October 12, 2008

I would like to extend my thanks, a big WADO, to all who are going to take time to read this page and try to understand what the message is about, to all those who sat around the Spirit Fire and shared our heritage, and to all those who worked so hard to make the June Gathering at Reed City a reality.  Wado, thank you, also to all those who visited us on that weekend, June 20,21,22.  There are no words big enough to show our gratitude to the Finkbeiner/Thorson families for allowing us the use of their land for this and future gatherings.  They and the crews who gathered worked especially hard to prepare the ground and make the whole thing possible.   Again, I also want to thank our Traders and those who came to gather with us. 

To all my brothers and sisters, isn't this the time for unity -- to stop the bickering and fighting over the quantity of blood but to remember the Spirit of it?  We know that so many of our people have been told they are not welcome in the arena because of the color of their skin, either too light or too dark.  Who are we to judge anyone by the color of their skin?   A person should be judged by the path walked.  We should also be judged by the things we do in that walk.  We run into many people who claim to be more than they are.   I was taught that a Medicine Person would not have to proclaim who they are, for their people know them.   If you were to go to a neighboring village and were sick or injured, you would not have to ask but would be guided there, for everyone knows who their People of Medicine are. 

We have more and more people showing disrespect to our ways, our Elders, our Ceremonies.  Are they showing disrespect because they do not know the Ceremonies and are too proud or afraid to ask, or are they showing disrespect because they're not being paid to follow the old ways?  Are they showing disrespect because they don't care or because they want to make it up as they go along?  What happened to asking a blessing on the arena before Grand Entry?  What happened to having both a man and a woman share in asking the blessing so that all are represented?  What happened to smudging the arena and the dancers before the Wacipi (dance) begins? 

We should be proud of our heritage.  We should extend the happiness and the joy in our ways to all people.  If we as a Nation of People are not proud of who we are and show it, whether we call ourselves First Nation, Indian, Native American, Aboriginal, or any other name we may have been called, how can anyone else be proud of us?  If we are not proud of ourselves, how can anyone else want to learn from our ways, our Spirituality, our Ceremonies?  I do not wish to sound as if I am the only one who knows the old Ceremonies, but I see more and more of these things disappearing because the Elders are not involved.  People are given gifts such as a Pipe and not shown how to use it properly; people are given a Spirit Arrow and not told what it is or what it represents.  I wonder how many of our People have ever seen or been given a Spirit Arrow or know what it represents??  Our Elders would not do such things.  If you are truly one of our people, why would you gift such things to people until the gift has been earned and then not show them how to use it?   The Ceremonies would be the same, generation after generation, not this way for these people today and that way for others tomorrow.  We have people who are doing ceremonies such as giving Indian names to people with no concept of what the Ancestors have as a name for our people, just passing out names that sound good to them or please the recipient.

It is time we join together in unity for the old ways and for our Ancestors, for there is strength in numbers.  What should it matter if the government of any country recognizes or does not recognize you or your Nation as a "legitimate" Indian Tribe.  I personally asked more than one of our congressmen who has the right to determine your heritage, who has the right to say what "race" you belong to and the answer I received was that our parents and grandparents determine our heritage, not any government, church or any other organization.  Yet our government continues to do so.  Our congress took over 200 Indian Tribes in 1952 and declared them no longer Native, so why should we worry what the government says about us?  We should stand tall with our grandparents and their parents for the way we are.  We should try to gather together more, celebrate our culture and our heritage.  We have enough bickering among our own people as to who or what we are.  Let us end this and come together as a family, a Nation of People.  Let us bring only the sunshine in and do away with this negativity surrounding us.   As an honored Elder once asked, "where do you put the Indian when you're being white"??  (Grandfather Dragging Wolf, Qualla Boundary)

Let those of us as Elders who have tried to walk the path all or most of our lives stand up and teach the old ways of harmony and peace.  We should welcome our younger generations who are willing to spend time with us to learn as we share our knowledge of the old ways.  Let us remember why we are as we are, for we believe in Respect, Honor, Love and Sharing.  We have to remember there are a lot of people who only believe in greed and power.   Greed and power do not make anyone a "warrior" or even a wise Elder.  We all have a voice, let us use it proudly for good.  Please remember to pray for the safe return of all warriors away from home.  Let us give thanks for the things we have and not cry over the things we want and can't have. 

I always try to be available to answer questions or to teach our people.              

Your brother in peace --

Dale Strong Bull Hyatt, Standing proudly as your Chief 

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