Sweetgrass….ahhhhh that glorious fresh scent that brings a multitude of memories to me instantly. It is the lustrous grass that my horses found one spring as soon as we let them into the pasture that contained it, we went to investigate and they almost had it all mowed down. We all laughed; for even the four leggeds understand how good it is.
It’s associated with the element of Air. The botanical name is Heirochloe odorata, currently growing mainly in the plains across the United States and on up into Canada. The plant can induce a soporific effect and have been used in meditation and shamanistic rituals with the belief that it has some mild psychotropic properties.
Native People believe that Sweet grass is the first plant that covered the Great Mother Earth. It is viewed as Sacred; we often use this plant for religious purposes such as making incense and calling spirits as well as to aid us during fasting. Drawing in positive vibrational energy along with purification it drives away the negative spirits and energies while the sweetness draws in the positive energies and spirits to assist us and guide us in the right ways.
When we use Sweetgrass for smudging drawing in positive energies it changes the energy of one’s space and being. Traditionally you will see the Sweetgrass twisted into braids and sometimes in smudge packages…I have braids in the rooms of my home and among my sacred objects. I often add clippings into my own smudge mixture with the White Sage, for it adds purification to the intention and space.
Sweetgrass can instantly change the energy surrounding one’s physical body and environment while improving our emotional state, bringing it to a renewed perspective. It draws the feelings of abundance and uplifts our spirits as it invades our senses. It also provides a positive energy to our auric fields and is useful as we perform energy work or healing practices.
Used when you need to balance or are in need of comfort, it will bring calmness and peace to your thoughts. I have found it to immediately give me a sense of empowerment, of clarity, and the ability to refocus my thoughts in order to gain a better perspective from a more positive place.
Here’s to all of you, Blessings for today and beyond
The Hopi people believe there are two forms of everything on the planet: physical and spiritual. The word “katsinum” means spirit, and this is where the word “Kachina” comes from.
The story of how the Kachina came to the Hopi people starts off long ago in a village of our ancestors. Drought had taken hold of the lands and people for many years. Slowly as the food stores ran out the people began to die. When it was thought that all hope was lost, the Kachina Spirits saw the people suffering and took pity on them. They decided to show themselves and materialized in human-like form to teach them how to grow food, bring rain and heal the sick through prayers of song and dance.
At first the people were very afraid of the Kachina’s, thinking they maybe evil because they had never shown themselves before. So the villagers they began to gather their weapons to drive them away. The Kachina’s however, blessed the people through song and dance; and produced gifts of food for them and helped to heal the sick, they brought the rains back the thirsty crops. So, thankful to the Kachina’s the Hopi people asked them to become a part of their tribe. And it became so and in the village they all lived together for many years.
As time passed the people began to get lazy. No longer hungry or dependent on the weather to assist them with their crops, they began to neglect their sacred way of life. Fields were choked with weeds, husbands and wives became promiscuous, and elders who could no longer care for themselves were forgotten. Children were left alone crying and dirty, and their homes began to crumble.
The Kachina’s seeing that because they had with the Hopi people, things came to easy to the villagers and they soon forgot how to be humble, how important the need for prayer and honor were. So they decided that it would be best to return once again to where they had come from, thus allowing the people to return to the rightful way of life.
The people realizing what was about to happen begged the Kachina’s to stay, but their pleadings were denied. However before leaving the villages, the Kachina’s agreed to teach the Hopi people once again how to prepare offerings, ceremonial dress, songs and dance for how to harnessing the power of the elements. Only then, once they understood how to once again be humble …to honor the cycle would the Kachina spirits deliver their prayers to higher deities to bring rain, bountiful harvests, health and happiness to all the people of the world.
Now I will share with you the story of the Blue Kachina…
“This story of the Blue Kachina is a very old story, I was told this story when I was in my teens by grandmothers that attended a gathering I was at. I was intrigued and remember it well.
“It was said that first the Blue Kachina will start to be seen at the dances, and would make his appearance known to the children while the night dance was occurring. When this happens it will warn us that the end times are very near. Then the Blue Star Kachina will physically appear in our heavens which would mean again that we are in the end times.
It is foretold that in the Final days we will look up in our heavens and we will witness the return of the two brothers who helped create this world in the birthing time, the guardian of the North and his Brother the guardian of the South. In the final days the Blue Star Kachina, who is Uncle to the two guardians will return to be with them and they will return the Earth to its natural rotation which is counter clock wise.
If we look to the many petroglyphs within the Mayan and Egyptian pyramids we also can see evidence it this story. The rotation of the Earth has been manipulated by not so benevolent Star beings. The twins will be seen in our North Western skies. They will come and visit to see who still remembered the original teachings flying in their flying shields. They will bring many of their star family with them in the final days.
The return of the Blue Star Kachina will be the alarm clock that tells us of the new day and new way of life, a new world that is coming. This is where the changes will begin. They will start as fires that burn within us, and we will burn up with desires and conflict if we do not remember the original teachings, and return to the peaceful way of life.
It is important to understand that these messages will be found upon every living thing, even within our bodies, even within a drop of our blood. All life forms will receive the messages from the Guardians… those that fly, the plants, even the rabbit. The appearance of the Guardians begins a period of seven years that we will have the opportunity to change, to remember and honor the old ways, the Sacred… Everything that we experience is all a mater of choice, and if we choose correctly we bring back together a world that will reunite, balance and a sacred way of life.
So my wish to you all today is that we take some time to honor the Ancestors, to think about choices that we make…and that we choose the right ones that will balance us and help us honor the Ancient Guardians…
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing the Native culture with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…” Mitakuye O’yasin ~bear Medicinewalker
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project into this Year 2016…the year of Truths!”
Before people were on the Earth, the Chief of the Great Sky Spirits grew tired of his home in the Above World because it was always cold. So he made a hole in the sky by turning a stone around and around. Through the hole he pushed snow and ice until he made a big mound. This mound was Mount Shasta.
Then Sky Spirit stepped from the sky to the mountain and walked down. When he got about halfway down, he thought: “On this mountain there should be trees.” So he put his finger down and everywhere he touched, up sprang trees. Everywhere he stepped, the snow melted and became rivers.
The Sky Spirit broke off the end of his big walking stick he had carried from the sky and threw the pieces in the water. The long pieces became Beaver and Otter. The smaller pieces became fish. From the other end of his stick he made the animals.
Biggest of all was Grizzly Bear. They were covered with fur and had sharp claws just like today, but they could walk on their hind feet and talk. They were so fierce looking that the Sky Spirit sent them to live at the bottom of the mountain. When the leaves fell from the trees, Sky Spirit blew on them and made the birds.
Then Sky Spirit decided to stay on the Earth and sent for his family. Mount Shasta became their lodge. He made a BIG fire in the middle of the mountain and a hole in the top for the smoke and sparks. Every time he threw a really big log on the fire, the Earth would tremble and sparks would fly from the top of the mountain.
Late one spring, Wind Spirit was blowing so hard that it blew the smoke back down the hole and burned the eyes of Sky Spirit’s family. Sky Spirit told his youngest daughter to go tell Wind Spirit not to blow so hard.
Sky Spirit warned his daughter: “When you get to the top, don’t poke your head out. The wind might catch your hair and pull you out. Just put your arm through and make a sign and then speak to Wind Spirit.”
The little girl hurried to the top of the mountain and spoke to Wind Spirit. As she started back down, she remembered that her father had told her that the ocean could be seen from the top of the mountain. He had made the ocean since moving his family to the mountain and his daughter had never seen it.
She put her head out of the hole and looked to the west. The Wind Spirit caught her hair and pulled her out of the mountain. She flew over the ice and snow and landed in the scrubby fir trees at the timberline, her long red hair flowing over the snow.
There Grizzly Bear found her. He carried the little girl home with him wondering who she was. Mother Grizzly Bear took care of her and brought her up with her cubs. The little girl and the cubs grew up together. When she became a young woman, she and the eldest son of Grizzly Bear were married. In the years that followed they had many children. The children didn’t look like their father or their mother.
All the grizzly bears throughout the forest were proud of these new creatures. They were so pleased, they made a new lodge for the red-haired mother and her strange looking children. They called the Lodge – Little Mount Shasta.
After many years had passed, Mother Grizzly Bear knew that she would soon die. Fearing that she had done wrong in keeping the little girl, she felt she should send word to the Chief of the Sky Spirits and ask his forgiveness. So she gathered all the grizzlies at Little Mount Shasta and sent her oldest grandson to the top of Mount Shasta, in a cloud, to tell the Spirit Chief where he could find his daughter.
The father was very glad. He came down the mountain in great strides. He hurried so fast the snow melted. His tracks can be seen to this day. As he neared the lodge, he called out for his daughter. He expected to see a little girl exactly as he saw her last. When he saw the strange creatures his daughter was taking care of, he was surprised to learn that they were his grandchildren and he was very angry. He looked so sternly at the old grandmother that she died at once. Then he cursed all the grizzlies.
“Get down on your hands and knees. From this moment on all grizzlies shall walk on four feet. And you shall never talk again. You have wronged me.”
He drove his grandchildren out of the lodge, threw his daughter over his shoulder and climbed back up the mountain. Never again did he come to the forest. Some say he put out the fire in the center of his lodge and returned to the sky with his daughter. Those strange grandchildren scattered and wandered over the earth. They were the first Indians, the ancestors of all the Indian Tribes.
That is why the Indians living around Mount Shasta never kill Grizzly Bear. Whenever one of them was killed by a grizzly bear, his body was burned on the spot. And for many years all who passed that way cast a stone there until a great pile of stones marked the place of his death.
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing Native Cultures with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…” Mitakuye O’yasin ~bear Medicinewalker
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project into this Year 2016…the Year of Truths!”
“MEDICINEBEAR” by Chris Ferree available at and on Itunes
Rocks… we use them to build houses, structures that reach the sky. They serve as containers for rivers and lakes, they have been used to create weapons, and tools… they come in all kinds of shapes and colors, and sizes. Some are clear, some are dense… but they all have been around longer than any of us put together. They are the Keepers of Wisdom; they are referred to as the Ancient Ones. I will share a little of the stories I have been told with you.
The People have told a story that in the beginning everything was in the mind of Creator. All things which were to be existed only as spirit. The spirits moved about in space seeking a place that they would be able to manifest and become. They traveled until they reached father Sun, but that was not a good place for Creation to begin for the heat was too extreme. Finally they settled on earth, and the Great Mother welcomed them. She was without life, but covered with the great waters. There was at that time no dry land for life to begin upon. Soon out of the waters came a great burning rock…it rose so high that it created dry lands as far as the eyes could behold. Then the clouds appeared and formed from the rivers and streams that were created. Then life on earth began. This is why the Rock people …Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks’ are to be given so much respect, for they are the oldest ones. The Keepers of the Wisdom’s of our time here, back to our very beginnings they take us. We respect them within the sweat lodges, as when they are placed there and water hits their surface, steam rises again recreating that moment of Creation.
Crystals have always seemed magical to me, they are used for gazing, they can hold energy and power, they have been used by Seers and mystics, Shaman and Medicine people of all races and religions for as long as time can be recorded. I will share with you now the “Legend of the Crystals”
In times long past, we lived in harmony with Nature. We spoke the same language as the four-legged and the plant people. We hunted for food only to satisfy our hunger and needs, always offering prayer of thanks for what was had taken from Nature. As time went on, we lost this innocence, harmony and balance. We became greedy and took more then we needed. Forgetting prayers of gratitude, we began killing animals, and each other, for sport and pleasure.
The Bear Clan, Chief among the animals, called a meeting of all the animals. They decided that something had to be done. The bears suggested that they shoot back when humans shot at them, but the bow and arrow required too great a sacrifice, for one bear would have to give up his life so that his sinew could be used for the bow string. The bear’s claws were too long for shooting a bow anyway, and would become entangled on the string.
The deer Clan offered another method of dealing with the problem. One of their clan said, “We will bring disease into the world. Each of us will be responsible for a different illness. When humans live out of balance with nature, when they forgotten give thanks for their food, they will get sick.” and in fact the deer did involve rheumatism and arthritis; each animal then decided to invoke a different disease.
The Plant Clan was more sympathetic and felt that this was too harsh a punishment, so they volunteered their help. They said that for every disease a human gets, one of them would be present to cure it. That way, if people used their intelligence they would be able to cure their ailments and regain their balance.
All of nature agreed to this strategy, One plant in particular spoke out. This was Tobacco, the chief of the plants. He said, “I will be the sacred herb. I will not cure any specific disease, but I will help people return to the scared way of life, provided I am smoked or offered with prayers and ceremony .But if I am misused, if I am merely smoked for pleasure, I will cause cancer, the worst disease of all.”
The close friends of the Plant Clan, the Rock Clan and the Mineral Clan, agreed to help. Each mineral would have a spiritual power, a subtle vibration that could be used to regain perfect health. The Ruby, worn as an amulet, would heal the heart; the emerald would heal the liver and eyes, and so on.
The chief of the mineral tribe, Quartz Crystal, was clear, like the light of creation itself. Quartz put his arms around his brother Tobacco and said, “I will be the scared mineral. I will heal the mind. I will help human beings see the origin of disease. I will help to bring wisdom and clarity in dreams. And I will record their spiritual history, including our meeting today, so that in the future, if humans gaze into me, they may see their origin and the way of harmony.” And so it is today.
I call to the sacred winds…to carry my words
To the Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the North, the south, the east, the west, Above …below and within…
I call to the sacred winds to carry my words to the Winged ones…the Four Leggeds…the Plant People…the Crystal Keepers, the Thunder Beings, the Angelic Realm…Mother Mary and Magdalene…my Brother Christ and all the nations that love us.
I thank you for all the many blessings that you have shared with us today and beyond and I ask that you hear our prayers whether spoken our held silently within our hearts.
Today I ask that you hear our prayers as we stand humbly before you, small and human.
Help us to remember we are all but a tiny part of a great universe, that we are all connected as one…
Bring us the strength we need to walk our paths without ego or judgment…
Allow our hearts to hear what our ears are missing
Teach us how to allow forgiveness for others and ourselves
Fill our being with the unconditional love that you so freely offer all.
I call that we be reminded we are all no better than or less than one another.
Guide us through our days, to help us with our humanness…that we learn to reconnect with others in a gentle and positive way. Offering smiles when they are needed without thought, shoulders or ears to help ease another…and words that will uplift or soothe.
Keep our children safe and strong in this troubled world… I ask that on this day and days to come…guidance is shared with our children to help them as they walk their paths. Help open their eyes so they can learn and see the right way of things, teach them to respect all life no matter how small, open their ears and minds so that they may understand things that are being taught to them in a good and gentle manner…open their hearts so that when the harshness of the world falls at their feet, they can cope and handle it with compassion and understanding.
I ask that today and all days ahead, that the Ancient Ones continue to share their knowledge with us, that they are able to continue to support us and remind us we are all related. That we honor them as the Great Wisdom Keepers that they are, that the lessons they have shared do not fall upon deaf ears, but rather help us to build the foundations to a better way of life, one that may honor all life as Sacred.
I thank all those who have walked with us and answer our calls…this day and in days to come…and honor you
… Aho
So my wish to you all today is when you are out and about. Look around you and see the Rock People…the Crystal keepers and as they shine at us with the warmth of Father Sun, or sparkle from beneath the rivers and waters of the Great Mother, we are reminded of how important they are, and that like each one of them, we are different …unique and all serve a purpose for the foundation of Life… life as we share it today.
I send you all peace…today… and may the love that is in my heart reach and find you all today, and fill your life with blessings.
In the beginning the Creator gave to the Four Leggeds and Winged Ones wisdom and knowledge and the power to talk to humans. Each creature was sent to tell the people that he showed himself through them. They would teach a chosen people of all lands the sacred songs and dances as well as rituals, prayers and lore. All things that would assist the humans to walk good healthy and balanced lives.
The creature that was most loved by the Creator was the Eagle for they bring with them the story of life. In the beginning the Eagle would only lays two eggs, and all living things in the world are divided into two. There is man and woman or male and female and this is true with all of life and nature here on the planet. All things are able to have children of two kinds so that life may continue. Man has two eyes, two hands, two feet and he has a body and soul, substance and shadow.
Through our eyes we can see pleasant and unpleasant scenes, through our nostrils we are able to smell good and bad odors, with our ears we can hear beautiful music or hear words that can make us sad. Our thoughts are divided between good and bad. Our right hands are sometimes used for bad, such as war or striking a person in anger. Yet our left hand which is nearest to our hearts are full of kindness. Our right feet may lead us to the wrong paths, but our left ones always guide us to the right way. And so it goes there is daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death.
In order for us to understand and remember this lesson of life, we should look to the great eagle the favorite Winged one of the Creator. Thus the eagle feather is divided into two parts one part light the other dark. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death. So that you may remember what I have shared with you look to the favored Winged One the Eagle, for his feathers will remind you of the story of life itself.
So try and recall what I have shared with you. For it is YOU and only You who will choose the path in life you will follow — the good way, or the wrong way.
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing Native cultures with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…” Mitakuye O’yasin ~bear Medicinewalker
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project into this Year 2017 “the year of Atonement”
Today I call upon our Brothers and Sisters from the Wolf packs… teach us that we are Universal beings… and that through accepting all aspects of life you can help us bring about balance and light the fire so we can cast the shadows out.
Definition of DARK ENERGY
Many explanations have been proposed for dark energy; the simplest is that it is an energy density inherent to empty space. “Empty Space”
Definition of LIGHT
1a : something that makes vision possible
b : the sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors
: a source of light: as
a : a celestial body
a : spiritual illumination
b : inner light
c : enlightenment
d : truth
Fear…darkness… evil… shadows… demons…hell …the devil… all labels given to bad things that as humans we may witness throughout our lives. If you don’t think they exist, or don’t want to believe they exist, that is your choice. But myself…I feel that we are better prepared if we understand it…so that we can walk in balance and stay the course of light.
As our voices are heard for good…and as they grow louder…we are often challenged with doubts and fears, sometimes we are challenged by the darkness itself… and when that happens we need to be true to who we are…and allow that energy no place with in our lives. I am not a Preacher…or a Prophet… But I am not naive in thinking that the darkness will not grow if we allow it to seep and flow into our lives….
Dark and Light
This is a story I will share… it is the Story of Two Wolves…
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story.
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.
But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, “The one I feed.”
So should we be scared of darkness? My answer to that is no…we simply must be aware of it… we must understand it… so that in turn we do not feed it. I ask that today and all days ahead, that we are held in your loving Grace Creator…that we are able to understand the darkness that shadows parts of our world and allow the light to shine upon those very shadows. May we feed the good in ourselves and others. May we be protected from the very shadows that challenge the lights we all carry…Knowing that in the end… shadows will exist no longer when light shines through.
So my wish to you all today is that you feed the light, with an understanding of the darkness…the shadows… use that knowledge to move forward and into a better space of mind, body and soul… and remember we are in control of the energies…the things that can affect us… be a positive to a world filled with negatives…and let yourself outshine all the shadows…and stop to think…which one will you feed?
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing Native cultures with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…” Mitakuye O’yasin ~bear Medicinewalker
“Join Me as I continue the Sacred Hoop Project into this Year 2016…the Year of Truths!”
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 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 cradleboard. 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 travelled 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, bravery, 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
Nbwaakaawin pronounced Nbwaa kaa win
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, wisdoms shared help bring about a peaceful and healthy life.
The Eagle teaches us LOVE.
Zaagidwin pronounced zaa gid win
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.
Mnaadendimowin pronounced Mnaa dendi mowin
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.
mangide’
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.
Gwekwaadiziwin pronounced Gwek waadi ziwin
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.
Dbaadendiziwin pronounced Dbaa dendi ziwin
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.
Debwewin pronounced Deb we win
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.
“I am Dedicated to Educating and sharing culture and our stories with the World. It is not enough merely to teach the ways of our Elders. We must honor those traditions by sharing and educating the World. Inspiring others …Inspiring our Youth. Through the Music… the Arts…the stories…” Blessings, ~bear Medicinewalker
