Nativ american VINDECARE by Gary Null de Gary Null copyright, 1996

drepturile de autor, 1996

Native Americans Speak Out on Sacred Healing and Transformational Rituals Native

americanii Speak out pe Sacru Vindecarea şi transformational Ritualuri

Note: The information on this website is not a substitute for Notă: Informaţiile de pe acest site nu este un substitut

pentru

diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed professional. diagnosticarea şi tratamentul cu majoritate calificată,

licenţiat profesionale.

According to Lakota [Sioux] lore, a long time ago, during a time of famine, a woman appeared,

wearing white buffalo skin, and carrying a sacred pipe. Potrivit Lakota [Sioux] Lore, cu mult

timp în urmă, într-o perioadă de foamete, o femeie a apărut, poartă pielea albă de bivol, şi care

transportă o conductă sacru. She explained that the wooden stem was for the trees, and

everything growing on earth, the red bowl symbolized the flesh and blood of all people, and the

smoke was the breath of their prayers going to Wakan Tanka, the Creator. Ea a explicat că

provin din lemn a fost pentru copaci, şi totul în creştere de pe pământ, bol rosu simboliza carne şi

oase a tuturor oamenilor, şi de fum a fost suflare de rugăciunile lor de gând să Wakan Tanka,

Creatorul. The woman showed the people the pipe ceremony, where offerings were made to the

four directions, while drums were played, and sacred songs were sung. Femeia a arătat poporului

ţeava de ceremonie, în cazul în care s-au făcut oferte de la cele patru directii, în timp ce tobe s-au

jucat, şi cântece sacre au fost cântate. The people learned of the connection between the sky and

the earth and the unity of all life. They learned that offering thanks to Wakan Tanka with the

pipe would yield many blessings here on earth. Oameni aflat de legătură între cer şi pământ şi

unitatea tuturor vieţii. Ei au aflat că, datorită oferindu-se să Wakan Tanka cu ţeava va ceda

binecuvântările multe aici, pe pământ. Before leaving, the woman said that she would return

when the time was ripe. Înainte de a pleca, femeia a spus că va reveni în cazul în care timpul a

fost coapte. Then she turned into a buffalo, changing colors several times. Apoi, ea a transformat

într-un bivol, schimbând culorile de mai multe ori. Finally, she changed into a white buffalo calf,

and disappeared into the distance. În cele din urmă, ea a schimbat într-un viţel bivol de culoare

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albă, şi a dispărut în depărtare. The people followed her teachings and were hungry no more. De

persoane au urmat invataturile ei şi nu mai era foame.

In the summer of 1994, her promise of return was fulfilled with the birth of a white buffalo in

Jamesville, Wisconsin. În vara anului 1994, promit ei de întoarcere a fost îndeplinită cu naşterea

unui bivol alb, în Jamesville, Wisconsin. White buffalos are rare, but this one is unique because,

as prophesied, the white buffalo has changed its colors since birth, going from white to black to

red to yellow and back to white. Bivoliţă alb sunt rare, dar asta este unic, deoarece, astfel cum a

profeţit, bivol alb-a schimbat culorile sale de la naştere, care merge de la alb la negru la rosu la

galben şi înapoi la alb. Since each color represents one of the four directions--north being white,

black representing west, red symbolizing south, and yellow depicting east--this buffalo has great

symbolic significance to Native American tribes, who respond to it as a Christian would respond

to the second coming of Christ. Deoarece fiecare culoare reprezintă una din cele patru directii -

nord a fi alb, negru, reprezentând vest, sud simbolizând roşu, galben şi reprezentându-est - acest

bizon are o mare semnificaţie simbolică pentru a nativ triburi americani, care au răspuns la o ca

pe un creştin ar răspunde a doua venire a lui Hristos. It signifies a time of profound change upon

the planet and a new level of responsibility for mankind. Aceasta înseamnă un timp de schimbare

profundă asupra planetei şi un nou nivel de responsabilitate pentru omenire. One Native

visionary interpreted the birth of the white buffalo calf to mean that the four energies--the black,

white, yellow, and red--will realize that there is only one race, the human race, and join together

in peace. Un nativ vizionar interpretate de naştere al Buffalo alb viţel să însemne că cele patru

energiile - negru, alb, galben, rosu - vor da seama că există doar o singură rasă, rasa umană, şi să

adere împreună în pace.

Not many people outside of Native American culture understand the significance of the white

buffalo. Nu mulţi oameni din afara nativ culturii americane înţeleagă semnificaţia Buffalo alb. In

fact, very few people know much about Native Americans, their customs and traditions. De fapt,

foarte puţini oameni ştiu multe despre amerindieni, obiceiurile şi tradiţiile lor. Historically, theirs

has been an oral heritage, causing white historians to mistakenly imply that Native Americans

have nothing to say. Punct de vedere istoric, a lor a fost un patrimoniu pe cale orală, cauzând

istorici alb pentru a sugera greşit că americanii nativi nu au nimic de spus. Today, most people

still have stereotypical images of Indians, the result of movies, television programs and history

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texts. Astăzi, cei mai mulţi oameni au încă imaginile stereotipe ale indienilor, rezultatul de filme,

programe de televiziune şi texte de istorie. A further lack of understanding stems from a different

view of the world. Native Americans believe nature is divine; they are only a part of nature, and

not here to dominate it. O lipsă de înţelegere în continuare decurge dintr-o vedere diferite ale

lumii. Nativii americani cred că este de natură divină, ele sunt doar o parte a naturii, şi nu aici

pentru a domina aceasta. Their ceremonies are for the regeneration of Mother Earth, a direct

contrast to western beliefs and policies. Lor ceremonii sunt pentru regenerare a Mamei Pamant,

un contrast direct la convingerile de vest şi politici. What knowledge Native Americans have to

offer is therefore disregarded or silenced through government segregation and control. Ce

cunoştinţe Amerindienii au de oferit, prin urmare, este luat în considerare sau reduse la tăcere

prin separare de stat şi de control. In fact, Native American ceremonies were prohibited by law

before the passage of the Indian Freedom Act in 1978. De fapt, nativ ceremonii americani au fost

interzise prin lege, înainte de trecerea Libertatea indian Actul în 1978. In addition, many

Americanized Indians have long forgotten the traditions of their past, and the few who still

remember tend to be secretive about their customs, which they have been forced to hide so long

from the dominant culture. În plus, multe americanizat indienii au uitat lung tradiţiile trecutului

lor, precum şi câţiva care încă mai amintesc tind să fie secretos cu privire la obiceiurile lor, care

le-au fost forţate să se ascundă, atât timp de la cultura dominantă.

Never before has the world been in such dire need of these understandings. Niciodata nu a fost în

lume nevoie de astfel de cumplită a acestor înţelegeri. As the twenty-first century approaches,

our natural resources dwindle, and diseases brought on by technology rise. În ceea ce douăzeci şi

abordările din primul secol, a resurselor noastre naturale se micşora, şi boli introdusă la naştere

de către tehnologie. Many are beginning to realize that another way of life is essential for

survival and well-being on a personal and global level. Mulţi au început să realizeze că un alt

mod de viaţă este esenţială pentru supravieţuire şi bunăstare la un nivel personal şi global. As

one Lakota medicine man, George Amiotte, notes, "The general population are starting to wake

up to that fact that we, as human beings, have a responsibility, not only to our own societies, but

also to the earth." Aşa cum un singur om medicament Lakota, George Amiotte, note, "populaţia

generală sunt incepand de a se trezi la faptul că noi, ca fiinte umane, au o responsabilitate, nu

numai pentru societăţile noastre proprii, dar şi pe pământ."

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We look to the continent's first inhabitants, as they have been able to live harmoniously with

nature for thousands of years. Privim cu locuitorii continentului în primul rând, aşa cum au fost

capabili să trăiască în armonie cu natura de mii de ani. As an alternative to self-destruction, we

offer an insight into Native American sacred practices, and the visions they offer. Ca o

alternativă la auto-distrugere, vă oferim o imagine asupra practicilor de nativ american sacre,

precum şi viziunile pe care le oferă.

NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIES NATIVE ceremonii AMERICAN

The Ghost Dance Dans Fantoma

The ghost dance is a ceremony for the regeneration of the earth, and, subsequently, the

restoration of the earth's caretakers to their former life of bliss. Dansul fantomă este o ceremonie

pentru regenerarea de pe pământ, şi, ulterior, de restaurare a îngrijitori Pământului de a vieţii lor

de fosta de fericire. Not surprisingly, the religion experienced its height of popularity during the

late 19th century, when devastation to the buffalo, the land, and its Native American guardians

was at its peak. Nu este surprinzator, religie experimentat înălţimea sa de popularitate în timpul

la sfârşitul secolului al 19-lea, atunci când devastarea la Buffalo, terenuri, şi tutorii ei nativ

american a fost la apogeu. Between 1888 and 1990, various tribes sent emissaries to a man

named Wovoka , who claimed to be a visionary, and who was hailed as a Messiah by many

desperate Indian nations. Între 1888 şi 1990, diverse triburi a trimis emisarii la un om pe nume

Wovoka, care a pretins a fi un vizionar, şi care a fost salutat ca un Mesia de multe natiuni

disperate indiene. Wovoka maintained that Spirits had shown him certain movements and songs

after he had died for a short period of time. Wovoka a susţinut că Alcoolice a arătat el anumite

mişcări şi cântece după ce a murit pentru o perioadă scurtă de timp. In a manner reminiscent of

Christ, Wovoka preached non-violence, and most tribes abandoned their war-like ways in

preparation for future happiness. Într-o manieră care aminteşte al lui Hristos, Wovoka predicat

non-violenţei, şi de cele mai multe triburi abandonat de război lor-ca modalităţi în curs de

pregătire pentru fericirea viitoare.

The dance quickly spread to various American Indian nations, and as it spread, it took on

additional meanings. Dans sa răspândit rapid la diferite naţiuni indiană din America, şi, ca sa

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răspândit, a fost nevoie de semnificaţii suplimentare. While performing the ghost dance, it was

believed that you could visit relatives who had left their bodies. Pe durata îndeplinirii dans

fantoma, se credea că ai putea vizita rudele care au părăsit trupurile lor. As so many Native

Americans had lost friends and relatives, this aspect of the ceremony was particularly healing. În

ceea ce atât de mulţi americani nativi au pierdut prieteni şi rude, acest aspect al ceremoniei a fost

deosebit de vindecare. The Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho expanded its meaning further after

being told in dreams that wearing certain designs on clothing would protect them in battle.

Lakota, Cheyenne şi Arapaho extins sensul în continuare a acesteia după ce a fost spus în vise

care poartă anumite modele de îmbrăcăminte ar proteja-le în luptă. These beliefs served to ward

off fears of imminent danger from suspicious and sometimes hostile white onlookers, but proved

futile in the end. Aceste convingeri servit pentru a îndepărta temerile de pericol iminent de la

suspecte şi, uneori, ostil privitori alb, dar s-au dovedit inutile în cele din urmă.

The ghost dance unified Indian people, even tribes with a tradition of conflict. Dance fantomă

unificat de oameni din India, chiar şi triburi cu o tradiţie de conflict. The solidarity of these

groups frightened government officials, whose worst fears were realized years earlier when the

Arapahoes, Cheyennes and Sioux came together to defeat Custer. Solidarităţii dintre aceste

grupuri speriaţi oficiali guvernamentali, cele mai grave ale căror temeri s-au realizat ani mai

devreme în cazul în care Arapahoes, Cheyennes şi Sioux s-au reunit pentru a învinge Custer. As

mentioned earlier, most ghost dancers did not embrace warlike behavior. Aşa cum am menţionat

mai devreme, cele mai multe dansatori fantoma nu au îmbrăţişat comportament războinice. Yet,

the government reacted to this outburst of Indian behavior by gunning down ghost dancers at

Wounded Knee during a peaceful ceremony. Cu toate acestea, guvernul a reacţionat la această

izbucnire de comportament Indian, prin tragere în jos dansatori fantoma la genunchi răniţi în

timpul unei ceremonii paşnică. Even women and children were shot in the back as they were

trying to escape. Chiar şi femei şi copii au fost împuşcaţi pe la spate aşa cum au fost încearcă să

scape. Many say this was in retaliation for the massacre at Little Big Horn, since the seventh

cavalry was again involved. Multi spun acest lucru a fost, în represalii pentru masacrul de la

Little Big Horn, din moment ce cavalerie saptea a fost din nou implicat.

Perhaps the government was also frightened of the dance's spiritual power. According to a

historian of that time, James Mooney, during one investigation of the ghost dance, US troops

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reported seeing approximately 125 people at the beginning of the dance, and twice that number

at the end, with no one new coming into the circle. Poate că guvernul a fost, de asemenea, speriat

de puterea spirituală de dans. Potrivit unui istoric de atunci, James Mooney, în timpul o

investigare a dansului fantoma, trupele SUA declară că au văzut de aproximativ 125 de persoane

la începutul dans, şi de două ori că numărul de la la sfârşitul anului, cu nici unul nou care intră în

cerc.

The ghost dance is indeed magical, according to Gabriel Horn, author of Native Heart: An

American Indian Odyssey . Dans fantomă este într-adevăr magic, în funcţie de Gabriel Horn,

autor al nativ Heart: o odisee indiană din America. Horn, also known as White Deer of Autumn,

says the spirits of ghost dancers are ever present: "The Minneapolis Institute of Art put on the

first and only exhibit of ghost dance shirts and dresses worn by men, women, and children. The

room was black and the clothes were suspended in two circles. You could even see the bullet

holes and the blood stains on the shirts from the slaughter of ghost dancers at Wounded Knee

under the orders of the government. Horn, de asemenea, cunoscut sub numele de cerb alb de

toamna, spune ca spiritele de dansatori fantoma sunt mereu prezent: "Institutul de Arta

Minneapolis pus pe expune prima si singura de dans fantoma camasi, rochii purtate de bărbaţi,

femei şi copii. Cameră a fost negru şi hainele au fost suspendate în două cercuri. Ai putea vedea

chiar şi găuri glonţ şi pete de sânge de pe tricouri de la sacrificare de dansatori fantoma de la

Wounded Knee sub ordinele guvernului.

"Several Native Americans went to the exhibit, elders as well as young people. The museum

would keep it open at night, just for us. We would sit in a circle, surrounded by these ghost dance

shirts and dresses, and pass a sacred pipe. We were listening to hear what we could hear, and

watching to see what we could see. We wanted to get in touch with those people, those spirits,

those ghosts of the past, to reconnect, and to show them that we still carry this love for the earth.

"Mai multe americani nativi sa dus la expozitie, bătrânii, precum şi a tinerilor. Muzeu s-ar

menţine deschise în timpul nopţii, doar pentru noi. Ne-ar sta într-un cerc, înconjurat de aceste

cămăşi dans strigoi şi rochii, şi se trece o conductă sacru . Am fost de ascultare pentru a auzi

ceea ce am putut auzi, şi este atent pentru a vedea ce am putut vedea. Ne-am dorit să intre în

contact cu acele persoane, aceste spirite, cele fantomele trecutului, să se reconecteze, şi să le

arate că noi încă mai au aceasta dragoste pentru pământ.

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"I will never forget the night that an elderly Ojibwa, Old Man Bill, said to me, 'There were only

14 of us when we went in to sit among the ghost dance shirts and dresses. Look at all the people

now.' "Nu voi uita niciodată că o noapte Ojibwa în vârstă, Old Man Bill, mi-a zis, 'Nu au fost

doar 14 din noi atunci când am fost in a sta printre cămăşi de dans şi de rochii de fantoma. Uita-

te la toate persoanele acum." I looked up and saw what he meant. An hour later, we were sitting

down at a table, looking at each other. Who were all those other people? It became very

crowded. M-am uitat în sus şi au văzut ceea ce a vrut. O oră mai tîrziu, am fost şedinţei în jos, la

o masa, căutaţi unul la altul. Cine au fost toate aceste alte persoane? Ea a devenit foarte

aglomerat.

"Another time a student of mine came to the exhibit. She was crying by a ghost dance shirt. I

looked in the shirt to tell her its story because each one told a story. The shirt wearer's last name

was there, and it turned out to be the shirt of her grandfather. There was no way she could have

known that when she went in." "O altă dată când un student de-al meu a venit la expozitie. Ea a

fost plâns de o cămaşă fantoma de dans. M-am uitat în tricoul pentru a spune povestea ei sale,

deoarece fiecare dintre ele a spus o poveste. Numele utilizatorului camasa ultimul era acolo, şi sa

dovedit care urmează să fie camasa de bunicul ei. Nu a existat nici un fel ea ar fi putut să ştie că,

atunci când ea a intrat in "

The ghost dance is practiced today, but privately. Dans fantomă este practicat în prezent, dar în

particular. "It is performed for the same reasons," White Deer of Autumn says, "because we are

losing a lot of our relatives to cancer and alcohol, and the earth is in dire need of healing." "Este

efectuate, pentru aceleaşi motive," White Deer de Toamna spune, "pentru că suntem pierde o

mulţime de rudele noastre de a cancerului şi alcool, şi pământul are nevoie cumplite de

vindecare."

The Pipe Ceremony Ceremonia de tevi

The pipe ceremony is a sacred ritual for connecting physical and spiritual worlds. "The pipe is a

link between the earth and the sky," explains White Deer of Autumn. Ceremonia de decernare a

conductelor este un ritual sacru pentru conectarea lumi fizice şi spirituale. "Ţeavă este o legătură

între pământ şi cer", explică cerb alb de toamna. "Nothing is more sacred. The pipe is our prayers

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in physical form. Smoke becomes our words; it goes out, touches everything, and becomes a part

of all there is. The fire in the pipe is the same fire in the sun, which is the source of life." "Nimic

nu este mai sacru. Ţeavă este rugăciunile noastre în formă fizică. Fumul devine cuvintele

noastre, ea iese, tot ce atinge, şi devine o parte din toate există. Foc în ţeava este acelaşi foc la

soare, care a este sursa de viaţă. " The reason why tobacco is used to connect the worlds is that

the plant's roots go deep into the earth, and its smoke rises high into the heavens. Motivul pentru

tutun este utilizat pentru a conecta lumi este că rădăcinile plantelor mergem adânc în pământ, şi

fumul sale se ridică de mare în ceruri.

There are different kinds of pipes and different uses for them. Există diferite tipuri de ţevi şi

utilizări diferite pentru ei. There are personal pipes and family pipes as well as pipes for large

ceremonies. Sunt tevi personale şi ţevi de familie, precum şi conductele pentru ceremoniile de

mari. The particular stone used depends upon the tribe's location, and various symbols are added

to attract certain spiritual energies. Piatra special folosit depinde de locaţie tribului, şi simboluri

diferite se adaugă pentru a atrage energiile spirituale anumite. Also, the type of tobacco used

depends on tribal custom. De asemenea, tipul de tutun folosit depinde de Custom tribale. But

despite these differences, there are certain important similarities: The ceremony invokes a

relationship with the energies of the universe, and ultimately the Creator, and the bond made

between earthly and spiritual realms is not to be broken. Dar, în ciuda acestor diferenţe, există

anumite similitudini importante: Ceremonia de decernare a invocă o relaţie cu energiile din

univers, şi în ultimă instanţă Creatorul, şi face legătura între tărâmurile pământeşti şi spirituale

nu este de a fi rupt.

Ed McGaa (Eagle Man), an Ogalala Sioux, and author of Mother Earth Spirituality: Native

American Paths to Healing Ourselves and Our World , says that most pipe ceremonies have the

same intention: to call upon and thank the six energies: "All of our Sioux ceremonies beseech to

the four directions, the earth and sky, and ultimately the Great Spirit. We see our Creator through

nature, and we try to emulate what the Creator has made. This has worked out well, as you can

see from the track record of Native American people. The old time Indians were honest, ethical

people, and they had an unblemished environmental record. When the Pilgrims first landed, they

kept them alive, and they took in black slaves. They were extremely humanistic. That's one of

the main reasons that I believe in the natural way." Ed McGaa (Eagle Man), un Sioux Ogalala, şi

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autor al Mamei Pamant spiritualitate: Căi nativ american sa Vindecarea noi înşine şi lumea

noastră, spune că cele mai multe ceremonii de ţeavă au intenţia de acelaşi: de a solicita şi

mulţumesc celor şase energiilor: "Toate Sioux nostru de ceremonii implor la cele patru direcţii,

pământul şi cerul, şi în ultimă instanţă Duhul Mare. Vedem Creatorul nostru, prin natura, şi vom

încerca să imite ceea ce Creatorul a făcut. Acest lucru a lucrat bine, după cum puteţi vedea din

istoric de nativ poporului american. timp vechi indieni au fost cinstiţi, oameni etice, şi au avut un

record impecabilă de mediu. Când pelerini a debarcat prima dată, le-au ţinut în viaţă, şi-au luat în

sclavi negri. Ei au fost extrem de umaniste. Asta e un dintre principalele motive pentru că eu

cred în mod natural. "

Eagle Man begins a ceremony by beseeching the West power, while thinking about the life

giving rains and the ever present spirit world. Eagle Omul începe o ceremonie de rugător puterea

de Vest, în timp ce gândesc la viaţa care ploile şi lumea mereu prezent spirit. Next, he beseeches

the north power, the source of endurance, strength, truthfulness, and honesty, which are qualities

needed to walk down a good path in life. Apoi, el a beseeches puterea de nord, sursa de

anduranta, forta, veridicităţii, si onestitate, care sunt calitatile necesare pentru a se plimba pe un

drum bun în viaţă. Then, he will look to the east power. Apoi, el va căuta să puterea de est. The

east is where the sun rises, and the sun brings us knowledge, the essence of spirituality. Est, este

în cazul în care soarele răsare, şi soarele ne aduce de cunoştinţe, esenta de spiritualitate. Without

knowledge, we become ignorant and cause harm to ourselves and others. Fără cunoaştere, am

devenit ignoranţi şi dăuna noi înşine şi de alţii. The fourth energy is the south power, which

brings us bounty, medicine, and growth. De energie patrulea este puterea de sud, care ne aduce

Bounty, medicina, şi a creşterii. Next to be acknowledged is the earth spirit. Înainte de a fi

recunoscut este spiritul pământ. Eagle Man touches the pipe to the ground, and says, "Mother

Earth, I seek to protect you." Eagle atinge Omul ţeava de la pământ, şi spune, "Mama Pământ,

am să încerce să te protejez." Since Mother Earth depends on the sun's life giving energy, the

pipe is then held up towards the sky. Din moment ce Mother Earth depinde viaţa soarelui dând

de energie, conducta este apoi a avut loc până spre cer. Lastly, the pipe is held straight up to the

Great Spirit, the Great Mystery, the unexplainable source of all life. În sfârşit, conducta este

deţinut direct de până la Duhul Mare, mare mister, sursa inexplicabile de toată viaţa. These

words are then spoken: "Oh Great Spirit, I thank you for the six powers of the universe." Unlike

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many westerners, Eagle Man explains that the person reaching out to the spirit world has no fear:

"Most of us are not afraid of the Great Spirit. We don't fear something that has given us our life."

Aceste cuvinte sunt apoi vorbita: "Oh, Marele Spirit, eu vă mulţumesc pentru cele şase puteri ale

universului." Spre deosebire de mulţi occidentali, Eagle Omul explică faptul că persoana

ajungând la lumea spiritelor nu are nici o teamă: "Cei mai multi dintre noi nu se tem Duhului

Mare. Noi nu se tem de ceva care ne-a dat viaţa noastră. "

It is unimaginable for an Indian to break his word after smoking the pipe. Este de neimaginat

pentru un indian de a sparge cuvântul său, după fumat conducte. In the past, the signing of

treaties was always accompanied by pipe ceremonies because Indians believed that smoking the

pipe would secure the arrangement. În trecut, semnarea de tratate a fost întotdeauna însoţită de

ceremonii ţeava de indieni, deoarece credea că fumatul ţeava ar asigura aranjament. No one

would be foolish enough to lie or go back on their word once the pipe was smoked because the

pipe was the vehicle for carrying their word up to the Creator. Nimeni nu ar fi stupid de ajuns să

mintă sau de a reveni pe cuvântul lor a fost o dată pe ţeava de fumat, deoarece conducta a fost de

vehicul pentru care cuvântul lor de până la Creator. And in return, a blessing would descend

from the Creator to the individuals smoking it. Şi, în schimb, o binecuvântare s-ar coborî de la

Creator pentru a indivizilor fumat.

Of course, we all know that the United States government did not share in these understandings,

and sent representatives to the Indians to use the pipe as a means of deception. Desigur, ştim cu

toţii că guvernul Statelor Unite nu a împărtăşit în aceste înţelegeri, şi a trimis reprezentanţi la

indieni de a utiliza ţeava ca un mijloc de înşelăciune. As White Deer of Autumn explains:

"You've heard of the peace pipe. There is no such thing, in a sense, because that came about

when the government sent emissaries to the Native Americans. At that time, we were still the

lords of the land; we still held the power. The US government had to deal with that. They

understood that the pipe would allow peaceful transactions because no Indian would ever lie

once spoken on the pipe." Ca Deer albe din toamna explică: "Aţi auzit de pipa păcii. Nu există un

astfel de lucru, într-un sens, pentru că a venit atunci când guvernul a trimis emisarii la americanii

nativi. La acel moment, noi am fost încă Lords a terenului; avem încă deţinea puterea. Guvernul

SUA a avut de a face cu asta. Au inteles ca ţeava ar permite operaţiuni paşnice, pentru că nimeni

nu indian ar consta vreodată o dată vorbite pe ţeavă. "

10

By dishonoring the meaning of this sacred practice, treaties were broken and land was taken but

the benefits were short-lived, as White Deer of Autumn explains, "When the Europeans started

to use tobacco, they saw it as a market, and thus corrupted its function. Now it is being misused,

and you see what happens when a gift that has been given is misused." Prin dezonorant sensul

acestei practici sacre, tratatele au fost rupte şi terenuri a fost luată, dar beneficiile au fost de

scurtă durată, ca Deer albă din toamna explică: "Când europenii au început să folosească de

tutun, au văzut ca pe o piaţă, şi, astfel, corupt funcţiei sale. Acum este utilizat în mod abuziv, şi

veţi vedea ce se întâmplă atunci când un cadou care a fost dat este utilizat în mod abuziv. "

Yet, to those who understand its true significance, the pipe ceremony holds great power, White

Deer of Autumn continues, "When a stem and bowl are disconnected, you have two sacred

objects. When a stem and bowl are connected, you have a living being. And the pipe is addressed

as a living, breathing being. A Catholic priest traveling down the Mississippi observed men

laying down their arms in conflict before the pipe. They would not fight in its presence. He said

that by carrying the pipe you could pass from one end of this land to the other, without being

harmed. A great holy man, named Lame Deer, said that as long as one Indian holds the pipe and

prays to the Great Mystery, we will live. That's how powerful it is." Cu toate acestea, pentru cei

care înţeleg semnificaţia ei adevărată, la ceremonia de ţeava deţine mare putere, cerb alb de

toamna continua, "Atunci când o tulpină şi castron sunt deconectat, aveţi două obiecte sacre.

Atunci când o tulpină şi castron sunt conectate, aveţi o viaţă fiind. şi ţeava se adresează ca o vie,

fiind de respiraţie. Un preot catolic care călătoresc în jos Mississippi observat oamenii de

stabilire a unor arme lor în conflict, înainte de conducte. Ei nu s-ar lupta în prezenţa sa. El a spus

că prin realizarea conducta de ai putea treci de la un capăt de acest teren la altul, fără să fie

lezată. Un mare om sfânt, numit Lame Deer, a spus că atâta timp cât un indian deţine ţevi şi se

roagă la mare mister, vom trăi. Asta e cât de puternic este . "

The Purification Ceremony Ceremonia de purificare

The purification ceremony is commonly referred to as the sweat lodge, but this is a misnomer,

says William J. Walk Sacred, a Cree medicine man: "When you come out of a purification lodge,

you don't feel the same as when you come out of a sauna. The ceremony is a rebirthing process.

There's something that happens in a spiritual sense that is powerful and uplifting." Ceremonia de

11

purificare este denumit în mod obişnuit transpiraţie Lodge, dar acesta este un termen impropriu,

spune William J. Walk Sacra, un om medicament Cree: "Cand vii dintr-un purificare depune, nu

te simţi la fel ca atunci când provin dintr-o sauna. Ceremonia este un proces rebirthing. Nu e

ceva ce se întâmplă într-un sens spiritual, care este puternic şi înălţătoare ".

The Indian word for the purification ceremony is oenikika, which means the breath of life.

Cuvântul indian pentru ceremonia de purificare este oenikika, ceea ce înseamnă suflare de viaţă.

It is a process of renewal through the integration of the spiritual and physical. Walk Sacred

explains, "Just think of this as a marriage ceremony that takes place within yourself. The

ceremonial leader is the medicine man. He is a representative of the spirits, who works within the

invisible realm, in order for you to become aware of the healing process within yourself." Este

un proces de reînnoire, prin integrarea spirituale şi fizice. Walk Sacra explică, "Just gândesc la

acest lucru ca pe o ceremonie de casatorie care are loc în termen de tine. Lider de ceremonie este

omul medicament. El este un reprezentant de băuturi spirtoase, care lucrează în cadrul tărâmul

invizibil, pentru ca dumneavoastră să devină conştienţi de procesul de vindecare în termen de

tine însuţi. "

The lodge itself is made of branches, usually willow saplings, but varying according to what's

available in the region. Depune în sine este făcută de sucursale, puieţi de obicei, salcie, dar

variind în funcţie de ceea ce este disponibil în regiune. Blankets or tarps are used as coverings to

hold in heat. Pătura sau tarps sunt folosite ca acoperitoare de a organiza în căldură. The circular

shape of the lodge is often described as being like a womb or a protective bubble. Forma

circulara a depune este adesea descris ca fiind ca o pântecele sau un balon de protecţie.

The nature of the ceremony differs from tribe to tribe; Walk Sacred explains the many facets of

preparing for a Cree ceremony: "When you want to begin, you find a medicine man, and you

offer a pouch of tobacco. Tobacco represents a person's Spirit. Offering tobacco is how you ask

the medicine man to work on your behalf in the spiritual world. It's not like a payment of money;

this is his obligation. Once you have taken upon yourself the role of medicine man, it is

incumbent upon you to do this healing work when someone comes to you with this offering. So,

you bring tobacco to the medicine man. You also come to him with your specific desire. You tell

him if it's a broken leg you want worked on, or if it's an alcohol or drug problem, or something in

12

the non-physical world. You bring your request to the medicine man. Natura de la ceremonia de

diferă de la trib la trib; Walk Sacru explică multe aspecte de pregătirea pentru o ceremonie Cree:

"Când doriţi să începeţi, veţi găsi un om medicament, şi vă oferă o husă de tutun. Tutun

reprezintă Duhului unei persoane . Oferirea de tutun este modul în care cere omul medicament să

lucreze în numele dumneavoastră în lumea spirituală. Nu e ca o plată de bani; acest lucru este

obligaţia. Odată ce aţi luat la tine rolul de om medicină, îi revine tine Pentru a face acest lucru

vindecare atunci când cineva vine la tine cu această ofertă. Deci, te aduce tutun la om

medicament. Puteţi, de asemenea, vin la el cu dorinta dvs. specifice. Spune-i daca este un picior

rupt pe care doriţi lucrat pe, sau daca este o problemă de alcool sau de droguri, sau ceva în lume

non-fizice. Ai adus cererea dvs. de a omul medicament.

"At this point, he will give you your responsibilities; he will tell you how to set up the ceremony

and what you need to do. You might have to prepare food. Once you ask for a ceremony, anyone

who knows about it can come and request a specific healing within the ceremonial function. You

never know how many people are going to be there, so you have to prepare food for 30 or 40

people, depending upon the size of the medicine man's lodge. You might be asked to prepare a

specific type of food, like buffalo soup. The people who work in the spiritual world tell the

medicine man what they need. This is an offering, and it represents the humbling of our spirit.

"În acest moment, el vă va da responsabilităţile dumneavoastră, el vă va spune cum să setaţi

ceremonia şi ceea ce trebuie să faci. S-ar putea să pregătească alimente. Odată ce aţi cere o

ceremonie, orice persoană care ştie despre ea poate veni şi de a solicita o vindecare specifice în

cadrul funcţiei ceremoniale. Nu se ştie niciodată cât de mulţi oameni vor fi acolo, deci va trebui

să pregătească alimente pentru 30 sau 40 de persoane, în funcţie de mărimea omului

medicamentului Lodge. S-ar putea să vi se ceară să pregătească un anumit tip de produse

alimentare, cum ar fi supa de bivol. oamenii care lucrează în lumea spirituală spune omul

medicament ceea ce au nevoie. Aceasta este o ofera, si reprezinta înjosire a spiritului nostru.

"Then the medicine man will give you specific amounts and colors of what we call tobacco ties.

These are little pieces of cloth representing the six directions, white being north, yellow being

south, red being east, black being west, above being blue, and the earth mother being green. He

may tell you that you need 75 yellow ties and 50 blue ones. The colors represent who he is

working with in the nonphysical world, and the number of ties represent a specific amount of

13

prayers that are requested by the spirits in order for them to come in and work with you. You

prepare a pouch with tobacco, and you direct your prayers into each one before closing them

with a tie. Your prayers carry the gift of your heart to the spirits so they know what you're

looking for and they can see the sincerity of the heart. That's where they look because they know

the truth is there." "Apoi omul medicament va va oferi sume specifice şi culori de ceea ce numim

legături de tutun. Acestea sunt bucăţele de pânză, reprezentând cele şase direcţii, nord fiind alb,

galben fiind de Sud, rosu fiind la est, vest negru fiind, de mai sus fiind albastru, şi mama pământ

fiind verde. El poate să vă spun că aveţi nevoie de 75 legături galben şi 50 cele albastre. culorile

reprezintă cine este el lucrează cu nonphysical în lume, precum şi numărul de legături reprezintă

o anumită sumă de rugăciuni care sunt solicitate de spiritele, pentru ca aceştia să vină şi să

lucreze cu tine. să vă pregătiţi, cu o pungă de tutun, şi tu directă rugăciunile voastre în fiecare o

înainte de a închide-le cu o cravată. rugăciunile dumneavoastră să darul de inima ta pentru a

băuturilor spirtoase, astfel că ştiu ceea ce căutaţi şi pot vedea sinceritatea inimii. Asta în cazul în

care se uita pentru că ei ştiu adevărul este acolo. "

The beginning of the ceremony is a time of prayer and contemplation. La începutul ceremoniei

este un timp de rugăciune şi contemplare. Walk Sacred explains, "The medicine man begins by

setting up an alter. Usually, the alter has some type of antler to hold his pipe. Then he sends up

sacred herbs in the four directions. There are four sacred herbs in the Native culture. One is sage,

which purifies a room of negative energies. Another is sweet grass. A medicine man told me,

'This is what brings in the heavy guys.' Walk Sacra explică, "omul medicament începe prin

înfiinţarea unui modifica. De obicei, modifica are unele tipuri de corn de a deţine pipa. Apoi, el

trimite până plante sacre în cele patru direcţii. Există patru plante sacre în cultura Native. Una

dintre ele este salvie, care purifică-o cameră de energii negative. O alta este de iarba dulce. Un

om medicament mi-a spus, "Aceasta este ceea ce aduce în baieti grele." Sweet grass brings in

big, powerful beings from the other side to heal you. The third is cedar. Cedar is for purification.

It sets up an atmosphere for the spirits to work. It's a sweetness they like and it's attractive to the

energies of the invisible world. The fourth is tobacco, which has always been sacred to Native

culture. It is used in ceremonies of smoking the pipe. It is used to bless the earth. Whenever we

harvest herbs or cut barks off of trees, we always offer tobacco to the four directions and to the

sky father and earth mother. And we plant tobacco as an honoring of that plant, tree, or substance

14

that is giving its life, or part of its life, to help our life." Iarbă Sweet aduce în mare, fiinţe

puternice din partea cealaltă să te vindece. Treia este cedru. Cedar este pentru purificare. Ea

creează o atmosferă de bauturi alcoolice la locul de muncă. Este o dulceaţă le place şi este

atractiv pentru energiile lume invizibilă. patrulea este de tutun, care a fost întotdeauna sacru la

cultura nativ. Este utilizat în ceremoniile de fumat conducte. Este folosit pentru a binecuvânta pe

pământ. Ori de câte ori am recolta ierburi sau tăiate latră off de copaci, ne oferă întotdeauna de

tutun la cele patru direcţii şi la tatăl cer şi pământ pe mama. Şi noi plantei de tutun, ca o onorarea

acestei plante, copac, sau substanţă care dă viaţă, sau o parte a vietii sale, pentru a ajuta la viaţa

noastră ".

Specific types of rocks, called grandfather rocks, are gathered and placed in a pile. Primarily lava

stones from volcanos are used, because ordinary river rocks could explode. A fire is built, and

the stones are heated. Anumite tipuri de roci, numite roci bunicul, sunt adunate şi introduse într-

un teanc. Pietre vulcanice primar de la Vulcanii sunt folosite, deoarece roci râu obişnuite ar putea

exploda. Un incendiu este construit, iar pietrele sunt incalzite. When the stones are white hot,

they are brought into the lodge. În cazul în care pietrele sunt de culoare albă la cald, care sunt

introduse în Lodge.

"We honor our relations as we enter the 'womb' and again as we leave," Walk Sacred continues.

"Am onoarea relaţiile noastre aşa cum am intra in uter" şi din nou, aşa cum am lăsa, "Walk

Sacred continuă. "We crawl around until we form a circle around the center. The center of the

center is where a little pit is dug for the grandfather rocks. These are brought in, one at a time,

and the first four are placed in the north, south, east, and west directions. They they're sprinkled

with a little sage and sweet grass and whatever the medicine man might be using. The medicine

man offers prayers to each of the four directions, to honor his ancestors, and to honor those in the

nonphysical as well as the physical worlds. This is a sacred time. It is a time of prayer,

introspection, and healing. "Noi, până când vom accesa cu crawlere în jurul a forma un cerc în

jurul centrului. Centrul de la centru este în cazul în care o groapă de putin este sapat pentru rocile

bunicul. Acestea sunt aduse în, una la un moment dat, precum şi primele patru sunt plasate în

nord, sud, est, vest şi direcţii. Ei acestea sunt stropite cu un pic salvie si iarba dulce şi oricare ar

fi omul medicamentul ar putea fi folosiţi. Omul medicament ofera rugăciunile la fiecare dintre

cele patru directii, pentru a onora stramosii sai, precum şi pentru a onora aceste în nonphysical,

15

precum şi lumile fizice. Acesta este un timp sacru. Acesta este un timp de rugăciune,

introspecţie, precum şi vindecare.

"When the water hits the rock, it goes up in steam, fills the air, and unifies everyone within the

'womb.' "Când apa hit-uri de rock, se urcă în abur, umple aerul, şi unifică toată lumea în

pântecele". " Everything is united, as we say, all of my relations. At that moment we are

connecting ourselves to the basic elements of life, and that brings out the greatest good in people.

We are connecting to the movement that is all around us, that we are part of, and never separate

from. Totul este unită, aşa cum am spus, toate relaţiile mele. In acel moment suntem noi înşine

conectarea la elementele de bază ale vieţii, şi că scoate cel mai mare bun in oameni. Suntem

conectarea la circulaţie, care este tot în jurul nostru, pe care facem parte, şi niciodată nu separat

de.

"As we sit in the circle, we each go around, one at a time, and we offer prayers of thanksgiving

and praise for the Almighty, the great spirits, the great mystery, the sky father, and the earth

mother. The medicine man sits by the entrance, and is the first to offer his prayers. Each person

then takes a turn. Eventually you come to the end and the medicine man blends all the prayers.

It's kind of like weaving a tapestry. It's a mystical, magical process, an altered state that goes

beyond the physical form. It takes you into the reality of the nonphysical world, where the real

healing takes place." "Aşa cum am stau în cerc, fiecare dintre noi mergem în jurul, una la un

moment dat, si oferim rugăciuni de mulţumire şi laudă pentru Cel Atotputernic, spiritele mare,

mare mister, cerul tatăl, mama şi pământul. Medicament om sta de intrare, şi este primul de a

oferi rugăciunile sale. Fiecare persoana, apoi ia un viraj. În cele din urmă sa ajuns la finalul şi

amestecuri de medicina omul toate rugăciunile. E un fel de ţesut o tapiserie. Este un mistic,

proces magic , un stat modificat, care merge dincolo de forma fizică. Este nevoie de tine în

realitatea lumii nonphysical, în cazul în care are loc reale de vindecare. "

After the purification ceremony is the wopela , which, broadly interpreted, means giving thanks:

"Now, we bring in the soup and foods and the gifts for the medicine man," continues Walk

Sacred. După ceremonia de purificare este wopela, care, în linii mari interpretat, înseamnă a da

mulţumesc: "Acum, aducem în supă şi produselor alimentare şi cadouri pentru om medicina,"

continuă Walk Sacre. "It might be a blanket, whatever your spirit leads you to bring the medicine

16

man or to offer directly to the mystery. People sit around the medicine man in a circle. Once

everyone is in, the windows are closed up. The medicine man's blanket is laid out on the floor, in

the center of the lodge. On top of that is a mat of freshly cut, beautiful sage. The medicine man

covers himself with a blanket, and goes into a prayerful state. He takes the prayer ties and sets

them up in the north end of the center in a specific fashion. They are laid down on a special type

of earth, on top of the sage, which carries the great aroma energy up to the Great Spirit. The

prayers are carried up in a good way, so that the Great Spirit will receive them and hear the

pitiful cries of his children. After the prayers, the candles are blown out, and it is pitch dark. "Ar

putea fi o pătură, indiferent de spiritul dumneavoastră vă duce pentru a aduce omul medicament

sau de a oferi direct la misterul. Oamenii se aşeze la om medicamentul într-un cerc. După ce

toată lumea este în, ferestrele sunt închise în sus. Pătură om medicamentului este stabilită pe

podea, in centrul Lodge. Pe deasupra, care este o saltea de proaspăt tăiate, salvie frumos. omul

însuşi medicament acoperă cu o pătură, şi merge într-o stare de rugăciune. El ia legăturile de

rugăciune şi de seturi-le până la sfârşitul nord de centrul într-un mod specific. Acestea sunt

stabilite pe un tip special de pământ, pe partea de sus a salvie, care transportă energia mare

aroma de până la Duhul Mare. rugăciunile sunt realizate până în o metodă bună, astfel încât

Duhul Mare le va primi şi auzi strigătele milă de copiii săi. După rugăciuni, lumânări sunt stinse,

şi este întuneric beznă.

"There are specific songs that are sung for bringing in spirits, for talking to spirits, for constantly

giving praise and gratitude, for constantly giving acknowledgment to the great mystery for all the

gifts of life. This includes the pain and suffering as well as the good times, recognizing that all

things flow from the one source, and all things return back to that one source. It's an

acknowledgment. Very holy and sacred songs might be sung for an hour. It depends. It's all

under the direction of the medicine man, although he might not speak a word. A lot of it is done

telepathically, through the communication of energy waves. "Există melodii specifice, care sunt

cântate pentru a aduce în băuturi spirtoase, pentru a conversa cu băuturi spirtoase, în mod

constant pentru a da laudă şi recunoştinţă, pentru care în mod constant confirmare la mare mister

pentru toate darurile vieţii. Aceasta include durerea şi suferinţa, precum şi melodii good times,

recunoscând că toate lucrurile fluxul de la sursă, şi toate lucrurile întoarce înapoi la faptul că o

singură sursă. Este o confirmare. Foarte sfânt şi sacru ar putea fi cântat pentru o oră. Depinde.

17

Totul e sub conducerea medicament om, cu toate că el nu s-ar putea vorbi un cuvânt. O mulţime

de acesta este done telepatic, prin comunicarea de valuri de energie.

"We go around to each individual, just like we did in the purification ceremony, and we give

prayers and thanks and ask for specific healing. Now is the time to verbalize our requests. After

everyone has given their prayers, the medicine man calls the spirits in. The medicine man is in

the center. This isn't just the center of the lodge; it is the center of the universe. It represents the

center of life. And that center exists within each of us. Honoring that center brings the

nonphysical world into the physical one. So, the medicine man represents the spirit of the God

source, and by so doing, he creates an energy that allows the nonphysical world to interact with

the physical world. "Mergem în jurul la fiecare individ, aşa cum am făcut în cadrul ceremoniei

de purificare, şi ne dau rugăciuni şi mulţumesc şi să ceară pentru vindecarea specifice. Acum

este momentul pentru a verbaliza solicitărilor noastre. Dupa ce toata lumea a dat rugăciunile lor,

omul medicament apelurile spiritele in Omul medicament este în centru. Aceasta nu este doar

centrul depune, ea este centrul universului. Ea reprezinta centrul vieţii. Şi acest centru există în

fiecare dintre noi. Onorarea că centrul aduce lumea nonphysical într-o fizic. Deci, omul

medicament reprezinta spiritul sursă de Dumnezeu, şi prin aceasta, el creează o energie care

permite lumea nonphysical de a interacţiona cu lumea fizică.

"Amazing things happen. I went for healing because I was struck by lightning. While I was

standing there, all of a sudden, this rattle came out of the air and started pounding me on the

chest, hitting me all over the chest and head. Then eagle feathers were all over my face. There

was stomping on the floor that sounded as if it came from beings 20 feet high. And you could see

lights and colors." "Lucruri uimitoare se intample. M-am dus pentru vindecare pentru că am fost

lovit de fulger. În timp ce eram în picioare acolo, dintr-o dată, acest pârâitoare ieşit din aer şi a

început să mă lovesc pe piept, lovindu-mă peste tot piept şi capul . pene de vultur Apoi, au fost

toate peste fata mea. Nu a fost stomping pe podea care suna ca si cum ar venit de la 20 picioare

fiinţe de mare. Şi ai putea vedea lumini şi culori. "

While these experiences are phenomenal in that they shift our perception of reality, Walk Sacred

reminds us that the essence of healing is in the work of each participant: "The medicine man

helps us remove the veils that prevent us from seeing life as it really is: unified and sacred. His

18

approach is to help individuals resolve problems by the work they do themselves. They prepare

food, make prayer ties, sing, chant, and drum. These remove blocks within the physical structure

so that the person is receptive to impulses from the non-physical world." În timp ce aceste

experienţe sunt fenomenale, în sensul că trecerea de percepţia noastră asupra realităţii, Walk

Sacred ne aminteşte că esenţa de vindecare este în activitatea de fiecare participant: "Omul

medicament care ne ajută să eliminaţi voaluri care a ne împiedica să vadă viaţa aşa cum este într-

adevăr : unificate şi sacre. Abordarea sa este de a ajuta persoanele fizice rezolva problemele de

munca pe care o fac ei înşişi. Aceştia pregătesc mâncare, vor avea legături de rugăciune, canta,

chant, şi tambur. Aceste blocuri elimina în cadrul structurii fizice, astfel încât persoana este

receptivă la impulsurile de la lume non-fizice. "

Working with spiritual energies is a sacred and powerful process when performed for the right

reasons by an experienced person. Lucrul cu energiile spirituale este un proces sacru şi puternic

atunci când sunt efectuate pentru motive de drept de către o persoană cu experienţă.

Unfortunately, the purification lodge has become trendy in recent years, and the right atmosphere

is not always present. Din păcate, de purificare a depune a devenit la modă în ultimii ani, iar

atmosfera drept nu este întotdeauna prezent. Native Americans, therefore, warn people to take

certain precautions before entering into a purification ceremony: First, if a person is charging

money, people need to think about the type of energy this will attract and the effects it will have

on the people in the lodge. Amerindienii, prin urmare, populaţia este avertizată să ia anumite

măsuri de precauţie înainte de a intra într-o ceremonie de purificare: În primul rând, dacă o

persoană se încarcă de bani, oamenii au nevoie să se gândească la tipul de energie acest lucru va

atrage şi efectelor pe care le vor avea asupra oamenilor, în Lodge. This is a Gift from the

spiritual world that cannot be compensated for by material gifts. Acesta este un dar de la lumea

spirituală care nu pot fi compensate prin cadouri materiale. Someone who charges for the

purification ceremony is not working in the traditional way of the pipe. Cineva care tarifele

pentru ceremonia de purificare nu funcţionează în modul tradiţional de teava. Second, one must

look into the character of the person leading the rite. În al doilea rând, trebuie să se uite în

caracterul persoanei de conducere rit. White Deer of Autumn suggests, "Look into a medicine

man's background the way you would approach finding any new doctor. Find out the person's

track record. Who are they? What are their experiences? And understand your responsibilities of

19

going into the ceremonial process. Then the blessings received will be beyond your wildest

imagination." Deer albe din toamna sugerează, "Uită-te în fundal un om medicament de modul in

care s-ar abordare a găsi nici un medic nou. Aflaţi de înregistrare a persoanei pistă. Cine sunt ei?

Care sunt experienţele lor? Şi de a înţelege responsabilităţile dumneavoastră de a intra în

procesul de ceremonie. Apoi, binecuvântările primite vor fi cele mai sălbatice dincolo de

imaginaţia ta. "

Today an increasing number of Indians are victims of cancer and other diseases of the modern

world. Astăzi un număr tot mai mare de indieni sunt victime ale cancerului si a altor boli ale

lumii moderne. Native Americans tend not to rely solely on western medicine for help. However,

White Deer of Autumn notes that since traditional medicine is best at curing diseases brought on

by nature, and since new sicknesses are brought on by technology, some technological medicine

may be required. Amerindienii tind să nu se bazeze numai pe medicina de Vest pentru ajutor. Cu

toate acestea, cerb alb de note de toamna că, din moment medicina tradiţională este cel mai bun

la boli introdusă la vindecare prin natura, iar din boli sunt aduse la noi prin tehnologie, unele

medicamente tehnologice pot fi solicitate . Here White Deer of Autumn talks about his wife's

quest for healing through a combination of old and new medicine: Aici Deer albă de discuţii, de

toamna despre căutarea soţiei sale pentru vindecarea printr-o combinaţie de medicamente vechi

şi noi:

White Deer of Autumn on Spiritual Healing through Purification Deer albe din toamna pe

spirituale vindecare prin Epurare

"When my wife found out that she had breast cancer, and a doctor, without any sensitivity, told

her that she needed to have her breasts cut off, she immediately rejected this approach. She knew

it was unnatural for her body to deal with radiation. Instead, my wife went through a process of

cleansing through sweat lodges and meditation. She returned her body to a more natural form

that brought her closer to the earth, and that healed her spirit, which had been hurt as a child

through molestation, boarding school, and racism. "Cand nevasta-mea a aflat că ea a avut cancer

de sân, precum şi un medic, fără nici o sensibilitate, ia spus că ea avea nevoie pentru a avea sânii

ei tăiate, ea a respins imediat această abordare. Ea a stiut ca este nefiresc pentru corpul ei să se

ocupe cu radiaţii . În schimb, soţia mea a trecut printr-un proces de purificare prin loji sudoare şi

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meditaţie. Ea a revenit corpul ei într-o formă mai naturale, care a adus-o mai aproape de pământ,

şi că vindecat spiritul ei, care a fost rănit ca un copil, prin molestare, internat şcolar, şi a

rasismului.

"My wife took chemotherapy at the end, and it did prolong her life for a few months. But she

reacted horribly to the chemotherapy. Of course she would. She's a native woman, a natural

woman. Putting something so unnatural into her body is going to cause her to react in that way.

"Soţia mea a luat chimioterapie la sfârşitul anului, şi a prelungi durata de viata ei pentru câteva

luni. Dar ea a reacţionat oribil la chimioterapie. Desigur, ea ar. E o femeie nativ, o femeie

naturale. Situarea aşa ceva nefiresc în corpul ei este mergi la a provoca o să reacţioneze în acest

mod.

"While taking chemotherapy, my wife continued to attend our ceremonies where she would sit in

the center surrounded by loved ones. We would offer the pipe, and use rattles and drums and

sing for her, trying to create peace and healing. "În timp ce luaţi chimioterapie, soţia mea a

continuat să participe la ceremonii noastre în cazul în care ea ar sta in centrul înconjurat de cei

dragi. Ne-ar oferi ţeava, şi sunătoare utilizarea şi tobe şi cântă pentru ea, încercând să creeze

pace şi vindecare.

"She died just after Mother's Day. I will never forget how she invited the children onto her bed

and asked for the pipe. The last act on this earth that she wanted to do was to smoke the pipe

with her children. Even though the cancer destroyed her physical body, the healing of her Spirit

allowed my wife to make a remarkable, wondrous transition into the next world." "Ea a murit

imediat după Ziua Mamei. Nu voi uita niciodată cum a invitat copiii pe patul ei şi a cerut pentru

conducta. Ultimul act de pe acest pământ că ea a vrut să fac a fost de a fuma pipa cu copiii ei.

Chiar dacă cancerului a distrus corpul ei fizic, vindecarea spiritul ei a permis soţia mea de a face

o remarcabil, de tranziţie minunate în lumea cealaltă. "

The Vision Quest Vision Quest

Those of us on a spiritual path believe that we are put on this earth for a special reason, but that

reason is not always clear to us. Aceia dintre noi pe o cale spirituală cred că ne sunt puse pe acest

pământ, pentru un motiv special, dar acest motiv, nu este întotdeauna clar pentru noi. We want to

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know what we need to accomplish in life for our highest benefit, and, in turn, the benefit of the

world. Vrem să ştim ce avem nevoie pentru a realiza in viata cel mai înalt pentru beneficiul

nostru, şi, la rândul său, în beneficiul lumii. The vision quest can reveal our life's purpose, but it

is an arduous journey into the core of our being that we should only embark upon with sincerity.

Căutarea vizibilitate pot dezvălui scopul vieţii noastre, dar este o călătorie dificilă în miezul

fiinţei noastre care noi ar trebui să se angajeze numai la cu sinceritate. William Walk Sacred

cautions, "It's very important for people to realize that this is not fun and games. Going into the

spiritual world is very serious. If the intent isn't clear, the spirits will not give the vision. The

most important thing is being clear in your heart as to what you are seeking for yourself and the

people of the world." William Walk Sacra avertizează, "Este foarte important ca oamenii să

realizeze că acest lucru nu este distracţie şi jocuri. A intra în lumea spirituală este foarte gravă.

Dacă intenţia nu este clar, spiritele nu va da viziune. Cel mai important lucru este în curs de clară

în inima ta cu privire la ceea ce vi se caută pentru tine şi oamenii din lume ".

How to embark on a vision quest varies greatly from tribe to tribe. Cum să se lanseze într-o

căutare viziune variază mult de la trib la trib. Walk Sacred's experience, as a Cree Indian,

involved a long period of preparation, which he says is designed, in part, to weed out all but the

most committed. Experienţa Walk Sacred lui, ca un indian Cree, a implicat o lungă perioadă de

pregătire, care spune el este conceput, în parte, pentru a elimina toate, dar cele mai multe comise.

Walk Sacred describes this procedure in great detail: Walk Sacred descrie această procedură în

detaliu:

William Walk Sacred's Vision Quest William Walk Sacred's Vision Quest

"The first thing a person must do is to pray. Sometimes we do this for months or a year. I prayed

for a year and a half before my vision quest to make peace with the beings who had touched me

with lightning. One of the most powerful prayers we say is, 'The most important thing is my

relationship and my dependence upon the Creator and the spirits. Everything they show me is for

my spiritual growth and the peoples' welfare. I know that with the help of the spirits I can do and

I will do. Oh, Grandfather, I am so weak and pitiful. Help me for the sake of your people.'

"Primul lucru pe care o persoană trebuie să faci este să se roage. Uneori facem acest lucru pentru

luni sau un an. M-am rugat pentru un an şi jumătate înainte de căutare viziunea mea de a face

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pace cu fiinţe care au atins de mine cu fulgere. Unul dintre cele mai multe rugăciuni puternic

spunem este, "Cel mai important lucru este relaţia mea şi a dependenţei Meu asupra Creatorul şi

spiritele. Tot ce-mi arate este pentru creşterea mea spirituală şi bunăstarea popoarelor". Ştiu că,

cu ajutorul spiritelor I poate face şi voi face. Oh, Bunic, sunt atat de slab şi jalnic. Ajută-mă de

dragul poporului tău. "

"There are certain items a person needs in order to present themselves to the medicine man

properly. The most important is the pipe. If you think of a pipe stem, it is hollow. It's a

representation of us being hollow, to allow that breath of God, that vibration, that force, to move

through us without any restrictions. Our prayers through the pipe are carried on the wings of the

spirit directly to the source, the Great Mystery, to be heard properly. This isn'ta pipe you can buy

in a pipe store. It is something that you are given or that you make yourself. It is holy and sacred.

"Există anumite elemente o persoană care are nevoie pentru a se prezenta la om medicament în

mod corespunzător. Cel mai important este ţeava. Dacă credeţi că o ţeavă de pipă, este goală.

Este o reprezentare a ne fi goale, pentru a permite ca respiraţia lui Dumnezeu, ca vibratie, că

vigoare, pentru a vă deplasa prin noi fără restricţii. rugăciunile noastre prin ţeava sunt

transportate pe aripile a spiritului direct la sursa, marele mister, de a fi audiat în mod

corespunzător. Această ţeavă isn'ta te poate cumpăra într-un magazin de ţeavă. Este ceva ce vi se

oferă sau pe care le faceti singuri. Acesta este sfânt şi sacru.

"Once you have your pipe, you find a medicine man, the person who is to be connected to you

spiritually. This person is responsible for you. Though not in your presence physically, the

medicine man will be with you when you are up on the hill. You take your pipe to the medicine

man, and you offer it to the four directions. You point it to the north, south, east, and west. Then

you direct it to the sky father above and the earth mother below. If the medicine man is willing to

accept it, he will extend his hands. Normally, the pipe is presented four times. You present it

once, touch his hands, and then bring it back prayerfully. If he accepts it the fourth time, he is

accepting the responsibility for your going in to talk to these spiritual beings. "După ce aţi ţeava

de dumneavoastră, veţi găsi un om medicament, persoana care urmează să fie conectat la tine

spiritual. Această persoană este responsabilă pentru tine. Deşi nu în prezenţa ta fizic, omul

medicamentul va fi cu tine atunci când sunteţi pe deal. Tu iei de ţeavă dumneavoastră la om

medicament, şi tu oferi la cele patru direcţii. Tu l spre nord, sud, est şi vest. Apoi îndruma către

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tatăl cer de mai sus şi mama pământ de mai jos. În cazul în care omul medicament este dispus să-

l accepte, el se va extinde mâinile lui. În mod normal, conducta este prezentat de patru ori. Tu de

faţă, o singură dată, atinge mâinile sale, şi apoi ao aduce înapoi rugăciune. Dacă el o acceptă a

patra oară, el a este de a accepta responsabilitatea pentru dumneavoastră, în merge să vorbesc cu

aceste fiinte spirituale.

"After he accepts the pipe, he will give you specific directions on what needs to be done.

Normally a person needs prayer flags, and a piece of flannel cloth for making the altar. Then you

have to cut choke cherry. If choke cherry is unavailable, any fruit tree will do. But normally we

use choke cherries because they represent the bittersweet nature of life. They are the blood of

life, the blood that ties us together and unifies the world family. The cherry itself actually

represents the pituitary gland, which allows us to go from the physical into the spiritual world,

and back to the physical world, so that we can walk in a good way, so that we can help bring

peace into our heart, and help everyone on this planet. "După ce a accepta ţeava, el vă va da

indicaţii specifice asupra a ceea ce trebuie făcut. Mod normal, o persoană care are nevoie de

steaguri rugăciune, şi o bucată de pânză flanel pentru a face altar. Apoi trebuie să taie sufoca de

cireşe. În cazul în care sufoca cireşe este indisponibil, orice copac de fructe se va face. Dar, în

mod normal, pe care le folosim sufoca cireşe, deoarece ele reprezintă natura amăruie de viaţă.

Sunt de sânge de viaţă, legăturile de sânge care ne împreună şi unifică familie lume. cireşe în

sine reprezintă de fapt glanda pituitara , care ne permite să meargă de la fizică în lumea

spirituală, şi înapoi la lumea fizică, astfel încât să putem merge intr-un mod util, astfel încât să ne

poate aduce pace în inima noastră, şi de a ajuta toată lumea pe această planetă.

"You also have to prepare tobacco ties on a continuous string using specific colors in a special

order. Exact instructions are given to you by the medicine man after the spirits tell him exactly

what they want. A lot of people want things, but they don't want to do what they need to do in

order to get them. So, it's a very strong commitment. I was asked to make 405 ties, and it took

me eight hours to do this. "De asemenea, aveţi pentru a pregăti legături de tutun pe un şir

continuă folosind culori specifice într-o comanda speciala. Instrucţiuni exacte sunt administrat de

către om medicament după spiritele-i spun exact ceea ce doresc. O mulţime de oameni doresc

lucruri, dar ei nu Nu vreau să fac ceea ce au nevoie să facă pentru a lua pe ei. Deci, este un

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angajament foarte puternic. mi sa cerut să facă 405 legături, şi mi-a luat opt ore pentru a face

acest lucru.

"You also need an eagle feather, a peace of a conch shell that is cut in a specific fashion, and a

blanket. In Native culture, the eagle is the one who carries our prayers and soars to the highest

heaven, who can see great distances, and who can communicate between the physical and

spiritual worlds. The conch shell represents the ocean, which is the salt of life, our beginnings.

The blanket is for your protection. When you go to the hill, all you have is your nakedness and

the blanket to protect you. You are presenting yourself before the Great Spirit and saying, 'Here I

am. I am pitiful. I am naked.' It's just like when you were born. You are saying, 'Everything I

have is yours. I am nothing without you. Without you I have no breath; I don't even exist.

Without you, I am nothing but the mere dust of the earth. Now I am coming back to you in a

good way, in a humble way. I am not perfect. I am not the best. But I am coming in the best way

that I know how. And I am asking for these blessings today.'

"Once you gather all these things that you will need, you go back to the medicine man. Before

sunset, they put seven stones in a fire. You gather seven large stones and on each one you make a

circle with a special type of clay paint. The circle represents the hoop of life; it has no beginning

or end. The circle is the beginning of cellular consciousness. It represents the light that enters

into that cell. There are many meanings to the circle. Those stones are placed in the fire, and the

fire burns the whole time you're on the hill. It represents all the elements: the earth, fire, water

and air.

"When the stones are heated, you go into the purification lodge. This is the beginning of the

quest. Once inside, you smoke with the medicine man, and everything is good. You go out and

come back with your pipe again, but now it is empty, except for a little sage. You always keep a

little sage in your pipe so that nothing gets into it, physically or spiritually. The medicine man

has the lodge ready, and he has helpers that are going to sit in the lodge with you. Everyone is

tied together, moving in one direction. The person going on the quest always sits on the west end

of the lodge, opposite the medicine man. The west represents the spirits, the thunder beings who

control the wind, the rain, the lightning, the thunder. These are being of great power, and

especially important in my case because of being hit by lightning. Prayers are said in the lodge.

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You are there in complete darkness, with the fire, the water, the rocks and the air. All the

elements are there so that all the spirits can enter.

"When you come out of the lodge, you do not speak or look at people. The medicine man takes

you to the position of power that he is seeking for you so that you can have the quest you are

looking for. Medicine men have many different sacred spots. He is directly connected to the

Great Spirit and he knows what people can handle. Some people can handle 12 volts, others can

handle 24. He puts you in a specific area that is strong enough for you as you face the spirits and

go naked before God.

"Then you get to the hill. He takes out the prayer flags that you prepared ahead of time, and puts

one in each direction. Then he takes the tobacco ties and puts you in the center of these four

flags. He starts unwinding these along the ground. It's a protected area. We know that once we

are in the center, nothing can come into the center in a bad way. Only good things can come in

there. You might see all kinds of horrific things dancing around you, but nothing can come into

the center except the good things from the Great Spirit.

"Once you are in the center, he finishes the ties, sets up your alter with the choke cherry branch

and the red flannel, the conch shell and the eagle feather. The medicine man tells you to remain

in the center for one, two, or three days, and sometimes longer, whatever is necessary. In my

case, I was told to pray hard for my life on the first night, and to pray for my direction on the

second. So, I was up there two days and two nights. This is all done as the sun is starting to set.

You are holding your pipe the whole time with all your might because this represents the Great

Mystery. You never let it down, never let it come apart. You pray and pray and pray. You pray

until it hurts.

"During this period of time, you have no food or water. You have nothing but your nakedness,

your blanket, your pipe, and your prayers. You're down to the nitty gritty of who you are.

"At this time, you will get direction in your life. The spirits will come and talk to you. In my

case, they taught me dances, and they taught me ways of communicating with the thunder beings

for helping with lightning, for helping with rain, for helping with specific directions. They taught

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me ghost medicine and gave me specific knowledge because as a doctor, medicine man, sun

dancer, pipe carrier, my direction is in healing.

"You cannot go off the path at that point because you are now owned by the spirits. They watch

you continuously. There is no hiding. Someone once said to me that people live their lives as if

God can't see around corners. God can see around corners. We don't get away with anything,

especially once we've made a commitment in our hearts. That's why before going on a quest, it's

important to pray for months, sometimes a year or longer, to make sure that you're clear in your

heart about the direction you're seeking.

"I sat there and I prayed all night and all day. I stood there, and faced the eagle feather and the

conch shell on the alter, and I prayed and prayed and prayed, and asked for direction. The spirits

came as sparks of light, and they came as beings that I have known before. My father, who had

died, came to me at one point. There is no way to know they are coming. But if you pray in a

good way, they will come and give you direction. They will tell you what it is you are seeking,

and what you need to do to become an active participant in your own life. It is up to you to be

able to do that.

"Once the helpers and the medicine man leave the hill, they go back to where the sacred fire is

burning, and they pray for you, continually. They are up on the hill with you, so to speak,

experiencing everything that you are experiencing. The fire is kept burning the whole time you

are up there. Even if your quest is for four days, the fire is keep going 24 hours a day. It

represents the fire of life that carries your prayers up to heaven.

"After you have been up there for a specific amount of time, the medicine man and the helpers

come for you. This is rough. When you are standing there for two, three, or four days, your joints

are stiff, and you are feeling pain, hunger, and thirst. You have endured 100 degree weather

during the day and freezing cold at night. The experience takes you beyond the physical. It isn't

trying to see how much torture you can endure. It takes you to the point of realizing your

potential, of seeing what you can do, what you can go through, and still come out in a good way,

with your heart and mind clear, and your body still able to function. The power of the experience

is difficult to communicate in words.

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"As they gather up the tobacco ties, the prayer flags, and the alter, your head remains downcast

and you continue to pray because you are still in ceremony. Then you come down the hill and go

back to the sacred fire. You re-enter the lodge, where you pray and sing sacred songs. Again, you

are sitting opposite the medicine man on the west side with your back to the center. You share

the vision that has been revealed to you, and what you share is not allowed to leave the lodge. In

my case, I was given gifts of vision for each person there.

"To conclude, you participate in the wopela, which is a way of saying thank you. This is an

honoring time. It is a time of giving things away. You give a gift to the medicine man and to the

helpers. You give gifts to the children. There's always play and laughter. Usually, the blanket

you've worn is given away to someone who has been a great helper to you. This is a time of great

celebration as the Great Spirit has allowed you to come back into this world. There's a big feast

where a traditional buffalo soup is made. Unfortunately, the person who has been on the hill can't

eat to much. The body is kind of stiff and you have to get used to it. It's like birthing again.

You're learning how to reuse the body, and how to assimilate food into your system. It's good to

take gentle things into the system, maybe some broth and fluid with a little lemon.

"For a period of time after that, you begin to integrate all this wonderful knowledge that has been

given to you. This is a time to be prayerful, to allow all the information to come in, to integrate

it, in order to help you on your path. This is also a time to readjust. You are getting used to a

whole different vibratory rate, so to speak. You've been in this spiritual way, and all of a sudden

you're coming back into the physical world. The medicine man will talk with you and say, 'As

you come back into this world, you will see hate and jealousy in people's eyes, and all sorts of

things. Remember your commitment. Remember what you have done in your heart. Your mind

can trick you into saying anything. But your heart knows the truth. You cannot lie when you go

into your heart of hearts. When you're in that center, you will know what is truth. You will look

at these people and know that we are all pitiful creature. Just pray for them. When somebody

comes at you with anger, hatred, prejudice, and all these things, look at it and say that everything

is in control of the spirits. Just as when you were in that center, and nothing of a negative nature

could hurt you, you can enter that center again. Know that you are walking in a good way.

Whatever the Great Spirit brings you is coming in a good way."

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Sometimes going on a vision quest is not as elaborate or detailed in terms of preparation. Still the

experience can be a powerful one when the intention for a vision is strong. Eagle Man, an

Ogalala Sioux, shares what his immersion into nature taught him, although he says the

experience is too powerful to fully express in words:

Eagle Man's Vision Quest

"One time, I had a medicine person put me up on the hill. Another time, I had two very powerful

medicine people as my mentors. They simply said, 'Go up on this place, and vision quest.' They

never accompanied me, nor did they have a sweat lodge waiting for me. They just took me up on

the hill and placed me. They told me to do it and I just did it.

"I went to the mountain, and I parked my car down below. I took my peace pipe, and I simply

walked up to the top of the mountain. In those days, believe it or not, when you went to Bear

View Mountain, there was nobody there. Now it's quite crowded because Native spirituality has

become so popular. But when I used to go there, I would be the only one on the whole mountain.

So, I'd walk way up there and I'd fast. I'd drink no water. I'd simply take four little flags--red,

white, black, and yellow--and place them around me, in a square. I'd stay in the square. If I had

to go to the bathroom, I'd go away, of course, and then come back. But that's it. I'd sit in my

square, and watch the sun come up in the morning, and set at night. I'd see the moon come up,

and I'd see all the phases of the earth. When you're fasting, your mind becomes more alert. You

simply contemplate your life. And when you fall asleep, your dreams become more vivid.

"As each day goes by, the phases of life go through their cycles. At night, the stars come out.

Pilades will actually dance for you if you're a vision quester. They light up, almost like a neon

sign. I know people find that hard to believe, but that's just the mystery of the ceremony. An

eagle will hover right over you knowing that you're in ceremony. Thunder and lightning come

by, and you just endure it. It's no problem. Lightning can be flashing all around you, and you'll

laugh. The Great Spirit is not going to take your life up there while you are vision questing. And

if it does, who cares? You're in a good state. But you don't fear nature or God. The Great Spirit

made you. Why should you fear it? You become more confident once you follow this natural

road.

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"So, this is a vision quest. It's performed by you and it's for yourself. You don't have to go

through anybody. You can communicate to the Great Spirit through observation. Of course, it's

nice to have a medicine person there to help you interpret the experience. When I came down

from the mountain, the medicine man asked me, 'What did you see?' I said that I didn't see too

much. 'This eagle just came and hovered over me, and lightning cracked close to me.' 'Were you

afraid?' he asked? 'No, I wasn't afraid. In fact, I laughed. And I saw four horses before I went up

the mountain. But they were real, live horses.' 'What color were they?' he wanted to know. He

was even interested in these pre-vision quest scenes, as well as my dreams."

Eagle Man suggests that most people attempting a vision quest go into the mountains for one or

two days at most, as the majority aren't stronger to go up for long periods of time. Also people

should take their medication, and drink water, if this is a necessity.

Oliver Pahdopony - Healed on a Vision Quest

Oliver Pahdopony was the last medicine man of the Comanches. Between 1980 and 1985, a

graduate anthropology student, by the name of Robert Vetter, was doing his field work in the

southern plains, and had the good fortune of being taken into Pahdopony's family, where he

developed a close relationship with his adopted grandfather. Vetter was interested in religion,

spirituality, and healing, and learned much from a Native American perspective, which he shared

with me.

Ten years before their meeting, Pahdopony was very ill and hospitalized. The doctors exhausted

all their tests and treatments, and finally told their patient that they could do nothing more for

him but ease his pain. Pahdopony had terminal cancer.

Pahdopony discussed his situation with his wife and son, and they decided that since the doctors

could do nothing, he would heal himself in the tradition of his elders. He would fast and go into

the hills on a vision quest. Pahdopony went into the Wichita mountains on the night of a new

moon, and brought along an eagle feather, a blanket, and some tobacco. This was the fall when it

was just starting to get cold.

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Pahdopony reached his spot, a rise facing Mount Scott, one of the taller peaks in the Wichita

mountains, he sat down and waited. For a long time, nothing happened. Then, near morning, he

could hear the rustling of leaves from out in the distance. Looking up, he saw something that

appeared to be a flame. Whatever it was started getting closer and closer. Then he realized that

this was a creature spitting fire out of his mouth, and it was getting closer to him. Pahdopony,

who referred to this creature as a visitor, soon realized that it was coming after him. Pahdopony

sat frozen, unable to move, and the visitor, directly in his path, shot a flame at him. Now

Pahdopony couldn't move, talk, or breathe. His heart completely stopped and he was totally

helpless.

Then the visitor spoke, and Pahdopony returned to normal. He could move, breathe, and talk

again. The visitor said in Comanche, "Son, what are you doing here?" And Pahdopony replied

that he was sick. "There's nothing the matter with you," the visitor replied. "You're going to be

alright. But they sent me to take care of a man who's real bad off." With that, this visitor started

to take off to the west. But just before disappearing, he turned around to Pahdopony and said,

"Son, did you know that this whole world that we live in comes to a complete standstill for a

short time, just before morning? That's the time when things like me can enter into this world."

With that, the visitor disappeared into the west, which is often considered to be the direction of

death.

Some time later, his son came back for him. Running up to his father, he asked, "How did you

make it through the cold night? Pahdopony replied, "What do you mean? Where I was, it was

like springtime." Leaving the rise, everywhere had frost on the ground, everywhere but where

Pahdopony had been.

Pahdopony returned home, his cancer now gone. He never had problems with that again. But he

knew something else had happened as well, and he really didn't know what to do about it until

sometime later. In a nearby town, an old Comanche lady walked up to him and asked, "Son, what

happened to you?" Pahdopony asked the old lady what she meant and she told him that

something changed about him. He explained the story of his vision quest, and she said,

"Something like that doesn't happen to you without your receiving a gift. You've got a gift, and

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you don't yet know what it is, but some time soon, you're going to find out. Whatever healed you

is going to give you the power to heal other people."

Pahdopony started to think about what had happened to him on the hill. Putting it all together, he

began to remember the traditional medicine people of his childhood. And he had remembered

some of the ways they had doctored people.

Word about what had happened to Pahdopony got out in the Indian communities of Oklahoma.

And people from the different tribes started coming to him for help. Pahdopony began to realize

what he was supposed to be doing and how he was supposed to do it.

Since fire had healed him, Pahdopony used this element to treat other people. He would build a

fire, and let it burn until the coals in it were red hot. Then he would take a piece of the hot coal

out of the fire with his fingers, and place it into his mouth. This would activate the power to heal

others. Pahdopony saw sickness as fire, and would say that you have to fight fire with fire. But

you have to understand what that fire is, or else it will burn you.

Different medicine men and women specialize in treating different illnesses. Pahdopony's

specialty was Bell's palsy, a facial paralysis where one half of the face become paralyzed. He had

the ability to take the person's face in his hands, and reshape it the way that it was supposed to

be. Pahdopony would explain that it was like taking wet cement. You could move it around any

way you wanted. But once it was dry, it would stay in one position.

The Sun Dance

The sun dance is the predominant tribal ceremony of Great Plains Indians, although it is

practiced by numerous tribes today as a prayer for life, world renewal and thanksgiving. On a

personal level, someone may dance to pray for a relative or friend, or to determine their place in

the universe, while on a larger scale, the sun dance serves the tribe and the earth. Indigenous

people believe that unless the sun dance is performed each year, the earth will lose touch with the

creative power of the universe, thereby losing its ability to regenerate.

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The sun dance was outlawed in the latter part of the nineteenth century, partly because certain

tribes inflicted self-torture as part of the ceremony, which settlers found gruesome, and partially

as part of a grand attempt to westernize Indians by forbidding them to engage in their ceremonies

and speak their language. Sometimes the dance was performed when reservation agents were lax

and chose to look the other way. But as a rule, younger generations were not being introduced to

the sun dance and other sacred rituals, and a rich cultural heritage was becoming extinct.

Then, in the 1930's, the sun dance was relearned and practiced once again. Michael Fitzgerald,

an adopted member of the Yellow Tail family of the Crow tribe, and author of Yellow Tail Crow

Medicine Man and Sun Dance Chief related this amazing story to me. A man by the name of

John Trojillo was walking in the mountains while on a vision quest when he was struck by

lightning. At that moment, the Spirit of the mountain came to Trojillo and carefully explained to

him different healing ceremonies and medicines.

Three days later, Trojillo noticed himself walking through a rock, and then saw himself lying on

the floor of the cave. He laid down in his body and awoke, realizing that he had been in his Spirit

all this time, not his physical body.

Trojillo was given explicit instructions to follow for a year's time. He was told to pray, to go on

vision quests, and not to practice his medicine power. Afterwards, Trojillo was able to call upon

the Spirits of the medicine fathers, whenever someone was in need of help, and was the vehicle

for many miraculous healings. The first healing was especially dramatic, involving a man who

had been shot twice, just above the heart. The doctors of this time were not skillful enough to

perform such a delicate operation, but Trujillo prayed for the man, and sprinkled the wound with

a sacred powder, called lightning root. The next day, the bullets worked themselves out and were

lying beneath the man. The patient fully recovered and lived many more healthy years. While the

herbs played a role, Trujillo credited the man's survival to the Spirits who had responded to his

prayers.

Trujillo became prominent in his tribe as a result of this incident and was asked to reinstate the

sun dance on the Shoshoni reservation. Then in 1941, he was invited to the Crow reservation to

teach the sun dance, which had also been lost due to generations of US government Indian

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policy. Since this new version differed from the original dance, the Crows called the ceremony

the Crow Shoshoni sun dance.

The tribes learned that the sun dance consisted of various elements. There was the ritual of the

sacred pipe, the purification ceremony, monthly prayer ceremonies, and a yearly ritual. The sun

dance chief offers the prayers from the sacred pipe to the four directions, as well as the earth and

sky, on a daily basis. The purification ceremony is performed before the sun dance and again

afterwards. Monthly sun dance prayer ceremonies take place 12 times a year, at the time of the

full moon. During this ceremony, two medicine bundles are opened, and ritual objects are taken

out and placed on an elk's skin in the middle of the floor. Heated coals are brought into the lodge,

incense is placed on the fire, and special songs are sung to help carry the prayers of the smoke to

a subtler world.

At the end of the ceremony, people in the audience come forth to be healed. Animal instruments,

such as eagle feathers and otter skins, are used. Fitzgerald notes that a great spiritual leader,

Yellow Tail, used a hollowed out horn of a spiked horn elk as his primary method of healing.

Blowing on a patient's back with the horn created a terribly shrill sound, but resulted in many

miraculous cures and protection against danger. In one instance, a prominent American Indian

was sent to Viet Nam and shot at close range by the Viet Cong. Although the bullet tore through

his tee shirt, it did not penetrate him.

During the healings, the medicine man prays over the patient, touching him or her with the

animal instrument. The bad spirits are taken into the prop, and then cast into the wind.

Sometimes herbs are given to the patient to alleviate simple symptoms, but as mentioned earlier,

the essential cure is through prayer. The medicine man calls forth spiritual entities to enter the

physical world in order to cure the patient.

In addition to the 12 monthly ceremonies, there is a three to four day sun dance that takes place

each summer, usually in July. The preparation is too detailed to describe here, but involves

building a lodge from a large cottonwood tree, with a forked branch in the middle. Twelve

upright poles are placed about 13 paces from the center pole in a circular fashion, with rafter

poles connecting the outside of the circle to the inner pole. From an aerial view, this appears as a

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wagon wheel with a hub in its center. This symbolizes the tribe (on the outside of the circle)

trying to find their way straight to the center.

Fitzgerald told me about the preparations for the Crow sun dance, where the dancers greet each

sunrise with sacred songs. Then the medicine man prays on behalf of the tribe, the world, and all

creation. Throughout the day, 100 or more tribe members may dance to a drum beat, which

represents the heart of the universe. The dancers fast for the duration of the ceremony. All their

time is spent praying to the Creator and dancing toward and away from the center pole. The

ceremony is brutal and causes many dancers to collapse, what Indians call taking a fall. This is

followed by a vision, similar to what happens on a vision quest, only here many people are given

guidance for the good of the tribe. In a sense, this is a community vision quest to renew the

people and the bioregion.

On the second day, spectators from the tribe enter the lodge to be healed, bearing gifts of tobacco

and incense. This is exactly the same process that takes place during the monthly prayer sun

dance ceremonies, where harmful spiritual and physical manifestations are taken into an animal

instrument and cast off to the wind, while prayers are said to heal the person.

Sun dance ceremonies typically end with a purification ceremony so that tribe members can re-

enter the world refreshed and regenerated. Fitzgerald notes that this ritual is as concrete as it is

symbolic, and related to me a time when he was in a purification lodge with Yellow Tail. While

praying, Yellow Tail suddenly threw a scoop of water onto the very hot volcanic rocks. The

force of the 212 degree steam knocked Fitzgerald down. He equated the feeling to that of an egg

that sizzles when dropped onto a skillet. Yellow Tail continued to pray, and then asked

Fitzgerald if he was alright. Fitzgerald leaned up onto his elbow to assure Yellow Tail that he

was fine, feeling too embarrassed to admit that he was thrown onto the ground. At that moment,

Fitzgerald realized that this was more than a symbolic death; there was an element of pure

suffering accompanying this ceremony of death and renewal.

The dual meaning of this ritual is also expressed by Yellow Tail, who says, "When water is

thrown onto the rocks, the heat does not merely cleanse us from the outside. It also goes all the

way into our hearts. We know that we must suffer the ordeal of the heat in order to purify

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ourselves. In that way, we re-emerge from the sweat lodge at the end of the ceremony as new

men who have been shown the light of the wisdom of our spiritual heritage for the first time.

This allows us to participate in all of our daily tasks with the fresh remembrance of our position

on earth, and our continuous obligation to walk on this earth in accordance with the sacred

ways."

Sandra Frazier - Healed Through the Sun Dance

Sandra Frazier, from the Cheyenne River Reservation attributes her recovery from cancer to the

power of traditional ceremonies: "In 1990, the doctors told me that I had female cancer. By the

time it was diagnosed, the doctors thought that it had spread, and they scheduled me for surgery.

"I have a good friend, named Dorothy, living at Standing Rock Reservation. She asked me if she

could sponsor, a sweat lodge ceremony for me, and I said that she could. So, she had a sweat

lodge ceremony and prayed for me.

"Right after that, there was to be a sun dance on the Standing Rock reservation. Dorothy asked

the sun dance leader if I could be taken to the tree. He said that I could, since my bleeding was

not from a regular menstrual period. So, I went to the sun dance, and they took me up to the tree,

where I prayed for my health. I prayed that I would be able to raise my children, and not be taken

from them. I prayed that I would be able to be with my grandchildren.

"Afterwards, I went through the surgery, and there were no problems at all, absolutely none. I

really believe it was because I had gone to the sweat lodge and that I had gone to the sun dance

where the sun dancers prayed with me.

"A year later, I went back to the sun dance and did what we call a wopela, a thanksgiving. What I

did was feed the people with traditional food.

"The next year, my youngest daughter was pregnant. She had a normal pregnancy, and delivered

a baby girl. But the next day she had terrible, terrible pain in her chest, and was taken to a

hospital, where she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The placenta cells traveled and

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grew in her body cavity, her female parts, and her lungs, but fortunately, they hadn't grown in her

brain. She immediately started on chemotherapy.

"As soon as the cancer was diagnosed, I contacted my family, and they immediately went into

ceremony. All the time that she had cancer, there were ceremonies for her. At the same time,

there were prayers all around the world for my daughter. I sincerely believe that my daughter

was cured of that cancer because of prayer and medicine. I sincerely believe in these ways. I

know they work."

The Naming Ceremony

Legal names are given, but Native American names are earned. Gabriel Horn gives a personal

account of why and how his Indian name was chosen: "By the time I graduated from college, I

had already done my battles for the people. I had protested against stereotypes of Native

Americans, I had fought for a Native American literature course on campus, and I had asked for

participation in the United Nations. My immediate family believed that I had earned a name. The

name came to my uncle, a traditional Cherokee man, who had a vision of a white deer coming to

him and singing my name. He knew it was to be White Deer.

"My godmother, my uncle, and some close friends attended the ceremony. A pipe was filled with

tobacco, and offered to each direction, as they called out my name. They called it out to the east,

the south, the west, and the north. They called it out to the sky and to the earth. They called it out

to the plants. They called it out to the animals. In other words, I was introduced to the universe as

White Deer. That was my rebirth. In a sense, I was a born again Indian at that point." Receiving a

new name was a healing experience. I was now completely comfortable with my Indian identity,

whereas before I felt fragmented, not totally in touch with who I was."

Name changes can be physically as well as psychologically healing. Some time later, White Deer

became ill, and a longer name was the solution: "I had gotten very sick, and was near death. A

very old Ojibwa medicine man from Canada came down to Minnesota. I believe he was over 100

years old, and he didn't speak any English. During the ceremony of healing for me, a

manifestation appeared in the room. At that point, the medicine man said that the entity wanted

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me to also be called Autumn. I was now White Deer of Autumn. The ceremony ended, and my

sickness was healed.

"The name, of course, bestows certain powers and responsibilities. The power of the deer is its

awareness, its keenness, and its protective nature. The white is purity, purity of heart, mind, and

words. Autumn, I was told, is a time when change is most visible. It's a time when change is at

its most powerful. And so, I was named for that season."

Indian names can be passed down, as western names often are. The distinction is that you are not

stuck with one name all your life. This represents different beliefs about human potential, says

White Deer of Autumn: "Crazy Horse passed on his name to his son, who took the name Worm

as he got older. So, we can pass on names, too. The idea is that you're not stuck with the name

you were given at birth. In western society, it's almost as if you can't change; you can't evolve;

you can't grow. From a native perspective, your name reflects who you are. White Deer of

Autumn reflects what I've done. But as I go on in life, I may want to let go of that and take

another name. I have that right. So, naming is the ability to evolve and change in your identity. I

think this is healing, both physically and emotionally."

Smudging

Smudging is a common practice among Native Americans for the cleansing of energy through

the burning of sage, tobacco, and sweet grass. John Joseph says these substances emit certain

smells that are pleasing to the Great Spirit: "Sweet grass grows high in the Rocky Mountains,

and is known as the grass that never dies. It is a gift from the Creator, and one of the great smells

for reminding us of the mountains and the open air. Sage is the cleanest smell of the desert, and

is also given to us by the Creator. Tobacco is yet another gift. Our thoughts and prayers are

carried on its smoke. It is a visual representation of our thoughts and prayers being carried, more

so because it carries the two great smells of the mountain and desert."

The smudging itself is performed by mixing the sweet grass, sage, and tobacco in a bowl, usually

an abalone shell, burning the ingredients, and then blowing or fanning the smoke over a person.

Often, an eagle feather fan is used, as Native Americans believe that the prayers and thoughts

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contained in the smoke are carried to the Creator on the wings of eagles, which fly the highest

and are in direct communication with the Creator.

Smudging plays a central role in traditional healing ceremonies because it is believed that once

negative energies are cleared out, a sense of peace and relaxation take over, putting spiritual

difficulties to rest. Joseph explains why this aspect of healing is so important: "Western medicine

primarily looks at physical causes, and often does not consider the spiritual well being of the

individual. You have to understand that there's a big difference between healing and curing.

Curing is a quick fix and will only be long-term if the spiritual site is fixed." Smudging is often

combined with other modalities that get to the root of illness, such as talking to a shaman, taking

long walks, fasting, praying, and engaging in purification ceremonies.

The Winter Dance

The winter dance is a ceremony for the renewal of the earth that is performed by the Salish

people on the Colville Reservation, north of Spokane, Washington. John Grim, a religious

historian, an adopted member of a Crow Indian family, and the author of The Shaman Patterns of

Religious Healing Among the Ojibway Indians, attends the winter dance each year, and

explained the ritual to me. Grim states that the dance for renewal is not an abstract notion.

Rather, it is performed to invoke heavy rains so that root crops will grow to provide sustenance

for humans, and to keep animals alive for man to hunt.

The winter dance is performed for four days, from eight in the evening until nine the next

morning. The first day of the winter dance is usually for family. Then intimate friends of the

family are invited. It grows from there, and by the fourth day, there may be as many people as s

100 or 150 people in attendance. The location of the ceremony is chosen by a Shaman. It is held

in a single room; the windows are covered, and there is a pole made of pine in the middle of the

room that extends from the floor to the ceiling. This pole is referred to as the old man, and is a

symbol for our relationship with the Spirits that created and gave meaning to this world.

During the winter dance itself, Spirits call out in the form of songs. Those who can hear the

songs will sing them. This exchange between the Spirits and human beings is called Samish in

the Salish language, a word which implies that a special sound is being imparted to a person by

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the creative presence of the world. No one touches the pine pole except for the singers, who

begin to sing very slowly, one at a time. There is no set order regarding who will sing when. The

singers are believed to be in trance, although this word doesn't fully capture the experience of

what actually takes place. A translator is usually present to give the English interpretation, or if

the words are already in English, to project the message loud and clear for everyone in the room

to hear. These are personal statements about ethical and moral life, about community, about

Spirit presence, and about the origin of the song. The singer begins to sing at a much faster pace,

and people get up to dance.

The four day ceremony attracts wet heavy snow, then a frost and a cold spell, followed by more

snow to get moisture down into the root crops. Grim notes how each time he attends the winter

dance, it snows.

The Rites of Passage Ceremony

George Amiotte, an Ogalala Lakota from Pine Ride, explains that the Rites of Passage ceremony

is performed for young people, about 14 or 15 years of age, who are traveling from adolescence

into young adulthood. The Indian word for this ritual is hablacia which means crying for a

vision. During the ceremony, a young person will leave behind the mundane problems of life,

and contemplate on his place in the universe. Similar to a vision quest, the individual will sit for

four days and four nights, without food or water, and contemplate the whys of his existence. A

person will ask, "Who am I?" "What am I doing here?" "What is my purpose?" Basically, this

ceremony helps a person get in touch with their spiritual being. In other words, they ask the

spiritual part of themselves to come to life, so that they may fulfill their part in the Divine Plan.

The Salmon Spirit Ceremony

The Salmon Spirit Ceremony is performed by the Skokomish people in order to thank the earth

for its supply of food. When salmon start to appear, the people hold a ceremony where they sing

songs and offer the first salmon caught that year back to the river. This ceremony is similar to

saying a prayer before eating.

The Uweepe Ceremony

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This is a little known healing ceremony performed by only a few medicine people in South

Dakota. During the uweepe ceremony, the leader will travel into a spiritual dimension where the

past, present, and future are available to him or her. When working with a sick individual, this

allows the medicine person to make a diagnosis, and to see what needs to be done.

The Making of Relations Ceremony

Loneliness is one of the worst feelings we can experience, and, unfortunately, a common theme

of modern times. Native Americans use the Making of Relations Ceremony to overcome

alienation, and to create a sense of community and continuity among people. Ben First Eagle, a

Watatome and Choctaw Indian from the Black Hills of South Dakota explains how and why the

ceremony is performed: "This is a ritual that we have for making a new relation. To Native

Americans, the worst thing that you can call a person is an orphan. It means that the person is

disconnected, that they have no relations, that they have no blood line. These things happened in

the past. The mother and father would be killed or disease would take them. And they happen

today.

"In this ceremony, another family or group takes in a young person who has been left alone. Or it

can be a middle-aged person or someone older. Age doesn't matter. Anyone who loses their

relatives can partake in this ritual. Another family will say, 'This one is pitiful. We need to help.

So, let's make this one our aunt, our brother, our sister, nephew, niece, grandson, or

granddaughter.' The Making of Relations Ceremony insures that no one is an orphan, no one is

alone.

"In this ritual, we use the pipe, we use blankets, and, these days, we use a chair. They used to just

sit people on sage and cover them with the blanket. Songs are sung. An eagle feather is tied in

the person's hair, complete with a medicine wheel, that could be made of rawhide and painted, or

made of porcupine quills. That's done to symbolize their connection to the four directions, and to

the hoop of life. Hair represents the person's life because it grows. It contains a person's wisdom,

and it contains their connection to the past."

Ben First Eagle says the Making of Relations Ceremony insures that no one is left to feel alone

in the universe, and that this is vital as we are social beings who depend upon each other. "A

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person is taken in as a relative. That relative system is as strong as blood. It must be, because the

welfare of the group can sometimes hinge upon one individual. And if that person is feeling

disconnected, he or she may fail you."

Due to the rising numbers of death due to alcoholism among Native Americans, the Making of

Relations ritual is being conducted more and more today.

The (sounds like Aduha) Ceremony

This is a ceremony for giving away possessions of a loved one who has recently died. When a

husband, wife, or other close family member passes on, the living relative gathers together the

departed's belongings, and decides who can use what. This process takes approximately a year,

and is done with the help of others. At the end of this time, friends and relatives gather together

for the actual giving away of belongings. If a woman survives her husband, she may give away

her husband's fishing pole or gun to a nephew or brother-in-law who always admired that

possession, and who can use it. She will also give away items to the people who helped her

gather these belongings together.

Eagle Man explains that giving is a natural part of an Indian's nature: "In the old, old days,

Indians would always give things away. When we were out in the plains, hunting buffalo, we had

everything we needed, and we considered ourselves wealthy. Of course, wealth is just a matter of

how you see it. We thought you were quite wealthy if you were well fed and free, with a good

horse underneath you. If you were able to provide for your offspring and mates, you were

wealthy.

"In modern times, many Indians live in houses and accumulate certain things. They feel that they

can give these things away when a person dies. When you learn to live with less, you don't have

to worry about it. You learn to be unburdened with all the excess trinkets that are totally

irrelevant to living in this world."

Eagle Man adds that the (sounds like Aduha) ceremony has important psychological benefits for

the person in mourning, as gathering items occupies the person's mind, and gives the individual

something to do. Then, on the day of the actual giving away, the person who died is brought to

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life in the sense that people get together and reminisce about the past. Usually, a hall is rented

where close friends and family of the departed gather together. A picture of the couple in their

earlier days may be there and people will comment on that. Then, when items are given away to

loved ones, each person will recall a memory about it. Say a widow gives her husband's friend a

fishing pole, he may remember a time he spent time with her husband's fishing in a stream. The

woman hears good things about her husband and this is healing.

The Earth Day Ceremony

According to Eagle Man, the Sioux nation take Earth Day very seriously and performs a

powerful ceremony in its honor. The ceremony is held outdoors, where the four directions are

invoked, as well as the powers of the earth and sky, to let these energies know that the people are

giving Mother Earth their full support and respect.

Acknowledging the directions is a common part of Native ceremonies, but here they are

connected to environmental talk. Eagle Man explains: "We talk about life giving rains coming

out of the west. We talk about clean waters. And we ask, 'How can we help make the water

clean?' We talk about less wasting of water. Also, we talk about fighting for the non-pollution of

water. Then we turned to the north and appreciate cleanliness and purity. We know that we have

an uphill battle, as most environmentalists have. But we beseech upon the north power to fortify

us and give us great strength to endure in our venture into environmentalism. We beseech the

east power and talk about knowledge, about educating children. We see that more today. Kids

are less apt to throw trash out of their cars windows. I just had three occupants in my car. One

dumped his water out from his paper cut, but he wouldn't think of throwing that paper cup out

there on the grass. Had he thrown out the paper cup, I would have stopped the car, turned around,

admonished him, and made him pick up the paper cup. It doesn't sound like much, but it all adds

up. So, we talk about knowledge. We go to the south power, and we beseech for bounty to be

taken away from these people that are wasting. All business executives care about is making

more and more money. They don't care about taking their bounty and applying it to Mother

Earth's needs. We beseech for the bounty to be distributed to people who will make use of it for

the Earth Mother, and for projects that will generate a myriad of environmental items that can

cause less pollution."

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Ultimately, addressing the directions leads to communion with the Creator. But Indians do not

focus directly on the all-seeing Great Mystery. Rather, they speak to His Creation as manifested

in nature, represented by each direction.

The Medaweewan Ceremony

This sacred and secret ceremony is central to the (sounds Anishanobway) people of Wisconsin,

Minnesota, and Michigan. Non-Native people have never participated in this ritual. It is a

ceremony they preserve for themselves and it is integral to their identity as a people. In earlier

times, the ceremony was practiced by other groups, such as the Ojibway and Chippewa, but due

to oppression and persecution it became extinct in these cultures.

The purpose of the four or five day ceremony is to build institutional support and to bring

different shamans together to transmit the mythical understandings and symbol systems of the

Anishanobway people. As outsiders to the religion, this is all we can know, and perhaps all we

need to know.

SACRED OBJECTS, SACRED SYMBOLS, AND SACRED LAND

Medicine Shields

Medicine shields were used by Native American men for spiritual as well as physical protection.

Physical safety was aided by the size of the shield, and the material used to make it, which was a

hard rawhide from the hump of the buffalo. The rawhide was cured, making it dense, so that no

arrow could penetrate it. Bullets from early flint rock rifles didn't always go through the rawhide,

although more powerful bullets did.

For spiritual protection, the shields were circular, and decorated with power symbols and objects

of personal significance. They might draw a picture of an animal or an insect that they felt close

to, for instance, a buffalo, an eagle, or an ant. This would come to the man in a vision or be given

to him by someone else. The animal or insect would give the warrior further power and

protection by allowing him to see where the enemy was. Sometimes parts of animals would be

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attached as well, such as eagle feathers. Smaller shields, known as replica shields, were made by

the men too, and worn for spiritual protection from evil.

Native American artists Tchin explains the importance of medicine shields as power symbols: "I

think all people understand the power of things. We understand that we, as human beings, are

somewhat weak, and so we need other things to help us."

(Are medicine shields and medicine wheels the same?)

Medicine Wheel

To understand the significance of the medicine wheel, we need to go back to a time when most

Indian nations were constantly at war with each other. Tribes were obsessed with wiping out

their "enemies." Then a dramatic shift in perception occurred, and a peace was realized, which

lasted for a period of 150 to 200 years. This long truce was the result of a great Iroquois chief,

(sounds like Agonawila) , later to become Hiawatha, who urged the tribes to cease the madness

of brother killing brother, and formed an alliance, which came to be known as the Confederation

of Nations. The Confederation recognized that Indian peoples were more alike than different.

Even though they spoke different dialects, they had the same basic belief systems and followed

similar traditions.

An important part of this transformation was the medicine wheel, which was placed in front of

every tepee, and decorated in special symbols, colors, and stones, to let people entering the tribe

know about its inhabitants. The medicine wheel was a reflection of an individual's strengths and

weaknesses, and it gave people guidelines to follow for personal growth. It told people what they

needed to learn and what they needed to teach. Everyone was ordered to work on themselves, or

else leave the tribe. After several generations of this work, people lost the concept of blame and

anger. This, in turn, resulted in the longest peace in modern history.

Brother Eagle Soaring, from Arizona, explains the powerful impact of the medicine wheel: "If I

said to you, 'Does anyone ever make you angry?' you would say yes. But in reality, this is totally

impossible. You choose to be angry by the way you process the event. This is something you

were taught to do as a child. If you could imagine not one person in all of New York City having

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the concept of anger, that's what it was like during that time period of no wars before the white

man came."

The medicine wheel is a circle divided by a cross to create four directions--the north, east, south,

and west. A forerunner to astrology, each person is represented somewhere within that circle,

depending upon their birth date. That placement is associated with a special moon, power

animal, healing plant, color and mineral, as outlined below. Though more complex in actuality,

here Brother Soaring Eagle gives an overview of the special meanings the medicine wheel can

have for individuals:

North - Purity and Renewal

Spirit Keeper of the North : White Buffalo (Waboose)

December 22 to January 19

Moon: Earth renewal moon

Power Animal: Snow goose

Mineral: Quartz crystal

Frequency: 13.26 megacycles

Color: White

Plant : Birch tree

Clan: Turtle

Element: Earth

Characteristics: The snow goose is at the top of the medicine wheel, and represents the chief.

These people have an affinity for the earth, and might pick up rocks while vacationing. The bark

of the birch tree helps their digestive tract, and the new leaves and new ends of twigs help

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deaden the pain in their knees and bones. Like the quartz crystal that is used in communications,

these people can send messages over long distances. Often just thinking of someone will be

enough to get the person to call them.

January 20 to February 18 :

Moon: Rust cleansing moon otter

Power Animal: Otter

Mineral: Silver

Frequency: 13.6 megacycles

Color: Silver

Plant: Quaking aspen

Clan: Butterfly

Element: Air

Characteristics: The otter sits on the right hand side of the chief in high counsel. Their job is to

advise the chief and to dissolve disputes. Otter people assume that everyone is their friend. They

are multifaceted and quick thinkers who are usually a step and a half ahead of everyone else.

February 19 to March 20 :

Moon: Big wind's moon cougar

Power Animal: Cougar

Mineral: Turquoise

Frequency: 14.6 megacycles

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Colors: Blue and green

Plant: Plantain

Clan: Frog

Element: Water

Characteristics: Cougar people also sit in high counsel, but on the left hand side hand of the

chief. Their job is to give advice on running the tribe, as they are considered natural

psychiatrists. All people come to cougar people for advice. Being frog clan members, they are

natural healers. Cougar people do not jump into the center of the action. Rather, they are the

elusive, shy ones that stay behind, and watch things unfold.

East - Illumination and Wisdom

Spirit keeper of the East - Eagle (Wabun)

March 21 to April 19 :

Moon Phase: Budding tree's moon red tail hawk

Power Animal: Red tail hawk

Mineral: Fire opal

Frequency: 3.6 megacycles

Color: Yellow

Plant: Dandelion

Clan: Thunderbird

Element: Fire

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Characteristics: Red tail hawk people look at the world with a sense of wonder. They have a

great flair for life and adventure, and are always open to learning something new. Being of the

element fire, these people are passionate about everything they do. They are also fearless, and

often act without thinking, which causes them to bump their heads a lot. These people cannot lie,

for if they do, they are either no good at it, or it makes them ill. So, they are straightforward and

not very tactful. If you ask a redtail hawk whether or not he likes your new dress, you are going

to hear an honest opinion.

April 20 to May 20 :

Moon Phase: Frog's return moon beaver; New waters moon beaver

Power Animal: Beaver

Mineral: Crysacola.

Frequency: 4.5 megacycles

Color: Blue

Plant: Blue commis

Clan : Turtle

Element: Earth

Characteristics: These are the architects of the shields. Beaver people are usually workaholics

who can focus on getting the job done. The results of their work can have great impact on people

far away. Beaver people don't like change in their lives, and must learn to embrace change and to

be thankful for the opportunities it offers, even when this is difficult.

May 21 to June 20 :

Moon Phase: Corn planting moon deer.

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Power Animal: Deer

Mineral: Moss agate

Frequency: 5.26 megacycles

Colors: Green and white

Plant: Yarrow

Clan: Butterfly

Element: Air

Characteristics: In Indian cultures, deer people are referred to as the Einsteins of the shield.

They're the ones with all the ideas. While most people are wondering what to do with their lives,

deer people are wondering when are they going to have time to do everything they think of

doing. The element air makes them multifacted and changeable. Deer people don't necessarily

finish what they start, but move from one thing to another. Often, they are artists and

entertainers, and they frequently have two or three jobs at once.

South - Rapid growth and trust

Spirit Keeper of the South - Coyote (Shawnodese)

June 21 to July 22 :

Moon: Strong sun moon; warning sun moon

Power animal: Flicker (large woodpecker)

Minerals: Rose quartz, Carnelian agate

Frequency: ????????

Color: Pink

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Plant: Wild rose

Clan: Frog

Element: Water

Characteristics: Deer people are good at working with their hands and make excellent massage

therapists. As frog clan members, they find it soothing to sit by a stream. And as coyotes, they

have an excellent sense of humor. It is good to invite these people to parties.

July 21 to August 22 :

Moon phase: Ripe berries moon sturgeon

Power animal: Sturgeon

Minerals: Garnet, iron

Frequency: 74 megacycles

Color: Red

Plant: Raspberry

Clan: Thunderbird

Element: Fire

Characteristics: In Indian cultures, the sturgeon represents royalty, therefore, these people are

perceived as princes. They come into the world as teachers, with strong leadership abilities. They

are always reading and studying to search for the truth. The information they receive must be

shared with others. They have a hard outer shell that can't be broken by physical force, but which

can be opened through peace, love, and harmony. These people are soft inside, and will allow

you to know them completely when you come to them in this way. One way to get to sturgeon

people is to praise them.

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August 23 to September 22 :

Moon phase: Harvest moon brown bear

Spirit animal: Brown bear

Mineral: Amethyst

Frequency: 9.8

Color: Purple

Plant: Violet

Clan: Turtle

Element: Earth

Characteristics: Science shows that brown bear people have a high level of neuropeptides in

their stomach. Neuropeptides are a substrate of thought, which tells us that thinking is not all in

our heads. These people tend to take their gut feelings up into their head to analyze it. As a

result, they sometimes lose a sense of what they should do. But if they go with their first

feelings, they are usually right. They're good in business if they don't overanalyze. As turtle clan

members, they are of the element earth, and enjoy picking up rocks and minerals.

West - Strength and Introspection

Spirit Animal of the West - ??????

September 23 to October 23 :

Moon: Ducks flying moon; cooling sun moon

Power animal: Raven

Mineral: Jasper

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Frequency: 9.2 megacycles

Color: Brown

Plant: Mullein

Clan: Butterfly

Element: Air

Character: Like ravens, who fly together, these people tend to stay with the flock. They need to

separate themselves from the group, and follow their own convictions. Then they can be the

leaders they came here to be. Ravens are attracted to things that shine, and can get trapped into

situations that look appealing but are not all they seem to be. and their stone is jasper. They

vibrate to 9.2 megacycles.

October 24 to November 21 :

Moon: Freeze up moon snake; Cooling sun moon snake

Power animal: Snake

Mineral: Malachite, copper

Vibration: 11.8 megacycles.

Color: Orange

Plant: Thistle

Clan: Frog

Element: Water

Characteristic: Snake people are powerful healers. In Indian cultures, they are considered the

true medicine women and men, and are trained from an early age for this purpose. These people

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can sometimes heal through touch. Being of the element water, they are often involved in

flushing, healing, and cleansing of the the body.

November 22 to December 21

Moon phase: Long snows moon elk

Animal: Elk

Mineral: Obsidian

Frequency: 0.112

Color: Black

Plant: Black spruce

Clan: Thunderbird

Element: Fire

Characteristics : These people see the truth where others can't. They are concerned citizens who

won't stop fighting for their cause until it is set right. Whatever they focus on, they will get. They

can't survive in an unjust situation, whether it be at work, at home, or in a relationship. That only

makes them ill. These people can be clairvoyant, especially with the help of their stone, the

obsidian. Ruled by fire, they are passionate at what they do. But they can get burnt out easily if

they don't pace themselves. Elk people tend to be impatient with other people who don't want to

do things their way. They need to learn that there are many paths to the mountain top. Also, if

they look at what people are doing right, they will see more good in what a person is doing,

rather than to look for what's wrong and to criticize.

Native American ethnographer, Robert Vetter, says the medicine wheel can also teach us how to

approach life. This is done in four stages, with each stage relating to one of the four directions:

The first step is sacrifice . A sacrifice is necessary to overcome a crisis. Contrary to western

thought, where we try to get something for nothing, Native American spiritual teachings stress

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that when we want something in our lives, we must pay for it deeply. In former days, sacrifices

involved cutting off strips of skin or fingers, while today they usually consist of fasting, and

going out alone on vision quests to confront one's fears.

The second step is prayer . In the Native American spiritual traditions, people pray deeply for

what they need. During a sun dance, for example, a person may fast, pierce their skin, and dance

for days for someone in their family who is sick.

The third stage is transformation . Vetter notes that there are many stories of miraculous healings

that take place spontaneously as a result of prayer.

The four step is most important and least known. This is the stage of thanksgiving . When a

person is healed, there is an obligation to give back to the community. "In the case of Vetter's

adopted grandfather, Pahdopony," he says, "Whatever it was that healed him would become the

power that he would use in healing other people for the remainder of his days."

Brother Soaring Eagle reminds us that the medicine wheel is a powerful object that has inspired

noble acts in the United States. The US Constitution was founded on its principles. And towards

the end of the Second World War, Roosevelt based the United Nations on its doctrine. Basically,

the medicine wheel says, 'I respect your views; you respect my views. I would never do anything

to hurt you because, in fact, if I were to hurt you, I would be hurting myself.'

Unlike Indians who were able to attain full peace during the time of the alliance of nations, the

world today is constantly at war. Brother Soaring Eagle believes that embracing the principles of

the medicine wheel, and teaching them to our children at an early age, will prevent arguments

and wars. "Instead, we will have a way of understanding each other, just like the Indians did for

150 to 200 years. We will know how to take responsibility for what's happening to us, instead of

blaming it on outside circumstances."

The Black Hills

Recently, satellites at the Eros Data Center, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, photographed the

Black Hills from above. When the pictures were developed, scientists were shocked to learn that

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the Black Hills were the exact shape of the human heart. You could even see the chambers,

veins, and arteries.

This finding gives new meaning to the statements of Lakota elders, the former guardians of the

Black Hills, who said all along that the Black Hills was the heart of all there is. One might

wonder how the ancients knew what the land looked like from above before the advent of

airplanes. Ben First Eagle, who lives in the center of the Black Hills, says that mystics had ways

of seeing that are in the realm of the unbelievable. But, for the average person, this scientific data

confirms the stories they were told.

Over 65 million years in age, the Black Hills are the oldest mountainous region in the nation,

with an important spiritual meaning. Ben First Eagle reminds us that just as every biological

being has a heart, every land has a heart too, a region that keeps the movement within it flowing.

The Black Hills is sacred for this reason, and the Lakotas often come here to pray.

The land also has important physical lessons to teach all people, as Natives and non-Natives

alike are faced with a desperate environmental crisis. All suffer the consequences of polluted air,

water, and land. We need to understand that Mother Earth is our home, and that we must take

care of her, rather than cause her harm. In the past, settlers would abuse land until it was no

longer usable, and then move westward. Today, Native peoples watch other nations travel to the

stars or into the depths of the oceans, and wonder why people still aren't satisfied with their

home. Rather than seek an escape from our problems, we need to see that by taking care of the

planet, we will have good food, water, air, and shelter here on earth. We will have everything

that we need.

Ben First Eagle offers this analogy to help raise the consciousness of modern man: "What would

happen if you were to go into your mother's home, walk across the living room floor, and throw

down a can of pop? Your mother would be all over you. She would tell you to pick it up, and

take care of your home. Well, it's the same here.

"I'm also making a prayer for humankind and the land all around. I make a prayer for all life. I

look at what's happening all over, and I will notice that people are having a hard time in Florida

with floods and hurricanes. I will make a prayer to help those people and animals, and the land

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that's affected. I will ask for pity from this place. I'm not a rich man so I can't send a lot of money

to help them, but I can send a prayer."

Native American Healers

The Shaman

Unlike western cultures, where people choose whether or not they want to become doctors, a

person receives a calling to become a shaman or medicine person. Sometimes this ability runs in

families, and other times one naturally feels summoned to enter into this work. John Grim,

author of Patterns of Religious Healing Among the Ojibway explains that the term shaman refers

to a practitioner, from an indigenous culture, who has had an exceptional experience of the

cosmic power that pervades the world. These individuals are able to bring this power into rituals

to affect healing experiences.

Often healers experience some illness in their youth that leads them to be withdrawn and

introspective, and causes them to seek out their advice of an elder. The person will become

reflective and begin to feel a special obligation towards the work of helping others. This is a

tremendous responsibility. A person must develop and maintain a special relationship with the

spirit world, and bring that special relationship with spirit to the person or situation in need.

Many times, the shaman will receive revelations concerning particular objects to be used in

rituals. These can vary and may include something from nature, a song, or a combination. Items

can accumulate over a period of years, and are known as medicine bundles . But medicine

bundles are seen as more than material objects; they are a collection of experiences. More

specifically, these represent encounters with the sacred world that have been revealed through

particular objects.

Medicine bundles are very personal and private, and meaningful only within a cultural context.

Grim notes that it is inappropriate for non-Native peoples to place medicine bundles in museum

out of curiosity, as these are an integral part of tribal identity and transporting them from a

people would inflict deep wounds upon their heritage and identity. Besides, outsiders can never

fully appreciate their significance. However, it may be appropriate for non-Native people to try

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and understand the significance of medicine bundles to Indian cultures to increase an awareness

and respect for their customs and traditions.

Plants play an important role among medicine objects. Many indigenous healing practitioners

had a profound understanding of local plant life based on a sacred classification. In other words,

they understood how one should approach a plant, which parts of which plants are to be used for

treating specific maladies, and the idea of reciprocity, respecting the plant as a being of equal

worth, being thankful for its help, and leaving an offering, such as a prayer, for the plant that is

taken. A deep intimacy of exchange exists at all times.

The understanding of how a shaman functions is difficult for people of western cultures to

understand, as their views of the world are so different. Yet it is something most people today

need and yearn for. Grim explains: "What makes the shaman's role so fascinating, in the late

twentieth century, is the cosmological setting in which a shaman functions, namely, shamans

bring people into the presence of the spirit beings who are in the world and in the cosmos. This is

something very beautiful. It's so difficult for us to understand in mainstream America where our

cosmology, for the most part, is either the story of Genesis or the story of science. While the

Genesis story is seen as very meaningful for Christians who hold that as their cosmology, it does

not have the immediacy of entry into their daily life. It's a cosmology which tells where the

world came from, and perhaps explains early parents, the fall, why women suffer in childbirth,

and why we were driven out of the garden. But it is not a cosmology that brings spiritual

presences to our lives today. It's a story that explains. The scientific cosmology is also an

explanatory story, but one without interest in sacred or spiritual meaning. Scientists are

reflective, but they work within certain limits. Their cosmology is a description of the world as it

appears to them through their empirical observation.

"We live in this world, then, where the cosmologies that are available to us provide no intimacy.

And yet we experience constant intimacies with this seasonal world, with this world of resources,

with the clothes that we wear on our back. I want to suggest that the human is constantly

interacting with this world. And our interaction demands some respect and attention. That

attention can be trivialized or it can be deepened. And shamans are personalities who live in

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deepened relationship with their cosmology, and who assist their people to deepen their own

personal and community relations with the world around them.

"We yearn for that in mainstream America. We yearn for intimacies of exchanges with our

world. Does that mean we become Native Americans? That's a foolish thought. It means we need

to recover our own cosmology. Well, what is our cosmology? I think that's what we need to re-

explore. We yearn to recover that shamanic presence, that capacity to literally draw healing

capacities from an exchange with the world around us, to literally heal our communities.

Environmental degradation is woven right into these questions we're talking about. One reason

why Native people are connected with this issue is that they have intimacies with their homeland.

They have regard for that mountain, desert, body of water. When one reverences something,

quite often one doesn't trash it. So, these natural exchanges between a people and the life setting

in which they find themselves, those individuals called shamans, I tend to see as a mode or way

of being that all people are being called to recover. We are being called to bring this sense of

wonder back into our daily lives. So, the shamanic journey is not simply someone sitting with a

drum, or a group of people withdrawing and taking drugs in order to get into some altered state.

The shamanic personality is a challenge to the late twentieth century to recover right

relationships with our bioregions, to begin to understand the earth again as something that has

always nourished us. It will continue to provide for us. But it also needs our care and concern.

That is the shamanic ritual now."

Shamans Past and Present

Wuan Geronimo Flores

Wuan Geronimo Flores claims to have inherited the gift of his great grandfather, Geronimo: the

ability to heal through the movement of energy. Flores has the capacity to speed up his own

energy, and to transfer this quickened force into a patient, thereby, helping a person to become

spiritually centered, so that their ailments can disappear.

Flores does not need to know the nature of a person's illness, because symptoms are physical

manifestions, and Flores works on a more subtle level. He will look beyond appearances to get to

the root of a problem. He says of his work: "The healing, which incorporates Native American

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and universal [principles], takes place in a sacred space. This is the part of an individual's home

that is special to them, a place they gravitate to, where they feel the most secure and comfortable.

We go to that place and the person lies down. Ever since I was a child, one of my talents has

been getting people to relax deeply by putting them in a trance-like state. Then there is the actual

moving of energy, the speeded up energy from my body going into theirs. All the while I am

concentrating on the individual, and that can be achieved through different ways: through chants,

prayers, or just through central focusing.

"This is very visual for me. I start seeing a picture of the person. As I concentrate, the image of

the person gets transposed, until there are nothing but stars floating in space. I see the exact same

body, only now it is made of nothing but starts. I see metallic dots of blue, silver, purple and

black filling up the space and raining down on the person. The colors are calming and cooling,

almost as if they are utilizing a certain frequency for the person's relaxation. Once a person has

calmed down--they may even fall asleep--the energies that they were holding on to are easily

released.

"I will see different things, depending on the person. One man had AIDS, although I didn't ask

him what he had or how he got it. But on an energy level, he looked like a meteorite, an astroid,

a cavern. He was submerged in a swamp, with tiny pollens ticking away from the inside. That's

what his body was going against.

"Once that was removed, his body naturally healed itself by reproducing cells that he needed to

get rid of the disease. And sure enough, about two weeks later, his cell count went from 4 to 300.

"So,that's what I do. I work as a guide, and I work on a very deep level. My aim is to release

energy blockages so that a person's own energy can take over and restore balance."

George Amiotte

George Amiotte, an Ogalala Lakota from Pine Ridge, became a healing professional after a near

death experience as a marine in Viet Nam. Upon his return home Amiotte searched for ways to

restore his own wounded spirit and for a direction in life, when he was guided by Lakota elders

to pursue a career in medicine. This was a tall order to fill as Amiotte had only just gotten his

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GED in the Marine Corps, but he was able to enter and successfully complete a graduate

program as a physician's assistant. At the same time Amiotte studied medicine with Lakota

elders. He, therefore, has a unique background that combines modern and traditional healing

modalities.

Amiotte specializes in helping veterans overcome post traumatic stress disorder, a term used to

describe combat fatigue. Most of his patients are Native Americans although he sees non-Native

people as well. As a guardian of the sun dance, part of Amiotte's work involves the use of the sun

dance ceremony in healing. As a result, Amiotte has been able to achieve success where standard

Veteran's Administration programs have failed.

When an interested doctor from UCLA visited one ceremony, and was confused by what he saw,

Amiotte explained to him that healing is more than a physical manifestation. Healing takes place

on the physical, mental and spiritual levels, and a medical practitioner needs to consider all three

aspects for optimum success. This is something western medicine fails to do.

Amiotte was then invited to see patients with gastrointestinal disorders who weren't responding

to contemporary western medicine. In a year's time, his four patients responded beautifully to

therapy, and the UCLA Medical Society woke up to the advantages of healing from a Native

American perspective. Amiotte is now a member of a team of doctors that study and incorporate

alternative healing methods into their western medical practices.

In a recent interview, Amiotte shared with me his philosophy of working with patients. His

approach is to look at an individual on three levels. First, he checks to see that there are no

physical problems, such as an organic disease; second, he interviews the patient to assess their

state of mind; and, third, Amiotte looks at a person's spirituality. Analyzing these factors helps

him to put together an effective healing protocol.

"I don't have one way of working," Amiotte says. "If a Native American wants to be treated by

ceremony, I will set one up. That requires setting the stage for the individual to come to an alter,

a physical area that is represented by earth, wind, fire, and water. Sometimes we use drum music.

We acknowledge the universal laws, natural laws, our ancestors, the earth that we stand on. And

we call in the healing aspect of this psychologically, physically, and spiritually.

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Although trained as a healer, Amiotte acknowledges that healing depends upon God's will and a

patient's receptivity: "I am a healer. But the reality of healing is in God's hands. I'ma conduit, a

hollow bone, if you will. For a patient to be healed, he or she must be receptive to a higher

power. A person needs a relationship to God or a belief in a greater force."

John Joseph

John Joseph, a shaman with the Chinook tribe of the lower Columbia River, and a nurse

practitioner in Washington State, helps Viet Nam veterans suffering from post traumatic stress

syndrome, with the purification ceremony: "They have lost their spirituality, and this is a good

way to help them find it. The lodge is a safe haven. No one can hurt them. Intrusive thoughts, the

anxieties of the day, and the problems of living with post traumatic stress are left outside the

door. They are able to speak about things that hurt them during the war and about things that hurt

them when they came home. They are able to speak about the triggers that interfere with their

lives today, even though it is 20 years later. They're able to speak, cry, yell, regurgitate harmful

emotions, and put them in the fire.

Joseph says that that true healing comes from being able to express oneself in a safe

environment: "Everything said in the lodge remains there. Nothing is repeated outside of it. This

gives a person a real opportunity to cleanse the heart, and to place things into the fire." He adds

that the healing is amplified by being in the presence of the heated stones: "There is stone

medicine, Inyan medicine; the sizzling and popping from the water on the stones actually gives a

spirit direction. There's wonderful healing in that."

"Many vets tell me that they feel considerably better for some period of time after they leave the

lodge. Often they will come back and ask, 'When are we going to do another lodge? I am

absolutely stressed to the max.' We do four, five, or six a year, sometimes more, depending on

the number of requests.

"Once they start to get their spirituality back, their physical appearance changes. They start to

keep their hair. They become neater in the way they dress. Their thought patterns become more

cohesive, without constant intrusions. They can even think straight, in many cases. Sometimes

children tell me that their dads sleep for two days after a sweat lodge, when they only slept two

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hours before. So, there's a wonderful release, and a wonderful return of cohesiveness to their

lives, after the purification lodge."

Jamie Sams

Jamie Sams is a Native American shaman of Cherokee and Seneca decent, who explains that

medicine has to do with anything that makes us feel whole. Indians view medicine as a person's

gifts, including their inner strengths, talents, and abilities. "When we look at the idea of

medicine," Sams says, "we have to embrace the total person: the body, the heart, the mind, and

the spirit. When any of these part are out of balance, then there is a need for healing."

The processes used in healing depend on the type of illness. First a person must be diagnosed to

see whether their sickness is physical, spiritual, emotional, or mental. Then it is treated

accordingly. When the body is sick, herbs, flowers, and other plant matter can be used to

promote recovery. Mechanical help is also used, such as setting bones when broken. Spiritual

illnesses are handled by medicine people who may work with a person's dreams, or with what

they experience on other dimensions that need to be healed. Some tribes also take into account

the influence of past lives. Emotional healing for family upsets, a broken heart, or other

problems, and psychological healing for mental illnesses are handled differently still.

"Sometimes we need to heal our impatience," Sams says. "And sometimes we need to heal our

frustrations. Many times we need to heal the internal criticism that our brain is constantly

carrying on, which makes us feel less than. But always, we need to take a look at that which does

not work in our lives, and makes our behavior out of balance towards ourselves and others."

Here, Sams explains important principles of healing for specific circumstances:

Mourning

"In indigenous cultures, when someone that we care about is dying, there is a very intense need

to mourn. When you don't release the mourning, it will make you sick. Certain Anglo cultures

have a different concept. If you release the mourning, you are looked at as if you lost control

over your emotions. The spirit of the person who has passed away that you cared about is not

then free to move on into the spirit world because the mourning was not complete. The people

did not purge their bodies of this sense of grief." Sams adds that mourning to Native people is

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like a bow. The people moving on are the arrows. Mourning a loss allows the spirit to fly into its

new non-physical life.

Healing Pollution for Ourselves, Our World, and Our Future

Sams notes how we poison our systems on multiple levels: "Bitterness, hatred, and resentment

are toxins from our heart, while jealousy and greed poison our thoughts. Then we harm our

bodies with unhealthy foods and artificial substances, and hurt our spirits with a lack of

gratitude.

In this sickened state, human beings tend to lose balance, and begin to see the world around them

as something to abuse as well. "The things that we have done to ourselves internally," notes

Sams, "we have also done to the earth, which is our sustenance."

Native Americans realize that living according to right principles not only helps ourselves and

our planet, but insures a future for generations ahead. Sams notes that, "When we gather herbs to

assist someone, we thank each and every plant that the earth mother sends, and we pass the first

seven plants to always remember to leave enough for the next seven generations. In doing that,

we are honoring the ninth clan mother who looks toward tomorrow for what our children and

their children will need on the earth."

Healing Humiliation

Regarding humiliation, Sams writes, "Humiliation is the one event in human life that becomes

unforgettable. The loss of human dignity at the hands of another can be forgiven, but it is rarely,

if ever, forgotten. Healing humiliation and the loss of dignity is something that comes from

inside a person. No healer, psychologist, doctor, medicine person or teacher can do it for

somebody else. Consciously shaming another has dealt many a blow throughout time. Kicking

people when they are vulnerable is a tactic of insensitive bullies. The world has been fraught

with this behavior since its inception. It never seems to happen when we are feeling strong. It

almost always happens when we are dealing with our own self-doubt and self criticism.

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"We can heal the need to experience this reflection if we protect ourselves. The key is to notice

that if we stop beating ourselves up internally the bullies of the world will quit picking on us

externally. In Native American thought, we understand that the external world, and the things we

experience in day to day life are mirror reflections that show us what we are doing to ourselves

internally. If we honor who we are without an arrogance or sense of pride, but do it in a balanced

way, and we walk life in a manner that allows us to honor and respect every other living thing,

then we don't bring the experience into our lives that would necessitate us being shown how it

feels to be bullied or humiliated by another human being."

Healing Personal Integrity

"One of the things that human beings need to heal is the idea of hypocrisy. We say walk your

talk. Don't talk your walk. Human beings have learned over the years that spoken words are

cheap and promises are often broken. And that, in many cases, is a commitment that is not being

honored. So, many times we ask people who have walked the crooked path to heal their personal

integrity. That's a facet of healing that most people do not look at.

In our grandparents and our great grandparents day, a person's word was their bond. But in this

modern world, most times, if we give our word, we aren't sure that the person we give our word

to, and they give their word back is going to honor their personal integrity, because the sense of

self has been eroded to the place where we cannot embrace the idea that integrity is everything,

that if a person honors themselves, that promise is made to themselves. When you make a

promise to another person, you are making it to yourself. That's another aspect of the great

smoking mirror. And when you do not honor your promises to another, you have reflected back

to yourself through that great smoking mirror, what you actually think of yourself, which must

be very little, because the integrity in your bond and your word was not honored by you, so how

can others honor that same thing."

Story Telling

Stories can revive our spirits and transform our perceptions of the world. Even when a story is

not be believable, it can contain elements that speak to the human experience. This point is made

by Tchin, an award winning Blackfoot and Aragansett artist and story teller from Norfolk,

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Virginia. Tchin shared this story with me about the creation of autumn, and then told me about

the psychological healing such a story can promote:

"In traditional Native American culture, adolescent males and females are not allowed to be

alone together. A young man and young woman never see each other unless the young woman is

chaperoned. Her aunts, her sister, her mother, or someone else is always with her.

"Parents come together, at the right time of year, when the moon is in correct part of the sky, and

plan a hoop dance. The hoop dance is where all the eligible young people come together to be

introduced. They learn about the clans of the other people, and about who they can marry as well

as which marriages are taboo. People dance, and frequently change partners. This way, everyone

gets to be introduced to each other.

"During this hoop dance, the parents noticed one couple that did not change partners. In fact,

they even heard some of the conversation. The young lady was saying that she worked in her

mother's fields during the day. And the young man said that his uncle was teaching him to play

the flute.

"The next day, the young man went down to the field with his flute and played a song. People

hearing the flute didn't know what it was. They would say, "Listen to that sound blowing through

the trees. I wonder what it is.' But the young lady knew it was the young man playing the flute

for her. It made her so happy that her heart jumped.

"She wanted to send him a message, so, she went to a tree, and asked the tree for a leaf. After

receiving that gift, she placed it into a stream. The stream took the message down to where the

young man was playing. He knew it was from the young lady. It made him so happy that his

heart jumped. He picked up the leaf, and went home.

"Day after day, the young man would go down to the stream and play his flute. And day after

day, she would go to the tree, ask for a leaf, receive that gift, and place it into the stream, where

it would travel to the young man. As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months,

their love for each other grew strong and powerful, even though they never spoke a word to each

other.

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"Then one day, the young man's uncle came to him and said, 'Young man, it is time that you

stopped fooling around down by the stream, and that you learned how to make a living. I'm

going to take you out and teach you how to hunt.' It made the young man really happy to know

that he would learn how to make a living by hunting. If he learned this, he could take his place in

the village. If he could make a living, he could get married. And he knew with whom he wished

to marry. So, with great joy and expectations he went out to learn how to make a living.

"Day after day, the young lady would work in the fields of her mother, and not hear the flute of

the young man. She wondered why he no longer played for her. Maybe he had to help his aunt.

Maybe he had to do something for his uncle. He had to help the elders. He had more important

things to do. As days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, she exhausted all the

possible reasons why he could not come and play. And after all of these reasons were exhausted,

she came to the thought that he might be playing his flute for some other woman. When this

thought came to her, a great pain stabbed her in her heart causing her to fall to the ground. Her

parents, who loved her strongly, called to all the medicine people to doctor their daughter. But

even in those days, people did not know how to heal a broken heart.

"After many months, the young man came back, very much a new person, with new muscles,

and a joyful outlook on life. He ran down to the stream and began to play his flute. But no leaf

flowed downstream. At first, he thought to himself, 'It's too late in the day. Maybe all the people

have gone home.' Then, as he was walking back to the village, he saw the young lady's brother. It

made him happy and they talked about all kinds of things that happened to him while he was

learning to hunt.

"Eventually, he got around to asking the brother, 'How is your sister?" The young brother bowed

his head and said, 'I guess you have been gone for a long time because they placed my sister over

there in the rock.' When the young flute player heard what had happened to the young lady, the

pain stabbed his heart so great that he fell to the ground.

"The flute player was in tears, saying, "Please take me to where they placed your sister." The

young brother agreed, and they walked the distance to the rock, where she was. He left the young

flute player there never ever to see him again.

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"The young man took out his flute and played a song. Then something miraculous happened

because, you see, love is strong, and true love is ever lasting. As that young flute player played

his song, all the leaves on all the trees began to fall.

"You know that I am telling you a true story, and you can prove the truth of this story to yourself

because around October and November, if you were to go out, you could look at the trees, and

you could see that when you look around, all the leaves on all the trees start to fall. This is

because love is strong and powerful. Now you know why all the leaves fall off all the trees at

that time of year."

Tchin explains that while such a story may not be true, it tells us an event from a perspective that

is different from the scientific one, which can be healing. As an example, he met a woman who

was grieving over the loss of her son. She was having a hard time dealing with the whole idea of

death, and even found herself in the fruitless pursuit of picking up the leaves in autumn, and

trying to glue them back to the trees. After Tchin told her the story of the creation of autumn,

that part of her was healed. It didn't change her sadness over her son dying. But it made her see

the fall in a new way where she looked forward to it. And because it's a story of death, it helped

in the process of healing from the loss of her son. Tchin observes that you never know how a

person is going to interpret a story, or how it might hit a certain part of their spirit. So, stories can

be healing in many ways.

Jamie Sams, author of Earth Medicine: Ancestor's Way of Harmony for Many Moons , says

stories are wonderful medicine because they allow us to find ourselves without someone pointing

a finger at us. We take what we need from the story to heal ourselves. The stories Sams writes

helps people feel more whole, which, in turn, enables them to find inspiration, bring forth their

best talents, and help make the world a better place. She wrote this one for children:

"While the river moved over rounded stones, and Night Hawk circles in the twilight, the young

mother whispered to the child who suckled at her breast: 'You are the blessed that fell from the

stars and took root in my heart, little one. You rested inside of my body, and I carried you there

for nine moons. It gave me joy to carry the burden of such love. I toiled for many hours to give

you birth. And finally, the earth mother's magnitude threw you into your earth walk. Now that

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you are here, I want you to know how my heart sings. The love I bear your father is the stuff of

dreams. He has walked the path of strength and has been strong enough to share his dreams with

me as well as his tears. He has lent me his courage. And I have respected him with all that I am.

Together we have walked many trails and have faced each challenge heart to heart. In you, I see

his courage, his determination, his laughing eyes, and his curiosity. In you, I see my gentleness,

my compassion, and my desire to live life with joy. There is a love between your parents that

fills each day with song. I want you to remember always that you are, and will forever be, a

product of that love."

Another story by Sams is based on the belief that our spiritual essence is the glue that keeps us

together. When we are spiritually out of balance, we may try to compensate for a feeling of

inadequacy by developing intellectually, physically, or by expressing ourselves artistically. But

these can never heal a wounded spirt. The eyes reveal this unsettled state of being, which is why

we feel afraid to allow people to look into our eyes when we are off balance. Sams addresses this

issue with a short, but profound, story entitled "The Openings of the Orinda."

"The little girl asked her wise grandfather why the Great Mystery gave eyes to two legged tribes

of humans. Grandfather smiled silently, remembering her grandmother's eyes that were reflected

in the little one's face. And then he replied, "Your eyes can see the world around you and take in

the beauty of creation. Your eyes can shed the tears that cleanse your hurt, allowing you to heal.

Your eyes were meant for seeing all that the Earth Mother places in your path. So these things

can be recorded as memories of your passage in this earth walk. Yes, little one, our eyes have

many ways to teach us how to see the truth. Your eyes can betray your thoughts and feelings to

others because they are the openings to the spiritual essence.

"One day, you will find a warrior to share your life with. When that time comes, you will be able

to look into his eyes and see him with your heart. Through his eyes, the opening of his Orinda,

his spiritual essence, you will know if his spirit can shelter you, and if his heart is pure. When

you look into his eyes, seek the truth of his nature. If he looks away, he is not strong enough to

shelter your love for him. If he looks directly into your eyes and allows your hearts to connect,

adding his strength to your own, you will know that he is a courageous man worthy of sharing

your earth walk."

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Finally, Sams writes about the need to prepare for a move to an age of illumination and peace.

This requires that we all work on ourselves to let go of malice, envy, greed, and judgement. The

ultimate result of this personal transformation will be a better world society for ourselves and our

children. If we cannot do this during peaceful times, a disaster will occur as an ultimate wake up

call. In this story, Sams is saying that we can't change society, but we can change ourselves. We

can't change others but if they are showing malice towards others, there are times when we can

intervene:

"The woman scrubbed herself with sand at the river's edge. After a long winter, the sand washing

felt good as the layers of dead skin rolled off the soles of her feet. Lost in her thoughts, she did

not notice anything amiss until she heard a little girl crying. Looking up, she saw the child's

stepmother scrubbing the child's skin raw. It was bleeding.

"In a heartbeat, she was on her feet, running through the water, whisking the crying child from

the stepmother's grasp. She rocked the little girl, whispering to her, and then handed the child to

one of the other women. Without any anger, she softly spoke to the erring woman, 'Feather, I

understand how hard it's been for you to raise my decreased sister's child. She was your old rival,

the first wife to your husband. I will speak to her father, who was once my brother. He will

understand if I lighten your burden by taking the child to my lodge to live.' "Feather spat on the

ground and used a hand signal to indicate that she was done with both of them forever and

stormed off. The woman stood in the water watching her retreat, thinking of how much effort it

must take to be that hurtful. She turned back to the river and made the blessing sign with her

hand, showing her gratitude to the Creator for her own medicine and her name, Offers

Kindness."

Sams concludes that people have an idealized concept of Native American people, but that the

red nations are going through the same healing process as the rest of the world. The lives of

American Indians changed drastically with the arrival of the white man, partially because local

dialects were changed to standard English, and many of the old ideas and concepts were lost.

Before the world was seen in a conceptual way, and everything was viewed as a circle. With the

arrival of the Europeans, Indians adopted the idea of cutting the circle to divide and conquer.

Since these ideas have been part of Indian life for hundreds of years, Native peoples, like

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everyone else, are in need of overcoming ideas of separation. Sams concludes, "All the peoples

of the earth are going through the same thing because we have been in this fourth world of

separation for over 60,000 years. It is very important that we encourage the potential and the

desire in each and every person that wants to transform, that wants to go beyond the limitation,

hesitation, and separation that we have created in our lives. To do that, we have to embrace the

realized self, the part of us that can become our potential. When we do that, we are standing at

the final frontier. The final destination is always the same--healing and transformation."

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