I can summarize what we can learn from Peter’s 3 denials that he knew Jesus in 3 sentences. The first sentence is: “Life is filled with broken promises.”
The 2nd sentence is: “Even knowing of so many broken promises, most of us spend significant time & energy choosing to do good anyway.”
The 3rd sentence… well, I’ve changed my mind about giving you the 3rd sentence. I’m not going to tell you that one after all. What can I say?” Life is filled with broken promises deal with it.”
Everywhere we turn in the material world we can see broken promises. Instead of hope, we are given hurt.
Instead of love we are handed fear. Instead of community we can find ourselves in isolation.
& I know that there are many outside these walls, in our own families, our friends & coworkers & others who face broken promises in far greater magnitude than you or I do.
As a response to this reality, I’d like to tell you 4 stories.
The first story is about 2 little boys. Their father was a truck driver. He was left to care for them one evening when he had to go down to the trucking company to unload & fill out the customary paper work. While the father unloaded, the boys had fallen asleep in the cab & when he had to go into the office to complete the papers, concerned with leaving the sleeping children visible in the cab, he carried the boys to the back of the empty truck, laid them on cargo blankets, closed the door. As fate would have it, the boys woke up & found themselves alone & trapped in a strange, dark place. The younger of the 2 boys was filled with panic. He couldn’t even see his brother in the dark. “Doug, are you here?” he asked. “I’m here,” came the response.
Left alone, feeling abandoned, cast out on their own, the 4 year old turned to his 5-year-old brother & asked, “So, what do we do now?” “I guess we’ll have to find a place to live,” was the response. But they both realized that this would require money, so the talk turned to what kind of jobs they could get. “What can you do?” the younger asked. “I think I could probably cut people’s grass,” the older replied. The younger felt a new sense of dread realizing that he didn’t know how to cut grass & he couldn’t think of anything he could do to make any money at all. Sensing his little brother’s anxiety the older said ,“You can help me.”
But that was, essentially, the extent of their plan – their entire hope for the future – hung on the possibility that they could cut someone’s grass. Not the way either of them thought their life would go. “Life is filled broken promises.”
The world never did find out if they could make a living cutting grass, for immediately following their moment of resolve, the door to the back of the truck slid up & there, standing in the glow of the parking lights, was their father. An immediate sense of rage fell over that younger boy as he realized what had happened. It eventually turned to relief but he never – ever - forgot what it was like to be trapped in that dark place & what it felt like to be abandoned.
The second story involves these same 3 characters a few years later - after ‘the divorce.’ Divorced & often separated from his children the father wanted to try & build some understanding & connection & feel closer to his children.
So, he did is what a lot of parents do – when his children visited, he read to them at bedtime. But contrary to stories other parents might choose, he didn’t read Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan or other fairy tales. Each night he read from a book by a child psychologist about divorce. Neither of the boys could decipher much from that evening ritual. Nevertheless, the routine continued for many weeks. Until, one night, towards the end of reading time, the man came across a line that he read in a different kind of way. He slowed down. The line was, “Just because a father becomes divorced it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his children.” Then the man stopped altogether. & he read that line again, this time with his voice quivering as though he might suddenly cry.
Then he closed the book, kissed the boys goodnight, and left the room. It’s probably not necessary to tell you that neither of those boys understood a thing that was written in that book. And yet, it doesn’t take much to realize that they understood everything about their father’s faltering voice, the line that he repeated & his goodnight kiss.
The youngest boy in these stories, after a difficult realization that “life is filled with broken promises,” eventually became a Unity minister & one day in a lesson he said, “Nothing of what I have managed to accomplish in my life could have possibly happened without the ‘unmistakable truth that “Life is filled with broken promises. I became a minister because I have experienced what it was like to be trapped in a dark place. & I became a minister because I was unwilling to live in a life where deceit & disappointment is the only rule.
The next story happened in the early 1400’s. A man lived in Bohemia (what is now Czechoslovakia). His name was Jan Hus. He was a scholar & priest in the Roman Catholic Church & what we would, today, call an activist. He was very popular among both young & old people for they saw his life as a symbol of hope.
Hus deplored the corruption that riddled church practices & took great pains to change them. Two points in particular were abhorrent to him. First, the belief of the Church that only priests could participate in Holy Communion. Hus believed that everyone was entitled to share the wine of the chalice during communion & deserved a chance to hold it & pass to their neighbor the elements of their faith. Secondly, Hus believed that worship should be spoken in the common language, instead of Latin which no one understood.
For this he was tried & convicted of heresy by the church. He was offered several opportunities to recant — but he refused to do so. The punishment for such heresy was death. On his birthday, July 6, 1415, he was stripped of his vestments, taken to a field outside Prague & burned at the stake. He never rescinded his beliefs. Instead, he sang a hymn as the flames mounted around him. However, before he died, he made a prediction in the form of a joke, based on his name. In the Czech language “Hus” means “goose.” As he was being tied to the stake, he called to his tormentors, “You may roast this goose today, but one hundred years from now a swan will arise, whose singing you cannot silence.”
He was right. Less than one hundred years later, the Reformation swept Europe & the fire of religious liberty swept throughout Western Civilization.
We have come a long way from those dark times. And yet it is obvious that many of the attitudes & broken promises, which create darkness & barriers between people still exist today. The question I have for you is: “How do you handle life’s broken promises?” My choice to become a minister was the only practical response I could see to the broken promises I knew in my own life.
Let me tell you now the 4th story. A little boy found himself locked in the bathroom. His cries brought his frightened mother to the other side of the door & when he heard her he began to cry louder. She tried to explain to her son how to unlock the door but he was crying too hard to hear what she was saying.
& then to make matters worse, in a panic of jumping up & down, the little boy inadvertently hit the light switch & turned out the light. Now it was dark. Louder cries came forth & then he started pounding on the door in frustration. Finally the mother could hear him slump down against the cold bathroom tile.
Getting down on her knees the mother tried peering through the crack at the bottom of the door & she saw his cheek as he too tried to get his face low enough to see through the small space. With an idea, the mother quickly got a flashlight. She knelt down & turned the flashlight on so that it shone through the crack at the bottom of the door.
“Do you see the light, honey? Can you see it?” The boy stopped crying for a second & said, “I can see it. ”
“That’s me!” she cried. “The light is coming from me. I’m right here!” “I can see you, mommy, but I can’t get to you.”
Then the mother took her other hand and slid 3 fingers under the door & wiggled them. “Can you see my fingers?” she asked. “I can see your fingers!” he replied. “I can see them.” “Grab hold of my fingers,” she said.
And he did – for the entire hour it took for the next door
neighbor to take down the door that kept them apart.
Everywhere around us it is the same. In this community, in history and in our lives: if we want to offer a real response to life’s broken promises we must be willing to be a light.
Which brings me, finally, to the 3rd sentence I promised you & that is this: The only success we will know of building from broken promises, a new dream of hope, will be measured by how & how far we are willing to carry our own light in what is often a dark & lonely world.
In a life full of broken promises, it is always within us to choose to do good anyway. Because we know, that the hardest of all broken promises to endure is the promise we break to ourselves by not making the difference in our own lives & in our world that Jesus told us that we are capable of & through the good work that we do, the hope that is ultimately restored may, indeed, be our own.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Promise
The promises you make in this life start you dancing with the joy of ‘that splendid torch.’ But it is the promises that you keep that will ensure that you keep dancing & stay in the flow of life. A promise is your word, whether spoken or implied, cast forth into physical reality. It is a covenant you make with the world. It says: “This shall be done.”
When you make a promise you set up an energy imbalance. For example: Let’s say you tell your best friend you’ll take him or her to dinner next Wednesday night as a birthday present. You create a tension with a promise, the expectation of something yet to be done.
When you put your word out before you like this, you create a ‘gap’ that can only be closed when you do what you said you’d do. Now, imagine that it’s Wednesday & you’re at dinner with your friend. See how the tension resolves? The energy field is now once again balanced.
The energy dance that keeps us moving on our spiritual path involves creating & resolving imbalances. When we produce a ‘gap’ we’re pulled forward to close it.
We often neglect to consider the effect of not keeping our promises. When we don’t do what we said we’d do, we’re left with the tension of incompletness. Unfulfilled promises are energy drains because we expend more energy to keep a gap open than we do when we resolve it.
Each unfulfilled promise draws energy to itself & becomes a block to the flow of God’s energy. It saps your power. You can become physically, emotionally & even spiritually so tired that you have no energy & it doesn’t matter with whom you made your promise. In fact, many of us are much better at keeping the promises we make to others than keeping the promises we make to ourselves.
The universe doesn’t care with whom you made the contract. Not keeping your word to yourself is still not keeping your word. It produces the same gap so it is just as significant as failing to keep a promise to someone else. The important thing to realize is that every broken promise we experience is a wake up call.
When you make a promise you set up an energy imbalance. For example: Let’s say you tell your best friend you’ll take him or her to dinner next Wednesday night as a birthday present. You create a tension with a promise, the expectation of something yet to be done.
When you put your word out before you like this, you create a ‘gap’ that can only be closed when you do what you said you’d do. Now, imagine that it’s Wednesday & you’re at dinner with your friend. See how the tension resolves? The energy field is now once again balanced.
The energy dance that keeps us moving on our spiritual path involves creating & resolving imbalances. When we produce a ‘gap’ we’re pulled forward to close it.
We often neglect to consider the effect of not keeping our promises. When we don’t do what we said we’d do, we’re left with the tension of incompletness. Unfulfilled promises are energy drains because we expend more energy to keep a gap open than we do when we resolve it.
Each unfulfilled promise draws energy to itself & becomes a block to the flow of God’s energy. It saps your power. You can become physically, emotionally & even spiritually so tired that you have no energy & it doesn’t matter with whom you made your promise. In fact, many of us are much better at keeping the promises we make to others than keeping the promises we make to ourselves.
The universe doesn’t care with whom you made the contract. Not keeping your word to yourself is still not keeping your word. It produces the same gap so it is just as significant as failing to keep a promise to someone else. The important thing to realize is that every broken promise we experience is a wake up call.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Order of Saint Lukes the Physician
I know there is nothing that is accomplished without the invocation and help from The Creator. To truly be a Healer, I must keep myself in touch and in tune with His Will in all things. This kind of connection needs an acceptance of the role of G-d / Grand Father in my life. This is to be a grand new adventure!
Monday, March 22, 2010
news
NEWS:
The year 2007 is the 150th Anniversary of the St. Norbert Parish.
As a commemoration of this event, the St. Norbert Parish - La Barriere Council, St. Norbert Heritage and St. Norbert Knights of Columbus are planning on erecting a memorial cairn. This cairn will have all the names of the deceased from the first cemetery, from 1859 to 1905. The names will be listed on plaques and displayed on the cairn. This cairn will be at the Church or newer cemetery.
The first cemetery was established in 1859 on Church property, next to the Church building. Before then, the deceased were buried in
St. Boniface.
The first graveyard was mostly Metis people. In 1905, the old cemetery was abandoned and a new one was started. Over the years the old cemetery had little or no maintenance. Consequently, it deteriorated so much that in the late 1980's everything was cleaned up.
There were 1,207 souls buried in the old cemetery. There are approximately 270 different family names. Of all family names, the ones listed below have the most family members buried there:
Parisian (69) Delorme (52) Vermette (45)
St. Germaine (35) Vandal (28) Henry (27)
Marchand (27) Cadotte (26) Courchane (26)
Parenteau (24) Carriere (21) Pilon (19)
Forbisher (16) Campeau (15) Morand (15)
We will keep readers of this site informed on our fundraising activities for this project. Your support will be appreciated.
Merci!
Metis News
When a nation dies and never ascends from the ashes of its own destruction, one circumstance must always be present. That nation forgot where it came from. It lost sight of its roots. The struggle for identity and the fervid quest for nationhood disappeared into the mists of time. The nation gave up on the quest. Outsiders came in, and this nation denied its heritage. Vision and hope faded; customs became suppressed through assimilation and doubt. Those people, who's forefathers and mothers would hold nothing to be impossible in their vision of a nation, joined in the hopelessness and despair. They forgot where they came from. They lost sight of their heritage. And when men forget what is at the heart of their nation, they lose their identity and their past, and become one with a people foreign to them and their ways, and disappear.
Yet I can see in the Métis of today the faces of the great Riel and Dumont, and the faces of those who struggled at Batoche, and I realize that our nation yet lives. I have seen the faces of the Métis people from the prairies to the lakes. They are the faces of a nation still strong, a reflection of the past, yet with the strength of the present. We can go back to the Red River and to the fur trading routes of the north, and we can see the same faces of the men, women and children who live today, who, like their ancestors, share in the making of the Métis nation. Our forefathers passed on a legacy of backbreaking toil and the turmoil of revolution. Their faces gazed from the backs of the Red River carts, from crude huts on the traplines, from the trenches at Duck Lake. They saw change, and they saw years of despair; until now, when the Métis nation is again to take it's rightful place in this country.
I see their faces throughout the whole story of the Métis people. We have been given our heritage, this land that we honour, through the dreams and visions and struggles of our forefathers and mothers. The cost has been high, but the price that they paid has been worthy of them. To forge our nation took men and women who were willing to become a new people. And they did that. And it is up to us to tell our children and they, their children, to the seventh generation, that we remember our identity, and from this identity we will shape our nation.
The Métis nation must not be forgotten and allowed to die. We owe it to those who passed this way before us, who gave us our grand heritage, who carved our nation with their hands and their hearts, that we will carry on with the struggle, and that we will write the history of a new nation, strong in our belief in the Creator, a love of our land, and a faith in our people.
John Roberts, adapted from Carl Sandburg
Saturday, March 20, 2010
New place to read our life as Me'tis
I am opening this Blog with an offer for any Mix-blood Native American without a Home People (Tribe or Clan) to come forward and become a part of The Me'tis Society. Our current address is M.N.U.S. c/o R Two Bears; 2406 N E 139th St. #29, Vancouver, WA.98686. I have the rolls opened for the next while and will respond to all inquiries.
The Me'tis Nation has been around for more that 200 years and has served the Peoples of the U S and Canada most of that time. Many fought with English or French or the Spanish. Their treatment from the respective governments has and still is less than equitable. We have lost our land, recognition by the three governments, our respect from the Indian Nations, mostly due to the pressure from the Federal Governments. Though we have fought for this Island Home in all wars, we are not in the History Books at all.
Canada is the first country to accept the Me'tis as a legal group of people and set us next to the First Nations and the Inuit as an aboriginal race. Here in the U S the Me'tis have not fared as well. We will continue to strive of the same rights and privileges as our Brothers and Sisters in Canada.
Keep coming back to see what we are doing and where.
The Me'tis Nation has been around for more that 200 years and has served the Peoples of the U S and Canada most of that time. Many fought with English or French or the Spanish. Their treatment from the respective governments has and still is less than equitable. We have lost our land, recognition by the three governments, our respect from the Indian Nations, mostly due to the pressure from the Federal Governments. Though we have fought for this Island Home in all wars, we are not in the History Books at all.
Canada is the first country to accept the Me'tis as a legal group of people and set us next to the First Nations and the Inuit as an aboriginal race. Here in the U S the Me'tis have not fared as well. We will continue to strive of the same rights and privileges as our Brothers and Sisters in Canada.
Keep coming back to see what we are doing and where.
1 comments:
-
-
The choice of any one person to be in person what they are in their heart is the first step in recognizing their true worth and value to their Family, Friends and their Tribe. Is it not all too easy to live in a fantasy world and continue to abdicate their responsibilities to their mate or church or government agency? When they find their sum worth is less than their whole contribution in living, they then have two choices. One is to continue on the same path leading to the same self destruction, or two, they try to make amends with a new focus. It is this new WAY that leads to an improvement of life for all who are part of the group affiliated with this NEW person.
As Metis, there are customs and rites we all need to be aware of. These rites and customs are what makes the fabric of being Metis. At the same time, there are costumes and rites not common to all metis. Recognizing these differences and commonalities is how becoming a great Metis Nation is made.
Look to others of like mindedness and collect with the common likes and focus on the Love that is generated by being together. Learn what is good about your group and build on that good. Soon there will be others attracted to you. We as Metis need a foundation of like minded people to meet in the new ways of communication and establish a Metis Nation that will withstand the trials and confrontations of the past. Today is the first day of a New Way, a new road to seek peaceful reconciliation with our selves, our other aboriginal brothers and sisters, as well as our federal and state governments. restoring our rights is but a small mater for those who hold them away from us. We can be as our neighbors to the north are, Recognized and dealt with on a level equal to any other citizen of this great country. What do you think.
Friday, March 12, 2010
census info.
RE: [Metis_Peoples] census info.
Kwe-kwe,
I posted it Bro!
I have sent word out about your website and your org that needs
reviving....remember me now? this is my other emaill address.
Michelle
O:nen
census info.
I picked this out of a CMC post. Shows some interesting facts.
Two Bears
Contact: Census Bureau, 301-763-3030
>
> WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The
> following are Facts for
> Features on American Indian and Alaska Native
> Heritage Month from the
> U.S. Census Bureau:
>
> The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May
> 1916 in New York. In
> 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint
> congressional resolution
> designating November 1990 as "National American
> Indian Heritage Month."
> Similar proclamations have been issued every year
> since 1994.
>
> Population
>
> 4.5 million -- As of July 1, 2005, the estimated
> population of American
> Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more
> than one race. They
> made up 1.5 percent of the total population.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 006808.html
>
>
> 43,000 -- Increase in the nation's American Indian
> and Alaska Native
> population from July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 006808.html
>
>
> 30.7 -- Median age of the American Indian and Alaska
> Native population
> in 2005, younger than the median of 36.2 years for
> the population as a
> whole. About 1.3 million American Indians and Alaska
> Natives were under
> 18, and 336,000 were 65 or older.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 006808.html
>
>
> 696,600 -- The American Indian and Alaska Native
> population in
> California as of July 1, 2005, the highest total of
> any state in the
> nation. California was followed by Oklahoma
> (401,100) and Arizona
> (334,700). About 36,500 American Indians and Alaska
> Natives were added
> to Arizona's population between April 1, 2000, and
> July 1, 2005. That is
> the largest numeric increase of any state in the
> nation.
>
> About 1-in-5 -- The proportion of Alaska's
> population identified as
> American Indian and Alaska Native as of July 1,
> 2005, the highest rate
> for this race group of any state in the nation.
> Alaska was followed by
> Oklahoma and New Mexico (11 percent each).
>
> 26 percent -- Percentage of Alaska's preschooler
> population that was
> American Indian and Alaska Native, as of July 1,
> 2005 the highest
> proportion of any state.
>
> 154,000 -- The number of American Indians and Alaska
> Natives in Los
> Angeles County, Calif., as of July 1, 2005. Los
> Angeles led all of the
> nation's counties in the number of people of this
> racial category.
> Maricopa County, Ariz., added about 18,000 people to
> this group between
> April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2005, leading the
> nation's counties in this
> category.
>
> Source for the preceding three statements:
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 007263.html
>
>
> 40 percent -- Percentage of the population in the
> Farmington, N.M.,
> metropolitan area that was American Indian and
> Alaska Native, as of
> 2003. Farmington led all metro areas, with only
> Flagstaff, Ariz. at 31
> percent anywhere close.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
miscellaneous/ 007137.html
>
>
> Families and Children
>
> 525,800 -- The number of American Indian and Alaska
> Native families. Of
> these:
>
> 312,400 are married-couple families, including those
> with children.
>
> 154,900 are married couples with their own children,
> under the age of
> 18. (Source: American FactFinder, from 2004 American
> Community Survey)
>
> 3.41 -- Average number of people in an American
> Indian and Alaska Native
> family. This is larger than the average size of all
> families (3.18
> people). (Source: American FactFinder, from 2004
> American Community
> Survey)
>
> Housing
>
> 56 percent -- The percentage of American Indian and
> Alaska Native
> households who own their own home. (Source: American
> FactFinder, from
> 2004 American Community Survey)
>
> $95,454 -- Median value of homes owned by American
> Indians and Alaska
> Natives. (Source: American FactFinder, from 2004
> American Community
> Survey)
>
> Languages
>
> 25 percent -- Percentage of American Indians and
> Alaska Natives 5 years
> and older who speak a language other than English at
> home. (Source:
> American FactFinder, from 2004 American Community
> Survey)
>
> Education
>
> 76 percent -- The percentage of American Indians and
> Alaska Natives age
> 25 and older who have at least a high school
> diploma. Also, 14 percent
> have at least a bachelor's degree. (Source: American
> FactFinder, from
> 2005 American Community Survey)
>
> Businesses
>
> $26.9 billion -- Receipts for American Indian- and
> Alaska Native-owned
> businesses in 2002. These businesses numbered
> 201,387.
>
> 20,380 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms in
> the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.,
> combined statistical area,
> making that area number one in the metro category.
>
> Among counties, Los Angeles had the highest number
> of firms (13,061).
>
> 38,125 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms in
> California, which led the nation's states. Oklahoma,
> Texas, New York and
> Florida followed.
>
> Nearly 3-in-10 -- Ratio of American Indian- and
> Alaska Native- owned
> firms which operated in construction and other
> services (such as
> personal services, and repair and maintenance) .
>
> 24,498 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms which
> had paid employees. These businesses employed
> 191,270 people.
>
> 3,631 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms with
> receipts of $1 million or more. These firms
> accounted for nearly 2
> percent of the total number of American Indian and
> Alaska Native-owned
> firms and more than 64 percent of their total
> receipts.
>
> 178 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms with 100
> or more employees. These firms generated nearly $5.3
> billion in gross
> receipts 24 percent of the total revenue for
> American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned employer firms.
>
> New York; Los Angeles; and Gallup, N.M. -- The three
> cities with the
> largest number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native- owned firms, with
> 7,134; 5,767; and 2,642, respectively.
>
> For more information on the data in this section:
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
business_ ownership/ 007013.html
>
>
> Jobs -- Management and Professional
>
> 26 percent -- The percentage of civilian employed
> single-race American
> Indian and Alaska Native persons age 16 and older
> who work in
> management, professional and related occupations.
> (Source: American
> FactFinder, from 2005 American Community Survey)
>
> Veterans
>
> 170,000 -- The number of American Indian and Alaska
> Native veterans of
> the U.S. armed forces. (Source: American FactFinder,
> from 2005 American
> Community Survey)
>
> Income and Poverty
>
> $33,627 -- The median income of households where the
> householder
> reported they were American Indian and Alaska Native
> and no other race.
> The median income is based on a three-year average
> (2003-2005).
>
> 25 percent -- The poverty rate of people who
> reported they were American
> Indian and Alaska Native and no other race, based on
> a three-year
> average.
>
> For information on the data in this section:
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
income_wealth/ 007419.html
>
>
> Health Insurance
>
> 30 percent -- The percentage of people who reported
> they were American
> Indian and Alaska Native and no other race who
> lacked health insurance
> coverage, based on a three-year average.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
income_wealth/ 007419.html
>
> -----
> Editor's note: The preceding data were collected
> from a variety of
> sources and may be subject to sampling variability
> and other sources of
> error. Questions or comments should be directed to
> the Census Bureau's
> Public Information Office: telephone: 301- 763-3030;
> fax: 301-457-3670;
> or e-mail: pio@census.gov.
>
> http://www.usnewswi re.com/
> -0-
>
> /© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
Two Bears
Contact: Census Bureau, 301-763-3030
>
> WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The
> following are Facts for
> Features on American Indian and Alaska Native
> Heritage Month from the
> U.S. Census Bureau:
>
> The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May
> 1916 in New York. In
> 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint
> congressional resolution
> designating November 1990 as "National American
> Indian Heritage Month."
> Similar proclamations have been issued every year
> since 1994.
>
> Population
>
> 4.5 million -- As of July 1, 2005, the estimated
> population of American
> Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more
> than one race. They
> made up 1.5 percent of the total population.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 006808.html
>
>
> 43,000 -- Increase in the nation's American Indian
> and Alaska Native
> population from July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 006808.html
>
>
> 30.7 -- Median age of the American Indian and Alaska
> Native population
> in 2005, younger than the median of 36.2 years for
> the population as a
> whole. About 1.3 million American Indians and Alaska
> Natives were under
> 18, and 336,000 were 65 or older.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 006808.html
>
>
> 696,600 -- The American Indian and Alaska Native
> population in
> California as of July 1, 2005, the highest total of
> any state in the
> nation. California was followed by Oklahoma
> (401,100) and Arizona
> (334,700). About 36,500 American Indians and Alaska
> Natives were added
> to Arizona's population between April 1, 2000, and
> July 1, 2005. That is
> the largest numeric increase of any state in the
> nation.
>
> About 1-in-5 -- The proportion of Alaska's
> population identified as
> American Indian and Alaska Native as of July 1,
> 2005, the highest rate
> for this race group of any state in the nation.
> Alaska was followed by
> Oklahoma and New Mexico (11 percent each).
>
> 26 percent -- Percentage of Alaska's preschooler
> population that was
> American Indian and Alaska Native, as of July 1,
> 2005 the highest
> proportion of any state.
>
> 154,000 -- The number of American Indians and Alaska
> Natives in Los
> Angeles County, Calif., as of July 1, 2005. Los
> Angeles led all of the
> nation's counties in the number of people of this
> racial category.
> Maricopa County, Ariz., added about 18,000 people to
> this group between
> April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2005, leading the
> nation's counties in this
> category.
>
> Source for the preceding three statements:
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
population/ 007263.html
>
>
> 40 percent -- Percentage of the population in the
> Farmington, N.M.,
> metropolitan area that was American Indian and
> Alaska Native, as of
> 2003. Farmington led all metro areas, with only
> Flagstaff, Ariz. at 31
> percent anywhere close.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
miscellaneous/ 007137.html
>
>
> Families and Children
>
> 525,800 -- The number of American Indian and Alaska
> Native families. Of
> these:
>
> 312,400 are married-couple families, including those
> with children.
>
> 154,900 are married couples with their own children,
> under the age of
> 18. (Source: American FactFinder, from 2004 American
> Community Survey)
>
> 3.41 -- Average number of people in an American
> Indian and Alaska Native
> family. This is larger than the average size of all
> families (3.18
> people). (Source: American FactFinder, from 2004
> American Community
> Survey)
>
> Housing
>
> 56 percent -- The percentage of American Indian and
> Alaska Native
> households who own their own home. (Source: American
> FactFinder, from
> 2004 American Community Survey)
>
> $95,454 -- Median value of homes owned by American
> Indians and Alaska
> Natives. (Source: American FactFinder, from 2004
> American Community
> Survey)
>
> Languages
>
> 25 percent -- Percentage of American Indians and
> Alaska Natives 5 years
> and older who speak a language other than English at
> home. (Source:
> American FactFinder, from 2004 American Community
> Survey)
>
> Education
>
> 76 percent -- The percentage of American Indians and
> Alaska Natives age
> 25 and older who have at least a high school
> diploma. Also, 14 percent
> have at least a bachelor's degree. (Source: American
> FactFinder, from
> 2005 American Community Survey)
>
> Businesses
>
> $26.9 billion -- Receipts for American Indian- and
> Alaska Native-owned
> businesses in 2002. These businesses numbered
> 201,387.
>
> 20,380 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms in
> the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif.,
> combined statistical area,
> making that area number one in the metro category.
>
> Among counties, Los Angeles had the highest number
> of firms (13,061).
>
> 38,125 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms in
> California, which led the nation's states. Oklahoma,
> Texas, New York and
> Florida followed.
>
> Nearly 3-in-10 -- Ratio of American Indian- and
> Alaska Native- owned
> firms which operated in construction and other
> services (such as
> personal services, and repair and maintenance) .
>
> 24,498 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms which
> had paid employees. These businesses employed
> 191,270 people.
>
> 3,631 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms with
> receipts of $1 million or more. These firms
> accounted for nearly 2
> percent of the total number of American Indian and
> Alaska Native-owned
> firms and more than 64 percent of their total
> receipts.
>
> 178 -- Number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned firms with 100
> or more employees. These firms generated nearly $5.3
> billion in gross
> receipts 24 percent of the total revenue for
> American Indian- and Alaska
> Native-owned employer firms.
>
> New York; Los Angeles; and Gallup, N.M. -- The three
> cities with the
> largest number of American Indian- and Alaska
> Native- owned firms, with
> 7,134; 5,767; and 2,642, respectively.
>
> For more information on the data in this section:
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
business_ ownership/ 007013.html
>
>
> Jobs -- Management and Professional
>
> 26 percent -- The percentage of civilian employed
> single-race American
> Indian and Alaska Native persons age 16 and older
> who work in
> management, professional and related occupations.
> (Source: American
> FactFinder, from 2005 American Community Survey)
>
> Veterans
>
> 170,000 -- The number of American Indian and Alaska
> Native veterans of
> the U.S. armed forces. (Source: American FactFinder,
> from 2005 American
> Community Survey)
>
> Income and Poverty
>
> $33,627 -- The median income of households where the
> householder
> reported they were American Indian and Alaska Native
> and no other race.
> The median income is based on a three-year average
> (2003-2005).
>
> 25 percent -- The poverty rate of people who
> reported they were American
> Indian and Alaska Native and no other race, based on
> a three-year
> average.
>
> For information on the data in this section:
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
income_wealth/ 007419.html
>
>
> Health Insurance
>
> 30 percent -- The percentage of people who reported
> they were American
> Indian and Alaska Native and no other race who
> lacked health insurance
> coverage, based on a three-year average.
>
>
http://www.census. gov/Press- Release/www/ releases/ archives/
income_wealth/ 007419.html
>
> -----
> Editor's note: The preceding data were collected
> from a variety of
> sources and may be subject to sampling variability
> and other sources of
> error. Questions or comments should be directed to
> the Census Bureau's
> Public Information Office: telephone: 301- 763-3030;
> fax: 301-457-3670;
> or e-mail: pio@census.gov.
>
> http://www.usnewswi re.com/
> -0-
>
> /© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
Head in the clouds
Cloud Meditation
When people use the phrase "head in the clouds," they usually refer
to a mental state that appears to be drifting rather than
concentrating. For this reason, putting our heads in the clouds can
be a wonderful meditation tool. Whether puffy and white or tinted
with the colors of dawn and dusk or shades of gray, those vaporous
sky dwellers can remind us of so many things about life and about
ourselves.
For this meditation, we can find a physical place to relax and look
upward, or we can look to the skies from within our imaginations.
Directing our thoughts to the endless of expanse of sky that clouds
inhabit, we feel our souls expand to reach beyond any seeming
limitations. Following the clouds, we are free to unleash our
imaginations. We may choose to merely drift along with them for a
time, enjoying their distanced perspective on the world. Or we can
look for messages in their fantastical shapes, or feel the joy of
bounding between their immense billowy puffiness. However we
interact with them, we do so from a peaceful place. Clouds drift
above the hustle of the world below, knowing they belong to another
realm that cannot be affected by its frenzy, reminding us that peace
is always available to us. By directing our vision beyond the
ordinary, clouds also remind us of the illusion of appearances.
While appearing to be solid, their vapor and mist appear like cotton
balls ! from below, giving little indication of the heights they
reach. Sometimes they may cast shadows, leaving us in shade, but
like life's difficulties clouds change shape and move onward,
revealing the shining sun, twinkling stars, and blue sky that are
behind them.
When a ray of light breaks through the clouds, their dramatic
filtering only makes the light more beautiful by contrast, just as
we can shine more brightly in the midst of life's challenges. When
we allow clouds to offer us a welcome respite, they help us visit
the realm of illusion to see the truth beyond.
When people use the phrase "head in the clouds," they usually refer
to a mental state that appears to be drifting rather than
concentrating. For this reason, putting our heads in the clouds can
be a wonderful meditation tool. Whether puffy and white or tinted
with the colors of dawn and dusk or shades of gray, those vaporous
sky dwellers can remind us of so many things about life and about
ourselves.
For this meditation, we can find a physical place to relax and look
upward, or we can look to the skies from within our imaginations.
Directing our thoughts to the endless of expanse of sky that clouds
inhabit, we feel our souls expand to reach beyond any seeming
limitations. Following the clouds, we are free to unleash our
imaginations. We may choose to merely drift along with them for a
time, enjoying their distanced perspective on the world. Or we can
look for messages in their fantastical shapes, or feel the joy of
bounding between their immense billowy puffiness. However we
interact with them, we do so from a peaceful place. Clouds drift
above the hustle of the world below, knowing they belong to another
realm that cannot be affected by its frenzy, reminding us that peace
is always available to us. By directing our vision beyond the
ordinary, clouds also remind us of the illusion of appearances.
While appearing to be solid, their vapor and mist appear like cotton
balls ! from below, giving little indication of the heights they
reach. Sometimes they may cast shadows, leaving us in shade, but
like life's difficulties clouds change shape and move onward,
revealing the shining sun, twinkling stars, and blue sky that are
behind them.
When a ray of light breaks through the clouds, their dramatic
filtering only makes the light more beautiful by contrast, just as
we can shine more brightly in the midst of life's challenges. When
we allow clouds to offer us a welcome respite, they help us visit
the realm of illusion to see the truth beyond.
Lost and looking Metis
Re: [Metis_Peoples] Lost and looking Metis
There is an organization that has been in place for some 25 + years, I believe. Anyone who wishes to become a part of and help revive this group can contact me and I will be happy to inform and register them in the Metis Nation of the United States. It is based in Virginia and has a western headquarters here in Washington. Encourage all to come to here as well and here they can become familiar with some of what is taught and all that is accepted by this group. We are not federally recognized but it is part of the struggle. My community is here in cyber-space until I can get at least 3 people to want to physically meet here in Vancouver WA. or near here. I can be contacted through here. May this help all who seek. Two Bears
Lost and looking Metis
2Bears,
I know of many metis people online, they know thier Native ancestry,
but due to their mixed blood are not welcome in thier original Nations.
Many are near you, and have no community to call their own.
I bring this to you, as I do not believe that ONLY "Red River" folks
are Metis, there are many more of us searching for our place within
Our Communities.
Who do I contact "south of the imaginary line" on these peoples behalf?
In Sisterhood,
Michelle
I know of many metis people online, they know thier Native ancestry,
but due to their mixed blood are not welcome in thier original Nations.
Many are near you, and have no community to call their own.
I bring this to you, as I do not believe that ONLY "Red River" folks
are Metis, there are many more of us searching for our place within
Our Communities.
Who do I contact "south of the imaginary line" on these peoples behalf?
In Sisterhood,
Michelle
Hawk Medicine
RE: [Metis_Peoples] Hawk Medicine
It has been my ancestral tradition that those who are authorized by the
elders to wear red-tailed hawk feathers are spirit healers. With the
assistance of this spirit bird, we work with people who suffer from
spiritual illnesses caused by such as :addictions, abuse.
Michelle
Hawk Medicine
Hawk Medicine
Hawks have the power to soar high above the earth, giving them a
perspective previously only available to the inhabitants of the
heavens above. Because of this, people from various cultures
throughout history have seen them as messengers of spirit, bringing
wisdom from the heavens and the value of their higher vision down to
earth. From their vantage point, riding on the wind and sunlight,
they remind us today that there is a bigger picture to be seen. When
we get bogged down with the details of what is right in front of us,
hawks help us remember that we are part of a larger plan and that
everything fits together beautifully and perfectly. Once in this
expanded frame of mind, we can harness their reputation as
visionaries, using their keen eyesight to focus on the exact spot
that truly needs our attention. With inspiration and focus on our
goal, hawks teach us how to interpret and then follow our personal
vision.
Hawks were thought to be able to look directly into the sun and see
what is not visible to the rest of us. Using our spiritual vision,
we too can look deeply into the inner light that guides us, seeing
clearly what is not visible unless sought: our personal truth
glowing within us. With that knowledge, we, like the hawk, can
confidently ride the winds of chance, moving as one with the flow of
whirling energy. This ability is what inspired the Egyptians to make
hawks the hieroglyphic symbol for the wind.
The hawk's ability to live on land but visit the sky is a good
reminder for us all. They remind us that their strength and survival
comes from communing regularly with the spirit and bringing the
guidance received into earthly affairs. Soaring in the province of
the heavenly bodies of the sun, the stars, and the wind that moves
the clouds reminds us to consider a larger perspective, one that
inspires us to move through the world we inhabit with strength,
certainty, and grace.
Hawks have the power to soar high above the earth, giving them a
perspective previously only available to the inhabitants of the
heavens above. Because of this, people from various cultures
throughout history have seen them as messengers of spirit, bringing
wisdom from the heavens and the value of their higher vision down to
earth. From their vantage point, riding on the wind and sunlight,
they remind us today that there is a bigger picture to be seen. When
we get bogged down with the details of what is right in front of us,
hawks help us remember that we are part of a larger plan and that
everything fits together beautifully and perfectly. Once in this
expanded frame of mind, we can harness their reputation as
visionaries, using their keen eyesight to focus on the exact spot
that truly needs our attention. With inspiration and focus on our
goal, hawks teach us how to interpret and then follow our personal
vision.
Hawks were thought to be able to look directly into the sun and see
what is not visible to the rest of us. Using our spiritual vision,
we too can look deeply into the inner light that guides us, seeing
clearly what is not visible unless sought: our personal truth
glowing within us. With that knowledge, we, like the hawk, can
confidently ride the winds of chance, moving as one with the flow of
whirling energy. This ability is what inspired the Egyptians to make
hawks the hieroglyphic symbol for the wind.
The hawk's ability to live on land but visit the sky is a good
reminder for us all. They remind us that their strength and survival
comes from communing regularly with the spirit and bringing the
guidance received into earthly affairs. Soaring in the province of
the heavenly bodies of the sun, the stars, and the wind that moves
the clouds reminds us to consider a larger perspective, one that
inspires us to move through the world we inhabit with strength,
certainty, and grace.
Awakening the inner Warrior
Stoking The Fire Within
There are certain personality archetypes that we all carry within
us, such as the inner child, the lover, and the mother. Some of
these archetypes present themselves strongly, while others lay
fallow. For example, there is an inner warrior in each one of us,
but in some of us this warrior is underdeveloped to the point that
we are unable to stand up for ourselves, even when necessary. There
can be many reasons for this. We may have grown up with a parent
whose warrior aspect was overdeveloped, and we responded by
repressing ours completely. On the other hand, we may have grown up
with parents in whom this aspect was dormant, so we never learned to
awaken it in ourselves.
A warrior is someone with the strength to stand up for what he or
she believes; someone who perseveres in the face of challenges and
obstacles; someone who speaks and acts in the service of an ideal;
someone who protects those who are too weak to fight for themselves.
Regardless of the reasons for an underdeveloped inner warrior, you
may begin to notice the lack of its fiery, protective presence and
wish to awaken it. You may need to stand up for yourself in a
certain relationship or situation, or you may have a vision you want
to realize, and you know you will need the courage, energy, and
strength of a warrior to succeed. Similarly, if you find that you
often feel scared, anxious, or powerless, rousing this sleeping ally
may be just the antidote you need.
One excellent way to cultivate the presence of your inner warrior is
to choose a role model who embodies the qualities of bravery,
strength, and vitality. This person could be a character in a myth,
movie, or book, or a historical or living person you admire. Simply
close your eyes each day and contemplate the quality of energy that
attracts you to this person, knowing that the same potential lives
within you. Confirm for yourself that you are capable of handling
this energy responsibly, and stoke the fire of your own inner
courage.
There are certain personality archetypes that we all carry within
us, such as the inner child, the lover, and the mother. Some of
these archetypes present themselves strongly, while others lay
fallow. For example, there is an inner warrior in each one of us,
but in some of us this warrior is underdeveloped to the point that
we are unable to stand up for ourselves, even when necessary. There
can be many reasons for this. We may have grown up with a parent
whose warrior aspect was overdeveloped, and we responded by
repressing ours completely. On the other hand, we may have grown up
with parents in whom this aspect was dormant, so we never learned to
awaken it in ourselves.
A warrior is someone with the strength to stand up for what he or
she believes; someone who perseveres in the face of challenges and
obstacles; someone who speaks and acts in the service of an ideal;
someone who protects those who are too weak to fight for themselves.
Regardless of the reasons for an underdeveloped inner warrior, you
may begin to notice the lack of its fiery, protective presence and
wish to awaken it. You may need to stand up for yourself in a
certain relationship or situation, or you may have a vision you want
to realize, and you know you will need the courage, energy, and
strength of a warrior to succeed. Similarly, if you find that you
often feel scared, anxious, or powerless, rousing this sleeping ally
may be just the antidote you need.
One excellent way to cultivate the presence of your inner warrior is
to choose a role model who embodies the qualities of bravery,
strength, and vitality. This person could be a character in a myth,
movie, or book, or a historical or living person you admire. Simply
close your eyes each day and contemplate the quality of energy that
attracts you to this person, knowing that the same potential lives
within you. Confirm for yourself that you are capable of handling
this energy responsibly, and stoke the fire of your own inner
courage.
Heaven or hell
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and
said, "Lord,
I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led
the holy
man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked
in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of
the
table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the
holy
man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and
sickly.
They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long
handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible
to reach
into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was
longer
than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their
mouths.
The
holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The
Lord
said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the
same as
the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of
stew
which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with
the
same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished
and plump,
laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."
"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see,
they
have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of
themselves."
said, "Lord,
I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like." The Lord led
the holy
man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked
in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of
the
table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the
holy
man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and
sickly.
They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long
handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible
to reach
into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was
longer
than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their
mouths.
The
holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The
Lord
said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the
same as
the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of
stew
which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with
the
same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished
and plump,
laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."
"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see,
they
have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of
themselves."
Now that the U S has backed the Noongar...
"GOOD MOON RISING" – INDIGENOUS TITLE TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA AFFIRMED –
BYE BYE COLONIALISM!
MNN. Sep. 21, 2006. It's a landmark case. The Noongar Aborigine
people of Australia were affirmed as holding title to a substantial
part of Western Australia, including the city of Perth. In the case
of Bennell v. State of Western Australia (2006) FCA 1243, the
Noongar people proved that their community continues to exist and
that they are still part of the land. They continue to observe the
community's traditional laws and customs, including their
relationship to their land.
The Noongar have a claim under their own laws and customs as a
result of their occupation of the land before the colonial visitors
arrived on the scene. This community continues to exist today.
They are still guided by the spirits of their ancestors. They
continue to acknowledge their laws and customs even though there
have been some alternations and interference by their white
visitors. In other words, the rights are possessed under
traditional laws that are acknowledged and observed which maintains
their connection to their lands and waters.
Those rights are recognized by common law in Australia, Canada, the
United States and other commonwealth countries, including those in
Africa. The major point of the decision is that the native people
are identified by their own laws, not by colonial laws. Even though
they have been prevented from exercising their rights for a period
of time by the colonists, they still have title.
It is a persuasive decision in terms of setting a precedent for a
new stage in the relationships between Indigenous people worldwide
and the colonial states that have imposed themselves on our lands.
We think that the Department of Indian Affairs in Canada has become
hysterical over this reaffirmation of our rights to our lands and
resources. They are the only ones we can think who might be
responsible for planting stories trying to make the Canadian public
think that Indigenous people are trying to do them in. Last Monday
there was an explosion on the 17th floor of the "Tower of Power"
known as Indian Affairs at 10 Wellington Street in Hull Quebec.
It's right across the Ottawa River from the Parliament Buildings
that are squatting on Algonquin land. This is the second time that
the police have been called in to investigate "vandalism".
I was home on Monday. This reminds me of the time I worked on the
17th floor until I was fired during the Mohawk Oka Crisis of 1990.
In 1988 there was a Canadian soldier working on the 14th floor.
Yep. The Canadian military was right there in the middle of Indian
Affairs. One day the officer in charge came to see me. He wanted
to talk about my opposition to the claims that Nelson Small Legs
Junior had committed suicide. He died suddenly two days after
testifying at the hearing against the McKenzie Valley Pipeline. I
told him I wanted an investigation. He came back a month or two
later. He more or less said that I was right. It was not a
suicide, as his father had claimed to me. But the RCMP was not
going to change the report.
He then suddenly decided to show me something extraordinary. He
took me down to the 14th floor to the western side of the building
which was all painted black. There was a cutout of a door with a
lock. He took out a key, opened the door and invited me inside.
It was a large room. The windows were all covered with thick black
drapes. In the middle was a large round table covered by a green
felt cloth. He pulled off the cloth and revealed a map of Canada.
On the map were small yellow, red or green flags on each Indigenous
community in Canada. I noticed that the Mohawk communities and a
few in Northern British Columbia and the Northwest Territories had
red flags. Most had green. Were they considered to be "pushovers"
who gave colonialism the green light? Were the red flags describing
those stalwart defenders of Indigenous rights? Red meant that these
communities had to be stopped in their tracts. I asked him what
this was all about. He said it was in case of "emergencies" . I
asked, "Like what?" He said like fires, floods and other
catastrophies (like martial law?)
At the left side of the door there was a room full of computers. I
wondered what kinds of information were being put into them. He
said, "All kinds of information" was being collected. But he didn't
go further. He was in charge. In others words, this was the "war
room" being run by the Canadian military in the Department of Indian
Affairs. It's obvious they never forgot that Indian Affairs began
as a branch of the British military back in the days when they were
plotting the "conquest" of the French in North America and dreaming
that they could suck the Indians into doing all their dirty work for
them. They still haven't learned that we just don't
like "trespassers" .
Later, after the Oka Crisis, I was in the hotel adjacent to Indian
Affairs. That night I looked up at the building outside my window
and counted up 14 floors. Sure enough! The black curtains were
still on the windows. The imperial menace was still lurking
inside.
What documents is Indian Affairs trying to get rid of by setting off
explosions in the building? Have they gotten caught up in
the "Fight Club" mentality that's inspiring teenagers to fake phony
fights and put them on the internet. Are they giving themselves
black eyes and trying to blame it on us? They expect the public to
believe that we're doing it to them. They're trying to justify
their own existence.
We've been asking them to produce their documents on how they got
control over us, our lands and resources. We've been telling them
all along that they just could not come here, land on our shores,
rob us of everything we have, and we wouldn't complain about it!
The time has come for their heirs to face up to this monumental
fraud and hoax. We're just not buying it and they can't make us.
As Floyd Westerman sang, "We just ain't your Indians anymore!" as if
we ever were! Canada, you have no choice but to come to terms with
this colonial operation called "plunder and pillage". You helped
yourselves to everything and killed 99% of us off in the
process.
Well, Canada, it looks like St. Nick and the Easter Bunny have left
the building. You'll just have to follow them out. And please take
with you your bag of lies and genocidal policies. We don't want any
left over explosive caps or land mines. Oh! On your way out, clean
up after yourselves. Leave things in the condition you found
them.
BYE BYE COLONIALISM!
MNN. Sep. 21, 2006. It's a landmark case. The Noongar Aborigine
people of Australia were affirmed as holding title to a substantial
part of Western Australia, including the city of Perth. In the case
of Bennell v. State of Western Australia (2006) FCA 1243, the
Noongar people proved that their community continues to exist and
that they are still part of the land. They continue to observe the
community's traditional laws and customs, including their
relationship to their land.
The Noongar have a claim under their own laws and customs as a
result of their occupation of the land before the colonial visitors
arrived on the scene. This community continues to exist today.
They are still guided by the spirits of their ancestors. They
continue to acknowledge their laws and customs even though there
have been some alternations and interference by their white
visitors. In other words, the rights are possessed under
traditional laws that are acknowledged and observed which maintains
their connection to their lands and waters.
Those rights are recognized by common law in Australia, Canada, the
United States and other commonwealth countries, including those in
Africa. The major point of the decision is that the native people
are identified by their own laws, not by colonial laws. Even though
they have been prevented from exercising their rights for a period
of time by the colonists, they still have title.
It is a persuasive decision in terms of setting a precedent for a
new stage in the relationships between Indigenous people worldwide
and the colonial states that have imposed themselves on our lands.
We think that the Department of Indian Affairs in Canada has become
hysterical over this reaffirmation of our rights to our lands and
resources. They are the only ones we can think who might be
responsible for planting stories trying to make the Canadian public
think that Indigenous people are trying to do them in. Last Monday
there was an explosion on the 17th floor of the "Tower of Power"
known as Indian Affairs at 10 Wellington Street in Hull Quebec.
It's right across the Ottawa River from the Parliament Buildings
that are squatting on Algonquin land. This is the second time that
the police have been called in to investigate "vandalism".
I was home on Monday. This reminds me of the time I worked on the
17th floor until I was fired during the Mohawk Oka Crisis of 1990.
In 1988 there was a Canadian soldier working on the 14th floor.
Yep. The Canadian military was right there in the middle of Indian
Affairs. One day the officer in charge came to see me. He wanted
to talk about my opposition to the claims that Nelson Small Legs
Junior had committed suicide. He died suddenly two days after
testifying at the hearing against the McKenzie Valley Pipeline. I
told him I wanted an investigation. He came back a month or two
later. He more or less said that I was right. It was not a
suicide, as his father had claimed to me. But the RCMP was not
going to change the report.
He then suddenly decided to show me something extraordinary. He
took me down to the 14th floor to the western side of the building
which was all painted black. There was a cutout of a door with a
lock. He took out a key, opened the door and invited me inside.
It was a large room. The windows were all covered with thick black
drapes. In the middle was a large round table covered by a green
felt cloth. He pulled off the cloth and revealed a map of Canada.
On the map were small yellow, red or green flags on each Indigenous
community in Canada. I noticed that the Mohawk communities and a
few in Northern British Columbia and the Northwest Territories had
red flags. Most had green. Were they considered to be "pushovers"
who gave colonialism the green light? Were the red flags describing
those stalwart defenders of Indigenous rights? Red meant that these
communities had to be stopped in their tracts. I asked him what
this was all about. He said it was in case of "emergencies" . I
asked, "Like what?" He said like fires, floods and other
catastrophies (like martial law?)
At the left side of the door there was a room full of computers. I
wondered what kinds of information were being put into them. He
said, "All kinds of information" was being collected. But he didn't
go further. He was in charge. In others words, this was the "war
room" being run by the Canadian military in the Department of Indian
Affairs. It's obvious they never forgot that Indian Affairs began
as a branch of the British military back in the days when they were
plotting the "conquest" of the French in North America and dreaming
that they could suck the Indians into doing all their dirty work for
them. They still haven't learned that we just don't
like "trespassers" .
Later, after the Oka Crisis, I was in the hotel adjacent to Indian
Affairs. That night I looked up at the building outside my window
and counted up 14 floors. Sure enough! The black curtains were
still on the windows. The imperial menace was still lurking
inside.
What documents is Indian Affairs trying to get rid of by setting off
explosions in the building? Have they gotten caught up in
the "Fight Club" mentality that's inspiring teenagers to fake phony
fights and put them on the internet. Are they giving themselves
black eyes and trying to blame it on us? They expect the public to
believe that we're doing it to them. They're trying to justify
their own existence.
We've been asking them to produce their documents on how they got
control over us, our lands and resources. We've been telling them
all along that they just could not come here, land on our shores,
rob us of everything we have, and we wouldn't complain about it!
The time has come for their heirs to face up to this monumental
fraud and hoax. We're just not buying it and they can't make us.
As Floyd Westerman sang, "We just ain't your Indians anymore!" as if
we ever were! Canada, you have no choice but to come to terms with
this colonial operation called "plunder and pillage". You helped
yourselves to everything and killed 99% of us off in the
process.
Well, Canada, it looks like St. Nick and the Easter Bunny have left
the building. You'll just have to follow them out. And please take
with you your bag of lies and genocidal policies. We don't want any
left over explosive caps or land mines. Oh! On your way out, clean
up after yourselves. Leave things in the condition you found
them.
9/11 and a whole lot more!
Remember 9/11?
Yes. I remember 9/11. Ill never forget the lives that were lost. Ill
never forget my shockand sadness and outrage. But there are other
things that I remember,too. Maybe you do, too. I'm 68 and I may
remember further back than you do but I know there are things we all
remember that we no longer enjoy. Remember civil liberties? Remember
privacy? Remember thinking the government would be there for you in
case of adisaster? Remember when elections were free and legal?
Remember thinking that torture was something that evil little puppet
governments in miserable little countries run by dictators
practicedand that we were above that? Remember the theory of checks
and balances when special interestgroups didn't own our legislators
and the courts served justice and the People rather than being the
mouthpiece of the Executive Branch of the government? Remember when
the rest of the world didn't despise Americans and wewere heroes?
Remember when our tax money went to pay for the peoples needs?
Remember green woodlands providing habitat for animals and birds?
Remember clean oceans and lakes and streams? Remember clean air?
Remember when most people you knew had a reasonable chance of owning
their own home one day? Remember when you could afford to buy a car,
let alone a gallon or two of gas? Remember when you could go grocery
shopping once a week, filling your cart and have money left over
from your pay check?Remember when you knew your doctor and went for
regular check-ups and could afford to pay the bill?Remember thinking
that sick people couldn't be refused medical treatment? Remember
when doctors weren't referred to as vendors by giant insurance
companies? Remember when almost all kids graduated from high school?
Remember when hardly anyone you knew was divorced or had parents who
were divorced? Remember when hardly anyone you knew was on anti-
depressants and when school kids paid attention because the teachers
and parents encouraged them to? Remember when it seemed as though
there was a major difference between the Republicans and the
Democrats? Remember news reporters who reported the news instead of
making it up or reading it from a script? Remember 3 cent postage
stamps, 5 cent loaves of bread, 27 cents agallon for gas, $7,000 for
a three bedroom farm house, $3,600 for a brand new car right off the
showroom floor? Remember when one person worked outside the home and
one person worked in the home and children didn't come home from
school to empty houses? Remember red barns and blue silos and black
and white cows dotting the countryside as far as the eye could see?
Remember always eating fresh foods, unadulterated by additives,
hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, colorants and artificial things
you can't pronounce and shouldn't ingest? Remember when family meals
started with a prayer instead of pulling up to the drive-through
speaker? Remember saving up to buy things instead of saving up to
make apayment on a credit card balance that never goes down?
Remember a time when you weren't hooked up to some electronic
devicefor at least part of every single day? Remember how nice it
was when you got a letter in the mail that someone you knew and
liked had written by hand? Remember neighborhood corner grocery
stores and cash registers with bells? Remember filling stations
where you couldnt buy milk but they pumped your gas, cleaned your
windows and said thank you without charging extra? Remember when all
soda pop came in returnable bottles and how cold it was? Im sure we
can all remember good things that are gone, that have been gobbled
up in the name of progress but have really disappeared because of
greed and the lust for power. We have been falsely frightened into
making changes we do not really want and we have been falsely
seduced into thinking more is better at any cost. We have been sold
many lies that weaken us and separate us. We have traded treasures
beyond price for lies and corruption and death. So, if you are in a
mood to remember something, Remember this: We are thePeople. We can
make life good again if we remember to trust our instincts and we
remember to honor each other and our beautiful planet not only on
9/11 because the news media mouthpieces of arogue government say we
must remember a horrid day of deceit and violence but every day.
Remember liberty and justice for all.
Yes. I remember 9/11. Ill never forget the lives that were lost. Ill
never forget my shockand sadness and outrage. But there are other
things that I remember,too. Maybe you do, too. I'm 68 and I may
remember further back than you do but I know there are things we all
remember that we no longer enjoy. Remember civil liberties? Remember
privacy? Remember thinking the government would be there for you in
case of adisaster? Remember when elections were free and legal?
Remember thinking that torture was something that evil little puppet
governments in miserable little countries run by dictators
practicedand that we were above that? Remember the theory of checks
and balances when special interestgroups didn't own our legislators
and the courts served justice and the People rather than being the
mouthpiece of the Executive Branch of the government? Remember when
the rest of the world didn't despise Americans and wewere heroes?
Remember when our tax money went to pay for the peoples needs?
Remember green woodlands providing habitat for animals and birds?
Remember clean oceans and lakes and streams? Remember clean air?
Remember when most people you knew had a reasonable chance of owning
their own home one day? Remember when you could afford to buy a car,
let alone a gallon or two of gas? Remember when you could go grocery
shopping once a week, filling your cart and have money left over
from your pay check?Remember when you knew your doctor and went for
regular check-ups and could afford to pay the bill?Remember thinking
that sick people couldn't be refused medical treatment? Remember
when doctors weren't referred to as vendors by giant insurance
companies? Remember when almost all kids graduated from high school?
Remember when hardly anyone you knew was divorced or had parents who
were divorced? Remember when hardly anyone you knew was on anti-
depressants and when school kids paid attention because the teachers
and parents encouraged them to? Remember when it seemed as though
there was a major difference between the Republicans and the
Democrats? Remember news reporters who reported the news instead of
making it up or reading it from a script? Remember 3 cent postage
stamps, 5 cent loaves of bread, 27 cents agallon for gas, $7,000 for
a three bedroom farm house, $3,600 for a brand new car right off the
showroom floor? Remember when one person worked outside the home and
one person worked in the home and children didn't come home from
school to empty houses? Remember red barns and blue silos and black
and white cows dotting the countryside as far as the eye could see?
Remember always eating fresh foods, unadulterated by additives,
hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, colorants and artificial things
you can't pronounce and shouldn't ingest? Remember when family meals
started with a prayer instead of pulling up to the drive-through
speaker? Remember saving up to buy things instead of saving up to
make apayment on a credit card balance that never goes down?
Remember a time when you weren't hooked up to some electronic
devicefor at least part of every single day? Remember how nice it
was when you got a letter in the mail that someone you knew and
liked had written by hand? Remember neighborhood corner grocery
stores and cash registers with bells? Remember filling stations
where you couldnt buy milk but they pumped your gas, cleaned your
windows and said thank you without charging extra? Remember when all
soda pop came in returnable bottles and how cold it was? Im sure we
can all remember good things that are gone, that have been gobbled
up in the name of progress but have really disappeared because of
greed and the lust for power. We have been falsely frightened into
making changes we do not really want and we have been falsely
seduced into thinking more is better at any cost. We have been sold
many lies that weaken us and separate us. We have traded treasures
beyond price for lies and corruption and death. So, if you are in a
mood to remember something, Remember this: We are thePeople. We can
make life good again if we remember to trust our instincts and we
remember to honor each other and our beautiful planet not only on
9/11 because the news media mouthpieces of arogue government say we
must remember a horrid day of deceit and violence but every day.
Remember liberty and justice for all.
moments for magic
Magical Moments
Throughout history, humankind has stood in awe of mountains. The
strength and sturdiness evident in the rocky crags and smooth slopes
of peaks around the globe have from time immemorial inspired
creativity and kindled courage. Mountains have been venerated by
many cultures, which worshipped great summits as gods and sacred
beings. In their looming presence, humanity has seen power,
steadfastness, and resolve. Yet you needn't live near a mountain to
tap into this vast energy of commanding grandeur. Conversely, since
mountains are as unique in form as human beings, your locale may
exist under the unwavering gaze of a small mountain without your
knowing it. As you practice mountain meditation, the power that
lurks in the heart of all mountains will flow into you while their
essential beauty reminds you that you, too, are a creature of the
earth.
If there are mountains in your area, plan to spend some time
enjoying the peaceful embrace of Mother Nature, which can be a
potent meditation aid. Likewise, grasping a rock or stone in your
hand will enable you to easily tap into earth energy. If you are
prevented by circumstance from visiting a mountain, however, begin
by visualizing yourself at the base of a towering summit. Holding a
rock can be helpful to tune into mountain energy. You may find
yourself picturing a steep and majestic snowcapped peak or a lush,
tree-covered mass that rises gently from the earth. Sit or imagine
yourself sitting at the mountain's base and spend a few minutes
simply coexisting with it. When you feel tranquil, express your
intention to commune with your mountain and ask to receive its
energy. Project your consciousness onto the mountain's peak, and
look down upon the flatlands over which it stands guard. Send light
to the flora and fauna that call the mountain home. You may discover
that you ! feel wonderfully immense and unshakable as you delve
deeper into the meditation.
Finally, ask the mountain to serve as a guide and give it your
sincerest gratitude. If you have literally visited a plateau or
summit, pass time with the mountain by camping, hiking, or
picnicking upon it. Or, if your journey has been a spiritual one,
use your imagination to survey the sights, sounds, and scents of
your mountain. As your explorations progress, you will become ever
more grounded, growing gradually into your personal power. When you
are finished meditating with mountain energy, give thanks to this
strong and powerful energy for sharing time with you.
Throughout history, humankind has stood in awe of mountains. The
strength and sturdiness evident in the rocky crags and smooth slopes
of peaks around the globe have from time immemorial inspired
creativity and kindled courage. Mountains have been venerated by
many cultures, which worshipped great summits as gods and sacred
beings. In their looming presence, humanity has seen power,
steadfastness, and resolve. Yet you needn't live near a mountain to
tap into this vast energy of commanding grandeur. Conversely, since
mountains are as unique in form as human beings, your locale may
exist under the unwavering gaze of a small mountain without your
knowing it. As you practice mountain meditation, the power that
lurks in the heart of all mountains will flow into you while their
essential beauty reminds you that you, too, are a creature of the
earth.
If there are mountains in your area, plan to spend some time
enjoying the peaceful embrace of Mother Nature, which can be a
potent meditation aid. Likewise, grasping a rock or stone in your
hand will enable you to easily tap into earth energy. If you are
prevented by circumstance from visiting a mountain, however, begin
by visualizing yourself at the base of a towering summit. Holding a
rock can be helpful to tune into mountain energy. You may find
yourself picturing a steep and majestic snowcapped peak or a lush,
tree-covered mass that rises gently from the earth. Sit or imagine
yourself sitting at the mountain's base and spend a few minutes
simply coexisting with it. When you feel tranquil, express your
intention to commune with your mountain and ask to receive its
energy. Project your consciousness onto the mountain's peak, and
look down upon the flatlands over which it stands guard. Send light
to the flora and fauna that call the mountain home. You may discover
that you ! feel wonderfully immense and unshakable as you delve
deeper into the meditation.
Finally, ask the mountain to serve as a guide and give it your
sincerest gratitude. If you have literally visited a plateau or
summit, pass time with the mountain by camping, hiking, or
picnicking upon it. Or, if your journey has been a spiritual one,
use your imagination to survey the sights, sounds, and scents of
your mountain. As your explorations progress, you will become ever
more grounded, growing gradually into your personal power. When you
are finished meditating with mountain energy, give thanks to this
strong and powerful energy for sharing time with you.
Sacred Sentinels
Assembling Your Light Team
Each of us, whether we realize it or not, moves through life in the
company of beings whose task is to watch over us. These ancestors,
spirit guides, angels, guardians, and ascended masters designated to
serve as protectors and guides take pleasure in their roles yet
cannot assist us without first being asked. Since the origins of our
sacred sentinels differ, we may choose whom we call upon for help
based on the situation at hand. However, in certain circumstances,
particularly those in which time is of the essence or there is the
potential for harm, we may feel the need to surround ourselves with
our entire complement of benevolent, watchful guardians at a
moment's notice. To do so, a great shortcut is to create and
assemble a light team-a group of spirit helpers who will come to our
aid when we utter a simple word or phrase.
The creation of a light team begins with the dedication of the words
that will serve as a shortcut in your time of distress, signaling to
your sentinels that you are requesting their support. Meditation, at
an altar or otherwise, can help you attract their attention,
affording you an opportunity to articulate your desire that they
work in tandem in certain instances. Creating a short ceremony in
which you surround yourself with objects you associate with the
helpers you wish to assign to your light team can ensure that those
beings are in attendance as you designate your shortcut. Creating
this shortcut is simply a tool. You can employ "light team" as your
rallying cry or any other words you feel comfortable using. The
numerous guides and guardians that see to your welfare will accept
your choice gladly and respond instantaneously when called.
Your light team will be there to assist you in those dangerous,
chaotic, or confounding moments when you don't have the time,
energy, or opportunity to center yourself and meditate on individual
sentinels. You can also call upon them when seeking guidance that
originates from a variety of perspectives. Whether the support they
provide comes in the form of guidance or wisdom, their combined
presence will give you a sense of security that strengthens you and
reminds you that you are never alone.
Each of us, whether we realize it or not, moves through life in the
company of beings whose task is to watch over us. These ancestors,
spirit guides, angels, guardians, and ascended masters designated to
serve as protectors and guides take pleasure in their roles yet
cannot assist us without first being asked. Since the origins of our
sacred sentinels differ, we may choose whom we call upon for help
based on the situation at hand. However, in certain circumstances,
particularly those in which time is of the essence or there is the
potential for harm, we may feel the need to surround ourselves with
our entire complement of benevolent, watchful guardians at a
moment's notice. To do so, a great shortcut is to create and
assemble a light team-a group of spirit helpers who will come to our
aid when we utter a simple word or phrase.
The creation of a light team begins with the dedication of the words
that will serve as a shortcut in your time of distress, signaling to
your sentinels that you are requesting their support. Meditation, at
an altar or otherwise, can help you attract their attention,
affording you an opportunity to articulate your desire that they
work in tandem in certain instances. Creating a short ceremony in
which you surround yourself with objects you associate with the
helpers you wish to assign to your light team can ensure that those
beings are in attendance as you designate your shortcut. Creating
this shortcut is simply a tool. You can employ "light team" as your
rallying cry or any other words you feel comfortable using. The
numerous guides and guardians that see to your welfare will accept
your choice gladly and respond instantaneously when called.
Your light team will be there to assist you in those dangerous,
chaotic, or confounding moments when you don't have the time,
energy, or opportunity to center yourself and meditate on individual
sentinels. You can also call upon them when seeking guidance that
originates from a variety of perspectives. Whether the support they
provide comes in the form of guidance or wisdom, their combined
presence will give you a sense of security that strengthens you and
reminds you that you are never alone.
Squirrel Medicine
Re: Squirrel Medicine
I been seeing and connecting with a lot of squirrel medicine sign
lately, Two Bears. Pretty much daily. Thank you. Little Turtle
--- In Metis_Peoples@yahoogroups.com, "Rocco Tedesco"
>
>
> Affirming An Abundant Future
>
> Native Americans considered all living beings as brothers and
> sisters that had much to teach including squirrels. These small
> creatures taught them to work in harmony with the cycles of nature
> by conserving for the winter months during times when food was
> plentiful. In our modern world, squirrels remind us to set aside a
> portion of our most precious resources as an investment in the
> future. Though food and money certainly fall into this category,
> they are only some of the ways our energy is manifested. We can
> conserve this most valuable asset by being aware of the choices we
> make and choosing only those that nurture and sustain us. This
> extends to the natural resources of our planet as well, using what
> we need wisely with the future in mind.
>
> Saving and conservation are not acts of fear but rather
affirmations
> of abundance yet to come. Squirrels accept life's cycles, allowing
> them to face winters with the faith that spring will come again.
> Knowing that change is part of life, we can create a safe space,
> both spiritually and physically, that will support us in the
present
> and sustain us in the future. This means not filling our space
with
> things, or thoughts, that don't serve us. Without hoarding more
than
> we need, we keep ourselves in the cyclical flow of life when we
> donate our unwanted items to someone who can use them best. This
> allows for more abundance to enter our lives, because even
squirrels
> know a life of abundance involves more than just survival.
>
> Squirrels use their quick, nervous energy to enjoy life's
adventure.
> They are great communicators, and by helping each other watch for
> danger, they do not allow worry to drain them. Instead, they allow
> their curious nature to lead the way, staying alert to
opportunities
> and learning as they play. Following the example set by our
squirrel
> friends, we are reminded to enjoy the journey of life's cycles as
we
> plan and prepare for a wonderful future, taking time to learn and
> play along the way.
Mountain Meditation
Finding Your Pinnacle
Throughout history, humankind has stood in awe of mountains. The
strength and sturdiness evident in the rocky crags and smooth slopes
of peaks around the globe have from time immemorial inspired
creativity and kindled courage. Mountains have been venerated by
many cultures, which worshipped great summits as gods and sacred
beings. In their looming presence, humanity has seen power,
steadfastness, and resolve. Yet you needn't live near a mountain to
tap into this vast energy of commanding grandeur. Conversely, since
mountains are as unique in form as human beings, your locale may
exist under the unwavering gaze of a small mountain without your
knowing it. As you practice mountain meditation, the power that
lurks in the heart of all mountains will flow into you while their
essential beauty reminds you that you, too, are a creature of the
earth.
If there are mountains in your area, plan to spend some time
enjoying the peaceful embrace of Mother Nature, which can be a
potent meditation aid. Likewise, grasping a rock or stone in your
hand will enable you to easily tap into earth energy. If you are
prevented by circumstance from visiting a mountain, however, begin
by visualizing yourself at the base of a towering summit. Holding a
rock can be helpful to tune into mountain energy. You may find
yourself picturing a steep and majestic snowcapped peak or a lush,
tree-covered mass that rises gently from the earth. Sit or imagine
yourself sitting at the mountain's base and spend a few minutes
simply coexisting with it. When you feel tranquil, express your
intention to commune with your mountain and ask to receive its
energy. Project your consciousness onto the mountain's peak, and
look down upon the flatlands over which it stands guard. Send light
to the flora and fauna that call the mountain home. You may discover
that you ! feel wonderfully immense and unshakable as you delve
deeper into the meditation.
Finally, ask the mountain to serve as a guide and give it your
sincerest gratitude. If you have literally visited a plateau or
summit, pass time with the mountain by camping, hiking, or
picnicking upon it. Or, if your journey has been a spiritual one,
use your imagination to survey the sights, sounds, and scents of
your mountain. As your explorations progress, you will become ever
more grounded, growing gradually into your personal power. When you
are finished meditating with mountain energy, give thanks to this
strong and powerful energy for sharing time with you.
Throughout history, humankind has stood in awe of mountains. The
strength and sturdiness evident in the rocky crags and smooth slopes
of peaks around the globe have from time immemorial inspired
creativity and kindled courage. Mountains have been venerated by
many cultures, which worshipped great summits as gods and sacred
beings. In their looming presence, humanity has seen power,
steadfastness, and resolve. Yet you needn't live near a mountain to
tap into this vast energy of commanding grandeur. Conversely, since
mountains are as unique in form as human beings, your locale may
exist under the unwavering gaze of a small mountain without your
knowing it. As you practice mountain meditation, the power that
lurks in the heart of all mountains will flow into you while their
essential beauty reminds you that you, too, are a creature of the
earth.
If there are mountains in your area, plan to spend some time
enjoying the peaceful embrace of Mother Nature, which can be a
potent meditation aid. Likewise, grasping a rock or stone in your
hand will enable you to easily tap into earth energy. If you are
prevented by circumstance from visiting a mountain, however, begin
by visualizing yourself at the base of a towering summit. Holding a
rock can be helpful to tune into mountain energy. You may find
yourself picturing a steep and majestic snowcapped peak or a lush,
tree-covered mass that rises gently from the earth. Sit or imagine
yourself sitting at the mountain's base and spend a few minutes
simply coexisting with it. When you feel tranquil, express your
intention to commune with your mountain and ask to receive its
energy. Project your consciousness onto the mountain's peak, and
look down upon the flatlands over which it stands guard. Send light
to the flora and fauna that call the mountain home. You may discover
that you ! feel wonderfully immense and unshakable as you delve
deeper into the meditation.
Finally, ask the mountain to serve as a guide and give it your
sincerest gratitude. If you have literally visited a plateau or
summit, pass time with the mountain by camping, hiking, or
picnicking upon it. Or, if your journey has been a spiritual one,
use your imagination to survey the sights, sounds, and scents of
your mountain. As your explorations progress, you will become ever
more grounded, growing gradually into your personal power. When you
are finished meditating with mountain energy, give thanks to this
strong and powerful energy for sharing time with you.
Mountain Meditation
Finding Your Pinnacle
Throughout history, humankind has stood in awe of mountains. The
strength and sturdiness evident in the rocky crags and smooth slopes
of peaks around the globe have from time immemorial inspired
creativity and kindled courage. Mountains have been venerated by
many cultures, which worshipped great summits as gods and sacred
beings. In their looming presence, humanity has seen power,
steadfastness, and resolve. Yet you needn't live near a mountain to
tap into this vast energy of commanding grandeur. Conversely, since
mountains are as unique in form as human beings, your locale may
exist under the unwavering gaze of a small mountain without your
knowing it. As you practice mountain meditation, the power that
lurks in the heart of all mountains will flow into you while their
essential beauty reminds you that you, too, are a creature of the
earth.
If there are mountains in your area, plan to spend some time
enjoying the peaceful embrace of Mother Nature, which can be a
potent meditation aid. Likewise, grasping a rock or stone in your
hand will enable you to easily tap into earth energy. If you are
prevented by circumstance from visiting a mountain, however, begin
by visualizing yourself at the base of a towering summit. Holding a
rock can be helpful to tune into mountain energy. You may find
yourself picturing a steep and majestic snowcapped peak or a lush,
tree-covered mass that rises gently from the earth. Sit or imagine
yourself sitting at the mountain's base and spend a few minutes
simply coexisting with it. When you feel tranquil, express your
intention to commune with your mountain and ask to receive its
energy. Project your consciousness onto the mountain's peak, and
look down upon the flatlands over which it stands guard. Send light
to the flora and fauna that call the mountain home. You may discover
that you ! feel wonderfully immense and unshakable as you delve
deeper into the meditation.
Finally, ask the mountain to serve as a guide and give it your
sincerest gratitude. If you have literally visited a plateau or
summit, pass time with the mountain by camping, hiking, or
picnicking upon it. Or, if your journey has been a spiritual one,
use your imagination to survey the sights, sounds, and scents of
your mountain. As your explorations progress, you will become ever
more grounded, growing gradually into your personal power. When you
are finished meditating with mountain energy, give thanks to this
strong and powerful energy for sharing time with you.
Throughout history, humankind has stood in awe of mountains. The
strength and sturdiness evident in the rocky crags and smooth slopes
of peaks around the globe have from time immemorial inspired
creativity and kindled courage. Mountains have been venerated by
many cultures, which worshipped great summits as gods and sacred
beings. In their looming presence, humanity has seen power,
steadfastness, and resolve. Yet you needn't live near a mountain to
tap into this vast energy of commanding grandeur. Conversely, since
mountains are as unique in form as human beings, your locale may
exist under the unwavering gaze of a small mountain without your
knowing it. As you practice mountain meditation, the power that
lurks in the heart of all mountains will flow into you while their
essential beauty reminds you that you, too, are a creature of the
earth.
If there are mountains in your area, plan to spend some time
enjoying the peaceful embrace of Mother Nature, which can be a
potent meditation aid. Likewise, grasping a rock or stone in your
hand will enable you to easily tap into earth energy. If you are
prevented by circumstance from visiting a mountain, however, begin
by visualizing yourself at the base of a towering summit. Holding a
rock can be helpful to tune into mountain energy. You may find
yourself picturing a steep and majestic snowcapped peak or a lush,
tree-covered mass that rises gently from the earth. Sit or imagine
yourself sitting at the mountain's base and spend a few minutes
simply coexisting with it. When you feel tranquil, express your
intention to commune with your mountain and ask to receive its
energy. Project your consciousness onto the mountain's peak, and
look down upon the flatlands over which it stands guard. Send light
to the flora and fauna that call the mountain home. You may discover
that you ! feel wonderfully immense and unshakable as you delve
deeper into the meditation.
Finally, ask the mountain to serve as a guide and give it your
sincerest gratitude. If you have literally visited a plateau or
summit, pass time with the mountain by camping, hiking, or
picnicking upon it. Or, if your journey has been a spiritual one,
use your imagination to survey the sights, sounds, and scents of
your mountain. As your explorations progress, you will become ever
more grounded, growing gradually into your personal power. When you
are finished meditating with mountain energy, give thanks to this
strong and powerful energy for sharing time with you.
relaxing At Home
An Instant Vacation
Throughout our lives, most of us are led to believe that relaxation
is best pursued outside of the home. As a result, we spend months
anticipating weeklong vacations, seldom fully appreciating the
leisure time we are blessed with on a more regular basis. It is
possible, however, to reexperience the same utterly relaxed state
you slip into while on holiday within your home's walls. The
feelings of serenity you enjoy during a vacation are a product of
your outlook rather than your locale. You give yourself permission
to enjoy yourself and unwind while on vacation. Granting yourself
the same privilege while at home allows you to experience complete
relaxation, even when surrounded by routine.
Our homes can be distracting places as most survival tasks are
addressed there. Reviving the tranquility you felt on holiday is as
easy as creating an atmosphere that helps you relax. First, divest
yourself of the notion that messes must be cleaned up immediately
and reaffirm that relaxation is as vital as physical nourishment.
Then, set the mood. Music that reminds you of a beloved vacation
destination can put you in a vacation mind-set. The exotic flavor of
a tropical beverage or the spiciness a favorite ethnic dish can
transport you to a more restful mental space. Finally, put aside
your projects and commit to doing only what you consider truly
pleasurable. Your responsibilities will wait as you put up your feet
and revel in peacefulness that comes from within.
If you find it difficult to ignore the temptation to simply fall
back into your usual schedule, consider that relaxation should
occupy a prominent place on your to-do list. You deserve to
take "you time" and to care for yourself, even during life's busy
periods. While you may not always be able to get away from it all,
you can still nurture yourself and regain your peace of mind.
Throughout our lives, most of us are led to believe that relaxation
is best pursued outside of the home. As a result, we spend months
anticipating weeklong vacations, seldom fully appreciating the
leisure time we are blessed with on a more regular basis. It is
possible, however, to reexperience the same utterly relaxed state
you slip into while on holiday within your home's walls. The
feelings of serenity you enjoy during a vacation are a product of
your outlook rather than your locale. You give yourself permission
to enjoy yourself and unwind while on vacation. Granting yourself
the same privilege while at home allows you to experience complete
relaxation, even when surrounded by routine.
Our homes can be distracting places as most survival tasks are
addressed there. Reviving the tranquility you felt on holiday is as
easy as creating an atmosphere that helps you relax. First, divest
yourself of the notion that messes must be cleaned up immediately
and reaffirm that relaxation is as vital as physical nourishment.
Then, set the mood. Music that reminds you of a beloved vacation
destination can put you in a vacation mind-set. The exotic flavor of
a tropical beverage or the spiciness a favorite ethnic dish can
transport you to a more restful mental space. Finally, put aside
your projects and commit to doing only what you consider truly
pleasurable. Your responsibilities will wait as you put up your feet
and revel in peacefulness that comes from within.
If you find it difficult to ignore the temptation to simply fall
back into your usual schedule, consider that relaxation should
occupy a prominent place on your to-do list. You deserve to
take "you time" and to care for yourself, even during life's busy
periods. While you may not always be able to get away from it all,
you can still nurture yourself and regain your peace of mind.
Superstitions
Superstitions, like most folklore, are sometimes useful, sometimes
ridiculous, but always interesting. For example, did you know that you
are in luck if a buzzard lands on your house on a Monday-you'll
receive money soon. But don't cross a river on Monday -- that's
unlucky. To avoid toothaches, never wash on a Tuesday. And to ensure a
long life, don't rub soap on your skin on a Friday or get a haircut in
March. But whatever you do, never sneeze on a Sunday, or the Devil
will be with you all week. But do thank your lucky stars once in a
while -- that's a sign of good fortune.
ridiculous, but always interesting. For example, did you know that you
are in luck if a buzzard lands on your house on a Monday-you'll
receive money soon. But don't cross a river on Monday -- that's
unlucky. To avoid toothaches, never wash on a Tuesday. And to ensure a
long life, don't rub soap on your skin on a Friday or get a haircut in
March. But whatever you do, never sneeze on a Sunday, or the Devil
will be with you all week. But do thank your lucky stars once in a
while -- that's a sign of good fortune.
A Soulful Cure
Working With A Shaman
Since time immemorial, certain men and women have felt called to
heal the sick, to safeguard knowledge, to guide the lost, and to
commune with the spirit world. These unique individuals, known as
shamans, were mystics and seers, repositories of wisdom, and keepers
of herbal lore. During those periods when ignorance loomed large in
the world, shamans across the globe bided their time, peacefully
practicing their practical yet refined arts in the jungle,
mountains, deserts, and tundra that protected them from those who
misunderstood shamanism. Today, however, shamanism has reemerged, as
modern men and women feel the same call to service that their
ancestors felt long ago. Also, as more individuals explore the
notion that healing necessarily involves the soul as well as the
physical self, people are consulting shamans in their search for
wellness, wisdom, and guidance.
The word shaman literally means "he or she who knows." Shamanism is
an art that has not changed in any quantifiable way for millennia
and is not bound to any particular form of spirituality. It is
grounded on the principle that the visible world is saturated with
unseen forces that influence the lives of human beings. Shamans, in
addition to acting as fonts of wisdom, are dedicated to diagnosing
and curing human suffering-whether emotional, physical, or
spiritual. To treat an illness, a shaman may communicate with the
spirit world in order to connect more directly with the soul of
their patient or with the force causing ill health. They often work
closely with animal guides, plant and earth spirits, or your spirit
guides, and may make use of use of herbal remedies to supplement
other forms of treatment. Shamans, as intermediaries between the
physical and spiritual realms, recognize that all objects are in
manner alive and retain information that can be utilized to heal.
Shamanism is powerful in part because its practitioners tailor
healing to the individual needs of those who seek them out. A shaman
manipulates energy, giving you power where you have lost it and
removing misplaced energy lurking within you. When you seek out a
shaman, they will endeavor to know and understand you before
treating you. In this way, they can provide you with therapies that
act on your whole being, positively influencing your body as well as
your soul.
Since time immemorial, certain men and women have felt called to
heal the sick, to safeguard knowledge, to guide the lost, and to
commune with the spirit world. These unique individuals, known as
shamans, were mystics and seers, repositories of wisdom, and keepers
of herbal lore. During those periods when ignorance loomed large in
the world, shamans across the globe bided their time, peacefully
practicing their practical yet refined arts in the jungle,
mountains, deserts, and tundra that protected them from those who
misunderstood shamanism. Today, however, shamanism has reemerged, as
modern men and women feel the same call to service that their
ancestors felt long ago. Also, as more individuals explore the
notion that healing necessarily involves the soul as well as the
physical self, people are consulting shamans in their search for
wellness, wisdom, and guidance.
The word shaman literally means "he or she who knows." Shamanism is
an art that has not changed in any quantifiable way for millennia
and is not bound to any particular form of spirituality. It is
grounded on the principle that the visible world is saturated with
unseen forces that influence the lives of human beings. Shamans, in
addition to acting as fonts of wisdom, are dedicated to diagnosing
and curing human suffering-whether emotional, physical, or
spiritual. To treat an illness, a shaman may communicate with the
spirit world in order to connect more directly with the soul of
their patient or with the force causing ill health. They often work
closely with animal guides, plant and earth spirits, or your spirit
guides, and may make use of use of herbal remedies to supplement
other forms of treatment. Shamans, as intermediaries between the
physical and spiritual realms, recognize that all objects are in
manner alive and retain information that can be utilized to heal.
Shamanism is powerful in part because its practitioners tailor
healing to the individual needs of those who seek them out. A shaman
manipulates energy, giving you power where you have lost it and
removing misplaced energy lurking within you. When you seek out a
shaman, they will endeavor to know and understand you before
treating you. In this way, they can provide you with therapies that
act on your whole being, positively influencing your body as well as
your soul.
Family
As I sit here today, I am wondering, how many of us have done any
genealogy? There are many web sites out there that can help us get
started and keep us going. The links to our past is as important to
each and every one of us that I have been thinking of setting up a
special section to post genealogy links and web addresses.
I know I am in the early stages of searching out my ancestory. SOme
odf them are very clouded and others are staring me in the face. If I
could help others discover some family from the pasr, maybe they would
get the bug and run with it. Posting here some of you ancestor's
would also help other to become excited to do the same.
What do you think? Is it worth a try? Let me know, please.
Also if there are others you feel would like to be a part of this
site, let me know, and I will invite them in.
Peace and Harmony,
Two Bears
genealogy? There are many web sites out there that can help us get
started and keep us going. The links to our past is as important to
each and every one of us that I have been thinking of setting up a
special section to post genealogy links and web addresses.
I know I am in the early stages of searching out my ancestory. SOme
odf them are very clouded and others are staring me in the face. If I
could help others discover some family from the pasr, maybe they would
get the bug and run with it. Posting here some of you ancestor's
would also help other to become excited to do the same.
What do you think? Is it worth a try? Let me know, please.
Also if there are others you feel would like to be a part of this
site, let me know, and I will invite them in.
Peace and Harmony,
Two Bears
Agutuk or Alask ice cream
AGUTUK (authentic) - (ALASKAN ICE CREAM)
Recipe By : http://www.grand-forks.k12.nd.us/~wilder/recipes.html
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Ice Cream
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Cups seal oil
1 pound reindeer fat -- (1 to 1.5 pounds)
Berries (salmon berries, blueberries or
blackberries)
Boil the oil and reindeer fat for 2-3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm.
Take a
bowlful of loose snow (not too powdery) and add oil. Beat well to
avoid
lumps. Let freeze a bit and then fold in wild berries.
Modern Recipe
about 1/2 to 3/4 cup shortening
about 1 cup sugar, or sweeten to taste
about a scant quart berries
Cream shortening until fluffy. You can add a little of the berry
juice to
make this softer. Add berries, a small amount at a time, until you
use them
all up. Freeze. Serve with smoked salmon strips.
Recipe By : http://www.grand-forks.k12.nd.us/~wilder/recipes.html
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Ice Cream
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Cups seal oil
1 pound reindeer fat -- (1 to 1.5 pounds)
Berries (salmon berries, blueberries or
blackberries)
Boil the oil and reindeer fat for 2-3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm.
Take a
bowlful of loose snow (not too powdery) and add oil. Beat well to
avoid
lumps. Let freeze a bit and then fold in wild berries.
Modern Recipe
about 1/2 to 3/4 cup shortening
about 1 cup sugar, or sweeten to taste
about a scant quart berries
Cream shortening until fluffy. You can add a little of the berry
juice to
make this softer. Add berries, a small amount at a time, until you
use them
all up. Freeze. Serve with smoked salmon strips.
Losing it!
You Are Not Crazy
Most of us feel a little crazy from time to time. Periods of high
stress can make us feel like we're losing it, as can being
surrounded by people whose values are very different from our own.
Losing a significant relationship and moving into a new life
situation are other events that can cause us to feel off kilter.
Circumstances like these recur in our lives, and they naturally
affect our mental stability. The symptoms of our state of mind can
range from having no recollection of putting our car keys where we
eventually find them, to wondering if we're seeing things clearly
when everyone around us seems to be in denial of what's going on
right in front of their eyes. For most of us, the key to survival at
times like these is to step back, take a deep breath, and regain our
composure. Then we can decide what course of action to take.
Sometimes a time-out does the trick. We take a day off from whatever
is making us feel crazy and, like magic, we feel in our right mind
again. Talking to an objective friend can also help. We begin to see
what it is about the situation that destabilizes us, and we can make
changes from there. At other times, if the situation is particularly
sticky, we may need to seek professional help. Meeting with someone
who understands the way the human mind reacts to stress, loss, and
difficulty can make us feel less alone and more supported. A
therapist or a spiritual counselor can give us techniques that help
bring us back to a sane state of mind so that we can affect useful
changes. They can also mirror our basic goodness, helping us to see
that we are actually okay.
The main purpose of the wake-up call that feeling crazy provides is
to let us know that something in our lives is out of balance.
Confirm for yourself that you are capable of creating a sane and
peaceful reality for yourself. Try to remember that most people have
felt, at one time or another, that they are losing it. You deserve a
life that helps you thrive. Try and take some steps today to help
you achieve more balance and a little less crazy.
Most of us feel a little crazy from time to time. Periods of high
stress can make us feel like we're losing it, as can being
surrounded by people whose values are very different from our own.
Losing a significant relationship and moving into a new life
situation are other events that can cause us to feel off kilter.
Circumstances like these recur in our lives, and they naturally
affect our mental stability. The symptoms of our state of mind can
range from having no recollection of putting our car keys where we
eventually find them, to wondering if we're seeing things clearly
when everyone around us seems to be in denial of what's going on
right in front of their eyes. For most of us, the key to survival at
times like these is to step back, take a deep breath, and regain our
composure. Then we can decide what course of action to take.
Sometimes a time-out does the trick. We take a day off from whatever
is making us feel crazy and, like magic, we feel in our right mind
again. Talking to an objective friend can also help. We begin to see
what it is about the situation that destabilizes us, and we can make
changes from there. At other times, if the situation is particularly
sticky, we may need to seek professional help. Meeting with someone
who understands the way the human mind reacts to stress, loss, and
difficulty can make us feel less alone and more supported. A
therapist or a spiritual counselor can give us techniques that help
bring us back to a sane state of mind so that we can affect useful
changes. They can also mirror our basic goodness, helping us to see
that we are actually okay.
The main purpose of the wake-up call that feeling crazy provides is
to let us know that something in our lives is out of balance.
Confirm for yourself that you are capable of creating a sane and
peaceful reality for yourself. Try to remember that most people have
felt, at one time or another, that they are losing it. You deserve a
life that helps you thrive. Try and take some steps today to help
you achieve more balance and a little less crazy.
Turning To Ancestors For Guidance
Those Who Came Before
Many entities assume the role of spirit guide. Throughout our lives,
we may call upon angels, animal and nature spirits, ascended
masters, and celestial guardians for aid, protection, and support.
Our ancestors represent another wellspring from which we may draw
wisdom in times of need for they, too, can act as our spirit guides.
Since our forbears spent at least one lifetime experiencing the
tribulations that are a part of human existence, the perspective
they can offer is a uniquely grounded one. Ancestral spirit guides
can empathize with our fears and our frailties, worry, temptation,
and feelings of insecurity. Once you have requested their guidance,
they will see to it that you emerge unscathed on the far side of
conflicts and are well-equipped to fulfill your potential.
If your relationship with your relatives was strained when they were
earthbound or you feel disconnected from your heritage, the thought
of asking your ancestors for aid can be disconcerting. But when the
soul takes on its spirit form, it becomes pure light. Your
ancestors, regardless of who or what they were in life, are
monitoring your life's journey because you are their progeny and
they want to see you do your best. You can communicate with them
directly, as well as through meditation, your dreams, or the written
word. Creating an altar or shrine that displays images of your
forbears or objects owned by them can help you connect with
individual ancestors. The guidance they provide may take many forms
as each ancestral spirit guide retains its individual identity and
will thus have its own style of communication. If your ancestors do
not speak to you directly or visit you in your dreams, examine your
life to determine whether they are replying to your queries
subconscious! ly.
When you make contact with your forbears, thank them for being a
part of the web of intent that gave you life. Honoring their wisdom
and experience can make your life seem larger and richer. Like other
spirit guides, your ancestors won't interfere with your choices or
attempt to deprive you of free will. They will only do their best to
answer your questions and provide you with all the love, aid, and
guidance you ask for in order to help you evolve as an individual.
Many entities assume the role of spirit guide. Throughout our lives,
we may call upon angels, animal and nature spirits, ascended
masters, and celestial guardians for aid, protection, and support.
Our ancestors represent another wellspring from which we may draw
wisdom in times of need for they, too, can act as our spirit guides.
Since our forbears spent at least one lifetime experiencing the
tribulations that are a part of human existence, the perspective
they can offer is a uniquely grounded one. Ancestral spirit guides
can empathize with our fears and our frailties, worry, temptation,
and feelings of insecurity. Once you have requested their guidance,
they will see to it that you emerge unscathed on the far side of
conflicts and are well-equipped to fulfill your potential.
If your relationship with your relatives was strained when they were
earthbound or you feel disconnected from your heritage, the thought
of asking your ancestors for aid can be disconcerting. But when the
soul takes on its spirit form, it becomes pure light. Your
ancestors, regardless of who or what they were in life, are
monitoring your life's journey because you are their progeny and
they want to see you do your best. You can communicate with them
directly, as well as through meditation, your dreams, or the written
word. Creating an altar or shrine that displays images of your
forbears or objects owned by them can help you connect with
individual ancestors. The guidance they provide may take many forms
as each ancestral spirit guide retains its individual identity and
will thus have its own style of communication. If your ancestors do
not speak to you directly or visit you in your dreams, examine your
life to determine whether they are replying to your queries
subconscious! ly.
When you make contact with your forbears, thank them for being a
part of the web of intent that gave you life. Honoring their wisdom
and experience can make your life seem larger and richer. Like other
spirit guides, your ancestors won't interfere with your choices or
attempt to deprive you of free will. They will only do their best to
answer your questions and provide you with all the love, aid, and
guidance you ask for in order to help you evolve as an individual.
To Kill an American
To Kill an American >> >> >> You probably missed it in the rush of
news recently, but there was >> actually a report that someone in
Pakistan had published in a >> newspaper an offer of a reward to
anyone who killed an American, any >> American. >> >> So an
Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let >>
everyone know what an American is . so they would know when they
found >> one. (Good one, mate!!!!) >> >> "An American is English, or
French, or Italian, Irish, German, >> Spanish, Polish, Russian or
Greek. An American may also be Canadian, >> Mexican, African,
Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, >> Iranian, Asian, or
Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan. >> >> An American may also be a
Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, >> Navaho, Apache, Seminole or
one of the many other tribes known as >> native Americans. >> >> An
American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or >>
Muslim. >> >> In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in
Afghanistan . The >> only difference is that in America they are
free to worship as each of >> them chooses. >> >> An American is
also free to believe in no religion. For that he will >> answer only
to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming >> to
speak for the government and for God. >> >> An American lives in the
most prosperous land in the history of the >> world. >> >> The root
of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of >>
Independence , which recognizes the God given right of each person
to >> the pursuit of happiness. >> >> An American is generous.
Americans have helped out just about every >> other nation in the
world in their time of need, never asking a thing >> in return. >>
>> When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, >>
Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win
back >> their country! >> >> As of the morning of September 11,
Americans had given more than any >> other nation to the poor in
Afghanistan . Americans welcome the best >> of everything...the best
products, the best books, the best music, the >> best food, the best
services. But they also welcome the least. >> >> The national symbol
of America, The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your >> tired and your
poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the >> homeless,
tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built >> America.
>> >> Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of
September >> 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's
been told that >> the World Trade Center victims were from at least
30 different >> countries, cultures, and first languages, including
those that aided >> and abetted the terrorists. >> >> So you can try
to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did >> General Tojo,
and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood- thirsty >> tyrants in
the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing >> yourself.
Because Americans are not a particular people from a >> particular
place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of >> freedom.
Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an >> American.
news recently, but there was >> actually a report that someone in
Pakistan had published in a >> newspaper an offer of a reward to
anyone who killed an American, any >> American. >> >> So an
Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let >>
everyone know what an American is . so they would know when they
found >> one. (Good one, mate!!!!) >> >> "An American is English, or
French, or Italian, Irish, German, >> Spanish, Polish, Russian or
Greek. An American may also be Canadian, >> Mexican, African,
Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, >> Iranian, Asian, or
Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan. >> >> An American may also be a
Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, >> Navaho, Apache, Seminole or
one of the many other tribes known as >> native Americans. >> >> An
American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or >>
Muslim. >> >> In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in
Afghanistan . The >> only difference is that in America they are
free to worship as each of >> them chooses. >> >> An American is
also free to believe in no religion. For that he will >> answer only
to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming >> to
speak for the government and for God. >> >> An American lives in the
most prosperous land in the history of the >> world. >> >> The root
of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of >>
Independence , which recognizes the God given right of each person
to >> the pursuit of happiness. >> >> An American is generous.
Americans have helped out just about every >> other nation in the
world in their time of need, never asking a thing >> in return. >>
>> When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, >>
Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win
back >> their country! >> >> As of the morning of September 11,
Americans had given more than any >> other nation to the poor in
Afghanistan . Americans welcome the best >> of everything...the best
products, the best books, the best music, the >> best food, the best
services. But they also welcome the least. >> >> The national symbol
of America, The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your >> tired and your
poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the >> homeless,
tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built >> America.
>> >> Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of
September >> 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's
been told that >> the World Trade Center victims were from at least
30 different >> countries, cultures, and first languages, including
those that aided >> and abetted the terrorists. >> >> So you can try
to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did >> General Tojo,
and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood- thirsty >> tyrants in
the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing >> yourself.
Because Americans are not a particular people from a >> particular
place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of >> freedom.
Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an >> American.
Sound Of Stillness
Our lives are typically filled with noise. There are the noises
from the outside world that we cannot control, and there are the
noises we allow into our lives. These noises, from seemingly
innocuous sources like the television and radio, can actually help
us avoid dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. However,
using noise as a distraction hurts more than it helps because you
are numbing yourself to what may be internally bubbling up to the
surface for you to look at and heal. Distracting yourself with talk-
radio, television, or other background noises can also prevent you
from finding closure to issues that haunt you. Noise as a
distraction can affect us in many ways. It can help you stay numb to
emotions that you don't want to feel, allow you to avoid dealing
with problems, distract you from having to think, and make it easier
for you to forget reality. Drowning out the thoughts and emotions
you find uncomfortable or overwhelming can complicate your issues
because it allows them to fester. By tuning out noise and relishing
silence, you create the space to experience and express what you are
hiding. It is only then that self-exploration can begin in earnest
and you can stare down frightening issues. In silence, it becomes
easier to let your strongest feelings come forth, deal with them,
and find new ways of resolving your problems. When you go within
without the veil of noise to shield you from yourself, you'll be
able to figure out what you need to heal. Embracing silence and
introspection allows you to work through your thoughts and emotions
and transmute them. Free of the need for noise, you can accept your
pain, anger, and frustration as they come up and turn them into
opportunities to evolve.
from the outside world that we cannot control, and there are the
noises we allow into our lives. These noises, from seemingly
innocuous sources like the television and radio, can actually help
us avoid dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. However,
using noise as a distraction hurts more than it helps because you
are numbing yourself to what may be internally bubbling up to the
surface for you to look at and heal. Distracting yourself with talk-
radio, television, or other background noises can also prevent you
from finding closure to issues that haunt you. Noise as a
distraction can affect us in many ways. It can help you stay numb to
emotions that you don't want to feel, allow you to avoid dealing
with problems, distract you from having to think, and make it easier
for you to forget reality. Drowning out the thoughts and emotions
you find uncomfortable or overwhelming can complicate your issues
because it allows them to fester. By tuning out noise and relishing
silence, you create the space to experience and express what you are
hiding. It is only then that self-exploration can begin in earnest
and you can stare down frightening issues. In silence, it becomes
easier to let your strongest feelings come forth, deal with them,
and find new ways of resolving your problems. When you go within
without the veil of noise to shield you from yourself, you'll be
able to figure out what you need to heal. Embracing silence and
introspection allows you to work through your thoughts and emotions
and transmute them. Free of the need for noise, you can accept your
pain, anger, and frustration as they come up and turn them into
opportunities to evolve.
A Mix-blood People
We, as a Mix-blood People, are the result of centuries of
cultivation and breeding. It is the rejection from all single minded
people to reject what they see as un-pure. We have been around since
the first migration of the first people of the Americans to "just
over the hill". Our pattern for this mixing is imbedded in the
spirit of any who venture forth to, a new land, new place to
worship, new relationship, or any of the other NEW you can imagine.
We have been involved in every action of the Americas. We were at
the first battle between "Nations". When it came to rejection, we
were there to accept those who were rejected by their OWN peoples.
We fed, protected, clothed and generally proved the 10 commandments
by actions rather than words. The Death March of the Cherokee, what
about the death march of the Ojibway. We were there to make sure all
the Ojibway made it to Canada in the dead of winter out of Montana.
The Ojibway made the march safely but the loss to the Metis was over
80%. We have Medal of Honor awarded, just as all other races in
America. We were some of the best War Chiefs of the First Nations
against the U S troupes.
Is there a reason to be proud to be Metis, Mix-bloods, Halfbreeds,
and any other member of the combined blood of the many peoples of
the Americas. Yes, if the above isn't enough then seek out the
History books on the back shelves of the library, the used
bookstores, and the research centers in the colleges and
universities of the Americas. Nothing there, then write a book or
paper or story and provide the first step to awakening the People to
who and what we are. Go ahead, give it a try and while your at it,
add to our knowledge by posting your thoughts and findings here too.
cultivation and breeding. It is the rejection from all single minded
people to reject what they see as un-pure. We have been around since
the first migration of the first people of the Americans to "just
over the hill". Our pattern for this mixing is imbedded in the
spirit of any who venture forth to, a new land, new place to
worship, new relationship, or any of the other NEW you can imagine.
We have been involved in every action of the Americas. We were at
the first battle between "Nations". When it came to rejection, we
were there to accept those who were rejected by their OWN peoples.
We fed, protected, clothed and generally proved the 10 commandments
by actions rather than words. The Death March of the Cherokee, what
about the death march of the Ojibway. We were there to make sure all
the Ojibway made it to Canada in the dead of winter out of Montana.
The Ojibway made the march safely but the loss to the Metis was over
80%. We have Medal of Honor awarded, just as all other races in
America. We were some of the best War Chiefs of the First Nations
against the U S troupes.
Is there a reason to be proud to be Metis, Mix-bloods, Halfbreeds,
and any other member of the combined blood of the many peoples of
the Americas. Yes, if the above isn't enough then seek out the
History books on the back shelves of the library, the used
bookstores, and the research centers in the colleges and
universities of the Americas. Nothing there, then write a book or
paper or story and provide the first step to awakening the People to
who and what we are. Go ahead, give it a try and while your at it,
add to our knowledge by posting your thoughts and findings here too.
Finding Your Next Step
Finding Your Next Step In Life Our lives are made up of a complex
network of pathways that we can use to move from one phase of life
to the next. For some of us, our paths are wide, smooth, and clearly
marked. Many people, however, find that they have a difficult time
figuring out where they need to go next. Determining which "next
step" will land you on the most direct route to fulfillment and the
realization of your life purpose may not seem easy. There are many
ways to discover what the next step on your life path should be. If
you are someone who seeks to satisfy your soul, it is vital that you
make this inquiry. Often, your inner voice will counsel you that
it's time for a change, and it is very important to trust yourself
because only you know what is best for you. Personal growth always
results when you let yourself expand beyond the farthest borders of
what your life has been so far. When figuring out what your next
step will be, you may want to review your life experiences. The
choices you've made and the dreams you've held onto can give you an
idea of what you don't want to do anymore and what you might like to
do next. It is also a good idea to think about creative ways you can
use your skills and satisfy your passions. Visualizing your perfect
future and making a list of ways to manifest that future can help
you choose a logical next step that's in harmony with your desires.
Meditation, journal writing, ta! king a class, and other creative
activities may inspire you and provide insight regarding the next
step in life that will bring you the most satisfaction. It is when
you are willing to listen to yourself and be fearless that figuring
out your next step becomes easy. Beneath the fear and hesitation and
uncertainty lies your inner knowing that always knows which step you
need to take next. If you can allow the taking of your next step to
be as easy as putting one foot in front of the next, you'll notice
that your next step is always the one that is right in front of you.
All you have to do is put one foot forward and on the groun
network of pathways that we can use to move from one phase of life
to the next. For some of us, our paths are wide, smooth, and clearly
marked. Many people, however, find that they have a difficult time
figuring out where they need to go next. Determining which "next
step" will land you on the most direct route to fulfillment and the
realization of your life purpose may not seem easy. There are many
ways to discover what the next step on your life path should be. If
you are someone who seeks to satisfy your soul, it is vital that you
make this inquiry. Often, your inner voice will counsel you that
it's time for a change, and it is very important to trust yourself
because only you know what is best for you. Personal growth always
results when you let yourself expand beyond the farthest borders of
what your life has been so far. When figuring out what your next
step will be, you may want to review your life experiences. The
choices you've made and the dreams you've held onto can give you an
idea of what you don't want to do anymore and what you might like to
do next. It is also a good idea to think about creative ways you can
use your skills and satisfy your passions. Visualizing your perfect
future and making a list of ways to manifest that future can help
you choose a logical next step that's in harmony with your desires.
Meditation, journal writing, ta! king a class, and other creative
activities may inspire you and provide insight regarding the next
step in life that will bring you the most satisfaction. It is when
you are willing to listen to yourself and be fearless that figuring
out your next step becomes easy. Beneath the fear and hesitation and
uncertainty lies your inner knowing that always knows which step you
need to take next. If you can allow the taking of your next step to
be as easy as putting one foot in front of the next, you'll notice
that your next step is always the one that is right in front of you.
All you have to do is put one foot forward and on the groun
LISTEN FOR MY BELL
Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.
From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop
your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite
amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is
blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a
good home for him. This alone is amazing. If nearby and listening,
you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of
the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the
field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind
friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As you stand and
watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on
him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to
where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she
returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops
occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far
behind to hear the bell. Like the owners of these two horses, God
does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we
have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings
others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we
are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those
who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse,
helping others see. Good friends are like this. You don't always see
them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell
and I'll listen for yours
From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop
your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite
amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is
blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a
good home for him. This alone is amazing. If nearby and listening,
you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of
the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the
field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind
friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As you stand and
watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on
him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to
where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she
returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops
occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far
behind to hear the bell. Like the owners of these two horses, God
does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we
have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings
others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we
are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those
who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse,
helping others see. Good friends are like this. You don't always see
them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell
and I'll listen for yours
A Life Of Passion
There are times in life when we are committed to pursuing our
passions. Every molecule in our body is focused on doing what we
love. At other times, necessity and responsibility dictate that we
put our dreams aside and do what needs to be done. It is during
these moments that we may choose to forget what it is that we love
to do. There are many other reasons for why we may leave our
passions behind. A hobby may lose its appeal once we've realize it
will never turn into our dream job. Someone important to us may keep
telling us that our passions are childish and unsuitable - until we
finally believe them. Forgetting about what you love to do can be a
form of self-sabotage. If you can forget about your dreams, then you
never have to risk failure. But just because we've decided to ignore
our passions doesn't mean they no longer exist. Nothing can fill the
emptiness that remains in a space vacated by a passion that we have
tossed aside. Besides, life is too short to stop doing what you
love, and it is never too late to rediscover your favorite things.
If you gave up playing an instrument, painting, drawing, spending
time in nature, or any other activity or interest that you once
loved to do, now may be the time to take up that passion again. If
you don't remember what it is that you used to be passionate about,
you may want to think about the activities or interests that you
used to love or the dreams that you always wished you could pursue.
You don't have to neglect your responsibilities to pursue your
passions, and you don't have to neglect your commitments to do what
you love. When you make an effort to incorporate your interests into
your life, the fire within you ignites. You feel excited, inspired,
and fed by the flames that are sparked by living your life with
passion for what you love.
passions. Every molecule in our body is focused on doing what we
love. At other times, necessity and responsibility dictate that we
put our dreams aside and do what needs to be done. It is during
these moments that we may choose to forget what it is that we love
to do. There are many other reasons for why we may leave our
passions behind. A hobby may lose its appeal once we've realize it
will never turn into our dream job. Someone important to us may keep
telling us that our passions are childish and unsuitable - until we
finally believe them. Forgetting about what you love to do can be a
form of self-sabotage. If you can forget about your dreams, then you
never have to risk failure. But just because we've decided to ignore
our passions doesn't mean they no longer exist. Nothing can fill the
emptiness that remains in a space vacated by a passion that we have
tossed aside. Besides, life is too short to stop doing what you
love, and it is never too late to rediscover your favorite things.
If you gave up playing an instrument, painting, drawing, spending
time in nature, or any other activity or interest that you once
loved to do, now may be the time to take up that passion again. If
you don't remember what it is that you used to be passionate about,
you may want to think about the activities or interests that you
used to love or the dreams that you always wished you could pursue.
You don't have to neglect your responsibilities to pursue your
passions, and you don't have to neglect your commitments to do what
you love. When you make an effort to incorporate your interests into
your life, the fire within you ignites. You feel excited, inspired,
and fed by the flames that are sparked by living your life with
passion for what you love.
Gathering For Truth
Satsang is a Sanskrit word combining "satya" meaning "truth"
and "sangha" meaning "group. " It describes a gathering of people
for the purpose of spiritual truth. Satsang is often used when
referring to a meeting with a guru or a spiritual mentor. During
Satsang, participants read inspiring words, discuss its teachings,
meditate, and find ways to bring this awareness into daily life.
While attending services or spiritual study groups can be thought of
as participating in Satsangs, this practice can also apply to any
group of people that are gathered to inspire one another and express
the truth free from judgment. A Satsang can be a group of people
that are gathered to sing, play, or listen to music. All that needs
to be there is the intention to inspire one another and tell the
truth. A Satsang can also be a support group, book club, yoga class,
or meeting between friends for coffee or conversation. We don't need
to be in a place of worship or supervised by appointed leaders to
experience the truth. The truth can be found in every moment and it
can be experienced with anyone. Spending time with someone who
enlightens us can be as simple as visiting with a grandmother or
talking to a best friend. There is wisdom to be gleaned from being
with people even when the gatherings are not specifically intended
for personal improvement or spiritual transformation. Any occasion
we are gathered with people who understand and support us can be a
spiritual experience. While gatherings with the intention of
communing with spirit are undoubtedly powerful and inspiring,
getting together with people that uplift us by their presence alone
is also vital to our well- being. When we recognize all the people
we know that support and enrich us, our lives can become an extended
Satsang. What a wonderful thing. The wisdom can also bring
enlightenment and release from burdens that do not belong to us.
Those who are supportive and choose to join in a good way can give
us so many gifts that there is no way to count them. Learning to
discern those who do not support also are of great value as a
lesson. Benefits I feel now from it have me free as an Eagle in
flight at it's highest. Blessings untold have come from so many of
these lessons. I can not thank you enough Grandfather Two Bears for
taking the time to share these pearls of wisdom. I had too often
fell into thinking that I was alone without family and tonight it
has become the realization that the Metis are my home and my family
and I will never be alone for two legged company of the loving and
kind sort. My view of hero's has also changed a great deal, I now
see many more where my vision was before limited. Charity,
compassion, gifting of healing and service to others in the
humbleness of the ways of our People set a beautiful example that
can shed light in the darkest of hours for those in true need. It is
in that service that one can with the truth lead by example and
honor of who we are as a People. Part of my inspiration is an
inaugural speech many remember, this has nothing to do with politics
the URL is at the bottom; it has everything to do with Walking the
Way, leading by example. If we can do this one person at a time, we
will as a People given more to Our Mother, Turtle Island than what
she has seen in many a year. 1,000 Points of Light: making it a
reality. "America has always led by example. So who among us will
set this example? Which of our citizens will lead us in this next
American century? Everyone who steps forward today, to get one
addict off drugs; to convince one troubled teen-ager not to give up
on life; to comfort one AIDS patient; to help one hungry child. We
have within our reach the promise of renewed America. We can find
meaning and reward by serving some purpose higher than ourselves—a
shining purpose, the illumination of a thousand points of light. It
is expressed by all who know the irresistible force of a child's
hand, of a friend who stands by you and stays there—a volunteer's
generous gesture, an idea that is simply right. The problems before
us may be different, but the key to solving them remains the same:
it is the individual—the individual who steps forward. And the state
of our Union is the union of each of us, one to the other: the sum
of our friendships, marriages, families and communities. We all have
something to give. So if you know how to read, find someone who
can't. If you've got a hammer, find a nail. If you're not hungry,
not lonely, not in trouble—seek out someone who is. Join the
community of conscience. Do the hard work of freedom. That will
define the state of our Union. "
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0900156.html Who of all of our people
can see the wisdom in these words and walk back to their sofas and
remote controls and not be touched? Will you turn on the TV or call
a friend that you know needs to hear from someone. It does not
matter the political side of the speech but the words I find, could
not be wiser. Are we strong enough as Americans, as Metis People, as
Aboriginal People to breathe life into these words?
and "sangha" meaning "group. " It describes a gathering of people
for the purpose of spiritual truth. Satsang is often used when
referring to a meeting with a guru or a spiritual mentor. During
Satsang, participants read inspiring words, discuss its teachings,
meditate, and find ways to bring this awareness into daily life.
While attending services or spiritual study groups can be thought of
as participating in Satsangs, this practice can also apply to any
group of people that are gathered to inspire one another and express
the truth free from judgment. A Satsang can be a group of people
that are gathered to sing, play, or listen to music. All that needs
to be there is the intention to inspire one another and tell the
truth. A Satsang can also be a support group, book club, yoga class,
or meeting between friends for coffee or conversation. We don't need
to be in a place of worship or supervised by appointed leaders to
experience the truth. The truth can be found in every moment and it
can be experienced with anyone. Spending time with someone who
enlightens us can be as simple as visiting with a grandmother or
talking to a best friend. There is wisdom to be gleaned from being
with people even when the gatherings are not specifically intended
for personal improvement or spiritual transformation. Any occasion
we are gathered with people who understand and support us can be a
spiritual experience. While gatherings with the intention of
communing with spirit are undoubtedly powerful and inspiring,
getting together with people that uplift us by their presence alone
is also vital to our well- being. When we recognize all the people
we know that support and enrich us, our lives can become an extended
Satsang. What a wonderful thing. The wisdom can also bring
enlightenment and release from burdens that do not belong to us.
Those who are supportive and choose to join in a good way can give
us so many gifts that there is no way to count them. Learning to
discern those who do not support also are of great value as a
lesson. Benefits I feel now from it have me free as an Eagle in
flight at it's highest. Blessings untold have come from so many of
these lessons. I can not thank you enough Grandfather Two Bears for
taking the time to share these pearls of wisdom. I had too often
fell into thinking that I was alone without family and tonight it
has become the realization that the Metis are my home and my family
and I will never be alone for two legged company of the loving and
kind sort. My view of hero's has also changed a great deal, I now
see many more where my vision was before limited. Charity,
compassion, gifting of healing and service to others in the
humbleness of the ways of our People set a beautiful example that
can shed light in the darkest of hours for those in true need. It is
in that service that one can with the truth lead by example and
honor of who we are as a People. Part of my inspiration is an
inaugural speech many remember, this has nothing to do with politics
the URL is at the bottom; it has everything to do with Walking the
Way, leading by example. If we can do this one person at a time, we
will as a People given more to Our Mother, Turtle Island than what
she has seen in many a year. 1,000 Points of Light: making it a
reality. "America has always led by example. So who among us will
set this example? Which of our citizens will lead us in this next
American century? Everyone who steps forward today, to get one
addict off drugs; to convince one troubled teen-ager not to give up
on life; to comfort one AIDS patient; to help one hungry child. We
have within our reach the promise of renewed America. We can find
meaning and reward by serving some purpose higher than ourselves—a
shining purpose, the illumination of a thousand points of light. It
is expressed by all who know the irresistible force of a child's
hand, of a friend who stands by you and stays there—a volunteer's
generous gesture, an idea that is simply right. The problems before
us may be different, but the key to solving them remains the same:
it is the individual—the individual who steps forward. And the state
of our Union is the union of each of us, one to the other: the sum
of our friendships, marriages, families and communities. We all have
something to give. So if you know how to read, find someone who
can't. If you've got a hammer, find a nail. If you're not hungry,
not lonely, not in trouble—seek out someone who is. Join the
community of conscience. Do the hard work of freedom. That will
define the state of our Union. "
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0900156.html Who of all of our people
can see the wisdom in these words and walk back to their sofas and
remote controls and not be touched? Will you turn on the TV or call
a friend that you know needs to hear from someone. It does not
matter the political side of the speech but the words I find, could
not be wiser. Are we strong enough as Americans, as Metis People, as
Aboriginal People to breathe life into these words?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)