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Mitakuye Oyasin HEART'S BREATH FLUTE CIRCLE
"Like the miner's canary, the Indian marks the shift from fresh air to poison gas in our political atmosphere; and our treatment of Indians, even more than our treatment of other minorities, reflects the rise and fall in our democratic faith." - Felix S. Cohen, 1953 MARK YOUR CALENDARS EARLY!!!
Silverhawk Native American Flute Gathering
October 16 & 17, 2010 For more information check out the silverhawk flute gathering website under the links section below.
 Lodge Flag IMPORTANT: As you will read elsewhere on this site, we are a gathering of human beings of mixed heritage (native and non) seeking to learn about our collective past while respecting the old ways. There is never a "fee" for any ceremony or event... and we never present ourselves as anything other than the questing folks that we are.
"The life of an Indian is like the wings of the air. That is why you notice the hawk knows how to get his prey. The Indian is like that. The hawk swoops down on its prey ; so does the Indian. In his lament he is like an animal. For instance, the coyote is sly; so is the Indian. The eagle is the same. That is why the Indian is always feathered up; he is a relative to the wings of the air."
- Black Elk
WOLF’S HEART LODGE Presents
Grandmother Mechi Garza
Introducing BEGINNER & ADVANCED KOLAIMNI WORKSHOPS -
 "You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle. That is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round.... The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again, to where they were. The life of a man is a circle, from childhood to childhood. And so it is in everything, where power moves..." Black Elk – Oglala Lakota  Call Turquoise Cloud or Sun Walker for location and directions to all Lodge drummings (727/545-5173).
Green Frog Moon Festival CD available.  Give us hearts to understand. Never to take from creation’s beauty more than we give; Never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed, Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth’s beauty, Never to take from her what we cannot use. Give us hearts to understand. That to destroy earth’s music is to create confusion; that to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty; That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench; that as we care for her she will care for us. We have forgotten who we are. We have sought only our own security. We have exploited simply for our own ends. We have distorted our knowledge. We have abused our power. Great Spirit, whose dry lands thirst, help us to find the way to refresh your lands. Great Spirit, whose waters are choked with debris and pollution, help us to find the way to cleanse your waters. Great Spirit, whose beautiful Earth grows ugly with misuse, help us to find the way to restore beauty to your handiwork. Great Spirit, whose creatures are being destroyed, help us to find a way to replenish them. Great Spirit, whose gifts to us are being lost in selfishness and corruption, help us to find the way to restore our humanity. ~ Big Thunder (Bedagi) late 19th. century Algonquin ~  |
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Blessed Elders:
Grandmother Mechi Garza
Lodge Keeper:
Sun Walker
Turquoise Cloud
Former Keeper:
Many Ponies
Sky Dancer Links Section
Wisdom
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Do ot work too much, you will have no time for play
Do not speak too much, you will have no time to listen
Do not think too much, you will have no time for action
Do not worry too much, you will have no room for faith
It is prophesied in our Instructions that the end of the world will be near when the trees start dying from the tops down. That's what the maples are doing today. Our Instructions say the time will come when there will be no corn, when nothing will grow in the garden, when the water will be unfit to drink.
We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show great respect for all beings of the earth. In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics. We must live in harmony with the Natural World and recognize that excessive exploitation can only lead to our own destruction. We cannot trade the welfare of our future generations for profit now. We must stand together, the four sacred colors of man, as the one family that we are, in the interest of peace. We must abolish nuclear and conventional weapons of war.
We must raise leaders of peace. We must unite the religions of the world as the spiritual force strong enough to prevail in peace. We are the spiritual energy that is a thousand times stronger than nuclear energy. Our energy is the combined will of all people with the spirit of the Natural World, to be of one body, one heart, and one mind for peace.
Leon Shenandoah, Tadadaho
Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy
"When we walk upon Mother Earth, we always plant our feet carefully, because we know the faces of our future generations are looking up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them."
Recent message from the Hopi Elders
"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered... Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in right relation? Where is your water? Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth. Create your community. Be good to each other.. and do not look outside yourself for the leader.
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, "This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for."
(His political career destroyed because he supported the Cherokee, he left Washington D.C. and headed west to Texas)
Every part of all this soil is sacred to my people. Every hillside, every valley...has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Chief Seattle, Duwamish
You say: Why do not the Indians till the ground and live as we do? May we not ask, why do the white people do not hunt and live as we do? The Great God of Heaven has given each their lands... he has stocked yours with hog, ours with bear; yours with sheep, ours with deer. he has indeed given you an advantage, in that your cattle are tame and domestic while ours are wild and demand not only a larger space for range, but art to hunt and kill them. Corn Tassel, Cherokee, 1785
"Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow." - Chateaubriand
"Whatever you do will seem insignificant, but it is very important to do it." - Gandhi
"The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation."- A. Einstein
"What many now call 'growth' will soon be seen as accelerated decay."
- Dan Fiscus
". . . after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten." - Cree Indian Prophecy
The law is in the corn.
"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion, respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes, they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home." - Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation
This Navajo Christ moves forward beyond this page, and with his hands initiates a welcoming embrace. His compassionate countenance bears the marks of human suffering summoning us to transform our own. Traditional iconography gives witness to the human face of the Sacred. This icon by Fr. John Giuliani, imaged in the features of America’s indigenous peoples, reveals anew that sacred power. It celebrates the soul of the Native American as the original spiritual presence on this continent, and as a prophetic sign, it celebrates the reconciliation of the spiritual vision of Native and Christian peoples of this land.
Words of Chief Joseph, Nez Perce
Perhaps you think the Creator sent you here to dispose of us as you see fit. If I thought you were sent by the Creator, I might be induced to think you had a right to dispose of me. Do not misunderstand me, but understand fully with reference to my affection for the land.
I never said the land was mine to do with as I choose. The one who has a right to dispose if it is the on who has created it. I claim a right to live on my land and accord you the privilege to return to yours.
Brother, we have listened to your talk coming from the father in Washington, and my people have called upon me to reply to you. And in the winds which pass through these aged pines we hear the moaning of their departed ghosts. And if the voices of our people could have been heard, that act would never have been done. Bus alas, though they stood around, they could neither be seen or heard. Their tears fell like drops of rain. I hear my voice in the depths of the forest, but not answering voice comes back to me.
All is silent around me. My words must therfore be few. I can say no more. He is silent, for he has nothing to answer when the sun goes down.
Whenever in the course of a day, the Indian comes upon a scene that is strikingly beautiful, or sublime... a black thundercloud with the rainbow's glowing arch above the mountain, a white waterfall in the heart of a green gorge, a vast prairie tinged with the blood red of the sunset... he pauses for an instant in the attitude of worship. He sees no need for setting apart one day in seven as a holy day, because to him all days are God's days.
Chief Ohiyesa - Santee Sioux
Meditation for the Fully Realized Woman
I am a BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, with a beauty that doesn't wash off. I earned it, unearthed it, rescued it like a jewel in the dust, picked it up and made it shine.
For years, I did not see it, though I sensed it was there. Now it dazzles and thrives.
I am healthy, capable, independent, strong yet still so fragile, floored by a sigh. My body is that of a creator - angles meeting curves, hardness drifting into soft.
I am mother, daughter, sister, lover to myself. Embraceable and brave, I extend my heart.
My body is home, my home a shrine to life, comfortable, warm and rich with treasures. Mine is the scent of hot spices caught in a breeze, mine the laughter that wings through the door. I share myself only with those who honor me as I am and protect myself, my house, and my time from invaders.
I search for my center in the midst of chaos, practice peace as wild dogs clamor in my mind. I use power for the greater good, release rage in neutral settings, with no one innocent in the line of fire.
I am learning how to persist and when to let go, am willing to feel all emotion stop their depths and exaltations, to wake up in every nerve and no longer am afraid of my life.
Both my beauty and strength transcend age, time and perhaps even this lifetime.
Each day I am new, yet more at home in myself. Moment by moment, I create my world
~Karen Andes A Women's Book of Strength; An Empowering Guide to Total Mind/Body Fitness
Meditations with Native American Elders
by Don Coyhis
If we watch nature, we can tell a lot about what is going on in the world. The animals and the plants are great teachers. Some time ago, crops were sprayed with a poison to kill the insects. Other animals ate the insects. The small animals were eaten by the Eagles and the Wolves. We live in an interconnected system. What we do to one, we do to all. If our spiritual brothers are living in balance, chances are we humans are also living in balance.
"Being Indian is mainly in your heart. It's a way of walking with the earth instead of upon it. A lot of the history books talk about us Indians in the past tense, but we don't plan on going anywhere... We have lost so much, but the thing that holds us together is that we all belong to and are protectors of the earth; that's the reason for us being here. Mother Earth is not a resource, she is an heirloom."
"When you arise in the morning, give thanks
for the morning light, for your life and strength.
Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault
lies with yourself..."
Live in Conscious Awareness of the Sacredness of Life
David Ipinia, Yurok Artist, Sacramento, CA
- Tecumseh (Shawnee)
Mourning Dove [Christine Quintasket] (1888-1936) Salish
The life of an Indian is like the wings of the air. That is why you notice the hawk knows how to get his prey. The Indian is like that. The hawk swoops down on its prey; so does the Indian. In his lament he is like an animal. For instance, the coyote is sly; so is the Indian. The eagle is the same. That is why the Indian is always feathered up; he is a relative to the wings of the air.
Black Elk (1863-1950) Oglala Sioux holy man
The old Indian teaching was that is is wrong to tear loose from its place on the earth anything that may be growing there. It may be cut off, but it should not be uprooted. The trees and the grass have spirits. Whatever one of such growth may be destroyed by some good Indian, his act is done in sadness and with a prayer for forgiveness because of his necessities...
Wooden Leg (late 19th century) Cheyenne 
White Buffalo Calf Woman
