About Native Americans

Native Americans is a term that should be used in a general way like, Asians, Europeans or Middle Eastern etc. It is a geographical term not racially indicative of the inhabitants. Over 500 Nations make up the North American Indians as a group. So, to say something is “Native American” can be misleading and or used by unscrupulous people to make money for themselves. This is NOT the way of our cultures and traditions.

We rarely use the term “Native Americans”, except to refer to our People in general. Usually we refer to our family and homeland to indicate our Nation or tribe. Over 500 Nations, divided into who knows how many tribes, clans, families or groups being referred to as if they are one is rediculous, as is claiming all our different customs are the same or can be inter-spersed somehow with anothers. That would be like mixing some ceremonies etc from faiths such as Hindu, Catholic, Muslim and a little Witchcraft for good measure, and try to pass it off as being “multi-faith based”. Ceremonies in a Catholic Church are conducted in Latin, Hebrew in a Synagogue, Arabic in a Mosque, yet, Native American ones are done by WHITES in English and yet ALWAYS in OUR Tribal specific language by OUR Elders. The use of mostly “self taught”or invented Native American Tribal ceremonies by foreigners is disrespectful to our collective cultures and an insult to the integrity of the Elders of our tribes entrusted with this ancient sacred knowledge. What you read in a book or see in a movie is not even near the truth. WE DO NOT PAY TO PRAY. The way most foreigners who disrespect our culture behave, is akin in our eyes to someone performing the Catholic Church ceremony of Holy Communion with a can of Pepsi and a bag of potato Crisps.WE DO NOT trade or sell our beliefs. They are all we have left. We will not give them away to anyone but our Children.We have seen what has been done to the rest of our cultural traditions and beliefs why would we surrender the last we have.

Ceremonies that are sacred to each of us are either personal or involve the wel-being of the tribe. These ceremonies have been handed down since time began and are taught by the Elders to preserve OUR culture for OUR children. We have neither reason nor need to share these secret things with anyone outside our own tribe or family, not even with another Native tribe, and definitely not with someone of another culture. Anyone claiming to have been taught these sacred and secret things would have been born into or inducted into the relevent tribe and taught each thing by a different person over a period of many years. These persons all have names and families and an address. If someone claims to have been taught by an Elder, ask the Elders name and address and if you are unsure, contact them to confirm the teacher knows the person. Unless they are of Native blood or have “some-one to speak for them”as we say, think about what they are implying and asking you to believe and to pay them for. Remember also U.S. visa regulations would prohibit them being there long enough to learn much anyway.

Native American Spirit Guides seem to be popular these days. Ancient Indians who come to bring wisdom and happiness to people with no Native ancestory, yet they seem to ignor the plight of their own decendants. The People would be delighted to hear the words of their old ones again, and teach them how to be happy too. I have even had one person tell me his “Native American Spirit Guide”MAY NOT HAVE BEEN BORN IN EARTHLY FORM.”How then I ask, could this thing possibly be “Native American” when it was never born in North America??? It is also curious that some claim to have been Native Americans in “past lives” yet cant remember the tribe, their name, the language, where or even when they lived, yet remember being a Chief or some other entity of seeming importance. A pity, as their decendants would love to talk with them.

The trouble with this scenario is that I am not aware of any tribe that believes in an after-life as Westerners picture it. Most have a belief that we are born, we live, we try to be the best person we can be then we die. What westerners refer to as our “spirits” are no more than our memories of our dead ones and their good deeds. “In the Spirit of Crazy Horse”is not to be taken literally as his spirit riding around today. But he is remembered in the wisdom and courage he showed his People when he was alive. We become a “spirit” to our decendants as WE remember the lives of our passed ones and their deeds. Like “wanting to be like him”rather than him actually “living” in some other world or place. They only live in our hearts as inspiration.

This is the same as with our concept of animal spirits. Animals are just like us. They are born they live they die. What is mistakenly thought of as animal worship is nothing like it. What we are doing is looking at the characteristics of the animal, and if they are honorable and worthy then we try to adopt these characteristics (Animal Spirit) to make us better humans. For instance, my belief is that the Wolf displays courage, tenacity and the willingness to give of itself for the good of others. As, if the pack has pups and is threatened by a predator, one will stay and fight until the others have the pups safe then they will return to help. Should the first wolf die then it was meant to be, but the future generation is safe. A worthy atribute in any life form. So, this is why I hold the wolf in such high regard and was honored to be gifted the name “She-wolfs Brother”, Wahya Udoi (Wahya = Wolf, Udoi = Her brother). Other animals and birds are used in this way to teach us to attain peace within ourselves. This is mostly done thru meditation and relaxation whilst thinking of what we need to do to change our lives for the better. The animals have no power over anything but themselves, just as we don’t, unless someone surrenders their will to another thereby GIVING that person control and ”power” over them. This is nothing to do with Native Americans.It is all about MONEY, POWER, EGO AND GREED. We have no desire to control anyone or anything other than ourselves, either in mind body or spirit .As this is the basis of our ancient cultures it is not for sale at any price.

Aisv nvwadohiyado (Walk in Peace)

Wahya Udoi.
Chicamauga Cherokee
. Spirit People of America.

#0403040041.