A tree is an image of the life. It grows. If he is badly, he heals himself. If it is exhausted, he died.
A tree reflects the life. It changes itself. When changes, he restores himself ...and the same always remains.
A tree gives life. He is steady. He grants lives, but its own remains without reduction.
Trees give me everything, everything that I need. I do not have to give anything to the tree …as my praise singing.
When I look at a tree, thus I remember that:
The apple tree can my hunger satisfy, the maple can delete my thirst, the spruce can heal my wounds and cuts, the bark of the birch can form my home ....and can form my canoe and my receptacles, that the skin of the birch the pictures to take up, which I paint, the fruits of the grapevine can my feathers give color. the Hickory bends itself to my bow ...and the wood of the cherry tree becomes the shank of the arrow.
The fern can bed my body for my sleep, the lime tree can form the doll for my daughter, the ash, my snow shoe, can carry me over the snow, the tobacco can carry my prayers to God, The sweet grass can fulfill my tepee with smell, the root of the evergreen can hold my carriage and my boat together, stub and branch can warm my Tepee, the rose and the daisies can warm up the soul of the woman, the leaves in the wind can open my spirit.
The elder says, "Kitche Manitu (our Creator) have create the world in a certain order. First the material world, the sun, moon, earth and stars; afterwards the plant world, the trees, flowers, grasses and fruits.
Thus in former times there were the plants and the animals bevor the Anishnabeg (Ojibwa). They could exist alone; they were not dependent for their life or well-being issued on other natures.
Aho ~u-ne-ga-wa-ya~ (Whitewolfe)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tse-tsehese-staestse
Tse-tsehese-staestse is what the Cheyenne call themselves. The word Cheyenne was believed to come from the French word chien for dog. The French traders called these people this because of the famous dog soldiers of the Cheyenne nation. This is erroneous. The now accepted etymology of the word Cheyenne is that it is the anglicized word Shyhela, which is Sioux.
The Cheyenne people are the most western branch of the Algonquian people. They originally came from the great lakes area. There are many theories about why the Cheyenne moved from the great lakes area. Most of them involve competition in the area with the Ojibwe, Ree, and Mandan.
They originally lived as sedentary farmers in northeastern Minnesota, from which they began migrating westward in the late 1600s; they later settled along the Cheyenne River of North Dakota. Dislodged ca.1770, they gradually moved southwestward; when encountered (1804) by the Lewis and Clark expedition, they were living as nomadic buffalo-hunters in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Religiously, the Cheyenne were guided to the plains area by MaheÛo. They also were sent a prophet named Sweet Medicine who helped organize themselves, and developed a code to live by. He gave them their first sacred item - the four sacred arrows. It was at this point the Cheyenne became a powerful force to be reckoned with. Their hunting territory extended from the Platte River to what is now eastern Montana. A southern group also had hunting grounds around the Arkansas River. Another group of people known as the Sohtaio also joined the Cheyenne. It is said that these two groups of people were one day fighting, when the Cheyenne overheard the Sohtaio speak amongst themselves. To their surprise, they could understand the people. Peace was quickly pursued and these people have lived with the Cheyenne ever since.
The Ojibwe People have always honored the physical world: the sun, the earth, the moon, and the stars, as well as other natural wonders, such as lightning and thunder. The most important of these are the sun and the earth.
The sun, which is often referred to as "Grandfather Sun," is typically associated with the male and fatherhood. Similarly, the female and motherhood are associated with "Mother Earth." Ojibwe traditional beliefs teach us that just as men and women are very different, so are the sun and the earth. To put it very simply, the sun puts life into all things and the earth sustains all life. As always in the Ojibwe tradition, all natural beings are intertwined, so whether you are talking about the man and the woman, or the sun and the earth, it is important to remember that one cannot give or sustain life without the other.
The Ojibwe believe that the natural elements and the human experience are also interconnected. Take for example the daily occurrence of dawn and dusk. Each day, with the rising of the sun, a human being is given a new day just as the flowers open and the animals stir with life. In the same way, when the sun sets, all life rests: animals, plants and humans go back to sleep. The Ojibwe People thank the Great Creator every day for giving them life.
Another connection between human experience and nature is the concept of ownership. Ojibwe tradition says that no man can own his mother, and no man can own the earth. But, just as a mother grows old and must be taken care of by her children, so must Mother Earth be taken care of by her inhabitants, or children.
As you can see, Ojibwe beliefs are rich with explanations about the secrets of life. These are just explanations - the Ojibwe People do not believe that they have solved the mystery of our universe or the Great Creator, for it is that unsolved mystery which is the beauty of life.
People sometimes hear about Indian Elders and wonder, what is the role of Elders in Ojibwe life? A big part is teaching and giving advice.
Elders have been through life. We know what it’s going to be. We know what you have to do in order to survive.
One thing that is very important for Elders to do is to teach the customs that were taught to us by our grandparents. From our ancestors comes wisdom. The things my gramma told me are the things my children and grandchildren need to learn, too.
Elders pass along information about the Ojibwe culture, such as why we use tobacco in our ceremonies, why we go to drum feasts, or why we have naming ceremonies.
We teach our children and grandchildren about the different ways our People have lived and the things we do. For example, in the fall, the Ojibwe traditionally go out to harvest wild rice. I taught my daughters and my sons what they’re supposed to do when they go ricing, and hopefully they will pass that knowledge on to their children.
Elders also teach about hunting, fishing and berry picking. We teach that whatever you do, you shouldn’t be greedy. Take what you need and leave some for someone else and for the Great Spirit as well, so he can give us some more rice or game or fish or berries next year.
It is also an Ojibwe custom to help others and take care of them. When folks used to leave their homes and go somewhere for a while, they would leave a little food on the table in case someone who was hungry came by.
All the old customs are what have kept our People going over the years, so Elders try to make sure those customs are carried on. It’s knowing all these things that have kept me going, and that will keep my children and grandchildren safe and strong.
We also give advice on how to live, how to get along, and how to help those who are unable to help themselves. I give advice to my children, my grandchildren, and whoever else will listen. I’ve got oodles and oodles of relatives – grandsons, granddaughters, nieces and nephews. I tell them don’t try to be better than someone else. You’re just as good as anybody else, but you’re not better than anyone else, either.
Most of us Elders are this way. We want our People to have good lives after we go, so we try to be a good role model for them now so they will live right.
A mixed blood ethnic race of people who are of aboriginal American heritage, with European and/or African Heritage.
The Me'tis people of today are a combination of various races who derive from aboriginal American Indian ancestry. The Me'tis people vary from each other in respect to religious beliefs, traditions, and tribal culture. The reasons make no difference as long as it brings you closer to your Creator.
The Me'tis are the product of European Immigrants and/or African slaves, and North American aboriginal peoples. The Me'tis government was formed in 1869 by Louis Riel. Through many battles and many years, the Me'tis fought to protect their land rights, preserve Native traditions, and prevent further encroachment of white settlers. The Me'tis Nations civil rights are enshrined in the Canadian Constitution alongside the First Nation and Inuit peoples Bill of Rights. These are the ONLY THREE nations recognized by the Canadian government.
The United States government does not yet fully recognize the Me'tis Nation. However, with over 30 Million Me'tis, and the full support of the Canadian government, who does recognize the Me'tis, our time is now! The Me'tis Nation of the United States is a rapidly growing nation of people governed by the Me'tis National Council. In 1997, the Me'tis Nation was formed under the guidance of the Canadian Me'tis Council. The Me'tis of the United States bases their constitution on the Canadian Me'tis Constitution.
The Me'tis people have become a distinct race of people in the North American Continent. Today there are approximately 30 million Me'tis people in the United States, alone. The full bloods who reside on reservation land often have difficulty accepting Me'tis for a variety of reasons, some of which are because of laws imposed upon reservations for rations, money, or land. The Whites have difficulty accepting Me'tis because of our Indian blood and thus, considered us "savages" like our cousins, the full bloods. The Me'tis are tired of being "outcasts", or being ashamed of their Indian bloodlines. We are fighting for our rights to exist in this country as a People who are proud of their Unique Heritage!
Ich denke es ist an der Zeit, einen deutschen Blog über mein natives Denken zu eröffnen, ich spüre das dies Sinn macht, und das auch einige Menschen zuhören oder lesen.
Ich bin ganz ehrlich! Ich hatte fast das Vertrauen zu den Deutschen verloren, aber es bringt nichts sich in ein Schneckenhaus zu verkriechen .......
Ich stehe zu dem was ich bin, Ich bin Ich
I think now it is the right time, to open a German Blog about my native thinking, I feel now to make sence, and some people listen or read.
I`am now absolute honest! I lost almost my trust to all Germans, but I think it is not so good to creep away in a snail shell.....
Please visit also a friendly page from me, wonderful handicrafts you find.....
Its for me important to support native american artists
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Interesting coverage of Eskimo Inuit art and Native American Indian art as well as news from aboriginal art producing communities. This blog has both RSS and Atom feeds for your convenience. http://inuitnativeart.blogspot.com/
