Sustainable WNC

Dear Relatives,

Gratitude to our 4-legged relatives
With your soft warm fur
And your sometimes stubby, sometimes sinuous furred tails
Furry ears
Long pink tongues
Finely chiseled, gleaming, white teeth
And your handsomely crafted paws
You know who you are

You are a gift of the ancestors
You are the essential link to the 7th generation
7 generations behind us
And 7 generations in front of us

You are this present moment
Being born
Decaying
Right now

Gratitude is more powerful than anger
Deeper rooted than fear
Don’t worry about what you may lose
Gratitude is what we choose

When we look in the mirror
Who do we see?
The faces of our 4-legged relatives
Happy being free?

With abundant Love and Bear Hugs,
Paul

“My Paw is Sacred.
The Medicinal Herbs are abundant.
My Paw is Sacred.
All things are Sacred.”
— Lakota Bear Healing Song, Frances Densmore, 1918, Teton
Sioux Music, 264

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

Dear Relatives,

Our Elders tell us that the purpose of life is
To be grateful to learn,
To be grateful to grow,
To be grateful to serve,
To be grateful to give thanks.

And to enjoy a good belly laugh along the way!

And to be grateful to dissolve.
Completely.

With much Happiness, Love and Peace,
Paul

“We each have 4 tools with which to reconnect with ourselves, our
brothers and sisters, and with this Divine and Harmonious Universe:
Our Good Thoughts
Our Good Feelings
Our Good Words, and
Our Good Deeds.” — Ted Williams, Tuscarora Elder

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

Dear Relatives,

Please see message below.
Much Love and Gratitude,
Paul

“We are all part of the great cycles of things.
And so magnificent and harmonious is this universe, it’s still a great mystery.”
— from the Prelude to the Thanksgiving Address,
Ted Williams, Tuscarora Elder

A Seneca Praise

O Great Mystery, we awake
To another sun
Grateful for the gifts bestowed
Granted one by one —
Grateful for the greatest gift
The precious breath of life;
Grateful for abilities
That guide us day and night
As we walk our chosen paths
Of lessons we must learn —
Spiritual peace and happiness
Rewards of life we earn.
Thank you for your Spiritual Strength
And for our thoughts to praise;
Thank you for your Infinite Love
That guides us through these days.

— Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, Seneca Elder

Grandmother Twylah Nitsch - An elder of the Seneca nation, Grandmother Twylah is the founder and leader of the Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge, an international organization that promotes the Native teachings of her ancestors. A 1999 recipient of the Living Treasures Heritage Award, she writes books and lectures around the world. Her Seneca name, Ya-weh-node, means “She Whose Voice Rides the Four Winds.”

“Seneca people gauge accomplishment by where we are on our Earthwalk, how we’ve developed our natural potentials and shared our gifts. Our elders know we’re ready to move forward by the questions we ask. There is no criticism or praise, there is only movement through the labyrinth of experience until we remember Who we really are.”
To learn more about the life and work of Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, please contact: www.wolfclanteachinglodge.org

A Seneca elder and a member of the Wolf Clan, Twylah Nitsch did not begin sharing the sacred teachings and traditions of her people until she was in her seventies. Today she lectures widely, using her Seneca name, Yehwehnode, “she whose voice rides the wind.” She is often told by her audience how perfectly she exemplifies the sacred wisdom that develops in elderhood for those who seek it. Inner guidance comes to her through a precise experience in the solar plexus, an actual sense of movement occurring there. The following excerpt is from The Feminine Face of God, by Sherry Ruth Anderson and Patricia Hopkins.

Digging a Hole Big Enough to Sit In

by Twylah Nitsch (New York, 1920 - 2007)

I must have been under five when I spent one whole summer day digging a hole with a large spoon in the side of a bank near our house. I had to dig and dig because the ground was so full of roots and my goal was to make a hole big enough to sit in - like a cave. And that took a lot of hard work. Digging through all those roots was tough.
What I remember most about the experience is something my grandmother said. “When you take the dirt out, make sure you have a place for it,” she cautioned me, “because the dirt is used to being in that particular place, and it is at home there. Don’t take anything that is part of something and just scatter it around. Remember you are disturbing the home of the worms and the insects. You are moving them out of the place where they have been living, and you need to make sure that they are happy about where you are taking them.” So I would scoop the dirt into a little basket I had and take it around to various spots. “Is this where you would like to be?” I’d ask. And if the answer was yes, I would leave it. Otherwise, I’d pick up my basket, go to another spot, and ask again.
When I had finally made the hold deep enough to sit in, I would crawl in there and listen. I could hear the earth talking.

Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:34:12 -0400
From: 2137bvitale@…
Subject: Grandma Twylah Nitsch
To: 2137bvitale@…

This morning I received a call from Robin Seneca she told me that Twylah Nitsch had dropped her robes, and made her final walk at seven this morning. You may pass the information on to those who you think my wish to know about her passing.

It was so strange that the other day I sent out an article that I came across in my files about Twylah Nitsch to some of the people who I thought my have known her or may have read her teachings. She was in my mind so strong these past few months and I felt we had connected on some higher level. The other night she came to me in dream time happy and laughing as she use to when we were all together. She was known by many and touched the hearts with her teachings. For me she was my friend and helped me through some difficult times in my life. Without her encouragement I would not have found my path.
May her spirit help us all from the other side and in our remembering of her may her teachings live on. If you had the honor of meeting her you will remember her wonderful sense of humor and the wisdom she spoke to us all.
Mitakuye Oyasin on the passing of yet another Wisdom Keeper.
Waynonaha Two Worlds

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

THE DALAI LAMA ON THE ENVIRONMENT — AN ETHICAL APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

“HUMANITY AND ECOLOGY”

Peace and the survival of life on earth as we know it are threatened by human activities that lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and natural resources results from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earth’s living things.

This lack of respect extends even to the earth’s human descendants, the future generations who will inherit a vastly degraded planet if world peace does not become a reality, and if destruction of the natural environment continues at the present rate.

Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we know is the case only if we care for it.

It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past which resulted from ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information; it is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and what we will pass on to coming generations.

Clearly this is a pivotal generation. Global communication is possible, yet confrontations more often than meaningful dialogues for peace take place.

Our marvels of science and technology are matched if not outweighed by many current tragedies, including human starvation in some parts of the world, and extinction of other life forms.

Exploration of outer space takes place at the same time as the earth’s own oceans, seas, and fresh-water areas grow increasingly polluted, and their life forms are still largely unknown or misunderstood.

Many of the earth’s habitats, animals, plants, insects and even micro-organisms that we know to be rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability and the responsibility to ace; we must do so before it is too late.

Just as we should cultivate gentle and peaceful relations with our fellow human beings, we should also extend that same kind of attitude towards the natural environment. Morally speaking, we should be concerned for our whole environment.

This, however, is not just a question of morality or ethics, but a question of our own survival. For this generation and for future generations, the environment is very important. If we exploit the environment in extreme ways, we will suffer, as will our future generations. When the environment changes, the climatic condition also changes. When the climate changes dramatically, the economy and many other things change. Our physical health will be greatly affected. Again, conservation is not merely a question of morality, but a question of our own survival.

Therefore, in order to achieve more effective environmental protection and conservation, internal balance within the human being himself or herself is essential. The negligence of the environment, which has resulted in great harm to the human community, resulted from our ignorance of the very special importance of the environment. We must now help people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people that conservation directly aids our survival.

If you must be selfish, then be wise and not narrow-minded in your selfishness. The key point lies in the sense of universal responsibility. That is the real source of strength, the real source of happiness. If we exploit everything available, such as trees, water and minerals, and if we don’t plan for our next generation, for the future, then we’re at fault, aren’t we? However, if we have a genuine sense of universal responsibility as our central motivation, then our relations with the environment, and with all our neighbours, will be well balanced.

Ultimately, the decision to save the environment must come from the human heart. The key point is a call for a genuine sense of universal responsibility that is based on love, compassion and clear awareness.

(From “Humanity and Ecology”, © 1988, The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

hhdl.dharmakara.net/hhdlspeech.html

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

The Vision of Elder William Commanda to Create

“A CIRCLE OF ALL NATIONS: A CULTURE OF PEACE”

This difficult age we live in was foreseen by spiritual visionaries across the world. My ancestors warned us about the years of struggle that would lead us to a crossroad and to the choices we would be called upon to make at the turn of the century. This vision was inscribed in the sacred Seven Fires Prophecy Wampum Shell Belt in the late 1400s.

The Seven Fires Prophecy holds a vision for a future where we:

HONOUR OUR RELATIONSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY TO MOTHER EARTH AND ALL CREATION,

CELEBRATE OUR INDIVIDUAL GIFTS AND DIVERSITY, AND STILL

RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT OUR PLACE WITHIN A CIRCLE OF ALL NATIONS
The steps to this future are few:

FIRST WE LOOK WITHIN, SO WE KNOW OURSELVES BEST. WE RECOGNIZE, ACKNOWLEDGE AND FORGIVE OURSELVES OUR SHORTCOMINGS AND ANY FAILIURE TO ACHIEVE OUR BEST POTENTIAL

WE FORGIVE OTHERS FOR ANY HARDSHIP AND PAIN THEY MAY HAVE CAUSED US AND OUR COMMUNITIES; WE TRUST THAT THIS ENERGY WILL TRANSFORM THEM SPIRITUALLY

WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR THOUGHTS, WORDS AND ACTIONS AFFECT OURSELVES, MOTHER EARTH AND ALL CREATION, AND WE EMBRACE PEACE MINDFULLY

WE LISTEN TO OUR MINDS BUT WE TRUST OUR HEARTS ABOVE ALL
This path will lead us to love, sharing, respect, responsibility, compassion, healing, justice and reconciliation.

It is of crucial importance that the people of the world:

RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO THE PLIGHT OF THE MANY OPPRESSED BY EXPLOITATION, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, RACISM AND WAR;

ANIMATE THE HUMAN CAPACITY FOR FORGIVENESS, COMPASSION, LOVE AND RECONCILIATION; AND

CREATE A GLOBAL SYNERGY TO ENSURE THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE LIVES OF ALL
We shall then light the Eighth Fire together and we will become:

“A CIRCLE OF ALL NATIONS: A CULTURE OF PEACE”

circleofallnations.com/

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

Dear Relatives,

This is a most extraordinary and powerful document.
Be prepared for great inspiration and upliftment!
If anyone has seen the BBC documentary or read Alan Ereira’s book, “Message from the Heart of the World: The Elder
Brother’s Warning “, please read on!
Read on even if you haven’t heard of this one!
The Kogi are a most spiritually attuned group of indigenous people
who’ve successfully resisted being dominated by colonialists.
You may hear echoes of HH the Dalai Lama or the Native American elders
Ted Williams or Grandma Bertha Grove or Sara Smith or William Commanda or Black
Elk in their words!
Perhaps the Kogi along with other indigenous peoples could recreate the overall United Nations?
Wow! Talk about ecological consciousness and spiritual consciousness in the same breath!
May it be so!
“And let it begin with me, and let it begin with me.”
— Ted Williams, Tuscarora Elder
In gratitude for All Our Relations!
–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

Message Delivered by the Mamas Koguis To the Shamanic and
Ecological Association of Colombia

INDIAN PEOPLES AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The same sun illumines us
Your need is my need
Both of us feel thirst
Both of us need shelter
Both of us feel hunger
Let us be done with our individualisms
and think of the collective need

I. TERRITORY AND ENVIRONMENT

Territory is a space designated by the spiritual parents before
the material existence of the universe. It is the place wherein the
spiritual laws and principles that keep balance are consecrated. The
fulfillment of these laws and responsibilities ensures the
preservation of the natural order.

The sacred character of territory justifies the right of
indigenous peoples to complete autonomy in managing our territory.
Reserves, protected areas, and natural parks have been conserved by
our communities, and nothing should be superimposed upon them.

The right of indigenous people to freedom of determination
regarding our ancestral territory — our archeological legacy, our
sacred sites, and the spaces that hold our cultural tradition, on the
surface and under the ground and even in the air — is essential to
maintaining the cosmic vision of our territory. Any decision about
programs and projects in these territories must be determined by
indigenous peoples themselves.

We urge governments and other entities to recognize our rights
regarding natural resources, biodiversity, and the traditional
knowledge associated with these things. This will prevent the
realization of actions in indigenous territories that do not have the
approval of the communities.

II. ECOLOGY

We make an urgent call to governments and to all sectors of the
planet that they take firm actions regarding these emergency matters,
that they do not continue with the models of excessive production,
and that they return to the natural law of using only those resources
that are necessary for the maintenance of the human species.

Humanity needs to re-establish its original relations with the
laws of Mother Nature. For this reason, taking Agenda 21 signed at
the Rio de Janeiro convention to be presently the most representative
document of a global character for the preservation of the
environment, we call for the swift direct application of effective
action. We reaffirm, as recognized in Agenda 21 that a cause of the
present problems of the planet is the focus on technological
development. The indigenous concept of development is based on
Original Law, which tells us we should receive the fruits of Mother
Earth with an attitude of gratefulness rather than of exploitation.
A change of attitude about misunderstood development is urgent. We
urge a halt, a pause on the road, in order to reflect and make
decisions with more wisdom.

We send a call to governments and scientists all over the planet
for an awakening of consciousness and humanity, since we are now in a
critical moment, a time of decay in which humanity can make the
decision for life or for extinction. We make a special invitation
to the scientific community and to multinationals to work in concert
to reformulate the model of development.

Nevertheless, in our experience we have witnessed a preoccupation
with taking economic advantage of our traditional knowledge. We ask
that respect for our peoples be demonstrated by not using our culture
and tradition for commercial purposes. Our stay on this planet must
not be used for commercial or special interests. For this reason, it
is important to guarantee the protection, and to denounce and control
the violations associated with patents and brand names, of our
knowledge, sacred objects, symbols, names, and biogenetic resources.

OUR ORIGINAL LAW TELLS US IN PRINCIPLE THAT EACH ELEMENT
OF THE NATURAL WORLD HAS ITS RESPONSIBLE MOTHER OR FATHER,
AND THEREFORE NO ONE CAN BE ITS MASTER.

In order to continue our work to conserve the environment and to
repair affected ecosystems, it is necessary to strengthen our peoples
and to facilitate the organization and recuperation of our ancestral
territories, especially sacred sites and the so-called archaological
sites. For example, in Guatemala, there exist approximately 68,480
places that are today occupied by construction, and in Colombia, an
important sacred site, Teyuna — miscalled the “Lost City” — is
today dedicated to tourist exploitation.

If we may be permitted, we ask that the white man fulfill his own
Original Law: the tablets of Moses. End the spirit of domination
over other nations and reduce the exploitation of the natural
world. What our ancestors left us is for the purpose of generating
life, while the inventions of man are made only for facilitating our
activities, or even for domination, subjugation, and finishing off.
This is why we ask you to reflect on the results of the invention of
the great machines. We see that they have destroyed the Earth, the
air, the water, and even human life itself. It has become impossible
to reestablish the natural course of natural phenomena, and human
beings find ourselves condemned to live in a world of suffering and
desperation.

III. EDUCATION

Education must be a tool to teach human beings the principles and
responsibilities to function in and maintain the natural order. It
is critical for survival that the present system, focused on the
material, must change, because it generates ethical values that are
contrary to Original Law. The natural vision sees that the true
function and responsibility of humanity is to maintain the balance of
the world.

We ask that the educational system reform ancestral knowledge in
accordance with Original Law. Thus the white man can significantly
reduce the technological advances that degrade Mother Earth, and he
can begin to transmit and strengthen the fundamental spiritual
principle of respect and care of Nature, and construct harmonious
forms of development and living together.

IV. SELF-DETERMINATION

We invite international organizations and all the governments of
the world to value our traditional knowledge and our system of living
together; to conserve our territorial rights; and to make use of
our forms of administration in the use and conservation of natural
resources and biodiversity.

In order to strengthen the participation of Indian peoples in the
world agenda, so that we may take part in the great decisions of the
planet, [we propose the creation of] a representative organism of
international character, with its representatives designated by
traditional indigenous authorities and its function based on Original
Law. This organism would be a means of interchange with bilateral and
multilateral organizations, and through it we could participate in
Agenda 21. It could strengthen our local communities and the unity
of indigenous people.

In order to fulfill our self-determination, we ask the United
Nations, in the context of the International Decade of the Indigenous
Peoples of the World, to publicize to the world the sacred message of
the Original Law sent by our traditional authorities.

V. PEACE

They pulled off our leaves,
They took off our branches,
They cut our trunk,
But they couldn’t touch our roots,
And from there our strength returns.

We the Indian peoples, out of our thousands of years of
existence, offer to the discussion of peace in Colombia our
conviction that Peace cannot exist without the Original Law. The
ability of different sectors of Colombian society to live in peace
depends directly upon the concept of living in community under norms
of sustainable life.

It is urgent to work for peace, not just a peace written on
treaties, but a real peace born of a new state of consciousness about
life — a peace not only among human beings but also in our relation
with the natural world. Otherwise there may be peace among human
beings, but there will be no survivors.

For us, peace means not simply the absence of war. Peace is a
form of acting, of knowing, of creating, of listening, of thinking,
of speaking, and of living in harmony with nature and its laws.
Peace comes from within us, and it can be experienced only by the
capacity of the heart to remain open, serene, and free of fear. Each
person projects upon the world the peace or the discord that he or
she has within. We cannot create peace in the world if we are in
conflict spiritually, with hatreds, doubts, angers, or fears.

May all arise, may not even one or two groups remain behind. For
we are all brothers, like fingers on a hand. May the dawn come, may
the aurora arrive, may all people have Peace and be happy. Now is
the time that this work be finished.

May they play the great melodies,
May they play the small melodies,
May my dancers be set loose,
May my prisoners be set free.
They are my valleys, they are my mountains.

We, the Indians who have reunited in UMUMUKUNU (Sierra Nevada de
Santa Marta), declare ourselves to be the guardians of peace in all
of our territories; and though we have diverse tongues, cosmovisions,
and cultural and spiritual practices, we have one single Original Law.

Asociación Chamánica y Ecológica de Colombia.
Personería Jurídica 1388
Spreading and supporting the knowledge of the Peoples and cultures
of Pachamama [Mother Earth]

Happy Interdependence Day!

For All

Ah to be alive
on a mid-September morn
fording a stream
barefoot, pants rolled up,
holding boots, pack on,
sunshine, ice in the shallows,
northern rockies.

Rustle and shimmer of icy creek waters
stones turn underfoot, small and hard as toes
cold nose dripping
singing inside
creek music, heart music,
smell of sun on gravel.

I pledge allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the soil
of Turtle Island,
and to the beings who thereon dwell
one ecosystem
in diversity
under the sun
With joyful interpenetration for all.

– Gary Snyder

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

Dear Relatives,

In honor of the Fullness of Grandmother Moon!

Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations
Delivered October 25, 1985 by Leon Shenandoah, Tadodaho, Haudenosaunee

Listen to the words of the Creator given to the first United Nations — the Haudenosaunee –
over 1,000 years ago.

“The Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee shall be mentors of the people for all time. The
thickness of their skins shall be seven spans, which is to say that they shall be proof
against anger, offensive action, and criticism. Their hearts shall be full of peace and good
will, and their minds full of a yearning for the welfare of the people. With endless patience,
they shall carry out their duty. Their firmness shall be tempered with a tenderness for their
people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodging in their minds, and all their words and
actions shall be marked by calm deliberation.

In every nation there are wise and good people. These should be appointed Chiefs. They
should be the advisors of their people and work for the good of all the people, and their
power comes from the “Great Peace.” A chief must never forget the Creator of mankind,
never forget to ask the Creator for help. The Creator will guide our thoughts and
strengthen us as we work to be faithful to our sacred trust and restore harmony among all
peoples, all living creatures, and Mother Earth.

We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show a great respect for all the
beings of this earth. In our ways spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics.
When people cease to respect and express gratitude for these many things, then all life will
be destroyed, and human life on this planet will come to an end.

These are our times and responsibilities. Every human being has a sacred duty to protect
the welfare of our Mother Earth, from whom all life comes. In order to do this we must
recognize the enemy — the one within us. We must begin with ourselves.

We must live in harmony with the Natural World and recognize that excessive exploitation
can only lead to our own destruction. We cannot trade the welfare of our future
generations for profit now. We must abide by the Natural Law or be victims of its ultimate
reality.

We must stand together, the four sacred colors of humans, as the one family we are, in the
interest of peace.

We must abolish nuclear and conventional weapons of war.

When warriors are leaders, then you will have war. We must raise leaders of peace.

We must unite the religions of the world as the spiritual force strong enough to prevail in
peace.

It is no longer good enough to cry, “Peace.” We must act peace, live peace, and march in
peace in alliance with the people of the world.

We are the spiritual energy that is thousands times stronger than nuclear energy. Our
energy in the combined will of all people with the spirit of the Natural World, to be of one
body, one heart and one mind for peace.

We propose, as a resolution for peace, that October 24th be designated as a Day of Peace,
and a world cease-fire take place in honor of our children and the Seventh Generation to
come.”

And may it be so!

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

Dear Relatives,

Greetings for the Summer Solstice!
Gratitude and Blessings!
Love and Bear Hugs,
Paul

Thanksgiving Prayer

“To be a human being is an honor, and we
offer thanksgiving for all the gifts of life.
Mother Earth, we thank you for giving us everything we need.

Thank you, deep blue waters around Mother Earth,
for you are the force that takes thirst away from all living things.

We give thanks to green grasses that feel so good against our
bare feet, for the cool beauty you bring to Mother Earth’s floor.

Thank you, good foods from Mother Earth, our life sustainers, for
making us happy when we are hungry.

Fruits and berries, we thank you for your color and sweetness.

We are all thankful to good medicine herbs, for healing us when we are sick.

Thank you, all the animals in the world, for keeping the precious
forests clean.

All the trees in the world, we are thankful for the shade and
warmth you give us.

Thank you, all the birds in the world, for singing your
beautiful songs for all to enjoy.

We give thanks to you, gentle Four Winds, for bringing clean
air for us to breathe from the four directions.

Thank you, Grandfather Thunder Beings, for bringing rains to
help all living things grow.

Elder Brother Sun, we send thanks for shining your light
and warming Mother Earth.

We give you thanks, twinkling stars, for making the night sky
so beautiful and for sprinkling morning dew drops on the plants.

Spirit Protectors of our past and present, we thank you for showing us ways
to live in peace and harmony with one another.

And most of all, thank you, Great Spirit, for giving us all these wonderful
gifts, so we will be happy and healthy every day and every night.”

– Chief Jake Swamp, Mohawk

Ohenton Karihwatehkwen Teiethinonwaratonhkhwa
We Give Them Thanks

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org

Dear Relatives,

The Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN) and the Sustainable WNC community continue to provide opportunities for too often-unheard voices to reach the community at large, and for this generosity and kindness we are ever grateful.
In the spirit of bringing some of these voices back into our consciousness again, we offer this:

CONVERSATION OF FOUR ELEMENTS

The following was read and submitted to The Wisdom of the First Nations: A Partnership for a Sustainable Future, a meeting held in the Indian Treaty Room of the Old Executive Office Building in Washington D.C. on Oct. 3, 1994. This meeting was the first ever meeting between Senior Whitehouse Officials and spiritual leaders of Indian Nations not arranged by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal Governments.

William Commanda is Keeper of the Sacred Wampum Belts of the Algonquin Nation.

Conversation of Four Elements

Greetings,

Elders, Spiritual Leaders, Ada Deer, Katy McGinty, Jim Pipkin, Brothers, Sisters, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We of the Algonquin First Nations wish to express our sincere gratitude for the special invitation to be with you today.

May we work together with one mind, one heart and one Spirit as we reveal the Truth, the reality of our modern day situation!

We would like to share with you the Sacred Instructions from the Creator to the people of this Earth.

It was mentioned at that time that there was a sacred gift given to our non-native people (white race), the gift of the fire element, known as technology.

As we examine the history, this is obviously the truth. In the beginning, weapons were formed as tools for survival. As the years went by, advanced inventions were created of many kinds for survival!

As these inventions were created the meaning of honour and respect was neglected, thus forming a damaging effect on this planet that we all know today. This caused pollution to the planet, fire, water, air, that is out of control.

This is known as abuse to Mother Earth and to the other three elements mentioned above.

People with modern technology today build missiles with Uranium. This is a dangerous area to be involved in. When Uranium is mined it causes a disastrous and destructive effect not only to people, but to creation, whose effect lasts for countless generations. It causes radioactive contamination of the land, poisons the water and air.

We hope that this information given will be considered and taken seriously. Action must be taken soon so further contamination of Uranium will be stopped to the earth and its creation.

We as a people acknowledge and appreciate the positive benefits of modern technology that has created computers and useful modern communications systems.

Progress has always been a goal for our non-native people.
But with progress there is greed and competition. If continued, this progress will destroy our Mother Earth and its Creation.

Let us not wait any longer. Let us work with common ground and begin to work together to do what can be done to conserve and protect our lives, our childrens’ lives, and all life. So Mother Earth can begin to heal, as we heal, together with one mind, one heart, one Spirit and
one Prayer.

Healing Process

The direction towards the Healing Process is Recognition.

Acceptance towards this Recognition is important.

Motivation towards this Acceptance is the Key to the door-way of this Healing Process.

When Change comes into effect then Healing can begin.

Forgiveness is the Key to the awakening of the true meaning of Love and Understanding.

We begin to accept values that are so important to all life.

As we accumulate values, we begin to have balance and harmony with ourselves, with others, with all life, and with our Mother Earth.

We must begin to work from the Heart, not from the Brain.
Everything is centered from the Heart.

It is the work from the Heart that will bring us as a people to learn the necessary survival skills.
This is the urgent need of our modern society.

The Sacred Instructions given by the Creator to Native people at the time of Creation were as follows:

A. To Take Care of Mother Earth and the other 3 colors of Man.

B. To Respect this Mother Earth and Creation.

C. To Honour All life, and to support that Honour.

D. To be Grateful from the heart for All life.

It is through life that there is Survival.

Thank the Creator at All times for All life.

E. To Love and express that love.

F. To be Humble. Humility is the gift of wisdom and understanding.

G. Kindness. To be Kind with one-self and with others.

H. Sharing. The Sharing of feelings and personal concerns and commitments.

I. Honesty. To be Honest with one-self and with others.

To be Responsible for those Sacred Instructions and to administer those Instructions to other Nations.

We of the Algonquin Nations believe this to be the direction to follow for all mankind because there is a urgent need for Spirituality.

Through Spirituality, we as a people will begin to learn how to Care, Respect, Love and Honour one another with Humility as a people.

As we follow this Spiritual direction, Mother Earth may begin to heal and as she heals, she may Survive as a result. Only then will she truly be able to continue to exercise her responsibility as She was originally created.

Submitted by Spiritual Elder William Commanda and Helper Frank Decontie.

William Commanda
RR3 Pitobig Mikan
Maniwaki, Quebec
Canada, J9E3B1

From www.ratical.org/ratville/future/william.html

WILLIAM COMMANDA - ELDER

William Commanda is the most senior Elder of the Algonquin Nation of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (River Desert Band), Quebec. He is now best known for sharing his spiritual beliefs and teachings of equality, harmony among peoples and respect for Mother Earth. He urges people to achieve a better balance between their priorities, values and responsibilities and to seek reconciliation and peace.

Commanda was born in 1913 in Kitigan Zibi, near Maniwaki, Quebec. Like his great-grandfather Chief Pakinawatik, he is also a keeper of several Algonquin wampum belts which are records of prophecies and historical treaties. Commanda is one of relatively few Elders in North America who hold their Nations’ traditional prophecies and oral histories.

As a young man, Commanda worked as a trapper and guide. He became widely known for his unequaled skill in building traditional Algonquin birchbark canoes. His political awareness began in 1945, with his involvement in the North American Indian Nation government movement. For 19 years, he held the position of Chief of his Band, starting in 1951.

Commanda began teaching about the messages of the wampum belts in 1987 at the fourth First Ministers Conference on inherent rights and self-government for Aboriginal people. He was invited in 1990 to provide a traditional blessing of the Canadian Human Rights Monument in Ottawa (on traditional Algonquin territory) with the Dalai Lama. In 1998, Elder Commanda participated in a ceremony at which he presented then South African President Nelson Mandela with an eagle feather on behalf of the First Nations of Canada.

That same year, Commanda organized “Elders Without Borders,” a gathering of Aboriginal Elders and spiritual leaders from both North and South America. Over the last 20 years, he has made presentations and performed the traditional pipe ceremonies at both Canadian and international conferences in Switzerland, France, Germany, Denmark, the United States, Mexico and Japan, in addition to participating at the United Nations and the World Council of Churches.

In November 1998, Elder Commanda was presented with the Wolf Award for his contributions to racial harmony and cross-cultural teachings.

from www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ks/3062_e.html

–
Paul Gallimore, Director
Long Branch Environmental Education Center
POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748
Tel. 828.683.3662
Fax: 828.683.9211
Email: paul@longbrancheec.org
Web Site: www.LongBrancheec.org
www.paul.sustainablewnc.org