be inspired

and let the words lead you

on your path

Chief YellowHawk's Prayer

O Great Spirit, Whose voice I hear in the winds,
and whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me, I come before you, one of your children.
I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes
ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made,
my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may know the things you
have taught my people,
the lesson you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength not to be superior to my brothers,
but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself.
Make me ever ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes,
so when life fades as a fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.

Chief YellowHawk

The life of an Indian is like the wings of the air.

That is why you notice the hawk knows how to get his prey.

The Indian is like that. The hawk swoops down on its prey; so does the Indian.

In his lament he is like an animal. For instance, the coyote is sly; so is the Indian.

The eagle is the same.

That is why the Indian is always feathered up; he is a relative to the wings of the air.

Black Elk (1863-1950)

Oglala Sioux holy man

CHEROKEE PRAYER BLESSING

May the warm winds of heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your mocassins
Make happy tracks
In many snows,
And may the rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.

Fruit From The Light

by Frank Howell

In early days we were close to nature.

We judged time,

weather conditions,

and many things by the elements-the

good earth,

the blue sky,

the flying of geese,

and the changing winds.

We looked to these for guidance and answers.

Our prayers and thanksgiving were said to the four winds-

to the East,

from where the new day was born;

to the South,

which sent the warm breeze which gave a feeling of comfort;

to the West,

which ended the day and brought rest;

and to the North,

the Mother of winter,

whose sharp air awakened a time of

preparation for the long days ahead.

We lived by God's hand

through nature and evaluated the changing winds to tell us

or warn us as to what was ahead.

Today we are again

evaluating the changing winds

The first peace,

which is the most important,

is that which comes from within the souls of people

when they realize that their relationship...

Their oneness with the universe and all its powers,

and when they realize that at the center of the universe,

dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center

is really everywhere...

For, It is within each of us.

I hope the Great Heavenly Father,

who will look down upon us,

will give all the tribes His blessing,

that we may go forth in peace,

and live in peace all our days,

and that He will look down upon our children

and finally lift us far above the earth;

and that our Heavenly Father will look upon our children as His children,

that all the tribes may be His children,

and as we shake hands to-day upon this broad plain,

we may forever live in peace.

Red Cloud [Marpiya-Luta] (late 19th century) Oglala Sioux chief

When a child my mother taught me the legends of our people;

taught me of the sun and sky,

the moon and stars,

the clouds and storms.

She also taught me to kneel and pray to Usen for strength,

health, wisdom, and protection.

We never prayed against any person,

but if we had aught against any individual we ourselves took vengeance.

We were taught that Usen does not care for the petty quarrels of men.

Geronimo [Goyathlay] (1829-1909) Chircahua Apache chief

When a man does a piece of work which is admired by all

we say that it is wonderful;

but when we see the changes of day and night,

the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky,

and the changing seasons upon the earch,

with their ripening fruits,

anyone must realize that it is the work of someone more powerful than man.

Chased-by-Bears (1843-1915) Santee-Yanktonai Sioux

A warrior who had more than he needed would make a feast.

He went around and invited the old and needy....

The man who would thank the food

--some worthy old medicine man or warrior--said:

"...look to the old,they are worthy of old age;

they have seen their days and proven themselves.

With the help of the Great Spirit,

they have attained a ripe old age.

At this age the old can predict or give knowledge or wisdom,

whatever it is; it is so.

At the end is a cane.

You and your family shall get to where the cane is."

Black Elk (1863-1950)

Oglala Sioux holy man

A Story about Respect

There once was a man ,who was raising his young son

The mother had passed away in childbirth and he

Was teaching his son all that he knew.

This Son, grew up and in time wanted to go

To a nearby village and find him a companion

Many months pasted and the young man returned to his

Home ,and with him he had a woman,his wife

They lived in the home of His father.Shortly after

They had a son. And the father ,now a grandfather

Began teaching this young boy all that he knew.

How to respect the forest,the animals and life

The mother ,tiring of sharing her home with the old man

Told her husband that She wanted the Old man out.

The Father spoke " I can not ,this is his home and

He built it for Us .

She spoke " If you do not make him Leave then

I will take our Son and I will leave.

The father agreed and spoke to his son.

My Son ,tomorow I want you to take Grandpa out

and leave him . Give him this Blanket .

The young boy cried. Why do you do this ?

Grandpa has been teaching me all that I know

Why do I have to do this to him ?

The father spoke. Son , Follow the wishes of your father.

So the next morning,the Father went hunting

To the North.The Son took Grandpa as far as he could

walk to the south. That evening the young boy

was sitting on the bed crying when his father came

In. He saw the blanket on the bed.

Son, I thought I told you to give Grandpa

The Blanket ? I gave Grandpa Half of the Blanket.

The Other Half.. I will give to you Some day.

The mother and Father understood the Message.

And they went and brought Grandpa Back.

by Dennis Banks

"You have noticed that everything an Indian does
is in a circle.

That is because the power of the world

always works in circles, and everything tries to be
round....

The sky is round, and I have heard that the
earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars.

The wind in its greatest power, whirls.

Birds make their nests in circles,

for theirs is the same religion as ours.

Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing

and always come back again, to where they were.

The life of a man is a circle, from childhood to childhood.

And so it is in everything, where power moves...."

BLACK ELK

OGLALA LAKOTA

"Life....

It is the flash of a firefly in the night,

the breath of a buffalo in the winter.

It is the little shadow,

which runs across the grass,

and loses itself in the sunset...."

Crowfoot
Blackfeet Elder

"WyWhen you arise in the morning,

give thanks for the morning light,

for your life and strength.

Give thanks for your food,

and the joy of living.

If you see no reason for giving thanks,

the fault

lies with yourself...."

Tecumseh
Shawnee

THE LORD'S PRAYER

o gi do da - ga lv la di he hi
Our Father, heaven dweller,

ga lv quo di yu - ge se s di - de tsa do v i
My loving will be (to) Thy name.

tsa gv wi yu hi - ge sv - wi ga na nu go i
Your Lordship let it make its appearance.

a ni e lo hi - wi tsi ga li s da - ha da nv te s gv i
Here upon earth let happen what you think,

na s gi ya - ga lv la di - tsi ni ga li s di ha
The same as in heaven is done.

ni da do da qui sv - o ga li s da yv di - s gi v si - go hi i ga
Daily our food give to us this day.

di ge s gi v si quo no - de s gi du gv i
Forgive us our debts,

na s gi ya - tsi di ga yo tsi na ho - tso tsi du gi
the same as we forgive our debtors,

a le - tla s di - u da go le ye di yi - ge sv - wi di s gi ya ti nv s ta nv gi
And do not temptation being lead us into,

s gi yu da le s ge s di quo s gi ni - u yo - ge sv i
Deliver us from evil existing.

tsa tse li ga ye no - tsa gv wi yu hi - ge sv i
For thine your Lordship is,

a le - tsa li ni gi di yi - ge sv i
And the power is,

a le - e tsa lv quo di yu - ge sv - ni go hi lv i
And the glory is forever.