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