My Story About Alvino Siva, Cahuilla Elder and Bird-Singer

In 1997 and '98, a Native American Cowboy Jubilee was held in the San Jacinto Mountains town of Idyllwild in Southern California with both Native American and cowboy performers on stages all over town. The first year, I was asked to perform in the jubilee by Alvino Siva, an elder of the Cahuilla people for whom Idyllwild was ancestral land. Alvino was a storyteller, a teacher, a leader of the bird-singing tradition of the Cahuilla, one of the last of the Cahuilla-speaking people. His sister, Katherine Siva Saubel, a tremendously-respected elder, founded the Malki Museum on the Morongo reservation in Cabazon and authored books on the Cahuilla language and their ethno-botany. Their nephew, Ernest Siva, carries on their work and their tradition today with the Ushkana Press and the Ushkana Foundation. I was very honored to be invited by Alvino to play my flutes and tell my stories - himself a storyteller, Alvino could be fierce in his critique of the latter-day inhabitants of California. Before the first jubilee began, Alvino approached me and asked me for a favor - he held in his safe-keeping a 100 year-old Crow war-bonnet that was passed to him by the son of a man who was gifted with the bonnet by its original bearer - or at least that is what was explained to me by Alvino. After consulting with a spiritual leader of their people, Alvino had been told that, once a year, the bonnet needed to be brought out and worn by a suitable person so that it would not lose its power. So, he asked me to wear it while I performed - me! I was at once struck by a sense of pride in the honor being bestowed on me by Alvino and also by a huge sense of trepidation since I had not earned the right to wear those feathers, nor were war-bonnets a tradition of the people of my ancestry, the Cherokee. I might be accused of 'chiefing' like the Lakota-style buckskin-clad bonnet-wearers who haunted the sidewalks of the Cherokee tourist town of Cherokee, North Carolina, at Qualla Boundary - to be paid for having their pictures taken with unwitting tourists. I didn't want that to happen. When the day came, I wore the bonnet as briefly as possible without offending Alvino. When a wind came up and it became difficult to wear the bonnet correctly, I removed it with as much respect as it deserved, hopefully before any photos were taken - but I was too late. Some years later, a painting surfaced on the internet, prints of the painting being sold on various fine art websites. It was titled "Elk Whistle" and was obviously painted from a photograph of me in my regalia, holding one of my flutes, and wearing the 100 year-old Crow bonnet. That is the story of the painting that graces my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BillNealElkWhistle and my blog page at elkwhistlebillneal.blogspot.com/. About two years ago I attended the memorial service for Alvino at the Malki Museum with all the others who came to pay their final respect for a man who had a long, meaningful life of work on behalf of his people and I wondered to whom that war-bonnet had been passed again for safe-keeping. I hoped that it had found its way back to the Crow people where it was meant to be.

December Solstice Traditions and Customs

The December solstice has influenced the lives of many people over the centuries, particularly through art, literature, mythology and religion. The December solstice is also known as the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere.
In the northern hemisphere, the December solstice occurs during the coldest season of the year. Although winter was regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days after the winter solstice brought on a more festive mood. To many people, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle was continuing.
Solstice’s influence on Christmas
In modern times Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas, which falls on December 25. However, it is believed that this date was chosen to offset pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti. Some believe that celebrating the birth of the “true light of the world” was set in synchronization with the December solstice because from that point onwards, the days began to have more daylight in the northern hemisphere.
Christmas is also referred to as Yule, which may have derived from the Norse word jól, referring to the pre-Christian winter solstice festival. Yule is also known as Alban Arthan and was one of the “Lesser Sabbats” of the Wiccan year in a time when ancient believers celebrated the rebirth of the Sun God and days with more light. This took place annually around the time of the December solstice and lasted for 12 days. The Lesser Sabbats fall on the solstices and equinoxes.
The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun. A Yule or Juul log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god Thor.
A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year’s log. In England, Germany, France and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm and or as medicine.
French peasants believed that if the ashes were kept under the bed, they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated in the bonfires associated with the feast of Juul.
Saturnalia in Ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome the winter (December) solstice festival Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held to honor Saturn, the father of the gods and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten while businesses, courts and schools were closed. Wars were interrupted or postponed and slaves were served by their masters. Masquerades often occurred during this time.
It was traditional to offer gifts of imitation fruit (a symbol of fertility), dolls (symbolic of the custom of human sacrifice), and candles (reminiscent of the bonfires traditionally associated with pagan solstice celebrations). A mock king was chosen, usually from a group of slaves or criminals, and although he was permitted to behave in an unrestrained manner for seven days of the festival, he was usually killed at the end. The Saturnalia eventually degenerated into a week-long spree of debauchery and crime – giving rise to the modern use of the term 'saturnalia', meaning a period of unrestrained license and revelry.
Other Cultures and Modern Day Celebrations
In Poland the ancient December solstice observance prior to Christianity involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. It was a tradition that can still be seen in what is known as Gody. In the northwestern corner of Pakistan, a festival called Chaomos, takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. It involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires and festive eating.
Many Christians celebrate St Thomas’ Day in honor of St Thomas the Apostle on December 21. In Guatemala on this day, Mayan Indians honor the sun god they worshipped long before they became Christians with a dangerous ritual known as the polo voladore, or “flying pole dance”. Three men climb on top of a 50-foot pole. As one of them beats a drum and plays a flute, the other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believed that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer. Some churches celebrate St Thomas’ Day on other days in the year.
The ancient Incas celebrated a special festival to honor the sun god at the time of the December solstice. In the 16th century ceremonies were banned by the Roman Catholics in their bid to convert the Inca people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia Indians in Cusco, Peru, revived the festival in the 1950s. It is now a major festival that begins in Cusco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away.

Native American Ceremony
The winter solstice to Native Americans is a time of transition, of looking back at the old year and looking forward to the new. Like many cultures around the world, they have celebrated the winter solstice for hundreds, even thousands of years as they watched the days grow shorter and waited for the sun to return. In their own ways, Native Americans honor the cycle of life, endings and new beginnings as their ancestors did before them.
Some Native American tribes saw this unique celestial event in a different light. Among the Iroquois, it was a time of dreaming. Rather than staying up all night to celebrate the dawn, the People of the Longhouse turned in early, to sleep, to dream. As Mother Night reigned supreme, in dreaming they walked between the worlds of light and darkness, gathering great meaning from what The Great Mystery illuminated for them.
At first light, the entire tribe would gather and each tribal member -- men, women, to the smallest child -- would stand and relate what visions they saw on this special night. The dreams would be discussed at length by the entire tribe for each vision's meaning -- for the individual, about the world, for the tribe. Sigmund Freud wasn't the first to explore or discover the importance of nightly dreaming any more than Columbus "discovered" the New World. The Iroquois practiced this annual event for 1,000 years before the first European set foot on these shores. French Jesuit missionaries in the 1600s marveled at the Iroquois' annual event, writing about them in letters and journals, especially the aspect of the tribe "acting out" various dreams.
It is a powerful awakening each year, this night of dreams, to be approached in sacred manner. In shamanism, the "gift" of a vision is not realized until acted upon, manifested or "danced" into this reality. That is the Great Truth of our walking between the worlds, at any time of the year, but especially during this time.
What the Iroquois knew, and Westerners would not "discover" for hundreds of years, is that the line between waking "reality" and nightly dreaming is not so impermeable. What the Creator instructs in dreams can be the very "reality" of health, insights, group dynamics, and individuality within a community, revealing not only the dreamer's world, but the shared vision -- and lessons -- for a people.
The Pueblo tribes celebrate the Winter Solstice with rites focusing on Spring and rebirth. The Hopi Indians' Soyal ceremony lasts for 20 days and includes purification rituals, blessings and feasting. Other Native American winter celebrations include the Bear Dance, the Feather Dance and the Navajo Night Chant.

December Solstice 2011

This day is the December solstice - the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. The December solstice will occur at 05:30 UTC on Thursday, December 22, 2011. Copy and paste this URL address into your browser to use the World Clock to determine when it takes place where you are: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Time+of+the+December+Solstice&iso=20111222T0530.

Native American Dream Analysis: Iroquois by Libby Pelham

Most Native American tribes have always held dreams in high regard and given them much respect. To them, dreams are very spiritual and a way of gaining great insight and wisdom as well as guidance for day-to-day life. Most Native Americans believed ancestral spirits would visit them between the hours of midnight and 2:00 a.m. (which may have been during the deepest stages of sleep) to offer them guidance.
A Strong Influence
The Iroquois felt very strongly that dreams guided all aspects of their lives – hunting, fighting, even marriage. Dreaming had a big affect on their proceedings during war. If one person had a dream of failure before a battle, they would retreat, viewing the dream as an omen. French missionaries noted that the Iroquois totally submitted themselves to their dreams. Believing the dreams were concealed instructions from their soul, they felt obligated to live out what they dreamed or feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. Through their dreams, they felt they could contact their highest sacred power, Orenda.
To ignore their dreams was madness to them, sure to result in disaster. It also went against the wishes of the god within. They felt dreams could heal them, curing both physical diseases and mental illnesses. The Iroquois would often act out their dreams with those involved in the dream. They would tell others about their dreams, known as dreamsharing, as a way to understand and interpret the dream.
Festivals
The Iroquois also held several festivals related to dreams and the dream world. The False Face Society festival was an important healing ritual in which the members wore wooden masks in order to invoke the dream world. Members were either those healed by the society or those who dreamed they should be a member. Another important Iroquois festival that focused on dreams was the Midwinter Festival. The Midwinter Festival was held around New Years and featured dreamsharing, dream interpretation, and dream renewal. The men of the Iroquois tribe often ventured out themselves in search of particularly powerful dreams. The men would fast for a period of time, sometimes as long as thirty days, in hopes of having a powerful vision or dream.
Making Note
The importance of dreams to the Iroquois has oft been documented through the years. One example is that of Chief Cornplanter of the Seneca Iroquois. He had a dream that he did not quite understand, so he asked members of his community for interpretation. One such interpreter told Cornplanter that his name was now Onono and he was to give up his position as chief. Chief Cornplanter was convinced this was the correct interpretation and handed his tomahawk and wampum to a friend, thus making him chief. It is said that Cornplanter never regretted his decision, feeling it restored harmony with the Great Spirit.
Another documented case of dream importance to the Iroquois was the dream of Ely Parker’s mother, Elizabeth. Ely Parker was an Iroquois chief who ended up drafting the final terms of surrender for the Civil War. When Elizabeth was still pregnant with Ely, the young Iroquois woman had a dream that she did not understand. It was that of a broken rainbow. She visited a dream interpreter who told her she was pregnant with a son and that son would be a very wise and great peacemaker.
Native Americans such as the Iroquois saw dreams as real and felt real life was often the illusion. Perhaps it would be in our best interest to take note of their beliefs and give our dreams more credit in helping guide our lives to a healthier place.

Gifting and Give-Aways: Compassionate Intention

"At this time of year, it’s especially clear that how and where we direct our intentions—and our dollars—has immediate impacts on ourselves and the causes we support.
Researchers in the field of consciousness studies have found that giving is good for you—for your health, your happiness, and your sense of purpose!
Consciousness research, which has been studying the science of giving for decades, has taught us that giving and receiving are among the most healing expressions that humans can make. They can help heal the separateness we often feel from ourselves, each other, and the environment.
According to IONS-sponsored research [Institute of Noetic Science], acts of altruism can elicit a positive immune system response:
• Dr. Jeff Levin, an epidemiologist, found that a correlation exists between almost every dimension of love and patients’ descriptions of better health, more positive emotional well–being, higher self–esteem, and a sense of personal control in their lives.
• Results of IONS’ Compassionate Intention Study suggest that loving or compassionate intention can influence a person’s physiology, ranging from brain activity measurements to skin conductance.
Research by IONS colleague Dr. Stephen Post, professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University and president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, suggests a strong correlation between a person’s well-being and their inclination toward altruistic acts.
An especially compelling study conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish demonstrated that feelings of increased interconnectedness with others can change gene expression, making relationships critical to health and well–being."
- from the email newsletter of the Institute of Noetic Science, December 18, 2011

Give-Aways Aren't Enough

Within the next few hours, I will be connected to over a thousand professional folks in various fields on the LinkedIn social media. More than my other social media pages including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Blogger, Iparte, The Red Nation Society, and the Native Spirit Tribal Community, the intrinsic value of these professional connections on LinkedIn is still somewhat ambiguous to me. There are reasons for that. My purpose on other pages like FB, etc., is very clear to me - to communicate with as many like-hearted and like-minded spirits as possible, to sound a call, to help move us into a changed world that is unlike what has so far taken place on this earth. Most of what I post, especially my blog posts, have this recurring theme.
But on LinkedIn I am connected to chairpersons and councilmembers of Indian nations across Turtle Island, plus those who work for them and with whom they do business, as well as media moguls, arts presenters, and performing, graphics, and fine artists. This is different than on the other social media pages.
I have several purposes and several means of achieving those purposes. My dilemma on LinkedIn is more a matter of having too many directions in which to communicate with the professionals with whom I've connected. I hope you can help me with your perspective.
As a performing artist and musician, storyteller, teacher, writer, actor, and activist, I use my talents for education, for social, environmental, and economic justice, and I hope along the way that my efforts are recognized enough to be supported in what I try to do, that I can stay busy and, through that busyness, also manage to pay my bills.
I have also been a Native American Spiritual leader in a women's prison who has tried to help deal with many of the issues that brought many of those women to prison - issues like substance abuse and domestic violence, especially against Native women, issues like low self-esteem, intergenerational trauma, and the historical residues of the cultural genocide of Native Americans. I have worked with the White Bison Wellbriety training programs to improve my skills in doing so and to help others gain those skills. I still work to apply that experience where it is needed.
Before all this, I worked for 22 years as an environmental professional, gaining a great deal of experience that's especially useful in today's push toward a green and sustainable future - experience that includes:
* wildland and urban forest management for multiple uses including silvicultural reforestation and fire hazard reduction through various means including prescribed and controlled burning, computerized inventories of street and park trees and long-range management planning for urban trees;
* handling and processing of biomass materials for energy production and nursery plant production from sawmill residues, industrial agriculture, urban green waste including tree-trimming and removal, large-scale land-clearing, and construction and demolition debris;
* siting, design, and permitting of solid waste materials recovery facilities, transfer stations and landfills;
* hazardous materials inventories for hazardous materials management planning;
* conduct of phase I environmental site assessments for property transfers;
* preparation of industrial stormwater run-off pollution prevention plans:
* co-founding and management as vice-president and general manager of a biomass fuels processing company;
* preparation of environmental documents including environmental assessments, environmental impact reports, and environmental impact statements according to CEQA, NEPA, and the federal Clean Water Act including the first EIR ever written in the state of California for a billboard; and the
* establishment and management of various recycling and composting programs including biomass, waste paper, and beverage container redemption.
I guess that, environmentally, I think of myself as a sustainability advocate and consultant.
But, when I communicate with professionals on LinkedIn in all these fields, which do I pursue? Where are my skills and experience most needed and most effectively applied and in what area am I most likely to be able to be financially successful enough to continue to work and my family to thrive? I provide as much support as I am able to worthwhile causes, hopefully without my family having to sacrifice more than it already has - but give-aways have to have a limit, and my give-aways are consistent across the board. I do need to be practical. Tell me what you think I should do.

Mid-December in the Southern California Piedmont

The small city east of Los Angeles where Jane and I live is named Upland for a reason - it is at the base of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, a higher elevation than the floor of the San Gabriel Valley below us. In my native state of North Carolina, it would be said to be in the 'Piedmont' - all you French-speakers know what that means. From my backyard I have a clear view of Mount Baldy which is within the last ranger district of the U.S. Forest Service on which I worked before leaving the forest service when President Ronny and his pal James Watt took all the money away from the federal resource management agencies. Mount Baldy is also named Mount San Antonio after Anthony of Padua, a patron of the Franciscan order - this is, after all, mission country - particularly the San Gabriel Mission a few miles from here. Baldy has two peaks, the highest of which is 10,068 feet in elevation. It is the highest peak in Los Angeles County and also in the San Gabriel range. There is a trail called the 'Devil's Backbone' that runs from the main peak to the west peak. Along this trail the spine of the mountain is very sharp and narrow - you can look down into the Antelope Valley on the north and into the San Gabriel Valley in the south - but be careful not to stumble while you're looking. The original people to the south of the range who came to be called 'Gabrieleno' by the Spanish because they built the San Gabriel Mission, the Tongva call this mountain 'Yoat', meaning snow. The Mohave to the north call it 'Avii Kwatiinyam'. This morning, December 13th, when I woke up Mount Baldy was covered in snow and yet it was only sweater weather here in Upland, in the mid-40 degree range and warming to the high-50 degrees during the day. In fact, in my yard right now the roses and camellias are blooming. This is one of the incongruities of Southern California - I could drive two hours to Palm Springs in the high desert and be in balmy summer weather (but don't go there in the summer unless you are ready to roast)or drive 20 minutes up Baldy to play in the snow. After living and working in the mountains of Southern Oregon and Northern California for 16 years, pines and firs and cedars are the standing people that I consider family. Here I am surrounded by palm trees and cactus and yet I can still look up to the snow-covered peak of Mount Baldy. I live in a city of trees, an Arbor City - right now my front yard is covered with the leaves of the Liquidambar styraciflua that some call 'sweet gum'. The Liquidambar was an eastern tree that was imported to be a street tree and to give Southern California some autumn color. So - I guess this is all more reinforcement of the notion that all of life is a trade-off - but once in a while, maybe, just maybe, you can have your cake and eat it too. N'est-ce pas?

Elk Whistle Interview - KPFK 90.7 Pacifica Radio

The following link is to the podcast in the archives of KPFK 90.7 of the special Thanksgiving Day program that I did with Sabrina Motley - the first 45 or so minutes is my interview. To listen to the podcast, copy the link below and paste it into your browser. I hope you enjoy it - please tell me what you think. http://archive.kpfk.org/parchive/mp3/kpfk_111124_130050special.MP3

Message From the Iparte Newsletter - paraphrased by Bill Neal

With all the exciting changes that are now going on in the world, it is especially important right now for all of us in the circle to stay in touch. It is time for us all to step up and take a more active role in steering positive change in the world. It is vital today to encourage all of us in the circle to take a moment to pause and think about how each of us can best serve the world during this monumental time in human history. The Occupy Movement has done a great job at capturing the world’s attention. Now it is time for US to put our heads together, pool our talents and resources, and lead the way to freedom and peace for ALL. The time has come indeed.
The time to UNITE, to SHARE, to SERVE and to see the change that needs to be, has COME.
As we awaken to the remembrance that we can heal the world, we also remember it is something that can only be achieved TOGETHER. For each one of us holds or hides inside our being, an essential part of the plan for universal peace.
From The Awakening Trilogy
“1) We, through our current motivation of self-gain, are the only engines driving our current systems and, therefore, we hold the power to stop it.
2) Our current system of self-service is unsustainable, and is presently leading us on a path of inevitable destruction.
3)The only way that we may divert our current course is to unite, and thereby to lend each other the necessary support to make the switch from living for the self, to living for the peace and harmony of all.“

THE KOGI: Warning From the Elder Brother

The KPFK Dispatch

                                        

The KPFK Dispatch

Thanksgiving Music Special 11AM-4PM Maggie LePique sits in for John Schneider Thursday November 24th from 11am-1pm with a special Thanksgiving edition of the Global Village. Maggie's special guest in the 12pm hour will be Sinatra archivist Charles Pignone. Then at 1pm, guest music host Sabrina Lynn Motley serves up a delectable feast for the ears with songs celebrating the autumn harvest. Kicking things off will be Bill Neal Elk Whistle, master Native American flutist, storyteller, and activist, with live music and conversation.  More Info.

The Story of Stuff Project - by Annie Leonard

Dear friend,

 

I'm back in California today preparing for Thanksgiving with family and friends after a week on the road. Revisionist history aside, Thanksgiving is a great holiday - an opportunity in the midst of our hectic year-end hustle and bustle to spend two days pausing, recharging, and looking into the faces of loved ones rather than our computer screens.

We here at The Story of Stuff Project are taking time this week to share and appreciate the things we're grateful for, which got me to reflecting on an opportunity I had last week to screen our latest movie, The Story of Broke, at the Occupy encampment in Edmonton, Canada.

Now I normally wouldn't go outside in the kind of weather that greeted me in Edmonton unless my house was on fire. Let's just say it was cold, really cold. Nevertheless, I couldn't pass up an invitation to show the movie at the camp before another speaking event in the city.

When I arrived at Occupy Edmonton, entering under a giant banner - Stop Shopping, Start Living - that made me feel right at home, my first thought was, "yikes, we're going to do this screening outside in the cold?" But soon enough I was ushered into a large, insulated, military-style tent that housed a wood burning stove, enough warm chili for everyone and chairs arrayed for viewing the movie on a screen that had been set up. They even had popcorn!

After showing the movie, someone asked me what impact I thought the Occupy movement was having. I told the gathered Occupiers that I thought they - and the entire movement - were making the discontent of millions visible in a way the most wild eyed optimist wouldn't have predicted was possible a few short months ago. And that in offering an invitation to everyone who thinks there's a problem to jump in and participate, they were providing a powerful antidote to the isolation so many feel.

That's similar to the experience I had back in 2008 when I released The Story of Stuff. The incredible response to the movie buoyed my spirits by proving that I wasn't alone - that there were millions of people around the world who shared my concern about the direction in which our society was headed. In many ways, the movie had taken the temperature of society and, as it turned out, I wasn't the only one who thought we had a fever.

Which brings me back to gratitude.

At The Story of Stuff Project, we give thanks every day for the enthusiastic and generous participation of the members of our community. When we released The Story of Broke on November 8^th, you gave it a huge push. In fact, our network got more people to visit our website that day than on the day after I appeared on The Colbert Report. Sure, Stephen's great, but our community is greater!

Now, while there's no question this community played a big role in the successful rollout of The Story of Broke-almost 150,000 views in two weeks-it hasn't hurt that we're living in a time ripe with the potential for change.

Let's face it: something is in the air.

This Thanksgiving, we're grateful for that potential for big change we sense in the year ahead, as well as humbled by the hard work it will take to make that change happen. We're also hopeful, because we know many folks like you will be part of the struggle to get there, and that together we can do amazing things.

So on Friday, while millions head to the stores to scoop up the latest gadget or some discount schlock, I hope many of you will take an opportunity to stop by an Occupy camp near you. Let them know you're with them by standing next to them. You might even bring them some Turkey sandwiches or left over stuffing.

And please, share a message on our blog about what you're thankful for. Whether you're in the United States or not, whether you're celebrating Thanksgiving or not, we'd love to hear from you. Because we're all in this together!

Best wishes from the entire team,

Annie, Michael, Allison, Christina, Renée, Naomi, and Marvin

Socialize with us!

Listen Up! Elk Whistle Native Flute Music Live on The Global Village on KPFK 90.7

Listen up, my friends and relations! I'll be playin' mah flutes live on The Global Village with Sabrina Motley at KPFK independent, progressive radio at 1:00 PM PST on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. KPFK can be heard live on the air at 90.7 FM in Los Angeles and most of Southern California, 98.7 FM in Santa Barbara, 99.5 FM in Ridgecrest/China Lake and on 93.7 FM in Rancho Bernardo/North San Diego.
Everyone else out of these areas can listen live online at http://www.kpfk.org/listen-live.html.
I will be playing live and talkin' about the Native view of the Thanksgiving myths and a little about the prophecies that are coming into being today.
The live broadcast will be archived on the KPFK website for a week before being deleted but I'm hoping to post it here and on my various web pages as a podcast that can continue to be heard into the future.

THE SEVEN FIRES - an excerpt from The Mishomis Book by Edward Benton-Banai

...our Ojibway elders tell us that many years ago, seven major nee-gawn-na-kayg' (prophets) came to the Anishinabe. They came at a time when the people were living a full and peaceful life on the northeastern coast of North America. These prophets left the people with seven predictions of what the future would bring. Each of these prophecies was called a Fire and each Fire referred to a particular era of time that would come in the future. Thus, the teachings of the seven prophets are now called the Neesh-wa-swi' ish-ko-day-kawn'  (Seven Fires) of the Ojibway.
...The seventh prophet that came to the people long ago was said to be different from the other prophets. He was young and had a strange light in his eyes. He said, "In the time of the Seventh Fire a Osh-ki-bi-ma-di-zeeg' (New People) will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail. Their steps will take them to the elders who they will ask to guide them on their journey. But many of the elders will have fallen asleep. They will awaken to this new time with nothing to offer. Some of the elders will be silent out of fear. Some of the elders will be silent because no one will ask anything of them. The New People will have to be careful in how they approach the elders. The task of the New People will not be easy.
"If the New People will remain strong in their quest, the Waterdrum of the Midewiwin Lodge will again sound its voice. There will be a rebirth of the Anishinabe nation and a rekindling of old flames. The Sacred Fire will again be lit.
"It is at this time that the Light-skinned Race will be given a choice between two roads. If they choose the right road, then the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth and Final Fire - an eternal Fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood. If the Light-skinned Race makes the wrong choice of roads, then the destruction which they brought with them in coming to this country will come back to them and cause much suffering and death to all the Earth's people."
Traditional Mide people of Ojibway and people from other nations have interpreted the "two roads" that face the Light-skinned Race as the road to technology and the road to spirituality. They feel that the road to technology represents a continuation of the head-long rush to technological development. This is the road that has led modern society to a damaged and seared earth. Could it be that the road to technology represents a rush to destruction? The road to spirituality represents the slower path that traditional Native people have traveled and are now seeking again. The Earth is not scorched on this trail. The grass is still growing there.
The prophet of the Fourth Fire spoke of a time when "two nations will join to make a mighty nation." He was speaking of the coming of the Light-skinned Race and the face of brotherhood that the Light-skinned brother could be wearing. It is obvious from the history of this country that this was not the face worn by the Light-skinned Race as a whole. That mighty nation spoken of in the Fourth Fire has never been formed.
If we natural people of the Earth could just wear the face of brotherhood, we might be able to deliver our society from the road to destruction. Could we make the two roads that today represents two clashing world views come together to form that mighty nation? Could a nation be formed that is guided by respect for all living things?
Are we the New People of the Seventh Fire?

"DAWNING OF THE SEVENTH FIRE" - Bill Neal Elk Whistle

From: elkwhistle4flutes | Apr 12, 2011 |          

The song "Dawning of the Seventh Fire" by Bill Neal Elk Whistle with video creation by Tim Wozny is in recognition of the beginning of the epoch known as the Seventh Fire as it is known in the Seven Fires Prophecy of the Algonquian (or Anishinaabeq). According to the teachings of the Seven Fires Prophecy, when the world has been befouled and the waters turned bitter by disrespect, the two-leggeds will have only two options left to them from which to choose - materialism or spirituality. By choosing spirituality, they will survive - but, if they choose materialism, that will be the end of it. According to the Elders of the Algonquian, the two-leggeds are now at this very point in the history of the earth - the Seventh Fire has been lighted. The Lakota prophecy of the beginning of the Fifth World tells us that the White Buffalo Calf will return to the herds in physical form, heralding the Age of Illumination, the age when the two-leggeds walk upright and once again remember their true relationship with Creator. It is told that we will awaken, as if from a dream, and the earth will be reborn. The Hopi Prophecies say that the Emergence from the Fourth World, where we have been for an epoch, to the Fifth World has begun - and that it is being made by the humble people of little nations, by tribes, and racial minorities. The Mayan Prophecy calls 2012 the end of time as we know it, and the ancient Cherokee calendar ends at 2012 exactly as does the Mayan calendar. As the Hopi Elders have foretold, the Time is Now - we are at the twelfth hour. Are we the New People of the Seventh Fire as foretold in the Seven Fires Prophecy of the Anishinaabeq?

Message from a Hopi Elder

"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 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 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 for 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."

-attributed to an unnamed Hopi elder
Hopi Nation
Oraibi, Arizona

The Great Disruption ~~ from Bioneers

"Our relationship with the natural world has reached a tipping point. The next five or six years are going to be the most important in the history of human civilization. That's a strong statement, but:
"We've been borrowing from the future, and the debt has fallen due. The science says we have physically entered a period of great change, a synchronized, related crash of the economy and ecosystem. The Great Disruption will ultimately take human society to a higher evolutionary state. We have the opportunity to build a society that represents our highest capacities... that works with rather than against nature. This crisis represents what may be a 'once in a civilization' opportunity for a step change in human evolution, but one driven consciously rather than biologically. We are the people we've been waiting for. This is the time."
Paul Gilding, The Great Disruption  
The grail is resilience, enhancing our ability to adapt to dramatic change and restructure our ways of living in concert with natural systems and with respect for human dignity.
In addition to our environmental challenges, on a social level we can't afford not to engage all of our human capacity. We can no longer devalue people of color, women, people according to age or ability. We actually need everyone to step into leadership, to transform our culture and this time."
    ~~~~ Bioneers Board and Staff

GET PURPOSEFUL — by Ralph Marston

Even the most luxurious conditions can be nearly impossible to endure if there’s no purpose toward which you are moving. Even the most painful, desperate conditions can be relatively easy to endure when there’s an important, meaningful reason to do so.

Purpose makes all the difference. The crucial factor in any undertaking is not what you must do, but why you are doing it in the first place.

Yes, doing the work is absolutely necessary. And what will get the work done is a clear and unambiguous knowing of why you’re doing it.

If you’re having trouble focusing, don’t merely strive to improve your focus. Work on solidly connecting with your authentic purpose.

Anything is possible, but what you seek is not just anything. What’s possible for you is what’s truly meaningful to you.

Knowing what you seek and why, is what will relentlessly drive you to reach it. Get clear, get honest, get purposeful, and you cannot help but get it done.

NAVAJO BLESSED BEAUTY-WAY PRAYER

GREAT SPIRIT, MAY WE WALK IN BEAUTY

MAY BEAUTY BE ABOVE US,
SO THAT WE DREAM OF BEAUTY

MAY BEAUTY BE IN FRONT OF US,
SO THAT WE ARE LED BY BEAUTY

MAY BEAUTY BE TO THE LEFT OF US
SO THAT WE MAY RECEIVE BEAUTY

MAY BEAUTY BE TO THE RIGHT OF US,
SO THAT WE MAY GIVE OUT BEAUTY

MAY BEAUTY BE BEHIND US,
SO THAT THOSE WHO COME AFTER US
MAY SEE BEAUTY

MAY BEAUTY BE INSIDE US,
SO THAT WE MAY BECOME BEAUTY

GREAT SPIRIT, MAY WE WALK IN BEAUTY

MAY THE GREAT SPIRIT
BE WITH YOU AND YOURS FOR ALL TIME



Spirituality and the Seasons: Learning the Language of the Fall Equinox

Thursday, September 20, 2007Coastal View News • Carpinteria, California

by Beth McDonald

The celebration of the Fall Equinox—the first day of autumn—is one of the oldest spiritual observances known to man. In the Northern hemisphere, the Fall Equinox marks the day the sun

 hovers directly over the equator before it crosses over, moving southward. It is one of only two days a year when the daylight and the darkness are the most equal in length. The seasons and weather
played a dominant role in the lives of ancient people, so marking the progression of the planets was essential for survival.
Though it is no longer a survival issue, these observances are still significant on emotional, spiritual, and political levels, especially around here.
For the original inhabitants of much of Southern and Central California, the Chumash, this time of year was the most sacred. This is the time of Hutash. For the Chumash, Hutash is a big, big word. It is the name of their Mother Earth Goddess, the source of all food and sustenance, and as such is one of the most important deities in their pantheon. But Hutash is bigger than that. It is also the name for
this time of year, as well as the name for the harvest festival and ceremony that happens every year at the fall equinox, celebrating the bounty of Mother Earth.
The Hutash Celebration is similar to other harvest festivals around the world, in that it has gratitude and building community as key elements. But Hutash has elements that are unique to its people. Hutash festivities began around the time of the equinox, after the fall harvests were in. They could last five to six days and be filled with ritual ceremony, dances, great feasting and celebration.
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, a local Chumash woman, explained the value of the Fall Equinox and  Hutash Celebrations this way: “The earth was both Mother and God to the Chumash, for she gave
them their food, their shelter, and their lives. This is a time that we talk about values and remind each other to be grateful of the harvest. One of the main functions of the Hutash festival was to bring the
people back together again after the separateness of summer to prepare them for the winter.”
A major component of Hutash was the Fall Equinox Sun Ceremony, honoring Kakunupmawa,
the sun. During this and other related ceremonies and dances, the spiritual thoughts of the tribe
would become focused on the importance of unity in the face of winter’s confinement, death, and at the solstice, rebirth.
This unity and focus was also achieved by connecting the members of the tribe’s different generations. They looked to the children, and recommitted to raising them with the right values and a proper understanding of the roles they would later play as adults of the tribe. Honor was given to the elders for all they had been and done and given to the younger generations. Prayers were offered for
those who had passed away during the course of the past year, and for those who would pass in the coming year.
So, for those of you planning your own ceremonies and celebrations, the equinox is on Sunday, Sept. 23 this year [2007 - ed.].
Says Tumamait-Stenslie, “By learning about how the Chumash paid attention to the changing of the earths’ cycles, we can learn how their lives were kept in balance, how life was planned and prepared
for. This time of the year, the fall equinox, is when the Sun and the Moon are of equal power and one reflects the other. It is that same reflection that connects us all.”

Being Real - by Bill Neal

Osiyo my friends and relations - we're in the middle of changing the world here: forget the virtual games, forget the virtual gifts. Why care about Farmville when we have Mother Earth to tend? Come on, let's get on with it. What's more gratifying than knowing we did what we needed to do - we held up our end by living our lives according to the Original Instructions?

After doing environmental work for 22 years, starting from when it was just a gleam in the eye of dreamers, hippies, and Indians who've been saying the same thing for 500 years waiting to be understood, I realized that, until the two-leggeds are fixed, the earth will continue to suffer, no matter how much work is done for the "environment". Man still believes that the "environment" is something separate from himself, an internal/external, us/them, in/out duality that is part of the illusion of separateness in which we live our lives. We need to know, each of us, that the "environment" is not something separate from us or outside ourselves - we are part of the whole, altogether as one.

Then, after 22 years, I began to work on fixing people and our institutions. To that end, I worked for a few years as the Native American Spiritual Leader in a women's prison. I was an advisor for the California Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor. I am, and have been for 19 years, a fluteplayer and storyteller who has been teaching everyone who will listen about our place in the circle of all living things and our responsibility to every other living thing in the circle. But, above all, I work on fixing myself.

In 1966, I had a vision of the future which I have been following ever since, as much as I understand the vision and myself. Now the time has come for us all to connect through the power of the internet and social media like Facebook to bring about a shift in global consciousness and in our own lives. And, again, this is part of the vision whose time has now come.

Facebook, other social media, and the web itself give us the ability to connect like nothing else in the previous history of the two-leggeds. It is time to get on with it, to realize the time has come to change the face of the earth, and time to tell everyone else whom we know and love that the time has come.

I write about these things and hope others read what I write - that's why I am here, for real communication. It takes all of us to do it - to bring about real change. Well - not entirely true. All true social change is brought about by only about 1% of the population, and so I am looking for the 1% who care and who are ready for change..

Who, reading this, is ready to be part of the 1% who bring about all true social change? Global shifts are revolutionary, not evolutionary - they are brought about by agents of change, catalysts acting consciously together. Not gradual change, nor brought about by violence - but sudden and specific, from numbers of circles of people who realize that this is so.

The course of human history is a history of ever-evolving higher consciousness. This is one of those times, when the minds of the two-leggeds make a leap in understanding. We need to gather everyone into the circle who sees that this is so, so that we can bring about the next change whose time is now come. Hook up, link up, connect, share - make it real in the world. The time is now!

Perception....Something to Think About.......

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.


4 minutes later:


The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.


6 minutes:


A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.


10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.


45 minutes:


The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.


1 hour:


He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.


This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?


One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?

A Good Day With Friends At the Autry

Even though I didn't have a chance on Family Sunday to visit much with Harrison Lowe in his Dineh traditional dress at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles - he was done with telling his creation stories and I was between sets of my flute songs and the stories I like to tell about them - I did have a chance to talk some with John Bradley (Oklahoma Cherokee/Comanche) at the end of our day. He had been outside on the plaza making traditional toys featuring corn cob darts with the kids.
John had just come back from visiting the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., viewing undisplayed artifacts that most folks will never see. We talked about my wampum bandolier sash and the old Aniishnabeq and Cherokee wampum belts and how they are being kept for the people by the respective elders of each of those nations, William Commanda of the Ojibwe and Benny Smith, among others, of the Cherokee.
I also spent some time getting to know Anaquad Cobe who came in and caught the end of my program. I had seen him the day before at the Pechanga powwow - we've crossed paths many times before without really getting to know each other. That happens a lot in Indian Country - it's a small world in many ways, where you see the same faces over and over again. You feel like you know each other on some level, even when you've never spoken to each other.
Anaquad was a friend of Floyd Westerman and Apesanahkwat, both of whom had recurring roles on "Northern Exposure", one of my all-time favorite television programs. Of course, Floyd has passed on but Apesanahkwat is still with us, serving as the Tribal Chairman and Legislator of the Menominee Indian Tribe in northeastern Wisconsin.
Of course, any Family Sunday at the Autry includes spending some time with Pam Hannah and Barbara Arvi, former Director of Operations and former Director of Education, respectively, at the Southwest Museum before it merged with the Autry. Pam is the current Director of American Indian Outreach at the Autry and Barbara is the current Program Director at the Southern California Indian Center. I always feel grateful to spend time with both of them and I appreciate their friendship.
What? You say I'm a name-dropper? Well, after family come your friends, and it's good to have them and speak well of them and make new friends too - right, my friends?
So - another good day at the Autry.

Waynaboozhoo Pays Attention by Edward Benton-Banai

"...we as human beings are often given glimpses of important parts of our future. Many times we do not perceive of the real importance of things that are revealed to us. They seem ordinary and insignificant to us. Waynaboozhoo resolved that he would pay closer attention to events in his life and thus come closer to understanding the plan of the Great Mystery."
- Edward Benton-Banai, "The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway"

A SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY - by Author Unknown.

On the surface of the
world right now there is
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,
something else is happening underground
An inner revolution is taking place
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out. From the ground up.
This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You won't see us on the T. V.
You won't read about us in the newspaper
You won't hear about us on the radio
We don't seek any glory
We don't wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles
Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes
in every country and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands
You could pass by one of us on the street
and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done
Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night
is where the real work takes a place
Some call us the Conscious Army
We are slowly creating a new world
with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites
Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness...
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways
with our own unique gifts and talents
Be the change you want to see in the world
That is the motto that fills our hearts
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the
power of all the oceans combined
Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet, with it, entire tectonic plates
shall be moved in the centuries to come
Love is the new religion of the 21st century
You don't have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings
Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you
We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.
All are welcome
The door is open

We Are The Flowers of One Garden and a Garden Nourishes The Soul - by Hawk Elder Edna Gordon

Peace Within Is Happiness
To reap the harvest of your own happiness
Reflects an inner light to touch the spirit of mankind

Inner emotions of the soul
It takes patience, attention and time to create beauty, character
And a sense of direction for the inner garden of the soul

Listen to Nature

Nature is within ourselves to make the right choices
To listen within is the greatest road map
To direct the energetic forces of the body, the mind and the soul

Prayer

Prayer is sharing inner feelings to strengthen communication, to nourish and to walk in harmony with all creation
Prayer, gives an inner value and inner knowing
An expression of devotion

Rambling Haven of Peace

Listen to natures sheltering timber
And observe how a rustic landscape of a countryside displays a sanctuary of reflections
To preserve a secluded haven of peace

Inspirations

Lights the spirit within
Nature is a place to recapture the infinite spirit of the soul
A place where no one abandons dreams, but when inner thoughts unfold , the creator is within nature
Creation stirs within for inspiration

Peaceful thoughts

You will reach the highest mountain of your inner self
If, you keep your fountain of peaceful thoughts
Flowing like ripples of a stream

Glowing embers of the soul

Facing the obstacles of life or praising the wonders of creation
Inspiration lights the spirit within
Within the Within

Within the Silence of the Soul, there is Peace and Meditation for Eternal Compassion

Black Elk Speaks: The Power of The Circle

“You have noticed that everything an Indian does in a circle,

and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles,
and everything and everything tries to be round.


In the old days all our power came to us from the sacred hoop

of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people

flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop,

and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace

and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain and the north

with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This
knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.


Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle.

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.

The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon

does the same and both are round. 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. Our teepees were round like the

nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation’s hoop,
a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.”

Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala Lakota (1863-1950).

I Am A Legend - In My Own Mind

Jane and I were in South Pasadena a couple of days ago to get our taxes done for this year and afterward we went to a nice neighborhood we like that has little shops, interesting restaurants, and lots of big, mature trees. First we went to the Great Harvest Bread Company, a bakery that we love, to get some of their really tasty oatmeal mixes and some of their fine baked goods. They grind their own flours there daily.


Afterward we tried a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant called the Firefly Bistro that had always been closed when we were there before. It was a very nice, almost hidden place with really, really great food. The restaurant is mostly outdoors with a big permanent tent covering the dining room and trees and shrubs inside and also visible outside through the tent windows. The entryway has little cafe tables covered by an arbor supporting thickly-growing vines. It felt a little like a European cafe.


One of the co-owners came over to speak to us when we finished eating and then, since they have live music there some days and because it was an outdoorsy place with a nice energy, I left my business card on the way out, thinking I might want to play there, though I have almost never played in restaurants. On the way out, I told the co-owner that I had left my card for him. Just as we got out the door, he caught up with us and asked me "Hey - did you ever work with the Orange County Performing Arts Center?" I told him "yes, I did", and then both our minds started clicking.


He was Carl Weintraub, who founded a multi-ethnic storytelling theater troupe called "We Tell Stories". He had been engaged way back in the early 1990's to assist me in developing my program in my early days of providing school programs through the "From the Center" Program of the O.C. Performing Arts Center. I was consequently on contract at the center for eight years after that. In his appraisal of my program for the staff who ran the program then, he had this to say:

"I think this show is a gift. It speaks of quietude, freedom, ancestry, extinction in a truly spiritual way without ever preaching or lecturing."

I can quote his words now because I asked his permission then to quote his words on the cover of my school programs brochure. So, it was a somewhat amazing encounter after so many years - and when we got in the truck to go home, Jane remarked on that fact. My reply, of course, was "Well, you know how that happened, don't you?" to which her inevitable answer was "Yes dear, it's because you are a legend - in your own mind". And she was right.

You can check out the "We Tell Stories" website at http://www.wetellstories.org/.

Indigenous Epistemology

As a young man in my college years I became interested in the question of what man can know and how does he know it. The philosophical term applied to this question is 'epistemology'.

Okay - why would I go on about some six-syllable word that nobody cares about? For me personally, the word 'epistemology' represents a mindset, a worldview, and that there is an aboriginal, indigenous worldview with it's epistemological ways of knowing the world that are the basis of the American Indian way of being in the world. It is my hope that all who read these words will truly "know" on the most basic level what the indigenous way of knowing the world is. To my understanding, we will not move to the next level of being without this knowledge.


There is an indigenous or aboriginal epistemology that is characterized by some basic themes. Four of these themes are:

walking in balance or being in right relationship with yourself and your community, and being in harmony with everything in the circle of ife;

the knowledge of the presence of other dimensions of being such as the realms of the ancestors or the spirits, dimensions that mirror the life on earth such as in the expression "as above, so below";

the knowledge that all things are interconnected and alive and that all have consciousness - it is a lived experience that is felt when one walks in beauty, feels the aliveness of the earth, and is aware of the consciousness of the non-human world;

the concept of a Spirit or the spirits that can and do interact in the realm of the two-leggeds in ways that are supportive, but can also be mischievous or even malevolent.

These are indigenous ways of knowing in the world of the People. Walking in balance with all my relations, experiencing the multidimensional and mirrored as above/so below nature of reality, knowing the earth is alive and conscious, and allowing for contact with spirits/Spirit are epistemological features that are at the heart of indigenous and aboriginal ways of knowing.

'Mindfulness' or Giving Our Attention to the World

The span of attention and the quality of it that the two-leggeds are able to give to the world, or the lack of it, I should say, has almost become an epidemic problem with our obsession with click-click-click, text-speech, sound-bites, instant gratification, instant everything - and the overwhelming amount of sensory data that we are bombarded with daily. Hello, hello? Is anyone listening? Hey! I'm over here! What? You'll give me ten seconds, you say?


I've been told that, in the way that we live today, because of everything that is going on around us, we are forced to process more sensory information through our minds in a single day of our lives than folks a hundred years ago processed in an entire year, because their lives were so much slower. That's a sort of staggering thought, if it is true. Everything is accelerated, everything is beginning to happen much more quickly, time almost seems to be condensed today. We need to learn to keep up. We need to get better at it.


To my way of thinking, our short attention spans, our inability to handle distractions, our desire for instant results, can seriously interfere with our quality of attention. Consequently, we get to the point where we are not fully present in the moment - what? The phone's ringing? Okay! I'll put a new bulb in the lamp-post, as soon as I get done with this - yes, I would like to eat dinner - yes, I fed the dogs - oh, what's-her-name called! Uh, where were we now? Oh yeah - how can we be "mindful", absolutely present in the moment - how can we give the world the attention it needs and deserves if - alright! Alright - I'm coming!


If we are not fully present in this moment - and this one - and this one - how can we respond to those things that happen to us that need our arttention, in a way that takes the most responsibility in creating our future? After all, where we are, right here and right now, is how we created it - that's right! We created it this way - it's the sum total of every decision and reaction that we have made in our lives in reponse to those things, outside of our control, that happen to us - the sum total of those decisions that has brought us to this point, right here and right now. We control our reactions, how we respond. That's how we create. Our ability to respond most appropriately is based on keeping up, completely, mindfully, with all the information that streams through our senses. That is how we demonstrate our response ability, our responsibility. Yes - that's how we create our lives. Will we do it well - ever?

Being mindful, being fully present, being completely in the moment, 'paying' attention - we really NEED to get good at that! The world needs us all to do it right. And right now, right here!

"Here and now, boys! Here and now!" - that's what Aldous Huxley said.

"Pay attention!" - that's what my teachers said.

"And try not to pee on the mushrooms!" - that's what I said.


But then, that's another story.......

Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon Speaks Out for the Broomstick Revolution

Midewewin Teaching from The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway by Edward Benton-Banai

Long ago, when Nishnaabeg first came, they had a hard time. There was all kinds of sicknesses and bad things around. The Messenger was told, "Go down there, look around and find out what is happening. Bring back someone who we can tell about what life should be, with the Nishnaabeg."

Mewnzha giiyenh Nishnaabeg eshki-yaa'aad aapji giigdagtowang. Kina gegoo aakoziiwin miinwaa mjaii gii-temgad, Oshkabewas gii-jigaazo, "Niisaandwen, paa-ninaabin, paandakenjgen. Ka bibskaabwinaa ge-wiindamowang weweni wii-bmaadziwaas Nishnaabeg.

He left immediately and went to all places in the North, South, West and East. He could not find anyone. On his seventh try, while he was looking, he saw a baby. The baby's parents were out working. So he picked up the baby. Before taking the baby he offered tobacco, he also left a little bit of cloth so that the Nishnaabeg would not think that the baby was taken for a bad reason.

Mii-gii-bimaajaad, kina wa Giiwednong nikeyaa, Zhawanong, Epgishmak, Waabanong. Gaawii wiya giimkwaasiin. Mii dash eko-niizhwaaching megwaa paa-ninaabid, binoojiinsan gii-waabmaan. Paa-nokiibaniig binoojiins gitziiman. Miish gii-daapnaad. Jibwaa maajiinaad, semaan giibgidnaan, miinwaa bangii gidagiigaans, wii-kenmowaad gonda Nishnaabeg gaawii wiya giimji-daapnaasiin binoojiinsan.

He took the baby back to where the Grandfathers were sitting in a circle. He was still very small and still wrapped inside the cradleboard.

Miish gii-maajiinaad neyaap Mishoomsag gaa-giidtagdabwaad. Aapji yaabi gaachiinye miinwaa wiikwejiibzo zhe tkinaaganing.

One of the grandfathers looked at the baby very carefully. "This is the one. Messenger, pick up the baby. Take him all over, teach him carefully the way Nishnaabeg should lead their lives." The Messenger took him; they went around the earth.

Bezhig wa Mishoomis giignoobmaan (giignommaan) weweni. "Mii maaba". Oshkabewas, ka daapnaa binoojiins. Kina ngoji ka maajiinaa, ka kinoomowaa, kina weweni nishnabe eshi-bmaadzibane. Oshkabewas gii-maajiinaan ninda, gii-paa ninaaboog gidkamig.

When they came back seven years later, the little boy again saw his Grandfathers. He was already a young man. The Grandfathers noticed that this boy was very honest. He understood everything that was taught. One of the grandfathers took a drum and started singing. He took a piece of cloth of every color which represented all the teachings. Each direction had a color of its own. "I'm not finished yet," said the Messenger as they left.

Bibskaabwiiyaad niizhwaaswi bboongag, gii-waabmaan miinwaa gwiizens ninda Mishoomsan. Aapji zhazhi nishkininiiwiiba gwiizens. Nandag Mishoomsag gii-waabmaa'aan aapji gwekwaadzid gwiizens. Kina gegoo giin sastaan wiindamoowin. Miidash bezhig Mishoomis gii daapnang dewegaans, miish giingamod. Gidagiigaans gii-daapnaan kina wa enso-nandeg, kina kinoomaagenan gii-temgadoon. Bekaan gii-naande giiwednong nikeyaa, zhawanong, waabanong miinwaa epgishmak. "Gaawii mshi-giizhiitaasiimi," kida Oshkabewas, miish gii-maajaa'aad.

When they came back, each of the grandfathers gave the little boy a teaching. "These are the ones you take with you," he was told.

Bibskaabii'aad Mishoomsag gii-miinaa'aan kinoomaagenan gwiizensan. "Mii ninda emaajiidooyin," gii-jigaazo.

He was given Wisdom in order to better his life through knowledge of life. Next, was Love, so that he may take it to his Nishnaabeg; to be able to teach them to speak well of each other.

Nbwaakawin gii-miinaa, ji-kendamowaad weweni wii-nishibmaadziwaad. Naa dash miinwaa gii-miingaazo Zaagidwin. Weweni kwiiji Nishnaabe ka kinoomwaa ejigaadeg maanda wii-mnognoom-diwaad.

Respect. "Show Respect for all things here on earth, all people, regardless of race or language.
Bravery. There will be a time when you have problems. So never let go what has been given to you.
Honesty. To live the right, honest way, to speak well of your fellow man, to know think through whatever life brings.
Humility that man, tries to live in harmony and balance on earth. One should not think himself above others, while walking here on earth.

Miinwa bezhig Mishoomis gii-daapnaan Gwekwaadziwin. Weweni wii-shibmaadzing, wii-mnognoomin kwiiji Nishnaabe, kwii-ninaagdenmami wewendig gegoo zhiwebak. Dbaadendizwin Nishnaabe weweni wii-zhiyaad eko-shkitood maampii gidkaamig. Gaawii wiya da gchi-shpendisik maampii mosed akiing.

The last grandfather took Truth. This was given to Nishnaabeg when all of these teachings are understood. Then the Messenger and his student got up. Already the boy became a man as he left.

Mishoomis dash shkwaach gii daapnaan debwewin. Kina gegoo nindan kenman gaa-bi-wiindamaagooyiin gonda mishoomsag. Mii maaba Oshkabewas giibzigwiiyaad. Mii dash zhaazhi Nishnaabewid gwiizens gii-nimaajaad.

When he came back to us, he brought these teachings, before we enter the Sweat Lodge. So, that Nishnaabeg would remember and not lose them. Every place we go and see life, we should be able to pass on these teachings to our Nishnaabeg.

Gii-dgoshing, gii-biidoonan ninda wiindamaagenan, mii wii-debaadchigaadeg jibwaa biindigeyiing Bwezogamig. Nishnaabeg weweni wii-mjimendaamowaad miinwaa gaawii da nitoosiinaa'aa. Kina wa ngoji mi-waamdaman eshibmaadziyiing, ka mijidzemi kwiiji Nishnaabenaanig ji-wiindemoongid.

"Twisted Hair" Lyrics from "Music for the Native Americans" - by Robby Robertson

This was the way of it
Let the story fires be lighted
Let our circle be strong and full of medicine

Hear me
This is my dream song that I'm singing for you
This is my power song that is taking me to the edge
This is rock medicine
The talking tree
The singing water

Listen
I am dancing underneath you
This was the way of it
It is a river
It is a chant
It is a medicine story
It is what happened long ago
It is a bead in a story belt
It is what has been forgotten
It is the smell of sweetgrass and cedar

And prayers lifted to sky father
It is a way, a tradition
The way it was always done by the people
It is a feeling of warmth
The sound of voices

Listen
I am dancing underneath you

PRAYER FOR THE GREAT FAMILY by Gary Snyder

Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day--

and to her soil: rich, rare, and sweet

in our minds so be it.


Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing light-changing leaf

and fine root-hairs; standing still through wind

and rain; their dance is in the flowing spiral grain

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and the silent

Owl at dawn. Breath of our song

clear spirit breeze

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets,

freedoms and ways; who share with us their milk;

self-complete, brave, and aware

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes rivers, glaciers;

holding or releasing; streaming through all

our bodies salty seas

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light through

trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where

bears and snakes sleep--he who wakes us--

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to the Great Sky

who holds billions of stars--and goes yet beyond that--

beyond all powers, and thoughts

and yet is within us--

Grandfather Space.

The Mind is his Wife

so be it.





after a Mohawk prayer

Message from a Hopi Elder

"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 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 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 for 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."


-attributed to an unnamed Hopi elder
Hopi Nation
Oraibi, Arizona

The Nature of Reality - by Bill Neal

From what I am capable of understanding, "reality" is based on two things - perception and agreement. First, we are aware that we exist. Then, whatever we perceive and interpret in our minds becomes the world that we live in. That world for one person is not necessarily the same for another. Individual perception of the sensory information we are surrounded by is the foundation of our sense of "reality". We only accept something as "real" if we can perceive it through our senses. Unfortunately this seemingly simple process is complicated by a function of our brains which is to filter out sensory information based on its effect on our survival and our ability to process that data. Some say that, for whatever reason, we use only 10% of the capacity of the brain. The outcome of the brain's function seriously affects our conclusions about the nature of what is "real".

An example of how our minds affect our perceptions is a story that someone told me once of a people who lived near a powerful waterfall, not unlike the Miwuk people of Yosemite Valley. It was a very beautiful place and the people counted themselves as very lucky to live in the midst of such beauty. The waterfall, however, was very loud. When friends and family would come to visit the people, they could not even hear themselves speak. The people who lived there, over time, had learned not to hear the noise. That not-hearing eventually became a permanent partial hearing loss. This is one way that our brains affect our perceptions while aiding in our day-to-day survival.

Once, after having taken a photograph of a very beautiful view, when the picture was developed I saw that there were power lines passing through the foreground view in the picture that I had not seen while I was there admiring that beauty. It made me wonder - what else do we not see, not hear or smell or taste or feel, and not even know that we are missing it? What loss of sensory information do we suffer everyday without even knowing it? If perception drives our version of "reality", how different is my reality from what it would be if I really "saw" the world?

Many years ago I was introduced to the art of mushroom hunting. My friend knew the safest and best-tasting mushrooms and how to cook them. The first time I went mushroom hunting with him it did not take him long to begin to fill his basket. I, however found nothing. I didn't understand it. I knew that I would not know what kind of mushrooms I found, that I would have to rely on him to identify them for me. But I found nothing. Finally I stopped to relieve myself. Looking down at the ground in front of me, I was shocked to realize that I was relieving myself on the mushrooms that I had not previously seen. It took that foolish act to begin to learn to "see" them. What does that tell you about our way of being in the world?

Perception, however, is not the whole story. Our minds interpret the information that our senses collect and prioritize it in association with interpretations already made. Those interpretations are made by agreement with other minds that say "this is the way it is". That becomes the reality that is handed down to us. Various terminologies have been applied to this "agreement" - we call it a mind/set or paradigm or conceptual worldview, etc. These paradigms are subject to periodic shifts based on various causes. The Native American worldview, for example, was shifted by contact with Europeans with a totally different version of "reality".

A paradigm shift is a metamorphosis, transformation, or revolution from what existed before. The latest agent or catalyst of change is the introduction of the personal computer and the internet. The effects of the introduction of these catalysts are still coming into being and is the subject for my messages of change to come that we can bring about together.

Next, in my note "Bringing About Change", I will discuss how I see these changes occurring. I hope that you stay with me through this process and add to this discussion your understanding of what is occurring right now.
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