October 2010

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)
I don’t much do phone calls....
Are you like me? Do you positively loathe talking on the phone? Some people love it. Not me kemosabe, not me. And yet, the selling of phones is a worldwide mega-business. Another worldwide mega-business is spacebook and myface (lol). Texting is another new phenomenon, so new in fact, that my spell checker thinks the word “texting” is not a word! What is it with phones and spacebook and texting that is such a big deal? Well, it goes back to a basic human need - connection. We all need each other. The world we live in today has become so plastic, so detached, and so fragmented, that we have lost touch with one another. The massive popularity of phones and myface and such are clear examples of how desperate we are to reconnect. And so, in that context, they are good things, because they at least give us a way to reach out to one another and communicate. And yet, none of that changes the fact that I am not a fan of phones. My friends, it is good to reach out, whether by phone or text or e-mail or spaceface or twitter tweet. But what I think we are missing is that the reason these things are used by so many is that we are craving human contact - actual, physical, eye to eye, hand in hand, arm in arm, face to face human contact. We spend way too much time isolated from real communication and connection. This lack can bring about imbalance in our lives. Human contact restores it. Just as our contact with the natural world restores it. So, keep reaching out. Keep making those phone calls to your loved ones, sending those texts and e-mails, and spacebooking each other. Just don’t allow those things to take the place of real human contact.... because we need to touch and feel, to be truly and fully alive....


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

Here are the latest updates on our Fall Schedule:
Oct 21st thru Oct 24th - Mending Medicine Retreat, Eureka Springs AR
Oct 23rd - Circle of Nations Banquet and JTH Concert
Oct 15th - JTH Concert, Davis Oklahoma
Nov 13th - JTH Concert, Tupelo Mississippi
Nov 27th & 28th - Arts Eureka Fall Art Show, Eureka Springs AR
Check out all the wonderful opportunities to see John Two-Hawks in concert at his Events Schedule

PLEASE VOTE
John Two-Hawks Flutist of the Year - Native American Music Awards!!

Coming Soon…. www.circleofnationscommunity.com

Still time to buy the incredible fall special ….Great Christmas Gift!

See ya all soon
Peace,
Peggy
Native Circle
John Two-Hawks


WEST - Wiyohpeyata - Black or Blue (We are STILL Here!)
Ever had someone steal your joy? Ever had a total stranger come along and ruin your day? We human beings are curious creatures. We can be showered with love and praise from those who know and love us, and yet that one malcontent comes along to attack us, and then that’s all we can think about! Silly! Why do we do this? Well, my friends, it is quite simple.... survival. Our natural instinct is to give attention to any perceived threat to our well being. And so, it is perfectly normal to feel a strong reaction to any kind of ‘assault’, whether it be physical, verbal, real or imagined. Of course, this instinct serves us well when we are in real danger. However, most often, our perceived threats are not life or death experiences, but rather those unexpected encounters with someone rude or mean spirited. And yet, our physical reaction to these encounters can be as upsetting as if someone pulled a gun on us! The worst part of it is that they can steal your peace, cause you stress and even adversely affect your health. So.... The next time someone tries to steal your joy or ruin your day, take a minute to consider what I have come to know as the absolute truth: that they are either just having a bad day, or that they are just an unhappy, miserable person. Either way, they do not deserve to rob you of your happiness! So, take a deep breath, find a way to separate yourself from them, say a little prayer, and then let it go! They are no real threat to your well being anyway. So focus your energy on the positive things, the love you have around you, the good friends and family you have, the beautiful moments that bring joy and happiness in this life. We are always going to run into schmucks with nothing better to do with their time than to throw stones at others. Don’t give them the time of day. We only have so many breaths, so many moments in this life. Fill them with goodness, kindness and love. After all, I think you are awesome!!


NORTH - Waziyata - White (Words of Wisdom)
Some thoughts from my contemplations....

Appearances should never determine judgement....

Grace is only real when under fire....

When someone puts you down, stand up taller....

Blessings are like wildflowers, they don’t always bloom where you expect them to....


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)!