September 2008

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)
We are all made “of dirt and dreams”
To be human is to have your feet on the earth and your eyes on the stars.  It is that mysterious place where the physical and the spiritual intersect and become one.  That is where we are.  What an amazing, wondrous place to be!  And yet, there is still pain, and we do ultimately pass from this place.  So what is it all for?  Why are we here?  Oh the human question of the ages.  I will sum it up with two words.  We are here to live, and we are here to love.  Put your feet on the ground.  Feel the heartbeat of Mother Earth.  Feel her love for you.  Get away from your phone, the TV, and the stress.  Take a quiet walk through the forest or down an old dusty road.  Hear the wind wisp and dance through the trees and into your soul.  Feel the earth beneath your feet.  Connect with the gentle pace of all that lives.  Reach out beyond yourself, and give to another.  Do not look for anything in return.  Get your hands and feet in the soil from which we all come, and to which our bodies shall all return.  Work hard, with honor.  Play often, with passion.  Touch the water.  Feel its life force.  Breathe in the fresh air.  Sit at the fire, with the earth beneath you.  Become one with these sacred elements and you will know the power of love.  You are the dirt, the wind, the water and the fire....
Was there a time when you had a dream for your life?  Have you chased it?  Followed it?  Realized it?  Lost it?  My friend, you and I will die someday.  If you have not reached for the stars from your place on the ground, then you have not lived.  What do you have to lose?  The time to live is now.  Dying will inevitably come later.  And don’t tell me you’re too old - I have Elders who still dream and live with the heart of a child (you know who you are!).  When we human beings cast our fears to the wind and take that courageous leap into the mystery of our visions, powerful blessings and breathtaking experiences become more than possibilities, they become realities.  Human beings can do amazing things when they dream beyond themselves.  There is more than enough discouraging news these days.  And I have friends who are really having a hard time.  But even so, the best thing we all can do when we feel down is to keep on dreaming and hoping and reaching for those good dreams, and believing in the possibilities.  These are the things I share with my friends who are having difficulties.  The beautiful thing is that they always feel better, and good things begin to happen for them when they put the energy of their creative spirit to work in way that is positive and hopeful.  So if you are ever down, look up.  The stars are calling your spirit to dream and believe and imagine the unimaginable possibilities for your life.  And so....   Stand on the ground and be one with it.  And reach for the stars, and be one with them as well.  For when we die, and our spirit goes on, we will discover that it is true.  We really are all made, ‘of dirt and dreams’....

(I want to share one of my latest dreams with you.  I recently formed an exciting new musical duo called ‘The Badlanders.’  The music is best described as: “Folk Rock Country Blues with Native Spirit”.  Our debut album ‘of dirt and dreams’ is now available.  I humbly invite you to give it a listen.  I really think you are going to  love this new music.......)
At JohnTwoHawks.com - The Badlanders - of dirt and dreams  
At TheBadlanders.com - The Badlanders - of dirt and dreams


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

Now we are into our busiest season.  We have concerts, retreats and teachings every weekend for the next 6 or 7 weeks.
We also are introducing several new products and of course the NEW BADLANDERS CD!!
“of dirt and dreams”   We expect the CD in house in the next 7 days and it is available online right now to purchase.
Click here to visit The Badlanders New Official Website!
The new Lakota Inspirations Cards, Canvas Bags and t-shirts will be online shortly.  We have been told that Christmas shopping will be down this year…. We are told a lot of things.  Blessed are those who do not see TV or read newspapers.

But anyway, here is what I suggest…. Give More!!  Give time, give of yourself.  Call an old friend, make a visit to a nursing home or a hospital.  Find things you can give away, bake cookies, take dinner to someone not expecting it.  Be creative… you can give without over spending.  Let this be the holiday season you give the most.  There are so many creative things you can do.  Give a food basket, give an encouraging book, give a heartfelt love note.  The list goes on and on.  
It was greed and fear that got this country into the economic mess it is in… lets each one of us pull it back together with generosity and hope.  I am telling you that to bake a loaf of bread or a pie, or to take a small toy to a needy child, will be a show of generosity, and like little drops of rain in an ocean of despair, our love, concern, and willingness can reach out and move mountains.  How about forgiving someone… wow, now there is a gift for you and for them.  Hugs and smiles and positive words are GREAT gifts.  I would love to hear some of the creative ways you have found to give.  Don’t let the chance to give get away from you.  It is a cleansing breath, and hey, be willing to receive and be ready, because once you start giving, suddenly you will find the circle heading back your way.  
blessings,
peace,
Peggy
Red Earth of Native Circle
The Official JTH Website
The Badlanders Official Site


WEST - Wiyohpeyata - Black or Blue (We are STILL Here!)
Honoring tradition....
What is it that is so important about tradition?  I spent this last weekend at a wacipi (dance) with my Elders, sitting with them, listening, learning.  As I participated in the old customs of my people throughout the weekend, I thought a lot about the reason for tradition.  The reason is obvious to anyone who honors the old ways - there is meaning and power in those ways.  This society here in the United States of America has always favored casting aside the old for the new.  Trading in the ancient for the modern.  Let me say here that new is not always better.  In fact usually it’s the other way around.  Having said that, tradition is a funny thing.  It stays the same, and yet it changes with time.  And so, as important as it is to honor the specifics of any old custom, it is also important to allow those specifics to flex with the changing times if necessary.  Doing so prevents some traditions from being lost altogether.  But this is not trading the old in for the new.  This is keeping the old viable for a new generation.  And yet, it is important to do everything you can to learn and practice all the specifics of a given tradition.  To do so shows respect.  There are reasons for those details.  Some like to siphon off the parts of Native traditions they like and leave the parts they don't like out.  This is not respectful, and it robs those rites of their power.  Do your best to honor tradition in all its facets, details and function.  As well, try not to become too focused on the specifics of a given custom, or you may lose sight of the reason for doing it in the first place!  So....  don’t forsake the wisdom of the past for the allure of the future.  Walk that old road.  There are mysteries of spirit and connection to be experienced there....
   

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

Honor your Elders with your silence....

Listening is not same as hearing....

Seeing is not the same as believing....

Love and life are like a flower, they must unfold in their own time....


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
http://www.thebadlanders.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)!