Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking.

"My friend, I am going to tell you the story of my life, as you wish; and if it were only the story of my life I think I would not tell it; for what is one man that he should make much of his winters, even when they bend him like a heavy snow? So many other men have lived and shall live that story, to be grass upon the hills."

" I cured with the power that came through me. Of course, it was not I who cured, it was the power from the Outer World, the visions and the ceremonies had only made me like a hole through which the power could come to the two-leggeds. If I thought that I was doing it myself, the hole would close up and no power could come through. Then everything I could do would be foolish."

"You have noticed that everything an Indian does in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.

Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle.

The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round, like a ball, and so are all the stars.

The wind, in it's greatest power, whirls.

Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.

The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle.

The moon does the same, and both are round.

Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were.

The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.

Our teepees were round like the nests of birds, and there were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children."

"The life of an Indian is like the wings of the air. That is why you notice the hawk knows how to get his prey. The Indian is like that. The hawk swoops down on its prey; so does the Indian. In his lament he is like an animal. For instance, the coyote is sly; so is the Indian. The eagle is the same. That is why the Indian is always feathered up; he is a relative to the wings of the air."

Earth Prayer

Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on the earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you - the two-legged, the four-legged, the wings of the air, and all green things that live.

You have set the powers of the four quarters of the earth to cross each other. You have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties, and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in, day out, forevermore, you are the life of things.

Hey! Lean to hear my feeble voice.

At the center of the sacred hoop

You have said that I should make the tree to bloom.

With tears running, Oh Great Spirit, my Grandfather,

With running eyes I must say

The tree has never bloomed.

Here I stand, and the tree is withered.

Again, I recall the great vision you gave me.

It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives.

Nourish it then

That it may leaf

And bloom

And fill with singing birds.

Hear me, that the people may once again

Go back to the Sacred Hoop

Find the good road

And the shielding tree.

The Offering of the Pipe

Hey hey! Hey hey! Hey hey! Hey hey!

Grandfather, Great Spirit, you have been always,

and before you no one has been.

There is no other one to pray to but you.

You yourself, everything that you see,

everything has been made by you.

The star nations all over the universe you have finished.

The four quarters of the earth you have finished.

Grandfather, Great Spirit, lean close to the earth

that you may hear the voice I send.

You towards where the sun goes down, behold me;

Thunder Beings, behold me!

You where the White Giant lives in power,

behold me!

You where the sun shines continually,

Whence come the daybreak star and the day,

behold me!

You where the summer lives,

behold me!

You in the depths of the heavens,

an eagle of power, behold me!

And you, Mother Earth, the only Mother,

You who have shown mercy to your children!

Hear me, four quarters of the world,

a relative I am!

Give me strength to walk the soft earth,

a relative to all that is!

Give me eyes to see and the strength to understand,

that I may be like you.

With your power only can I face the winds.

Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather,

all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike.

With tenderness have these come up out of the ground.

Look upon these faces of children without number

and with children in their arms,

that they may face the winds and walk

the good road to the day of quiet.

This is my prayer, hear me!

The voice I have sent is weak,

yet with earnestness I have sent it.

Hear me!

It is finished. Hetchetu aloh!

Now, my friend, let us smoke together

so that there may be only good between us.

Black Elk [1863 - 1950] Oglala Sioux Holy Man

Background by Vera

You are listening to "Wise Man" by

Elan Michaels