Clipmarks | MetisCougar's clips

Women Elders

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:13:37 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar
clipper's remarks: The women is the stable part of life, treat women with respect and love. They are the true leaders of man.
Cougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

Our often unrecognized, but most powerful teachers are our women. In order for men to learn a balanced way, we need to learn from our men Elders and our women Elders. Learning from the women Elders will teach us a whole different set of values and insights to life. When we have life problems, we need to go to the grandmothers to get their advice.

--Mary One Spot, SARCEE

Learning

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:04:34 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar
clipper's remarks: The young have been weened on the easy ways of life, to live and learn the old ways do not interest them, unless they can gain some thing to make life easier for them.

Life is not easier and will only get harder, life as we know it today will not last and it will be to late for the younger generation as the knowledge of our Elders will be lost to time.
Cougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

We are at a critical time in transferring cultural knowledge, spiritual ways. During the last few years the young people have not been interested in learning the old ways. The only place this knowledge is found is among the Elders. We must encourage the young to visit with the Elders. The adults need to think also about learning the culture. The Elders are getting old and soon will go to the other side. Each of us must pause and think about our individual responsibility to learn the culture and teach this to our young.

"The old people must start talking and the young people must start listening."

Indigenous People

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:15:26 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar
clipper's remarks: The brand, Indian was placed upon us by the Spanish and has carried on since that time.

This alone clouds our heritage.

Cougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"There are many people who could claim and learn from their Indian ancestry, but because of the fear their parents and grandparents knew, because of past and present prejudice against Indian people, that part of their heritage is clouded or denied."

--Joseph Bruchac, ABENAKI

Walk in prayer

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:03:27 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar
clipper's remarks: The most amazing walk you will ever have is your walk with the Creator as your best friend.
Cougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW

Have you ever tried going through your day and carrying on a conversation with the Creator? Many of our Elders live in prayer. They talk to the Creator like the Creator is their best friend. It is easiest to do this if we pray in the morning and ask the Great Spirit to direct our thinking. When the Creator in involved in guiding our lives, we will have less stress, anxiety and tension. Maybe this is something we would like to try today. "Oh, Creator, look at the Sun, how beautiful you have made it. Oh, look at this child, isn't she just beautiful! Well, Creator, I'm not sure how I should do this task, what do you think? This person is starting to irritate me; I need your help to redirect my thinking. Thanks for returning me to a peaceful mind." Remember, the Creator also has a sense of humor.

Grandfather, Grandmother, let me walk in prayer.

Sacred Lands

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:10:57 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

Every part of this country is sacred to my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hallowed by some fond memory or some sad experience of my tribe. Even the rocks, which seem to lie dumb as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore in solemn grandeur thrill with memories of past events connected with the fate of my people

---Chief Seattle, SUQUAMISH

Native people say the Earth is sacred. Some places on Earth will feel more sacred than others. You can often feel the sacredness of these places because of what has happened on them. If you do a ceremony on a certain place and return later, whatever happened before will still be there to help you. Even if someone you didn't know did something on the Earth and you come along later, the powers will be there to help you. This is why the Earth is sacred and these special places are sacred spots.

My Creator, let the powers of the sacred places help the people today.

Spiritual Law

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:51:37 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"If there is a shadow of a doubt someplace, that will cause a weakness."

--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

In the Spiritual World there is a spiritual Law. The Law says like attracts like. This means whatever mental picture we hold inside our minds we will attract from the Universe. To make this Law work we must maintain a constant picture. If we picture or vision something, and along with this picture we have doubting thoughts, our vision will not happen and we will get EXACTLY what we picture or vision. The Law always works. A doubting vision will not materialize what we want. A vision without doubt will always happen. This is a spiritual Law.

My Maker, today, let my vision become strong.

Awareness

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:06:33 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar
clipper's remarks: Mankind always strives to become more than he is, some using the Creator to gain influence over others, while others allowing the Creator to guide them for what they seek. As long as some use the Creator for self gain, mankind will never live in harmony as one.
Cougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"It is not through the great skill of the hunter himself that success is achieved, but through the hunter's awareness of his place in Creation and his relationship to all things."

--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW

If only the human being could understand the power of proper relationships, the need for power and control could be abandoned. It's not what is going on that matters, but how we look at what is going on. It's our relationship to it that counts. Nothing in the world has any meaning except the meaning we give to it. To be more effective at this, we need to consider our relationship with the Creator. Our relationship to the Great Spirit determines how we will perceive the meanings we put to places, people, institutions and things. We need to let the Creator tell us and guide our thoughts about these relationships. Any relationship that we have that is causing problems means we need to pray for a new point of view.

Creator, let me see the world and the people through your eyes.

Tags: wisdom, elders, creator, great spirit, truth

The Land

Thu, 29 May 2008 10:08:04 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"The land is a sacred trust held in common for the benefit of the future of our nations."

--Haida Gwaii - Traditional Circle of Elders

The Creator made the Earth to support life so that life would continue to reproduce, everything would support one another, and future generations would have the same benefits of supply and beauty as the generations the proceeded them. This cycle will only continue to the degree that we make choices and decisions for the future generations. Today, we are too greedy and selfish. We are cheating our children, grandchildren and the children unborn.

Creator, let me see the consequences of my decisions, and show me how to make healthy corrections.

The Spirit World

Tue, 27 May 2008 11:07:51 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"One of the things the old people taught me about the spirits was to never have a doubt."

--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

The spirit world is sometimes hard to believe in because we can't see it. Out minds convince us to seek proof for everything. We need to believe that the Unseen World exists and the Unseen World is guided by principles, laws and values. If we have doubts, we can pray to the Great Spirit to remove the doubt. He understands how difficult it can be sometimes, so He's always ready to help us during our doubtful times. We are lucky to have such an understanding and helpful Father.

Great Spirit, today, divorce me from doubt.

Time

Sat, 24 May 2008 19:52:05 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"...in Tunkashila, there is no time. Everything moves in the blink of an eye. It's as fast as thought. So there is no speed there. There is no time in between."

--Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA

There is a relationship between thought and reality. Every thought is alive, and as soon as you think it a result occurs immediately. However, to make something happen it may take a series of 1,000 thoughts before you can actually see it with your eyes. This occurs because the Laws of the Great Spirit act immediately. When you tell a lie, you immediately experience fear. When you tell the truth, you immediately experience freedom. To the Creator, there is no time. For us to experience the meaning of this requires us to act on faith. Faith is belief without evidence.

Great Spirit, today, let me act on my faith.

Boundaries

Thu, 22 May 2008 23:44:34 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"The earth was created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was... The country was made without lines of demarcation, and it is no man's business to divide it..."

--Chief Joseph, NEZ PERCE

There is danger when we start to draw lines and boundaries. This is true whether outside ourselves or inside ourselves. The danger is losing sight of the interconnectedness. When we lose sight of interconnectedness, separation, possessiveness (this is mine, I can do what I want) and infighting results. Even at an individual level, if we don't believe we are connected to all things we get self-centered and have self-seeking motives. We must think in harmony, balance and integrity. We must see our relationship to the great whole and conduct ourselves accordingly.

Great Spirit, today, let me think beyond boundaries.

Vision's

Thu, 22 May 2008 05:01:48 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar
clipper's remarks: Visions are not common, some never have them no matter how much they wish for them, some visions can be easy to intemperate, while others take time. Myself, I am still working on my vision from 1996, very hard to understand some of it.
Cougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"A vision could put you on a path you don't want to follow."

--Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA

There is a saying, "You move toward and become like that which you think about." If we keep thinking about a bad thing, we will move in that direction. If we think about fear in some area of our life, we will probably experience this fear. We move toward and become like that which we think about. If we think about secret things, these secret things will come to pass. Our visions are very powerful. Visions determine our direction, our lives. If you think about lustful things, it's a matter of time before you'll be wrestling with it. We should think about our visions to make sure they include the Great Spirit in every area.

Great Spirit, today, give me Your vision to follow.

Tags: wisdom, vision, elders

Absolute

Wed, 21 May 2008 05:51:27 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar
clipper's remarks: Metis Wisdom

Clip Source: www.agt.net

GREAT EVENTS SELDOM OCCUR IN TRUTH.
THE ONLY KNOWN ABSOLUTE IS THAT HISTORY IS NEITHER STATIC NOR ACCURATE.
GENEALOGY RECORDS THE PLAYERS IN HISTORY.
'Story telling is the wisdom of history'

"To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to be ever a child" - Cicero
Every family has a skeleton in their genealogy, why not begin your search?

Ceremonies

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:04:19 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"...the sacred ceremonies given to us by the Creator are the Heart of our existence. These ceremonies are our first duty."

--Traditional Circle of Elders. NORTHERN CHEYENNE

Hidden in the ceremonies are many truths, many principles, many guidelines for living— our access to the Unseen World, healing and visions. Because the Indian People didn't have schools or books, the Great Spirit gave us Ceremonies. The ceremonies are handed down from generation to generation to learn their meaning. Today, many Indian People live in cities or urban areas where it's hard to learn the ceremonies. We need to go to the Elders and learn the ceremonies so we can pass them on to our children.

Great Spirit, teach me the Secrets of the Ceremonies.

Pray to the East

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:07:53 GMT

clipped by: MetisCougar

Clip Source: webmail.canada.com

"To be able to greet the sun with the sounds from all of Nature is a great blessing, and it helps us to remember Who is the real provider of all of our benefits."

--Thomas Yellowtail, CROW

The Elders say we should pray to the East every morning. Just try it! Get up early in the morning, watch the sun and listen to the morning sounds, the birds, the winds; smell the air, feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun. Your mid will expand and you will experience oneness with the Great Spirit. You'll realize who is really in charge. You'll realize an interconnectedness. You'll realize how much the Creator loves you! Just try it!

Great Spirit, today, let me feel the Earth, the Father Sun and your presence.