council and told them all that she could retrieve the Sacred plant. They all looked at her and laughed, “How could you do this, you are so small? How could you get to the Sacred plant past the Dagul’ki geese? She held her ground and told them that she knew she could do it and if they wanted they could test her. So they pointed to the middle of the meadow, they showed her a plant that all could see and said to her, “Go, sit on that plant, but do not let us see you getting there.”

No sooner than the words had been spoken then they all could see the little Hummingbird sitting atop the plant in the meadow. And then again before their very eyes she disappeared again only to reappear within the council circle with not one of them having seen her go or return. The all sat Stunned at the feat and skill she had shown them all and it was soon agreed to give this little warrior a chance. She wasted no time flying off straight to the Sacred plant, right under the noses of the Dagul’ki geese. She flew right up to the plant without them even suspecting her being there. Quick as a wink she used her long beak to cut off the top of the plant that had a few leaves and the seeds, then off she flew straight back to the council circle.

By this time the Elder woman was thought to have died, but smoke from the Sacred tobacco plant was blown into her nostrils and with a cry of “Tsa’lu”, she opened her eyes and regained her strength.

From that day forward, all looked with favor and respect to the little Hummingbird who managed to out wit the Dagul’ku geese to return the Sacred tobacco plant back for all to use.

Many Blessings,

bear Medicinewalker

the Story of White Calf Buffalo Woman and the Sacred Pipe as shared by bear Medicinewalker

The story of White Calf Buffalo Woman was handed down long ago and is shared to this day. I revisited it once again this morning and had validation I needed to share it once more from an unlikely source that I was participating in earlier today. The reason I was reminded was that often people only remember part of the story, or even tell part of the story…. But it resonated so loudly today as Women (and Men) are rising everywhere and calling out their abusers. They are finding voice that will allow them to heal.

Why some might say does this have anything to do with the true teachings of White Calf Buffalo Woman? Well because she came to the people as Teacher/Prophet/Ancestor to teach All the Sacred way to Pray and walk the earth as Human… and we must remember that once again for so many are lost as they walk their journey among the chaotic world we live in today.

The story begins …

In the time of the Ancestors, two young men had left their village to hunt. As they walked to the hunting grounds they came upon a beautiful young maiden dressed in white buckskin. Upon seeing her, one of the hunters looked upon her and recognized her as a Sacred Being and immediately lowered his eyes. The second hunter did not and moved towards her with lust in his eyes, desiring to only take her as a woman.

White Buffalo Calf Woman beckoned the lustful hunter to her. He was happy to comply and quickly moved to her, but as he did a whirling cloud of dust arose engulfing them and causing them to be hidden from view. When the dust settled, nothing but a pile of bones lay next to her. She then moved towards the respectful young hunter, explaining that she had simply fulfilled the other man’s desire, allowing him, within that brief moment, to live a lifetime, die and decay.

White Buffalo Calf Woman then instructed the young man to go back to his village and instruct them to prepare for her arrival for she would teach them of the way to pray, the way to live as Sacred. The young hunter obeyed.

When White Buffalo Calf Woman arrived with the sacred bundle (the prayer pipe) she taught the People of the seven sacred ways to pray. These prayers are through ceremonies that include the Sweat Lodge for purification; the Naming Ceremony for child naming; the Healing Ceremony to restore health to the body, mind and spirit; the adoption ceremony for making of relatives; the marriage ceremony for uniting male and female; the Vision Quest for communing with the Creator for direction and answers to one’s life; and the Sundance Ceremony to pray for the well-being of All People.

When the teaching of the Sacred Ways was complete, White Buffalo Calf Woman told the people she would again return for the sacred bundle that she left with them. Before leaving, she told them that within her were the four ages, and that she would look back upon the People in each age, returning at the end of the fourth age, to restore harmony and spirituality to a troubled land.

She walked a short distance and looked back towards the people and sat down. When she arose they were amazed to see she had become a black buffalo. Walking a little further, the buffalo laid down, this time arising as a yellow buffalo. The third time the buffalo walked a little further and this time arose as a red buffalo. Walking a little further it rolled on the ground and rose one last time as a white buffalo calf signaling the fulfillment of the White Buffalo Calf prophecy.

The changing of the four colors of the White Buffalo Calf Woman represents the four colors of man–white, yellow, red and black. These colors also represent the four directions, north, east, south and west.

The sacred bundle that was left to the Lakota people is still with the People in a sacred. It is kept by a man known as the Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, and today that man is Chief Arvol Lookiing Horse 19th generation keeper of White Buffalo Calf Woman and spiritual elder of Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people of the Dakotas tells of the White Buffalo prophecy and caring for Unci Maka Grandmother Earth.

So let us go back to our roots of who we are supposed to be…who we are supposed to walk as in this Human world, and remember we are all equal, we all need to walk with Respect, Honesty…share Wisdom’s that have been passed down to us by the Ancestors, to Love each other, to have Humility, to rise with Courage, to Own our Truths as positives and as Sacred…

May we All learn to walk in Peace…from this moment forward.

Blessings to You All
bear Medicinewalker

 

“Prayers from Within” by Award Winning Musician Jan Michael Lookingwolf available at http://www.lookingwolf.com/

Grandmother Spider Steals the Sun


In the beginning there was only blackness, no one could see anything. People kept walking into each other and stumbling around blindly. Soon they gathered to discuss the problem, “What we all need is to be able to see.” They all agreed but were not sure what to do, they needed to find light.

Fox said he knew others on the other side of the world who had plenty of light, but they were too greedy to share it with anyone. Possum said he would be glad to steal a little of it. “I have a bushy tail, I could hide the light inside all that fur.” It was agreed and decided he could try to get some light for them all, so he set out for the other side of the world. There he found the sun hanging in a tree and lighting everything up. He quietly crept over to the sun taking from it a tiny piece of light and stuffing it into his tail. But the light was too hot and it burned all his fur. Soon the people discovered his theft and took back the light, and ever since, Possum’s tail has been bald.

“I will try,” said Buzzard. “I know better than to hide a piece of stolen light in my tail, I will place it on the top of my head.” He flew to the other side of the world and swooped straight into the sun seizing it with his claws. He then placed it on his head, where it proceeded to burn all his head feathers off. The people seeing him on fire and trying to steal what was theirs, grabbed the sun away from him, and ever since that time Buzzard’s head has remained bald.

Grandmother Spider said, “I will try!” So she set about the task of making a thick walled pot out of clay. Next she spun a web reaching all the way to the other side of the world. The fact that Grandmother Spider was so small, none of the people in the village of the sun even saw her coming. Quickly Grandmother Spider snatched up the sun and placed it in the bowl of clay carrying it back home along one of the strong strands of her web. Now her side of the world had light, and everyone rejoiced.

Grandmother Spider brought not only the sun to the Cherokee, but fire with it and she taught the Cherokee people the art of making pottery!

 


Blessings
~bear Medicinewalker

 

 

 

A Time Of Prophecy

We are living in an unprecedented time. We are bearing witness to many ugly and hateful things. Things that many are unable to understand how it is we are to assist in bringing back balance to the world. Violence is a common day occurrence. It is one of the Worlds darkest hours. War, Hate and much more circle us all, pulling us in an a seemingly tight grasp we are All trying to break away from. 

It is time for us all to listen and take pause as to how we must be instruments of balance. No easy feat for sure, but we can if we work together attain what it is we seek.  We must look to our Past to find our Future. There were many Prophecies among the Tribal Councils over the years. A foretelling of the times we live. Read and take to heart the messages that we all should remember and embrace.

An Elder from the ‘Cree’ tribe, whose name was named ‘Eyes of Fire,’ who prophesied that one day, due to the White race, we would be witness to a time fish would die in the streams, the birds would fall from the air, the waters would be blackened, and the trees would no longer be, mankind as we would know it would all but cease to exist.

‘There would come a time when the ‘keepers of the legend, stories, culture rituals, and myths, and all the Ancient Tribal Customs’ would be needed to restore us to health. The key to survival, will be the ‘THE WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW. all the peoples of all the tribes would form together a New World of Justice, Peace, Freedom and Creators Healing Grace. Brining in a Balance of All on the Great Mother Earth.

Warriors will have many tasks ahead of them. There will be terrifying mountains of ignorance to conquer and they shall find prejudice and hatred. They must be dedicated, unwavering in their strength, and strong of heart. They will find willing hearts and minds that will follow them on this road of returning everything to balance and harmony.

The Anishinabe Nations, from the Great Lakes area, speak about the Seven Fires Prophecy. The Voice of the Ojibway, 1988.

The Seventh Prophet that came to the people long ago was said to be different from the other prophets. This prophet was described as ‘young and had a strange light in his eyes’ and spoke …

“In the time of the Seventh Fire New People will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail. Their steps will take them to the Elders who they will ask to guide them on their journey. But many of the Elders will have fallen asleep. They will awaken to this new time with nothing to offer. Some of the Elders will be silent because no one will ask anything of them. The New People will have to be careful in how they approach the Elders. The task of the New People will not be easy.

“If the New People will remain strong in their quest the Water Drum of the Midewiwin Lodge will again sound its voice. There will be a rebirth of the Anishinabe Nation and a rekindling of old flames. The Sacred Fire will again be lit. It is this time that the light skinned race will be given a choice between two roads. If they choose the right road, then the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth and final Fire, an eternal fire of peace, love brotherhood and sisterhood.

A purge is occurring each moment we breathe, I ask all of those among us that are strong, that are peaceful Warriors… Warriors of Change step up and walk with Us as the Rainbow Warriors we signed on to be before time, all time.

Blessings
~ bear Medicinewalker

Cherokee Legend of the Cedar Trees

legend of the cedar

A long time ago when the Cherokee People were new upon the Earth, they decided that life would be much better if night time did not exist. They prayed and offered smoke to the Ouga (Creator) that daylight would stay all the time and darkens would no longer exist. Creator heard their voices and agreed to release Grandmother Moon and her blanket of nighttime from its task. Father Sun rose and stayed focused shedding light in the sky from that point on.

Soon, the forests grew and were thick with heavy growth. It became difficult to walk and to find the pathways from village to village, home to home. The people worked in the gardens hours at a time trying to keep the weeds pulled so they would not over grow and smother the corn and other food plants. It became extremely hot never letting up from day to day. Soon it became very difficult to sleep which caused the people to become restless, short tempered and to begin arguing over small and insignificant things.

Not many days had passed before the People came to realize that they had made a mistake. They began to pray to the Creator. “Please, we have made a mistake in asking for continuous sunlight. Now we think that perhaps it should be night all the time.”

The Creator pondered on what had been asked and thought about how all things had been created in two’s to keep the balance… day and night, life and death, good and evil, times of plenty and those times of famine. However Creator loved the people and decided to give them once again what they asked for. He asked Father Sun to rest and Grandmother Moon to return.

So from that point daytime ceased and nighttime’s blanket fell upon the Earth. Soon, the crops stopped growing and it became very cold. The people spent their time gathering wood for the fires trying to stay warm. They could not see to hunt meat and with no crops growing soon people were cold, weak, and very hungry, and many of died.

Once again they gathered and prayed to the Creator. “Help us Creator, we have made a terrible mistake. What you once created was perfect and as it should be, from the beginning. Please forgive us and make the day and night as it was before.”

Once again the Creator listened to the request of the people and soon day and the night became, as the people had asked, as it had been in the beginning. Each day was divided between light and darkness. The weather became more pleasant, and the crops began to grow again. Game was plentiful and the hunting was good. The people had plenty of food and there was little illness. Once again the people treated each other with compassion and respect. It was good to be alive.

The people gathered, thanking Creator for their lives and for all that was Sacred.

Creator accepted the gratitude, however, during the time of the long days of night, many of the people had died, and the Creator wanted the people to have a reminder of this time and the people that were lost. So Creator placed their Spirits in a newly created tree. And named the tree a-tsi-na tlu-gv {ah-see-na loo-guh} or Cedar tree.

So when you smell the aroma of the Cedars or gaze upon them as they stand strong among the forests, remember you are looking upon our Ancestors, and offer them thanks and tobacco.

It is the belief to this day that the wood of the great Cedar tree holds the Spirits of the Ancestors. Many carry a small piece of cedar wood in their medicine bags worn around the neck. It is also placed above the entrances to the house to protect against the entry of evil spirits, even some of our traditional drums are made from the Great Cedars…the Spirits of our Ancestors.

Blessings,

bear Medicinewalker

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The Story Of the Black Corn Woman as shared by bear Medicinewalker

There is so much violence in the world that often people find themselves caught up in it and in this process they loose themselves. By that I mean they get lost deep inside, pushed their by fear and loss of self worth.

The lesson of self Love is a tough one for victims of abuse, assault but part of the process and in order to allow healing to begin, we often have to release and find self acceptance again. To learn to Love self, one of the hardest lessons many of us have to learn.

The following is a story I was told long ago, and the lesson within is strong. I hope that all those that need to read and understand the lesson do, and understand there is no judgement involved in our own lives that is harsher than self judgement. Love begins with Self….

There once was a woman called Black Corn. She lived in a village that was surrounded by amazing beauty. It was plain to see everywhere, in the forest, in the plains, in the sky above and upon the earth below. Black Corn herself was extremely tall, in fact she was taller than all of the other women of her village, and truth be told she was taller than most of the men as well. She was very strong yet fair to see. however within her was hidden deeper darker emotions that were filled with discontent, doubt, anger and more than is healthy for people to live with day to day.

Black Corn was very unhappy. Her heart was filled with love yet could not seem to find the one to give it to. All she wanted was to love someone and have someone love her in return. She loved her family and people of the village dearly and did all she could for them, even to the point of sacrificing her own wants to help others. Many Gifts she had been given by Creator, but could not seem to find them when she needed them the most. Others laughed at her for things she did not understand and in turn began believing in what was being said about her. At first with doubt, then willingly that the lies and the actions were deserved.

When she looked upon her reflection in the surface of the water, she would think about all the negatives that had been spoken to her, “you are too direct, too tall, too strong, you show too much passion, too much love, too much everything, and no one wants what you have to give!” Yet the love she held inside for all the People was full to bursting within her heart and all she wanted was someone who would accept her love, for the People to accept her and love her for who she was.

Despair and heartache filled her until one day she awoke as if in a dream, “Why is it this way? What did I do that was so awful that I should be treated in this manner?” She sat looking deep inside for an answer to these questions. She went beyond all of the hurt, all of the pain that had been put upon her, past the men who had used her without her consent breaking her spirit. So many judgments had been passed on her but none so harsh as what she had passed upon herself. The deeper she looked, the uglier it became until it rose to rage! But soon she realized that this too was illusion. The anger, the rage was all self deception, a shield she had put in place in order to protect herself from what laid within.

Soon she decided that no longer would she hide behind the rage and the sorrow that she had held onto over the years and it washed over her like a tidal wave as she stood defenseless in its path. She no longer had the strength to fight it, no shield to protect her any longer. Out she ran into the forest, hearing the tiny voice inside screaming in agony, dying, dying, dying, wanting to scream out loud, knowing that all she had ever felt she was that she was slowly dying a painful death. Finally she cried out clutching at the pain in her chest, willing herself to slip away. She screamed out in pain and agony, begging for Creator to take her away from this pain.

“Creator, please I can not bear this life, this pain any more for it is simply too much, Please, please, take me home, please let me have peace!” And when she had finished crying out these words and prayers all of the ugliness that was inside her had been given voice, a sound so awful to hear that not even the creatures made a sound out of respect for her pain. She laid down on the forest floor allowing it to wrap around her body as her very soul felt as though it had been ripped open lying before the Creator. It was at that moment she finally saw the truth.

It began when she was 7 summers old; she would go into the forest to play and one day a strange man came upon her and began to speak with her. His words were intriguing and he spoke of grown-up things that she liked to hear about. Eventually this stranger seduced her as a child, and as a child, not knowing any better, had allowed it. Many years would pass before Black Corn realized what had been done to her, and when she did realize, she issued a judgment so severe upon herself that she began to believe that she was unworthy of love. She lost all respect for herself and, indeed, this is what she projected unknowingly to everyone she came into contact with. The voices of the others that would taunt her were really reflections of her own voice within that she could not, until now, listen to.

In that moment laying on the forest floor, she began to see with clarity what was that made the People treat her as they were, and with that knowing, she began to cry, heart wrenching cries that tore at the very fabric of her soul and thus began the cleansing process from within. She found that while she had forgiven that strange man his trespass against her, placing blame on herself and creating in a fantasy in her mind that she had been the victim, all the while feeling the guilt of the participant. There had been one other who had used her in this fashion, a relative, who did not know of the first stranger. But by then, the damage to her soul had been done and, while not realizing why it was so, she allowed herself to be degraded even more by this second man. After that, there was no room for self-respect or self love, feeling as she did that she was unworthy for the things she had done.

After the sobbing had subsided, Black Corn began to feel differently, having accepted everything that was ugly inside of her, she began to heal. Finally, after all of these years it was released. It took a long time, but finally she was able to understand and began to love herself as well as forgive those who took her unfairly and in bad faith, took her innocence and made something ugly out of it. With all that was released there was now room for love to enter and fill her soul. All of the love she wanted to give the People was the love that she had been denying herself. Once she could learn to love herself and accept herself, she could also love the People much more than she ever thought possible, and the People rejoiced! For they had always loved Black Corn, but because she did not love herself she could not see this and probably never would have if she had not asked herself “why am I being treated this way?”

The answer was within her all the time….Love…Love of Self. This was Creator’s answer to her prayers.

I offer prayer for all those that are victims of abuse and violence, that they too shall find Love in the souls for themselves and that the shame, the unforgiving emotions that they place upon themselves are released and replaced with the knowing that they too are loved and worthy of love. Enabling them to move to more positive places within their lives.

Blessings to All

~ bear Medicinewalker

Creatures Great and Small!


From the time I was a child I always was close to the creatures of the Earth. My Mother was always scared to open the door if I had gone camping or spent the night at a friends house. My Big Brother was the same. Didn’t matter what sort of Critter it was, we brought it home with us. Always treated with kindness or even sometimes simply took care of them when they had broken bones or poor health until we could release them. So Imagine it would not come as a surprise that St. Francis would be close to me, or that adults would call me Dr. Doolittle from a very young age.

Now fast-forward to later in life, I then understood that not all humans could understand or hear creatures speak. But it never bothered me as I love all creatures and yes even the creepy spiders. I try to remove them and put them somewhere else. Although I have had some spend winters indoors and just talked to them and told them you do you and I will do me and never should the two collide. Thus the ” We are All Are Related Deck” came forth so it could connect with people and also teach them about not only about the creatures, but about themselves.

I have weaved in and out through life as I have gotten older, St. Francis of Assisi never was far. He also resides in my garden, so is a prominent influence for my life. For those who do not know who St. Francis is here’s a little about him. He was born in 1181 in Italy to a very influential family of wealth. Saint Francis of Assisi abandoned a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church and live in poverty. In 1224 Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with the stigmata of Christ — marks resembling the wounds Jesus Christ suffered when he was crucified, through his hands and the gaping lance wound in his side. This made Francis the first person to receive the holy wounds of the stigmata. They would remain visible for the rest of his life. Because of his earlier work treating lepers, some believe that the wounds were actually symptoms of leprosy. Today he is the patron saint for ecologists and the Creatures of the planet.

So I guess it was no surprise that in 2019 I had cardiac issues while I was having surgery on my spine. That evening I woke up in CCU at the hospital and spent the next five days in the hospital. The wild thing through all of it was the fact that as I floated in the in-between, St. Francis was the one that greeted me and told me to get my Happy Butt back as it was not my time. He did this three times. I told him all I wanted to do was see my pup that had recently passes at a very old age of 19 years. He responded that “Boone” was fine and would be just fine until it was my time to see him. He also called me stubborn and bullheaded as he sent me packing. So to say it was a profound experience was saying the least.

Since that time I know my purpose, my path, why I am here… is to be here for others. To stand for our Creatures of the World who have no Human voice. To point out the positives in life as we all are surrounded by chaos and negativity. Sometimes it’s hard to see a light through it all. Yet as we move forward, we need to remember we are in charge of us. Dealing with choices that will not only effect us, but others as we are All Connected in this great big quilt of life.

He is represented by the prayer and song Make me a Channel of Your Peace, which I would reckon we have heard at one time or another. The words are so appropriate for the world we live in every day. If you have never heard it… I share the prayer;

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in You
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
It is in giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy

I will always til my last breath be there for whom ever, and whatever Creature pops on my radar. So as you all walk through your days, remember to be kinder, more empathetic, compassionate and understanding to yourselves and others. as we are ALL in this together. I thank and talk with St. Francis every day… he is present in my life, as he is in us all. We simply have to dig deeper to find him. Ask him and he will reply.

Blessings to You All.

~ bear

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