Fran Dancing Feather

Many indigenous peoples around the world believe that we can help each other heal from any affliction of the body, mind or spirit by using prayers, natural medicines from the earth and other components of ceremony. These beliefs for many of us, are older than any of us can remember. The skills of healing ceremonies have been carefully guarded and passed from one generation to another throughout the ages for thousands of years. The words and actions of various rituals have been held sacred and very private for most Tribal members and extended families. It is insulting, dangerous and disrespectful when these rituals are copied and corrupted by others who attempt to steal them for profit and recognition. Just last year, a non-native man from our area was arrested for attempting to imitate a Native American ritual that was performed outside Tribal or even Inter-tribal protocol without consulting local Tribal elders. As the result the innocent attendees were charged nine thousand dollars apiece and instructed to trust his leadership without question. Three of them died! The fake “spiritual guru” was jailed and the native community spoke out harshly against his actions in the media. This was a great tragedy and a valuable lesson for everyone. Ancient Tribal culture is not a game or a fantasy. It is to be practiced only under the direction of the Tribal elders being represented. Read the rest of this entry »

Kateri Tekakwitha was one of the victims of the genocide imposed by the early settlers of New England around the year 1660. Her people received blankets that were infected with smallpox and she fell ill and nearly died at the tender age of four years old. The outbreak of the disease killed her brother and both parents and many others of her Mohawk Tribesmen and women. She recovered but her face was severely disfigured and she was left with other resulting physical problems as well. At her Catholic baptism, she was given the name Kateri Tekakwitha, which means “one who puts things in order”. Kateri was shunned by members of her Tribe because of her conversion but she loved the Creator and did not back down to criticism. She devoutly practiced her Tribal traditional spirituality in combination with Catholicism. The virtues of her Tribal loyalty combined with Catholic obedience have served as an ecumenical bridge for many native Americans who feel shunned or discriminated against by early Christians. She is the patron of the environment and ecology, a cause for which many American Indian people, is the very root of our spirituality. She died April 17, 1680. Miraculous events occurred at the moment of her death which qualified her to be considered for Sainthood. Pope Benedict XVI approved her canonization and this year she will become an official Saint. Read the rest of this entry »

The many colors of humankind are represented in the ear of Indian corn. Red, yellow, black and white and all the shades in between blend together to express the most staple food of most American Indians. The first harvest has been offered to the four directions of the wind from East, South, West and North, to honor the peaceful coexistence of all humanity. Living far from the homeland of our ancestors we honor the seasons according to the ways of the earth here. Winters are shorter and summers longer. Springtime and Autumn extend the other seasons with gradual change and the fifth season is Monsoon. The local Arizona Apache express the welcoming of Monsoons with special ceremony and dance unfamiliar to the people of the Great Hill at Allegany Indian Reservation, in what is now called western New York. It’s hotter in the summertime here and not as cold in winter so adaptations have to be made. We live in the mesas of the high desert rather than the high mountains of our original clans. Read the rest of this entry »

“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.”

–Martin Luther King Jr

I have discussed this before in previous articles. Some of the old Haudenosaunee people say that some of the best of the sacred medicines for healing, are often hiding in the woodlands. Unless the gatherer is spiritually right, they will not be able to locate these medicines no matter how much they search. The herbs know things about people. They know if our heart is good or troubled. That’s what the old people sometimes say. They say that these plants actually know how to hide! The old Iroquois also talk about the Great Law of the Great Peace, in much the same way. The Law is like the medicine. It has supernatural qualities. If someone is not ready to understand such depth of spiritual principles, they will not understand the Great Law of the Great Peace.

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