August/September 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....

Before I begin, I want to express what an honor it is to have contributed my music and have it featured in an Emmy Award winning movie. The HBO film ‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’ earned a record 17 Emmy nominations, including one for the music, and won the Emmy for Best Picture. Working with the phenomenal score composer George Clinton was a wonderful experience, as the both of us gave all of ourselves to the telling of the story with the music. It truly was a labor of giving and love, and we both felt exceedingly blessed to be a part of this unprecedented, ground breaking film. Wopila!

EAST - Wiyohinyanpata - Yellow (Four Winds)
Many times I sit here and stare at this page wondering what to say. I even write a bit sometimes, only to backspace and start over. I backspace because I don’t want to write something just to fill space. I backspace because I care deeply about the power of words, and what they mean to me, and to you. In the 9 years I have been writing this Circle of Nations newsletter I have never wavered in my commitment, nor my intent. I want you all to know that I read every response to my newsletter personally. I always have, and I sincerely appreciate them all. I wanted you to know that I care very much about your words as well....

The world we live in is a turbulent place. Natural disasters, war, bridges collapsing, poverty, starvation, species extinction, global warming, economy struggles, and on and on and on it goes. If you are one who reads the paper or watches CNN, you know very well the ills of our time. These happenings are difficult to endure for those directly affected by them, and saddening for those who see them from a distance. As a man of healing and peace, it can be hard to see the way the world is today....
I led a Retreat last weekend here in these ancient mountains. One evening, I welcomed the retreatants into my tipi for an evening around the fire. It was a special time. When it was over, and I was left alone watching the fire die down, I sat quietly, in silence, and contemplated the state of the world. What I have come to know is that if you look close enough at anything, you will find its flaws. Nothing in this life is without its rough edges. Life is, in and of itself, a struggle. Watch the movie ‘March of the Penguins’ and you will see this clearly. Even a flower experiences this truth, yet it shines its colorful face to the sun with joy and happiness for its life! Yes, it is true, life can be painful, it can be a challenge, and it can break our heart sometimes, but in the end, this life is a gift, and there is a purpose for us all in this great circle. So be like the wildflower that springs up in the crack of a concrete expressway.... Be like the red cedar that grows forth horizontally from the side of a stone mountain.... Be like the vine that climbs the side of an inner city office building.... Be all these things and more, because no matter how tall the skyscraper, how deep the pavement, or how shiny the metal, there is always Mother Earth, just below the surface, breathing, heart beating, natural and alive. Believe in the goodness in humanity. Stand for the hope that we can find a way to share our planet peacefully with one another. The wildflower stands up on the cold hard concrete, rat race break neck paced fast lane of the expressway and quietly whispers of another way. The red cedar springs forth from the stone, standing sideways on the mountain and boldly proclaims the message of perseverance, patience and acceptance. And the vine clings to the urban office building as if to remind all who pass by how quickly Mother Earth can take it all back. So underneath all the layers of plastic, and paint and veneer and artificial superficial coverings, is that which is real. And that which is real is where we all come from, and where we all return. It is the place of our dreams, our peace, our love, our beauty, our purpose, our balance and our journey. It is a place of joy and sadness, of triumph and defeat, of acceptance and defiance, and mostly of honesty. It is a place where falsehoods are extinguished by truth. So regardless of the state of the world, or better yet, in response to it, spring forth and shine your light. Laugh when you are happy. Weep when you are sad. Speak up when you are angry. And smile when you find that all these things, and all of the cares of the world, are all just part of life. Yes, life, in all its wonder and madness and beauty and color and passion. And find your peace and your balance in the midst of it all, and because of and in spite of it all. You are alive! And your life, your journey and your story, is your gift to the world....


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

I wrote the following in August, and it is now September. It is still warm, we have been to Dayton and have returned....great retreat, next year’s Ohio retreat will be a three day retreat with a concert on the last day August 8-10 2008 at the Bergamo Center Dayton Ohio.
NEWS! John will be performing with Nightwish in Texas on Nov. 10th and 11th San Antonio and Dallas
The Flute Discovery Retreat is over for 2007... It was wonderful, so sign up for 2008!
We do have plenty of room for the Mending Medicine Retreats in Oct 2007 and the Men’s Retreat in Nov 2007.
The Retreats
see ya all soon

(written on August 14th)
Hello everyone!
It is hot here in NWA, over 100 degrees every day for weeks and still continuing. When it gets hot like this I always think of my friend Brother Seamus. His life is a delight. He delights at everything new and life is always new to him!! When he visits us from Ireland I always have a new view of life. Where I might walk out the door and get hit in the face with heat and mumble something like %^^&&**(), he opens the door and with a peculiar smile says oooohhhh as if he has just seen his first rainbow. He is that way with everything, that is how I would like to be. So when I open the door today, step out and say #$%#$%%%, I will think of him and smile.
Today is a beautiful day, find a reason to smile.................(even if it is a terrible day) lie to yourself for awhile.

Love the new CEDAR DREAMS CD!!! Thanks for all the support, the Nammy votes, CD orders, encouraging letters, love, love, love.
You all rock,
Peace,
Peggy
Red Earth
JTH Official Site

WEST - Wiyohpeyata - Black or Blue (We are STILL Here!)
Going with the flow....
Ever have a good intention that didn’t pan out? Anything ever not work out the way you planned? Of course you have. We all have. Our journey through this life is not best respected, honored and traveled, when we require all things to go as we have planned or mapped out. See, the problem with our plans and our maps is that we don’t see the whole picture. So our plans often do not take into account the timing and purpose of Spirit. And then, when they don’t work out as expected, we get frustrated. All the while, Spirit is trying to coax us into connecting with the subtle rhythm and gentle current that is the flow of our path, our sacred red road, our journey through this life. How does one connect with that ‘Spirit flow?’ Well, it is actually quite simple really, but can prove to be difficult for any who persist in the belief that they control the timing and rhythm of their life. You see, in order to truly connect to that ‘Spirit flow’, you must be willing to let go of the grip you have on time. And sometimes that can mean making some difficult decisions in your life. Now, that does not mean having a schedule or a routine is always a bad thing. What it does mean is that the schedule or the routine is never more important than the timing and purpose of Spirit. The clock is a man-made, time measuring, time counting device. And this method of time counting helps human beings to organize their daily routines and activities. And that is okay. But the clock is not the stuff that ‘real time’ is made of. You see, real time is connected to Spirit, and is thus, more fluid and flexible. Ever been somewhere where you ‘lost track of time’? Time ever ‘fly by’? Has time ever ‘stood still’? Yes? Well, then you have experienced real time. And the rat race, make the deadline, get to work on time pace of modern society has little to do with real time. Think about the word ‘deadline.’ Kinda says it all doesn’t it? Real time is alive....
I do not force things to happen in my personal life. I live in the now, in the moment, in each breath of each moment. I do what I have in front of me to do now, and I do not worry, or give too much energy or thought to other items on the ‘to do’ list. ‘Everything in its time’, goes the saying. Yet another example of real time. So I flow through my life, not pushing too hard against things whose time has not yet come. I wait, patiently (most of the time), for the petals of life to unfold for all the things on my ‘to do’ list, whatever they may be. It could be life changing stuff, or just some thing that needs fixing. Regardless of what it is, I flow with it and do not get ‘the cart ahead of the horse’(another real time example). Now, this does not mean that I do not work, or put forth effort, or strive to accomplish or achieve in my life. Quite the contrary! Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you about my work ethic. It also does not mean that I do not have a schedule. But what it does mean is that what I do work on, or apply myself to, are the things that have unfolded for me in that moment in time. Usually, if it feels ‘forced’, it is not the time for it, and so I don’t bother myself with it. There will be a time for it, but that time is not now. It’s as simple as that. This is the very reason I did not write an August newsletter! I don’t question Spirit time, I only respond to it and honor it whether I understand it or not. But people have become so used to forcing things, pushing ahead with their agenda, and being mastered by the clock and the schedule, that they have forgotten the natural rhythm, and spiritual purpose and meaning in this life. When we get stuck there, we can lose our balance, our peace of mind, and our sense of what is important. For what is a deadline or a promotion when compared to the love of a child? And what means more, that a loved one arrives on time, or that a loved one arrives? There is man-made time, and there is Spirit time. Which time you live your life by will determine a great deal about the path you take in this life. Choose well. And don’t dally too long, after all, time could be slipping away....

NORTH - Waziyata - White (Words of Wisdom)
A few thoughts for consideration....

Just because you think it does not mean you should speak it

Don’t dwell on hurtful things. After all, to dwell, is to live there

He who gives only to get loses twice

You can never over-water a soul with kindness


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)!