March / April 2007

Hau kola na tiyospaye (Hello friends & extended family),

Welcome to all new Circle members! Each section of the Circle of Nations newsletter is written 'facing' one of the four sacred winds, beginning with the east, then the south, west and finally the north. This is to honor the old ways. It is to teach and to help us to focus and find the center. I have designed the Native Circle website in the same spirit. I welcome you all to the Circle....

EAST - Wiyohinyanpata - Yellow (Four Winds)
The power of true humility....
What is humility? True humility, balanced humility, can be tricky to define. You see, there are other ‘states of being’ which can often be mistaken for humility. For instance, someone with a low self esteem, may appear to be contrite or humble, when in fact they are just unhappy with themselves and perhaps a little fearful of life and their place in it. Guilt can also resemble humility, when in fact it is more closely related to embarrassment and regret. And there are other human dispositions which can look like humility, but are not. You see, true humility is a state of being unto itself. It is a place of peace, acceptance and honesty. It is the gift given by experience and the balanced perspective and wisdom that comes with that experience. It is not easily realized in today’s world, though the pathways which lead to it are everywhere. The problem is that it is getting more and more difficult for many to see these pathways. Western society is inundated with messages about satisfying our physical desires and hungers. We are told we have to look a certain way, dress a certain way, drive a certain car, live in a certain house, earn a certain amount of money, and so on. In short, we are told over and over and over that appearances are what matter, and little if any thought is given to the substance and content of our character. It was not always this way....

Tacunke Witko (Crazy Horse) was a man whose name obscured the true nature of the man. Tacunke Witko was quiet. He was gentle, soft spoken and shy. But most of all, he was a powerful example of true humility. He was not a fiery orator or a man of great eloquence. He was not flashy or showy. He kept to himself, and in his day to day life, was quite a common man. What made him a legend was not how he looked, how he dressed or any possession. None of these things make a man great. What makes a man truly great, is action - what he does when he is needed by the people. Sometimes that means doing nothing. And sometimes it means doing everything. Always, it means being willing to sacrifice yourself for the well-being of all. And this, interestingly, is the very definition of true humility. It is the ability to see that you are not more important than any living creature, great or small, but that you are only here to serve the greater good of the whole. It is the wisdom and power that comes from selflessness, and from a willingness to give of oneself with no need or want for attention, accolades or praise. This is humility, and Tacunke Witko was the embodiment of it during his time on this earth.

Humility cannot be achieved. It cannot be bought or sold. It cannot be faked. It is difficult to be ‘partly’ humble. You kind of have to be all the way humble for it to really be humility. Humility is a condition of the human spirit which allows us to have an awareness of our true place in this world. Being humble does not mean we shouldn’t reach for our dreams. And having some success, or some nice possessions does not mean you cannot be humble. But being truly humble does mean that none of these things define you. They are not who you are. Being humble means that if it all was gone tomorrow, you would still be you. It can be hard to imagine being without our possessions, but remember, this is how we all came into this world, and it is how we will all leave it. Your possessions are not you. Even your body is only a mirror of your true self. The real you is much deeper and more wonderful than even you can imagine. You see, humility is the flower that blooms deep in the forest where no one will ever see it. And yet it blooms, opens its colors and petals to the sun and gives its gift to its little circle of the world, and then dies. This is the essence and the irony of humility. Those who have it, never know it. And those who say they have it, never have it. May you never know it....


SOUTH - Itokagata - Red (Red Earth)
A word from Peggy....

Hello all
Hurrah!! The Redbuds are blooming in Northwest Arkansas, dogwoods are just around the corner. If you want to see something extraordinary, something beautiful and wow, you need to see Eureka Springs in the Spring. April 1st is a good bet to see it all in bloom. I get so happy this time of year, the earth is renewing and saying life goes on!!
This fall and winter were kind to me, with the birth of two new grandsons, a trip to Disneyland and for John, the Daytona 500. Life is full of those wonderful moments. It is a good thing because pieced in between those moments are lots of other stresses, tragedy and pain. Suddenly hot flashes comes to mind.... probably because mine have turned from flashes to continual annoyances. Nothing prepares us for these changes in our lives whatever stage we are going thru. Having a new baby can be so awesome, but the stress, the lack of sleep and the responsibility is unbelievable. Each stage of our lives requires strength and faith. The redbuds and dogwoods, the prairies, oceans, and mountains are all natural vitamins to help us sustain a sense of hope and joy in a world of unpredictable occurrences. I have a thing about birds. The cardinal is a reminder to me of God’s love, the blue jay, a reminder of joy, the hawk a reminder of strong medicine, the blue bird a reminder of humility. Each one of my winged friends teach me a little something. This is simply life. Some days are diamonds some days are stones, as John Denver says in one of his songs. Breathe in each breath of fresh Spring air. Taste each lick of a chocolate ice cream cone. Hold your loved ones a little longer and be thankful. Remember things can always get worse and they can always get better... and they will!
Daffodils Rule!!
love ya all,
Peace,
Peggy
Red Earth


WEST - Wiyohpeyata - Black or Blue (We are STILL Here!)
Say more, speak less....
When I was young, my Grandfather told me that if I was talking I was not listening, and if I was not listening I was not learning, and if I was not learning, I would end up stupid! Needless to say, I learned not to talk much around Grandpa! And thankfully so, because I learned more from him in just a handful of years than I learned from 13 years of public schooling. I want to tell you about a difference between euro-American/western ways of communication, and First Nations Indigenous American Indian ways....

In today’s society, there is a term called ‘conversation’ which defines when two or more people speak with one another. What this usually means is that one person gets a word or two in, then the next person, and then the next, and it goes back and forth very quickly, with each person getting little more than a sentence or two ‘in edgewise’ before another is chiming in. Interrupting is not uncommon in this form of communication, and is only frowned upon when it is excessive. To most Indian people, this sounds like everyone is talking at once! Now, in the Indian way I have grown up with and witnessed throughout my life, there is a very different way of communicating. I call it ‘a sharing of complete thoughts, one person at a time.’ I have heard of some Indian cultures using what is now known as a ‘talking stick’ to achieve this. How it works is as follows: After a period of silence, (which, by the way, is not considered abnormal), one person begins to speak. Nobody speaks or interrupts until this person finishes sharing their entire thought, however long that takes. Then there is a long, silent pause, and another person then begins to speak. Again, no one speaks or interrupts, and so on. Also, I have noticed that the speech patterns are different with Indian people as well. We Indian people tend to be okay with pausing to think before we speak. Many (not all!) non Indians seem to be a bit uncomfortable with that silence for some reason. I have found this to be true whenever I have done phone interviews. Often, when I have paused to consider what I might say, the interviewer will break the moment of silence for some reason or another. This disparity between the two communication styles can be problematic because sometimes, Indian people, who are not always comfortable interrupting, will not engage in ‘conversation’, as it simply is not their style. Of course, like everything, Native people have adapted to some degree, and many have no problem being ‘conversational’. I am not suggesting here that one form of communication is better than the other, but I do know that, historically, Indian people took the power of words very seriously, and so chose them carefully, and I think today’s world could stand to think a little more before speaking....

In summation, I think it is a good tradition, this old Indian way of communicating, as it helps us to be better listeners. And like my Grandfather said to me so long ago, if we listen, we won’t end up stupid! It is also important to remember that less is almost always more, where speaking is concerned. You can say so much more, with fewer words. Come to think of it, I will close with that....


NORTH - Waziyata - White (Words of Wisdom)

The wisest of all, are the humblest of all

Struggle, lack, and loss beget thankfulness

True balance is effortless

Live as if each moment were you first, and your last

I wanted you all to know that I recently went to Los Angeles to provide my music for an HBO movie entitled ‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’ which will air on May 26th. It was a powerful, humbling experience, to pour my music into this very true story of my own people, the Lakota. It was, in some scenes, deeply tragic and heart wrenching, and in others, powerful and triumphant. I hope you can all find a way to see this movie. I will tell you all more about it in next month’s edition. I also want you to know that I am heading back into the studio to record music for my next CD, ‘Cedar Dreams’, which will feature for the first time ever, nothing but my flutes in improvisational solos. I will tell you more about this next month as well. Until then....

May Wakantanka encircle you and yours with faith to believe, hope for the future, and love for all....

As always, in the spirit of mending the sacred hoop of the nations of the world
Your Oglala Lakota friend and brother,
John Two-Hawks
http://www.nativecircle.com
http://www.johntwohawks.com
Reprinting of this Circle of Nations newsletter is encouraged! All I ask is that it be printed in its entirety, with no changes, and that I be given proper credit, unless I have otherwise okayed it. Wopila (great thanks)!