The Kainerehkowa Is Not The Great Law of Peace

Somewhere in our history it became common-place to refer to the Kainerehkowa as the "Great Law of Peace". It sounds benign enough but the fact is that it is wrong. Some expressions just don't translate well especially when a culture-specific concept is involved. The best literal translation would be; "a great good way". Doesn't sound quite as impressive as a "Great Law of Peace" now does it? The concept of a "law" and any variation of the word for "peace" is no where in the word. Our concept of a "good way" or a "good path" is tied to the image of a path worn through our lands by those that came before us. A path that served our people well and even if we strayed from that path, we could find our way back to it to right ourselves again. The differences between the concept of a law that must be followed and a path that has been constructed to make life easier is significant and should not be ignored. Dekanawida and Hiawentha did not make up or create the Kaianerehkowa from thin air. It came from those that came before them. They led us back to the path and made it clear to us that this Great Good Way should be maintained and used to ensure our peace and survival. It was never im-plied that certain areas of our Mother were forbidden to be traveled on; just that a path had been laid down by the feet of all our relatives that have come before us, should we ever find ourselves lost or troubled. The problem is not that we stray from the path but that we for-get our way back to it. This Kaianerehkowa is represented by the Hiawentha Wampum Belt and the words that were spoken into those wampums. They were to be repeated and discussed often enough so that we would always know how to get back on the right path.
Perhaps it was the best way to explain our ways to the white man that got us calling the Kaianerehkowa the Great Law of Peace. We have referred to it as our Constitution, our government and the greatest democracy the world has ever known. But it is much more and much less. The Kaianerehkowa did not dictate our lives. It was not law or set of laws to follow. It was not a standard to judge the lawful from the unlawful. The Kaianerehkowa uses nature and metaphors to create a timeless path or process to solve problems and address the issues of life. It is neither a bible nor is it all that defines us. It does not create governmental authority over the consent of the governed but rather establishes a natural process for people to govern themselves. It is more than a good path; it is a Great Good Way. - John Kane, Karhiio, Making A Visible Impact

The Long and Winding Trail

Because cigarettes have such a deservedly
unsympathetic role in modern society, it's no
wonder there is little support for any cigarette
retailers. Questions of fairness and free
enterprise fly out the window due to the simple
fact that cigarettes kill people. Even still,
Chief Harry Wallace is incredulous at the attack on the
Native American smoke trade for reasons
beyond the economic peril it places them in.
“They're the ones that turned a Native
American sacrament into a carcinogen,” he
says in disgust.
When America declared itself free,
indigenous people were herded like animals
onto isolated areas of the burgeoning nation.
Stretches of remote desert lands and parcels
nestled in the secluded woodland areas
became homesteads for Native Americans.
Their numbers were decimated and the
survivors were humiliated. Yet, in the
beginning, there was still food to eat and some
freedom to move about. But the influx just
kept coming.
Says Robert Odawi Porter: “Personally I don‟t think it
sunk in with our people that the usage of our
land was so severely restricted. We weren't
used to lines being drawn on a map.”
Over time, a sea of white faces pushed
deeper and deeper into the country—slowly at
first, then like a dam bursting, they rushed
through the forests and across the plains.
Pretty soon they were everywhere. They
brought machines and ushered in the Industrial
Revolution. Gradually, the skies turned
gray, the waters turned brown and the earth
lay fallow.
This part of the story took 400 years. The
next part took much less time.
Native Americans became like prison
inmates adapting to life on the “inside.” By
the mid-20th century the Native American
population living on reservation land was
among the poorest on Earth. The game was
long gone and the earth and seas were
poisoned. Fast food, low-wage jobs and
hustling were part of the daily routine. If you
stayed, you hustled. And you probably drank.
If you were a woman, there was a one-in-three
chance of being raped in your lifetime.
JC Seneca
This was life on “the res” and for many
tribes, it still is.
For the most part, reservations are rural ghettos,
forgotten wastelands with few opportunities
to get ahead. This concept of “getting
ahead” in America usually starts very simply.
Find a job. Buy a home. Take out a home equity
loan to start your business. As the business
grows, you have the option of paying off
that loan and securing business financing. But
this is precisely where the Indian economic
dream ends.
Because reservation land cannot be owned
by anyone, the land and any structure on it
cannot be leveraged. Put simply, if it cannot
be repossessed, you can't take out a loan on it.
Therefore, even the most industrious Indian
entrepreneur has been unable to tap into the
source of financing that is behind nearly every
great American story of growth and industry.
by Jed Morey, published in mavimag.com

Nurture Mother's Creatures

With tears running, O Great Spirit, my Grandfather-with tears running I must say now that the tree has never bloomed. Here at the center of the world where you took me when I was young and showed the goodness and the beauty and the strangeness of the greening earth, you have said that I should make the tree to bloom. It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives. Nourish it then, that it may leaf and bloom and fill with singing birds. Hear me not for myself but for my people; I am old. Hear me that they may once more go back into the sacred hoop and find the good red road, the shielding tree!

Black Elk - Oglala Sioux

Respect for Today

This is the beginning of a new day.
The Creator has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it - or use it for good,
but what I do today is important,
because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes,
this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place something that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, not loss;
good and not evil;
success, and not failure;
in order that I shall not regret the price others have paid for it.

- Unknown

Deskaheh at the League of Nations in Switzerland 1924

"I do hereby in his Majesty's name, authorize and permit the said Mohawk nation and such other of the Six Nations Indians as wish to settle in that quarter to take possession of and settle upon the banks of the river commonly called Ouse or Grand River...which them and their posterity are to enjoy forever."

Then he recited the tale of the broken pledge, the raid of the Royal Mounted Police, the rummaging of his own house, the building of the police barracks, the seizure of the sacred wampum. The story would be incredible without evidence, he said. but he had foreseen this and had the proofs with him. Then he lifted the lid of the suitcase and with care and reverence drew from within the old headed wampum on which might be read the sworn agreements of' white governments with his people. Speaking with deep feeling, translating these documents slowly and impressively, stopping now and then to make clear the meanings of the bead colors and of the representations of the symbols, he made his entranced listeners feel that this was not the narration of the grievances of a small racial unit, but the story of all minority peoples - the tragedy of every small nation that is a neighbor to a larger one. When he finished, there was a moment of silence - then a roar of a tremendous ovation. Thousands rose to their feet to cheer him and the great hall echoed and re-echoed with their applause. Straight, unsmiling, impassive, he waited until after many minutes the sound began to wane. Then, still expressionless he left the platform.

Before the end of 1924, the Speaker of the Six Nations Council had returned to the United States, a disillusioned and discouraged man. An exile from Canada and from the nation he thought he had failed, he found refuge with Clinton Rickard in the house of the benign old chief. There, by the Niagara River, which marks the Canadian boundary, he found that the people for whom he had fought did not think him a failure. From their northern homes in Grand River Land, they journeyed here to see him and assure him of their loyalty. Though his disheartening experience had weakened him physically, his spirit took fire from their words and with never-ending courage, he kept up his battle.

Now is the Time for Change

 

Native Americans and the US Government

The Great Binding Law of the Iroquois was the single most important model for the 1754 Albany Plan of Union, and later the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. It was the prime example of a successful noncoercive society with equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all its people. Their model significantly influenced the formation of the US constitution and also (to some degree) the models of Marx and communism. American history books usually place the creative intellect for our constitution with Jefferson, Franklin, Madison etc, when in fact many of their ideas were actually taken from the Great Binding Law. It wasn't an advanced western society influencing the Indians, rather the other way around. The US constitution enacted a representative form of democracy rather than the participatory one and over the course of several centuries, these representatives diverted most of the remaining Native American lands out of the hands of its original stewards. Many issues surrounding the now age old promises made to Native American's remain in bureaucratic quagmires to this day. Certainly an argument for how a centralized system of democratic government has the potential to be subverted by money and corporate influence. That influence is hyperactive today in the government's heavy involvement in institutions such as The World Bank, IMF and the GATT agreements; which sacrifice cultures & ecosystems around the globe for the enrichment of a small number of multinational corporations and individuals.
There is both wisdom and heart in many of the ways and philosophies of the original native american cultures (attributes in short supply in our material society). Not all are applicable in today's world, but many are and could be used to make changes to better this little planet.

For Mom

"Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World"

Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dreams that you dream of once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star, wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dare to, oh why, oh why can't I?
Well I see trees of green and red roses too,
I'll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Well I see skies of blue and clouds of white and the brightness of day
I like the dark and I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands saying,
How do you do?
They're really saying, I a..." I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more than we'll know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Someday I'll wish upon a star, wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dreams that you dare to, oh why, oh why can't I?

- EV Harburg/Harold Arlen

Natural Bridge Virginia

Though several natural bridges are known in this country, there is but one that is famous the world over, and that is the one which spans Clear Creek, Virginia—the remnant of a cave-roof, all the rest of the cavern having collapsed. It is two hundred and fifteen feet above the water, and is a solid mass of rock forty feet thick, one hundred feet wide, and ninety feet in span. Thomas Jefferson owned it; George Washington scaled its side and carved his name on the rock a foot higher than any one else. Here, too, came the youth who wanted to cut his name above Washington's, and who found, to his horror, when half-way up, that he must keep on, for he had left no resting-places for his feet at safe and reachable distances—who, therefore, climbed on and on, cutting handhold and foothold in the limestone until he reached the top, in a fainting state, his knife-blade worn to a stump. Here, too, in another tunnel of the cavern, flows Lost River, that all must return to, at some time, if they drink of it. Here, beneath the arch, is the dark stain, so like a flying eagle that the French officer who saw it during the Revolution augured from it a success for the united arms of the nations that used the eagle as their symbol.


The Mohegans knew this wonder of natural masonry, for to this point they were pursued by a hostile tribe, and on reaching the gulf found themselves on the edge of a precipice that was too steep at that point to descend. Behind them was the foe; before them, the chasm. At the suggestion of one of their medicine-men they joined in a prayer to the Great Spirit for deliverance, and when again they looked about them, there stood the bridge. Their women were hurried over; then, like so many Horatii, they formed across this dizzy highway and gave battle. Encouraged by the knowledge that they had a safe retreat in case of being overmastered, they fought with such heart that the enemy was defeated, and the grateful Mohegans named the place the Bridge of God.  - Charles M. Skinner, Myths and Legends of Our Own Land

Land

The Seventh Fire Prophecy

During the time of the seventh fire, A new people will emerge to retrace the footsteps of their ancestors in search of new ways to live in harmony with one another.

During this time of rebirth, humanity will find itself at a crossroads and will be given an opportunity to live a spiritual life rather than continue to be distracted by technologies.

It is believed we are now living in the time of the seventh fire, and few would deny that we are indeed at a crossroads.

To make it possible to light the eighth and final fire of peace and harmony.

The time to act is now.

The responsibility is ours.

Great Americans

The great Chief Joseph died broken-spirited and broken-hearted. He did not hate the whites, for there was nothing small about him, and when he laid down his weapons he would not fight on with his mind. But he was profoundly disappointed in the claims of a Christian civilization. I call him great because he was simple and honest. Without education or special training he demonstrated his ability to lead and to fight when justice demanded. He outgeneraled the best and most experienced commanders in the army of the United States, although their troops were well provisioned, well armed, and above all unencumbered. He was great finally, because he never boasted of his remarkable feat. I am proud of him, because he was a true American.
- Charles A Eastman on Chief Joseph

Respect Your Enemy

The future leader was still a very young man when he joined a war party against the Utes. Having pushed eagerly forward on the trail, he found himself far in advance of his companions as night came on, and at the same time rain began to fall heavily. Among the scattered scrub pines, the lone warrior found a natural cave, and after a hasty examination, he decided to shelter there for the night.
Scarcely had he rolled himself in his blanket when he heard a slight rustling at the entrance, as if some creature were preparing to share his retreat. It was pitch dark. He could see nothing, but judged that it must be either a man or a grizzly. There was not room to draw a bow. It must be between knife and knife, or between knife and claws, he said to himself.
The intruder made no search but quietly lay down in the opposite corner of the cave. Red Cloud remained perfectly still, scarcely breathing, his hand upon his knife. Hour after hour he lay broad awake, while many thoughts passed through his brain. Suddenly, without warning, he sneezed, and instantly a strong man sprang to a sitting posture opposite. The first gray of morning was creeping into their rocky den, and behold! a Ute hunter sat before him.
Desperate as the situation appeared, it was not without a grim humor. Neither could afford to take his eyes from the other’s; the tension was great, till at last a smile wavered over the expressionless face of the Ute. Red Cloud answered the smile, and in that instant a treaty of peace was born between them.
“Put your knife in its sheath. I shall do so also, and we will smoke together,” signed Red Cloud. The other assented gladly, and they ratified thus the truce which assured to each a safe return to his friends. Having finished their smoke, they shook hands and separated. Neither had given the other any information. Red Cloud returned to his party and told his story, adding that he had divulged nothing and had nothing to report. Some were inclined to censure him for not fighting, but he was sustained by a majority of the warriors, who commended his self-restraint. In a day or two they discovered the main camp of the enemy and fought a remarkable battle, in which Red Cloud especially distinguished himself. - Charles Eastman, Santee Sioux, from Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains

Stories of Indian Heroes

"The sweeping valleys were dotted with herds, both large and small, of 
buffalo and elk, and now and then we caught a glimpse of a coyote slinking 
into the gulches, returning from night hunting to sleep. While intently 
watching some moving body at a distance, we could not yet tell whether of 
men or animals, I heard a faint noise behind me and slowly turned my head. 
Behold! a grizzly bear sneaking up on all fours and almost ready to 
spring!  

"'Run!' I yelled into the ear of my companion, and we both leaped to our 
feet in a second. 'Separate! separate!' he shouted, and as we did so, the 
bear chose me for his meat. I ran downhill as fast as I could, but he was 
gaining. 'Dodge around a tree!' screamed Young-Man-Afraid. I took a deep 
breath and made a last spurt, desperately circling the first tree I came 
to. As the ground was steep just there, I turned a somersault one way and 
the bear the other. I picked myself up in time to climb the tree, and was 
fairly out of reach when he gathered himself together and came at me more 
furiously than ever, holding in one paw the shreds of my breechcloth, for 
in the fall he had just scratched my back and cut my belt in two, and 
carried off my only garment for a trophy!  

"My friend was well up another tree and laughing heartily at my 
predicament, and when the bear saw that he could not get at either of us 
he reluctantly departed, after I had politely addressed him and promised 
to make an offering to his spirit on my safe return. I don't think I ever 
had a narrower escape," he concluded.  

CHARLES EASTMAN, AMERICAN HORSE CHAPTER X, Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains

World of Hate

John 15:18: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19: If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20: Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21: But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22: If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23: He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24: If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25: But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26: But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.- Jesus

Wolf Clan

 

CLAN AND FAMILY STRUCTURE

The Iroquois tribes were organized into eight clans, which were grouped in two moieties: Wolf, Bear, Beaver, and Turtle; and Deer, Snipe, Heron, and Hawk. In ancient times, intermarriage was not allowed within each four-clan group, but eventually intermarriage was only forbidden within each clan. Tribal affiliation did not affect clan membership; for example, all Wolf clan members were considered to be blood relatives, regardless of whether they were members of the Mohawk, Seneca, or other Iroquois tribes. At birth, each person became a member of the clan of his or her mother.
Within a tribe, each clan was led by the clan mother, who was usually the oldest woman in the group. In consultation with the other women, the clan mother chose one or more men to serve as clan chiefs. Each chief was appointed for life but the clan mother and her advisors could remove him from office for poor behavior or dereliction of duty.

Read more: Iroquois Confederacy - History, Relations with non-native americans, Key issues, Acculturation and assimilation, Traditional culture http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Iroquois-Confederacy.html#ixzz0qRji4GpR

Sovereign North American Citizens

The Iroquois see themselves as a sovereign nation, not as merely another ethnic group within the United States population, and gaining further recognition of that status is a major objective. They have asserted their position in interesting ways. For example, when the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, the

Iroquois Confederacy issued its own independent declaration and claimed status as an allied nation in the war effort. In 1949 a Haudenosaunee delegation attended groundbreaking ceremonies for the United Nations building in New York City. Iroquois statesmen and athlete suse Haudenosaunee passports as they travel around the world.
Protecting the land is another priority. Since the 1940s, the Haudenosaunee have been involved in land issues involving projects as varied as the Kenzua Dam project, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the Niagara Power Plant. After New York state attempted to condemn a portion of the Seneca's land for use in building a highway, a federal court ruled in the 1970s

Read more: Iroquois Confederacy - History, Relations with non-native americans, Key issues, Acculturation and assimilation, Traditional culture http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Iroquois-Confederacy.html#ixzz0qMe9sn00

Spiritual Happiness

"It is not enough that man be just happy in the flesh, but he must also be happy and joyous in spirit. For without spiritual happiness and rapture, life is shallow. Without seeking the things of the Spirit, life is half lived and empty. And by spiritual life I do not mean just setting aside one hour of one day of one week for worship, but to seek the things of the spirit every moment of every day. I ask you, then: What did these people do to seek spiritual enlightenment and rapture? Did they just give in to a life that was little more than work? They were given a choice every day of their lives-as you will be given a choice to seek the rapture of the Spirit or to resign yourselves to a life of meaningless work. The end result is always the same: forgotten graves and forgotten dreams of forgotten people. It is not important that anyone notice or remember, but that you work to touch God and affect in a positive way the consciousness of the Spirit-that-moves-in-all-things, thus bringing the consciousness of man closer to the Creator." - Grandfather

Crazy Horse

 

Crazy Horse
We Hear what you say
One earth one mother
One does not sell the earth
The people walk upon
We are the land
How do we sell our mother
How do we sell the stars
How do we sell the air
Crazy Horse
We hear what you say

Too many people
Standing their ground
Standing the wrong ground
Predators face he possessed a race
Possession a war that doesn't end
Children of god feed on children of earth
Days people don't care for people
These days are the hardest
Material fields material harvest
decoration on chains that binds
Mirrors gold the people lose their minds
Crazy Horse
We Hear what you say
One earth one mother
One does not sell the earth
The people walk upon
We are the land
Today is now and then
Dream smokes touch the clouds
On a day when death didn't die
Real world time tricks shadows lie
Red white perception deception
Predator tries civilising us
But the tribes will not go without return
Genetic light from the other side
A song from the heart our hearts to give
The wild days the glory days live

Crazy Horse
We Hear what you say
One earth one mother
One does not sell the earth
The people walk upon
We are the land
How do we sell our mother
How do we sell the stars
How do we sell the air

Crazy Horse
We hear what you say
Crazy Horse
We hear what you say
We are the seventh generation
We are the seventh generation

- John Trudell

American Indian Athlete

"Here and there, there are some people who are supremely endowed. My memory goes back to Jim Thorpe. He never practiced in his life, and he could do anything better than any other football player I ever saw." - Dwight Eisenhower

The History of Storytelling

Because we are old, it may be thought that the memory of things may be lost with us, who have not, like you, the art of preserving it by committing all transactions to writing.

We nevertheless have methods of transmitting from father to son an account of all these things. You will find the remembrance of them is faithfully preserved, and our succeeding generations are made acquainted with what has passed, that it may not be forgot as long as the earth remains.

Kanickhungo - Treaty negotiations with Six Nations

Grandfather, Aba, Great Spirit, Yahweh, Creator, God, Johovah...

Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you — the two-leggeds, the four-leggeds, the wings of the air and all green things that live. You have set the powers of the four quarters to cross each other. The good road and the road of difficulties you have made to cross; and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in and day out, forever, you are the life of things. - Black Elk, Oglala Lakota Holy Man

True Peace

The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka , and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this. The second peace is that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which is made between two nations. But above all you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men. - Black Elk, Holy Man, Oglala Lakota

Walking the Talk

                    It is said that those who walk in oneness with Creator are people of few words.  We understand that we have nothing to prove and are not living in a state of lack.  Creator provides all its children with everything we need.  These needs are being fulfilled even before we have the presence of mind to ask.  Nothing exists beyond the realm of Creator or Great Mystery.   This is why in the Seneca Tradition; all ceremonies are based first and foremost on thanksgiving.  Walking in thankfulness is a way of being; a way if understanding the great love Creator has for all of us.  It is an essential part of this tradition to remember our oneness with Creator.  

  If we forget, our Elders remind us for they have had many life experiences that have guided them home to this Sacred Unity Within.  There is no separation between Creator and ourselves, only the one we imagine is there.  The truth is that all creature beings, we included, are equally as valuable and important in the eyes of Creator.  This is why we speak of them as our family.  We say that they are all our relations and we give thanks for their wisdom.  It is only humankind that has forgotten our true identity.  When we bring our questions to Creator and ask for guidance, or the best way to live every day, we are walking as one with Creator.  When we follow our inner guidance through our unity with Creator, our actions become blessed with wisdom.  Our thoughts, words and actions become infused with truth.  Each action is carefully laid out, step by step, for the health and well being of the next seven generations.  In this way we walk our talk and fulfill Creators’ Dream of Peace. 

Published in Koraal Magazine, a Journal of Indian Shamanism, Vol. 5, First Quarter 2000 Pg12 DA NA HO Lee Nitsch

Spiritual Belief

  

Some years ago, a good man...came to us.  He talked me out of my old faith; and after a while, thinking that he must know more of these matters than an ignorant Indian, I joined his church and became a Methodist.  After a while, he went away, another man came and talked, and I became a Baptist; then another came and talked and I became a Presbyterian. 

  Now another one has come, and wants me to be an Episcopalian... All these people tell different stories, and each wants me to believe that his special way is the only way to be good and save my soul.  I have about made up my mind that either they all lie, or that they don't know any more about it than I did at the first.  I have always believed in the Great Spirit, and worshipped  him in my own way.  These people don't seem to want to change my belief in the Great Spirit, but to change my way of talking to him. - Chief Lewis Downing, Cherokee