I would like you to view the Indian Ways of which I will summarize.
Come let us smoke the Pipe of Peace in Understanding about me
And together in the mirror we will look upon a great people's Nation and History.
It doesn't really matter what is the name of the tribe
For I encompass all Native American Indians with great pride.
Let me speak of the remembrance of being open and free
Not on reservations like the present day members of my ancestry.
I remember the deep green forests where we hunted and played
The stretching prairie where thundering herds of buffalo were displayed.
The antelope, the wolf, the prairie dog, the skunk, the coyote, the mouse, the deer,
The bear, the great cats, the eagles and hawks soaring in the sky, all residing near.
We reverenced Mother Earth and Father Sky and from them would only take
That which would give us sustenance while dwelling here, for our sake.
Every inch of fur, every bone and piece of meat was used.
Nothing on the land was taken for granted and nothing abused.
In song and dance our legends were told, as well as preparation for war
When Mother Earth and Father Sky was called upon to protect us once more.
The Medicine Wheel Circle is the Universe. It is change, life, death, and birth.
It is the Sun Dance of each of us, the People, the teachings of our Earth.
This Great Circle is the lodge of our bodies, our minds, our hearts ever burning.
It is our way of Touching, Experiencing Harmony with all. It is Learning.
For those who seek Understanding, the Circle is their Mirror, their Reflections
Just as North, South, East and West, coming together from all directions.
We each have our own Medicine, any animal, person, idea or object can be
A mirror that reflects and brings us together into perfect harmony.
Among the people, every person also possessed a Shield, a symbolic creed
A new name was bestowed upon them, according to their visionary deed.
Those gazing upon these shields knew who the man was, or sought to be,
What his loves, fears and dreams were, almost everything, for all to see.
The women, upon their dresses and belts also carried Medicine signs
For all to know her by the many different symbolic designs.
We, for the most part, were a peaceable people. But, oh yes, we did have war.
Tribes would steal women and children from another, they then would avenge the score.
Most often it was a feat of bravery performed in battle in making coup
By touching the enemies body without causing injury to them or you.
Life was just doing and living as we had always in the past
But good things and times really never last.
One fateful day the strangers came to a place they named Plymouth Rock
Those strange people stepped onto our soil and oh, the destruction they did wrought.
They were fascinating with their white skin, yellow hair and blue eyes.
Little did we know what terror they're forked tongues would bring upon us, what demise.
We tried to be friendly and opened our arms to them, "Welcome to our nation."
But their promises turned into lies and they wiped so many of us from creation.
Put yourself into my moccasins and tell me! If you were torn from your home
By unkept treaties and told that you could no longer be free to roam,
And had to live where you did not want to be, what would you do?
Would you not fight for your freedom, for your life, for your Nation too?
So many of my people were massacred as they tried to run
To hunt, to love, to live in harmony with nature as they had always done.
To come and go as we pleased was all we wanted and fought for.
We as a Nation of People asked for no more.
Indians |