Life

Life can take us on a roller coaster ride full of highs and lows and
twists and turns. Even for those of us who enjoy unexpected thrills,
it's frightening to suddenly find ourselves heading for a deep
plunge. Yet, it happens to all of us. At these moments, it is
important to remember that you are not alone in your experiences. No
matter how brave, strong, or levelheaded we are, sometimes, we all
get scared. Our fears may revolve around our physical safety,
particularly if we are not feeling well, living under difficult
circumstances, or doing work that exposes us to hazardous
conditions. Or, we may be experiencing financial woes that are
causing us to be fearful about making ends meet. We may also fear
the loss of a loved one who is sick, or we may be scared of never
finding someone special to spend our life with. We may be scared to
start at a new school, begin a different job, move to a new town, or
meet new people. Whatever our fears are, they are valid, and we do
not need to feel ashamed or embarrassed that we are, at times,
afraid. It may be comforting to know that everyone gets scared, and
it is perfectly OK. Sometimes just acknowledging our fears is enough
to make us feel better. And while it sometimes takes a lot more to
ease our mind, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that life
can be scary at times. Giving ourselves permission to be scared lets
us move through our fears so we can let it go. It also makes it
alright to share our fears with others. Sharing our apprehensions
with other people can make our fears less overwhelming because we
are not letting them grow inside of us as pent up emotions. Sharing
our fears also can lighten our burden because we are not carrying
our worries all by ourselves. Remember that you are not alone.



The transmission of words, is used by all people. If we didn't
communicate, we would be still living in an ignorant situation or
isolating ourselves. As a Northern Cheyenne, Tse Tse Stas, when I
was a young child. My parents would explain to me in our Tse Tse
Stas language about things around me. So I became aware of the
relationship of all things, how language is a spiritual part of the
Earth, how language and culture are one, and how all aspects of the
educational process should reflect the beauty of Cheyenne values and
appreciation of our environment. To enhance a more meaningful
relationship, Indian sign language was always demonstrated, a
beautiful and imaginative part of our Cheyenne heritage. The
Cultural changes and diversions from outside influences, reflect how
we Cheyennes live today. Knowledge, communication, and understanding
were always part of keeping the values and traditions strong. In the
past (100-150 years) a women who was carrying an unborn child would
talk and sing to the baby. It let the baby know it was loved. The
mother would explain what she was doing for him. This type of
teaching, an awareness and it continued as the child grew older.
When a baby's umbilical cord dried and fell off. Which was a
connection to their mother. After a baby is born. The parents of the
baby ask an Elder to come talk to their baby, about the different
modes of life, to grow up to be a good person as an adult. The dried
up umbilical cord is put in a pouch, the pouch is decorated and the
turtle represents man and the lizard represents woman. The turtle
represents long life and its slowness represent the hardships of a
provider and to take time to reflect on any decisions. The lizard
represents endurance. A women has to adapt to different modes of
life. Some what like a chameleon that changes its color adapting to
its environment. When the child starts walking, the pouch is pinned
on their back. It is like a good luck amulet, it also represents his
burdens. The Elders say if a child has his cord, it will guide him
and keep him out of trouble. The child will know where he belongs
and will always go back to his connections (familv-home). When a
child does not have one, he will always be snooping and looking,
this will get him into trouble. Before the hospitals, grandfathers
and fathers would take the afterbirth back out to the natural
environment. It was carefully wrapped and placed in a tree. The
spirits would bless the child and help look after the child. Our
Creation story tells us we are from the Mother Earth and we always
offer something in return. Today our babies are born to young
mothers and they have no awareness of these past ways of teaching
and talking to the unborn. Many of our babies are not shown the love
they need to grow to be some one special. The young mother probably
did not experience this kind of affection. Today the hospitals sell
the afterbirth for amino acids for lotions and hair conditioners.
Our babies lose their roots, by being born away from their home. And
the afterbirth is not returned to Nature and not taken care of
properly. In the past times parents did not demand or ask anything
from the child. Instead they give to them to hold unto to them, they
did not overindulge. This helped the child to understand their
relationship and to express gratitude. Today our young children are
put in Day Cares, Headstart, and Kindergarten. They start a cycle of
structured schedules while a baby. The people-caretakers, and
teachers, are their connections to what they learn and how they
learn. At their home, they have videos, and television. These
influence the children. In todays society the encouragement of
educating the young people is not to go back to the past, but to
help them to return to their identification with their heritage. It
opens the possibilities for important roles in the involving modes
of life, which they consider for being who they are; Cheyenne, in
the world of today and tomorrow. As all Tribes of people we have met
challenges. Thru education we can observe and learn. Each Tribe is
unique and have their own beliefs. The spiritual energy of my
Cheyenne people helped them to survive and it brought them back to
our homeland here in the North. Every generation must have the
strength to fight for survival. The tools today are education. The
spiritual energy of Tribes involves not only prayer, but many
things. Beliefs-ceremonies, sacred convenents, death, honor songs,
birth, naming. No one can understand these beliefs unless he
understands something about his own beliefs and how he worships in
every day life. All Tribes have their own special ways. Individual
freedom, to feel good about what you do, physical fitness
cleanliness of mind and body. Today there are detrimental influences
that affect our sense of direction, alcohol and drugs are predators
to our young and old. Family pride and wisdom of Elders. Respect to
think highly of anything with good thoughts. Example; flag-
represents land-home eternity, existence, social functions-
traditional dances, games, visiting with one another. For anyone to
understand this, they have to have some of these within themselves.
There is so much inter relationship among people, and their
envoirnment, you can compare why it was told to respect Mother
Earth. and today, the Government has programs, grants for people to
farm or cut trees, build man made ponds, and lakes. Is this how the
Government takes care of the Mother Earth? To control it and not let
it take its course. They don't understand how important it is to let
things be natural. The Earth is our home, we are granted life and
how we live reflects our beliefs. This whole process of the Universe
and Earth have cycles. The Cheyenne Circles are system of related
parts and each part is governed by a spirit being. These spirits
understood the nature of the Universe and they know the techniques
that help the Universe produce for the good of mankind. The spirits
share their knowledge with humans if they are respectful. The
greatness of the Spirit, come not from their supernatural ability,
but rather from their wisdom. These spirits are not harmful, but
become offended if they are not treated properly. Sacrifices are
offered, such as food, water, and smoke from pipe. Today we have
many other influences, many different church denominations. Many of
our people go to these churches. It is ironic how each society
interprets their observation. When the first missionary came to our
country our Chiefs were concerned about the different teachings of
these white holy people. "I quote John Woodenlegs-Chief, Elder and
religious leader. He passed away several years ago, he liked to
relate this story of how the Cheyenne Council had to go into an all
night session to try to explain the devil and the concept of hell to
the Cheyenne people. This was during the time the Missionaries were
sent out to Christianize and civilize the Cheyenne people. So these
questions were at the forefront of Cheyenne minds. After extended
discussion the Chiefs Council sent out the word to the Cheyenne
people, that the devil was a fellow who came over on the boat with
Columbus. Further they were not to worry about hell, as it was a
place only for white people, not Cheyenne people." In those times,
the Indian people were already aware of the difference of Culture.
Because they had understanding and communication. There will always
be separation of people as long as we have different cultures. My
mother once told me, that with change we need to sacrifice, to
improve our lives and accept some things or ways we do not care for,
think of the Mother Earth, our home. When she is hurting and decides
to change, she doesn't give notice. Like an earth quake or a flood.
It is hard for people to accept change. If we have understanding and
spiritual energy within us, we can accept and adapt. We learn as we
go through life; we are like a tree, we have roots and should always
remember where we come from. Our life paths follow the many
branches, some might be weak and some are strong. The ones that lead
to good are what we should follow and take in the ways of life.
Communication is important, because it is like a map that enlightens
by expressing knowledge and information. One of the qualities that
was learned early in life was patience, it was to endure and
tolerate what might be an obstacle. Today we rely on schedules and
have time frames. We forget about patience and understanding. I once
heard an Elder state that, Time was not our enemy, when they say, "I
have time to kill"... Our traditions have always been an important
part of carrying on cultures. It is hard for Elders to read
information or attend public forums. Many of them still believe in
the old ways, when only the persons that have achieved have the
right to speak in public. It appears that they don't want to be
involved. The Elder people listen to speakers and ask questions if
they do attend. This is a part of the change that is hard for them
to accept. The Elders still rely on our traditions. Why were the
stories told? They were told because stories tell you how not to be.
Storytelling was a means of transmitting and maintaining important
knowledge, beliefs, traditions, and the ways of living that were
valued by the tribes. The children learned by listening to the story
teller. The stories that were told related to the way the people
lived, their whole environment, beliefs, history and their unwritten
laws. The moral stories relate to their total way of life. There
were certain Elders who told stories or about personal experiences.
We have children's story songs, like the boy's first hunting
experience. The song tells about how to hunt the rabbit, it is a
pretend hunting, compared to big game . Another song is the Skunk
song, it tells about how the skunk hunts for food all night and when
daylight comes, the skunk goes to bed with his striped cover. There
are hand motions with these songs.. By listening to the Elders, it
showed the children the importance of kinship and obligation the
maintenance of unity and harmony between nature and man. The
reliance on nature for what it offers (world around them) Knowing
right and wrong. Unity between people and nature through expression
of art, music and recreation the offering of thanks through
ceremonies. The story tellers have their own styles, and the stories
vary from one story teller to another. The stories carry messages
and transmit a core of values. Some of the differences that have
been positioned to compare oral and written traditions are. ORAL
WRITTEN interaction-face to face private reading and viewing
personal transmission impersonal-no interaction keen memories
presently silent actions, song, sign general choice of words care in
choice of word no moral application moral applicatoin change
stressed traditions and continuity stressed read once Oral
traditions was a conveyance to penetrate and make way for growth, to
encourage self reliance, ability to reason and comprehend. We have
to have understanding and communication to have our lives flow
evenly. In the old days the people belived everything came to them
in a circle. We do things in a cycle or follow the circle. Seasons
form a circle in their unchanging cycle. They always come back to
where they were, man, life is a circle, from, childhood to childhood
and so it is in everything where power moves and how everything
interrelates. If some how the Tribes would adopt Cultural Privacy
Protection. It might help keep the researchers away who do not have
the best interest of the ones they are writing about. With all the
new laws, there should be a law that applies. The ownership of
community knowledge is no longer respected. We have laws that open
avenues for research poachers. We also have our own people who
disregard traditional unwritten laws. These are the laws that tell
who owns what story, songs, dance, or ceremony. In the past, only
the owners practiced what belonged to them. Thru education we have
encouraged many to practice their ways, they also learn about their
own history. Without knowing about the "unwritten traditional laws".
Today we hear a group sing family songs, or someone doing another
family ceremony, or dance. In the past, a tribe suffered and
prospered as a unity. When hunting was good, everyone ate. When it
was bad, everyone suffered. Never was the Tribe over balanced
economically, so that half would always starve and half would
thrive. "In this sense all the trial members were equal". Today it
is everyone for themselves. Whatever our expectations are, they have
a great deal of influence on our approach to others. There are
always questions raised by people who are concerned about their
history. Who controls what is produced? For so many years, our
people lived without depending on written language. Oral culture was
an important part of daily life, age to age, mouth to mouth. The
Tribal languages ties people with their natural environment. Their
language defines a people. This is a connection to the past and
expression in the present. To look at laws that would apply for the
protection of exploiting, is like trying to sort out your thoughts
from your tribal language and transmitting them into another. I'm
getting confused trying to sort this out. Maybe it is a comparison
of thinking white American and Cheyenne knowing the difference
between resource and reference. One is living and the other written.