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You must become the rock the river cannot wash away.Speak your voice.Dance
SPIRITUAL WARRIOR
~TO WALK THE RED ROAD~
"Stand still. The trees ahead and the bushes beside you are not lost. Wherever you are is called here, and you must treat it as a powerful stranger, must ask permission to know it and be known." 'I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again saying, 'here.' No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, you are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows where you are. You must let it find you. Here, also, were a great many Indians.
No 1. What I am I must become What I see I must try to find What I hear I must play music to What I touch I must leave alone I turn then to all reflections of myself In trees and sacred things That nature gives to me
No 2 This was our land. The land that the mountain needed in order To raise in majesty. The land my people needed in order To roam its secrets in reverence. This land was the land Of our great waters The beating heart of nature flowing through time That we could not remember. This was our land. The land that provided everything good for my people. The land was always our land And the sun set upon it The rain washed it And the fire was kind in its fury. It was so for all time. Then the land was taken from us. It is your land. Do you know how to speak to the land, my brother? Do you listen to what it tells you? Can you keep its secrets to yourself?> Sell the land, my brother? You might as well sell The sun, the moon, the stars.
No. 3. I have killed the deer. I have crushed the grasshopper. And the plants he feeds upon. I have taken fish from the water. And birds from the sky. In my life I have needed death So that my life can be. When I die I must give life To what has nourished me. The earth receives my body And gives it to the plants And to the caterpillars To the birds And to the coyotes Each in its own turn so that The circle of life is never broken.
No. 4 My father's face is in the rock on the mountain; the rock to which I turn and all sons turn to see the face of all our fathers on the mountain. The voice of my father is on the wind and my voice also when it becomes strong for only my sons to hear and keep on hearing after I am gone. To fly higher than the eagle, to run faster than the deer, to swim as freely as the fish, to have the cunning of the coyote and the sleekness of the lion - this is to possess the spirit that sings in the wind and cries in the fire, the spirit that shall never leave my home.
No. 5 My help is in the mountain Where I take myself to heal The earthly wounds That people give to me. I find a rock with the sun on it And a stream where the water runs gentle And the trees which one by one give me company. So must I stay for a long time Until I have grown from the rock And the stream is running through me And I cannot tell myself from one tall tree. Then I know that nothing touches me Nor makes me run away. My help is in the mountain That I take away with me. Earth cure me. Earth receive my woe. Rock strengthen me. Rock receive my weakness. Rain wash my suddenness away. Rain receive my doubt. Sun make sweet my song. Sun receive the anger from my heart.
No. 6 Let us move evenly together. Let us stand as one. Let evil be cast from us. Let no man cry for himself Or listen to those without faces. Let us move evenly together. Let us walk as tall trees. Let fear be crushed within us. Let no man speak for himself Or give secrets to those without blood. We shall live together; We shall walk with you; We shall find in each new day what hides inside of you, We shall wait together; We shall see the day when we go hand in hand. To the fire in the mountain, To the water in the sand.
No. 7
There is no music either. I went to learn how the white man lives. I went to learn if he's free. I went to learn the white man's ways But I found them a stranger to me. Shall I teach you, my brother? Shall I teach you the Indian way? Listen, my brother. My words are those of dead generations And of generations still to be. My words I give to you. The meaning is for you to find. How should I live? Among my people a small voice? In your world silent? Among my people there is no horizon. In your world I have seen Shall I teach you to live and to see? The universe contained in glass. You tell us that times are changing. You say that we do not know The times in which we live. We say to you that this time is like any other time If a man's feet are on the ground And his heart is in the right place And he does not try to make The eagle into an airplane. What is there for me when I have finished planting? What is there for me at the end of the row I must hoe? What is there for me when the harvest is over? Better corn. That is all.
No. 8 Pieces of sun on the lake of my spirits; Pieces of sun on waters of eagle and hawk; Pieces of sun lie broken on the waters of the lake From which come the voice to all my singing, the eyes to all my beauty, the peace to all my longing. Above all is the long-living spirit which is the thread from generation to generation, as long as the land we live on is everlasting and our children have a place to lie down. All as it was, love. All as it was, beauty. All as it was, order. All as it was, in exactly the right place. This place of the sun trail The buffalo-grass plain The hummingbird spring The grass hat The frog mesa And the Big House in the lake where good spirits live. This place of my people This place of my grandsons still unborn. All as it was, peace. Everything good is to be found here. Everything good is to be kept here.
No. 9 My brother the star, my mother the earth my father the sun, my sister the moon, to my life give beauty, to my body give strength, to my corn give goodness, to my house give peace, to my spirit give truth, to my elders give wisdom.
No. 10 My horse took me down the life-giving road Drawing his breath of strong spirit His breath of power to plow and to pull. But now he is old And his breath is of feathers and corn. I add to his breath The breath of my own And pray to his old age of riches.
No. 11 Every morning I walk to the tent of the mountain. I stand secure. I am in peace. The wind comes. There the breath of the mountain telling me the path to take. I am gone and am going to the mountain so that I may see the lightening break the sky in two and rain come to heal it up again. I come to the place where I have stepped before. The wind blows my steps away in the dust. The steps of all who walk here go with the wind and walk with the sky. Up here is quiet. My feet are quiet. My hands are quiet. My eyes are also quiet. They see a bird flying quiet, a tree blow- ing quiet, a moon rising quiet. Only my soul is not quiet. My soul does not rest until the corn is planted.
No. 12 There is an eagle in me and a spotted bird hurrying corn to grow . The eagle flies to the mountains of my dreams, flies to the corners of my distant hopes. But the spotted bird stands among the cornstalks telling me to hoe. My hands are the tools of my soul. They make the drum, the bow, the flute, and stretch the skin of the deer. They work the earth and care for the sheep and plant the corn. They greet my homeland each morning that I awake.
No. 13 Mountain of discontent. Mountain of talking gods And cold fire. Mountain of dry bones And silent ashes I cry to your empty womb. Where is your comfort In this time for staying still? I lay on the rock in the stream Long enough so that what was not good in me washed down and away, gone from my body forever.
No. 14 When trouble comes to me I have to dance until the dust receives my trouble. The dust takes my trouble to the mountain. The mountain grows with the dust of trouble. The place for my trouble to be.
No. 15 My feet touch earth and dance to the drums which are in my heart as well. If my feet do not touch earth the dance will not be good. And the music in my heart will all be still.
Native American Wisdom"Those that lie down with dogs, get up with fleas." Blackfoot "Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way." Blackfoot "We do not inherit the world from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Duty on us to return it to them in the absolute situation" tribe unknown "Listening to a liar is like drinking warm water." tribe unknown "When a fox walks lame, the old rabbit jumps." Oklahoma "A starving man will eat with the wolf." Oklahoma "The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs." Southwest "Even a small mouse has anger." tribe unknown "Make my enemy brave and strong, so that if defeated, I will not be ashamed." Plains "Not every sweet root gives birth to sweet grass." tribe unknown "The coward shoots with eyes." Oklahoma "If a man is to do something more than human, he must have more than human powers." tribe unknown "If you raindance... You will get your teepee wet." "Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand." "Tell the truth always even if it is bitter to taste." "If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both." "The Great Spirit gave you two ears and only one mouth, so you can talk half as much as you listen." "If you take [a copy of] the Christian Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words are printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our bible IS the wind." "Each bird loves to hear himself sing." Arapaho "All plants are our brothers and sisters. They talk to us and if we listen, we can hear them." Arapaho "If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come" Arapaho There is a road in the hearts of all of us, hidden and seldom traveled, which leads to an unknown, secret place.
Do not lead me, For I may not always follow. Do not follow me, For I may not always lead. Lets walk our paths together, As brothers, friends forever as one.
ah tey wa chee un kink tay"...and, again I will see You"
Native WisdomIt is less of a problem to be poor, than to be dishonest. Anishinabe What the people believe is true. Anishinabe It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand. Apache Each bird loves to hear himself sing. Arapaho All plants are our brothers and sisters. They talk to us and if we listen, we can hear them. Arapaho Take only what you need and leave the land as you found it. Arapaho Before eating, always take time to thank the food. Arapaho When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us. Arapaho If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come. Arapaho Most of us do not look as handsome to others as we do to ourselves. Assiniboine What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset... Blackfoot When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, he world cries and you rejoice. Cherokee Don't let yesterday use up too much of today. Cherokee The weakness of the enemy makes our strength. Cherokee A good soldier is a poor scout. Cheyenne If a man is as wise as a serpent, he can afford to be as harmless as a dove. Cheyenne Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark. Cheyenne Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins. Cheyenne A danger foreseen is half-avoided. Cheyenne Our first teacher is our own heart. Cheyenne All who have died are equal. Comanche One rain does not make a crop. Creole Man's law changes with his understanding of man. Only the laws of the spirit remain always the same. Crow Old age is not as honorable as death, but most people want it. Crow You already possess everything necessary to become great. Crow We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. Dakota There is no death, only a change of worlds. Duwamish Day and night cannot dwell together. Duwamish In age, talk; in childhood, tears. Hopi One finger cannot lift a pebble. Hopi All dreams spin out from the same web. Hopi The one who tells the stories rules the world. Hopi The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Hopi Don't be afraid to cry. It will free your mind of sorrowful thoughts. Hopi Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for you. Hopi The rainbow is a sign from Him who is in all things. Hopi A brave man dies but once, a coward many times. Iowa Walk lightly in the spring; Mother Earth is pregnant. Kiowa When a man moves away from nature his heart becomes hard. Lakota Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance. Lakota Many have fallen with the bottle in their hand. Lakota Everything the power does, it does in a circle. Lakota A man or woman with many children has many homes. Lakota Sioux Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past, Wisdom is of the future. Lumbee Everyone who is successful must have dreamed of something. Maricopa If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Minquass A good chief gives, he does not take. Mohawk Remember that your children are not your own, but are lent to you by the Creator. Mohawk Regard Heaven as your father, Earth as your Mother and all things as your Brothers and Sisters. Native American The soul would have no rainbow if the eye had no tears. Native American Coyote is always out there waiting, and Coyote is always hungry. Navajo There is nothing as eloquent as a rattlesnakes tail. Navajo You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep. Navajo A rocky vineyard does not need a prayer, but a pick ax. Navajo Every animal knows more than you do. Nez Perce White men have too many chiefs. Nez Perce To touch the earth is to have harmony with nature. Oglala Sioux When a fox walks lame, the old rabbit jumps. Oklahoma A starving man will eat with the wolf. Oklahoma The coward shoots with shut eyes. Oklahoma It is easy to be brave from a distance. Omaha Ask questions from you heart and you will be answered from the heart. Omaha A hungry stomach makes a short prayer. Paiute Do not wrong or hate your neighbor for it is not he that you wrong but yourself. Pima Cherish youth, but trust old age. Pueblo Sharing and giving are the ways of God. Sauk We are all one child spinning through Mother Sky. Shawnee Each person is his own judge. Shawnee Sing your death song and die like a hero going home. Shawnee - Chief Tecumseh We are made from Mother Earth and we go back to Mother Earth. Shenandoah It is no longer good enough to cry peace, we must act peace, live peace and live in peace. Shenandoah There are many good moccasin tracks along the trail of a straight arrow. Sioux With all things and in all things, we are relatives. Sioux Poverty is a noose that strangles humility and breeds disrespect for God and man. Sioux The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives. Sioux A people without a history is like the wind over buffalo grass. Sioux The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs. Southwest Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand. tribe unknown Listening to a liar is like drinking warm water. tribe unknown Listen or your tongue will keep you deaf. tribe unknown If a man is to do something more than human, he must have more than human powers. tribe unknown The soul would have no rainbow if the eye had no tears. tribe unknown Even a small mouse has anger. tribe unknown Not every sweet root give birth to sweet grass. tribe unknown Man has responsiblity, not power. Tuscarora Those who have one foot in the canoe, and one foot in the boat, are going to fall into the river. Tuscarora They are not dead who live in the hearts they leave behind. Tuscarora The way of the troublemaker is thorny. Umpqua God gives us each a song. Ute A man must make his own arrows. Winnebago After dark all cats are leopards. Zuni When you die, you will be spoken of as those in the sky, like the stars. Yurok Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints. Chief Seattle When the Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear, when that happens, The Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them. Chief Seattle All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. Chief Seattle So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours. Chief Tecumseh Peace comes within the souls of men, when they realize their oneness with the Universe, when they realize it is really everywhere... it is within each one of us. Black Elk, Lakota Medicine Man A very great vision is needed, and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.Chief Crazy Horse Hoka Hey It is a good time to die. Chief Crazy Horse My elders have told me that these teachings are important to humanity. And that the more people understand them, the better things will get. Although the essence of tradition belief and spirit is the same the world over; they say, that if you are able to search out your own roots, it is best if we can preserve our own traditions. We need them all. All the Earth's indigenous ways. Furthermore, they were created to work in the land of their birth.
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