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May 23,
2003 For thousands of years we indigenous people have held our councils. The Sacred Fires are kept from one generation to another. Our Elders, who spoke the wisdom, were revered and cared for as they were the heart of the people. In times before the coming of the boat people we sat in peace, listening to our Elders speak. The "words that come before all things" were held by the Keepers of the Wisdom. This was the Great Law that we all lived by, one of simplicity, honesty, and respect. All was in balance and all in peace within our land and our lives. Soon this all changed and our ears were taken by the monster of ego and greed. The selling of the land began, we turned our ears away from the Elders' voices. We followed the White Man's religion and ways. As we now returned to council the fire, it was not honored, the prayers were forgotten. The time of great sadness started to cover the Earth Mother. The gourd of ashes, that held the council fires of long ago, was put away and not added to nor taken from. All things ceased to flow in a balanced way. Our disconnection from the Tree of Life had started. Time saw our people starving and beaten into submission, the women were bartered like cattle. Women and children were sold for whisky and guns. Sacred bundles were taken by, or sold to, the Fat Takers. Some to this day lay in museums in far away places, the medicine lost to the ones who understand the meaning it holds. The sickness spread into our lodges and continued to eat out our hearts. The raven came and spoke to the people in a harsh loud voice asking them to listen to the voice of Creator. Their ears had grown closed to even the voice of the birds. The signs of destruction in our family and our Nation were seen in the faces of our children. The sweet voices of our women silenced into darkness. Our children were taken and shipped off to schools that abused them and took their spirits. The children were mocked and spit on in public. A great shame passed over the Nation once so proud. The laughter died and our children went hungry for food and for wisdom. The language dried up and was sifted into dust on the land. The Sacred Ways held only by a few who risked their lives to continue the prayers. Water no longer flowed with the sweetness that our Grandparents had tasted. The bitter roots of disease and greed grew where the once tall and strong Nation stood. One by one the Elders stood and pulled their blankets around themselves. The Elders then turned their backs on the fire and left the people. No one noticed, they no longer listened to the "Old Ways", it was not good to listen in this way to the Elders. Many were too busy ripping the land up and selling the precious minerals and water that lay under it. The legacy of our children was sold for material gains. The Ego of a few was fed on the sorrow of many with the disease of the Fat Takers. Brother and Sisters turned upon each other and the disease of the soul stealers had started. The Fat Takers bought some voices of the people to continue the process of destruction that waged a war of the souls. The Government GOONS were at work destroying their very own families and Sacred Ways. Voices that dared to speak out against this were attacked by the followers of the ones who had taken their ears. Soon the monsters had many chains of ears around their necks, each person who added their ears supported and helped the sickness to grow. The truth could not be heard or seen in all the confusion as they ripped the heart from the people. Sickness followed into the lodges, creating anger, jealousy and greed. The Sacred Hoop of life that connected us all to the Sacred Tree was shattered. The rope that held the wisdom was stretched thin and held many knots. Now the gourd is taken out of hiding and the fires are rekindled. We sit in the circle waiting for the wisdom to return. Hollow words and anger pour out into the circle of our people. All serving some self-appointed need to revenge ourselves on each other. The snake now catches its own tail and proceeds to devour the very wisdom it seeks to protect. Will we manage to destroy the only thing we have left of our culture? Will we, in our own need to heal the hurting, close ourselves away from the light of wisdom? I sit and watch this and listen with ears that are trying hard to hear the truth and the justice of the words. I see much, and hear much, but the words that come before all things are yet to be spoken. The Elders stand in the distance with their blankets wrapped around them, shadows in the darkness, watching. When the wisdom returns to the Sacred Council Fire, when the words that come before all else are spoken, then will the Elders who still keep the wisdom of the Sacred Words return and sit with us. I wait for you to return, I make a place ready for you to sit. I will prepare the food for you to eat. My heart cries out for the words that are waiting to be spoken. The old truth that will return reason to our people. I am listening, my Grandfathers and Grandmothers, for your voices to Speak. I sit with my ears, and heart, open for your healing wisdom. Mitakuye
Oyasin Please go to the following pages to get the reactions of the Little Feather Center and other members. Updates
complements of the Friends of Little
Feather Center, Pipestone MN. All copy in the interviews and letters are not the work of the Little Feather Center but the authors of each piece we are just collecting them in one place for educational purposes. |
