Journey into Native Amerian Heritage

Found this today and really felt how lucky Native Americans are to understand the red road

Long road winding began in the stars,
spilled onto the mountain tops,
was carried in the snow to the streams,
to the rivers, to the ocean…

It covers Canada, Alaska, America,
Mexico to Guatamala,
and keeps winding around the indigenous.

The Red Road is a circle of people
standing hand in hand,
people in this world, people between
people in the Spirit world.

star people, animal people, stone people,
river people, tree people…
The Sacred Hoop.

To walk the Red Road
is to know sacrifice, suffering.
It is to understand humility.
It is the abilility to stand naked before God
in all things for your wrong doings,
for your lack of strength,
for your discompasionate way,
for your arrogance - because to walk
the Red Road, you always know
you can do better. And you know,
when you do good things,
it is through the Creator, and you are grateful.

To walk the Red Road
is to know you stand on equal ground
with all living things. It is to know that
because you were born human,
it gives you superiority over nothing.

It is to know that every creation carries a Spirit,
and the river knows more than you do,
the mountains know more than you do,
the stone people know more than you do,
the trees know more than you do,
the wind is wiser than you are,
and animal people carry wisdom.

You can learn from every one of them,
because they have something you don’t:
They are void of evil thoughts.
They wish vengence on no one, they seek Justice.

To Walk the Red Road,
you have God given rights,
you have the right to pray,
you have the right to dance,
you have the right to think,
you have the right to protect,
you have the right to know Mother,
you have the right to dream,
you have the right to vision,
you have the right to teach,
you have the right to learn,
you have a right to grieve,
you have a right to happiness,
you have the right to fix the wrongs,
you have the right to truth,
you have a right to the Spirit World.

To Walk the Red Road
is to know your Ancestors,
to call to them for assistance…

It is to know that there is good medicine,
and there is bad medicine…

It is to know that Evil exists,
but is cowardly as it is often in disquise.
It is to know there are evil spirits
who are in constant watch
for a way to gain strength for themselves
at the expense of you.

To Walk the Red Road,
you have less fear of being wrong,
because you know that life is a journey,
a continuous circle, a sacred hoop.

Mistakes will be made,
and mistakes can be corrected -
if you will be humble,
for if you cannot be humble,
you will never know
when you have made a mistake.

If you walk the Red Road,
you know that every sorrow
leads to a better understanding,
every horror cannot be explained,
but can offer growth.

To Walk the Red Road
is to look for beauty in all things.

To Walk the Red Road
is to know you will one day
cross to the Spirit World,
and you will not be afraid…

Traci, Blood Poet copyright 2001

Written late in his life, might make you cry. This is what commen sense tells us but we don't understand
---
I WANTED TO GIVE SOMETHING OF MY PAST
TO MY GRANDSON.
I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD SING
THE SACRED WOLF SONG OVER HIM.
IN MY SONG, I APPLEALED TO THE WOLF
TO COME AND PRESIDE OVER US,
WHILE I WOULD PERFORM THE WOLF CEREMONY.
SO THAT THE BONDAGE BETWEEN MY GRANDSON
AND THE WOLF WOULD BE LIFE LONG.

I SANG.

IN MY VOICE WAS THE HOPE
THAT CLINGS TO EVERY HEARTBEAT.

I SANG.

IN MY WORDS WERE THE POWERS
I INHERITED FROM MY FOREFATHERS.

I SANG.

IN MY CUPPED HANDS LAY A SPRUCE SEED..
THE LINK TO CREATION.

I SANG.

IN MY EYES, SPARKLED LOVE.

AND THE SONG FLOATED
ON THE SUN'S RAYS FROM TREE TO TREE.
WHEN I HAD ENDED,
IT WAS AS IF THE WHOLE WORLD
LISTENED WITH US
TO HEAR THE WOLF'S REPLY.
WE WAITED A LONG TIME
BUT NONE CAME.
AGAIN I SANG,
HUMBLY
BUT AS INVITINGLY AS I COULD,
UNTIL MY THROAT ACHED
AND MY VOICE GAVE OUT.

ALL OF A SUDDEN
I REALIZED WHY NO WOLVES HAD HEARD
MY SACRED SONG.
THERE WERE NONE LEFT!

MY HEART FILLED WITH TEARS.
I COULD NO LONGER
GIVE MY GRANDSON
FAITH IN THE PAST, OUR PAST.
I...WEPT IN SILENCE.
ALL IS FINISHED!

CHIEF DAN GEORGE
SALISH
(1899-1981)

Long road winding began in the stars,
spilled onto the mountain tops,
was carried in the snow to the streams,
to the rivers, to the ocean
It covers Canada, Alaska, America,
Mexico to Guatemala,
and keeps winding around
the indigenous.

The Red Road is a circle of people
standing hand in hand,
people in this world, people between
people in the Spirit world.
Star people, animal people, stone people,
river people, tree people
The Sacred Hoop.

To walk the Red Road
is to know sacrifice, suffering.
It is to understand humility.
It is the ability to stand naked before
the Creator in all things for your
wrong doings, for your lack of strength,
for your discompassionate way,
for your arrogance - because to walk
the Red Road, you always know
you can do better. And you know,
when you do good things,
it is through the Creator, and you
are grateful.

To walk the Red Road
is to know you stand on equal ground
with all living things. It is to know that
because you were born human,
it gives you superiority over nothing.
It is to know that every creation carries
a Spirit, and the river knows more
than you do, the mountains know
more than you do, the stone people
know more than you do,
the trees know more than you do,
the wind is wiser than you are,
and animal people carry wisdom.
You can learn from every one of them,
because they have something you don't:

They are void of evil thoughts.

They wish vengeance on no one,
they seek Justice.

To Walk the Red Road,
you have God given rights,
you have the right to pray,
you have the right to dance,
you have the right to think,
you have the right to protect,
you have the right to know Mother,
you have the right to dream,
you have the right to vision,
you have the right to teach,
you have the right to learn,
you have a right to grieve,
you have a right to happiness,
you have the right to fix the wrongs,
you have the right to truth,
you have a right to the Spirit World.

To Walk the Red Road
is to know your Ancestors,
to call to them for assistance
It is to know that there is good medicine,
and there is bad medicine
It is to know that Evil exists,
but is cowardly as it is often in disguise.
It is to know there are evil spirits
who are in constant watch
for a way to gain strength for themselves
at the expense of you.

To Walk the Red Road,
you have less fear of being wrong,
because you know that life is a journey,
a continuous circle, a sacred hoop.
Mistakes will be made,
and mistakes can be corrected -
if you will be humble,
for if you cannot be humble,
you will never know
when you have made a mistake.

If you walk the Red Road,
you know that every sorrow
leads to a better understanding,
every horror cannot be explained,
but can offer growth.

To Walk the Red Road
is to look for beauty in all things.

To Walk the Red Road
is to know you will one day
cross to the Spirit World,
and you will not be afraid.

Wild Thing
Author unknown. As retold by LdyHorse.

Legend tells of a renagade,
of a horse no one could tame.
Her sire was the devil himself,
Wild Thing was her name.
No one knew where she came from,
Quarterhorse blood, they say,
When the leaves dance across the meadow,
on a cold October's day. People would gather from miles around,
to watch her dance upon the wind.
They would only get a glimpse of her,
then she would be gone again. Some had tried to capture her,
take her for a ride.
The town folks called her widow maker,
for all the cowboys who had tried. There was this Indian woman,
had a way with horses, I know,
She headed into the hills one day
to give ol'Wild Thing a go.
When she came upon a clearing,
above a ridge called "Heaven's Gate,"
She thought to herself, "How appropriate,"
and she began to wait. She sat there for what seemed a lifetime,
wondering what this horse might do,
When all at once she heard thunder,
but the sky was the bluest of blue. She held her breath and waited.
So still, she stayed.
The thunder was coming closer now,
She closed her eyes and prayed. Visions of the wild thing
danced inside her head.
This fire breathing renegade,
she was as good as dead. When all had gone quiet, she opened her eyes,
What she saw made her want to scream,
for there before here stood this beautiful horse...
A vision...A legend...A dream. She didn't try to capture here
as so many others had tried.
Instead, she stood and waited,
and when the mare came, the woman cried. For in this horse's eyes,
she saw a reflection of her own fears.
She looked into the horse's eye,
and understood what brought her here.
The Great Spirit had brought the two together,
the only way he could.
This horse was not a renegade,
simply misunderstood.
Now legend tells of a beautiful horse,
whose soul is the bright of light,
and of the Indian woman who rides her,
they roam the hills at night.
People gather form miles around,
to watch them dance upon the wind.
They only get a glimpse of them.
And then they've

I am starting 2007 with a new walk on the red road. I hope you all have a good walk on your red road this year

What is the GOOD RED ROAD

The Red Road is the term used by Native American Indians to describe the path each individual travels during their lifetime on Mother Earth.

The Red Road as described by two Native American Spiritual leaders:

"One may be of any race or of almost any religion and walk the Red Road. The Road is a path, away. It's full meaning is the way one acts, the methods one uses, and what directs one's doing. There is more to the Red Road then spoken word or written words on paper. It is behavior, attitude, away of living, a way of "doing" with reverence - of walking strong yet softly, so as not to harm or disturb other life." -- John Redtail Freesoul (Cheyenne-Arapahoe), Spokesman for the Redtail Hawk Medicine Society, from his book "Breath of the Invisible" a Quest Book.

"Together the two path form a north-south road, the good Red Road. This is your spiritual path, the one where you will be happiest." -- Medicine Hawk, Council Chief of the Shadowlight Medicine Clan, and an award winning author, from "Indian Ceremonies" by Medicine Hawk & Gray Cat, from Inner Light Publications.

Since the Red Road has different aspects to each individual purpose, I believe it is appropriate for me to share with you my personal thoughts regarding my walk on the Red Road.
"As I travel down the Red Road sometimes for what appears to be no fault of my own, one of the three parts faulters - the physical. At that time I must strengthen one or both of the other two aspects the mental and the spiritual so as to achieve harmony to continue my trip on a smooth path.

For an indepth view on Native American Spirituality, I recommend you read the two books above. Breath of the Invisible, and Indian Ceremonies.

In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter
Flying along in a "V" Formation, you might be interested
In knowing what science has discovered about why they fly
That way.It is because as each bird flaps its wings
It creates lift for the bird immediately behind By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock is able to add at least 71%
greater flying range, then if each bird was to fly on its own. Quite similar people who are part of a team and
share a common direction get where they are going
Quicker and easier, because they are traveling together,
and the strength of each other helps to lift up and
motivate one another along The way. Whenever a goose falls out of formation
It suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to
Go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation
To take advantage of the power of the flock. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in
formation and share information with those who are headed
to the same place we are. When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates in the wings
And another goose takes over
It pays to share leadership and takes turns doing the hard jobs. The geese in the back honk, to encourage those up front
to keep up their speed. Words of support and inspiration helps energize those on the
front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the
day-to-day pressure and fatigue. It is important that our honks be encouraging
Otherwise its just well.....Honking. Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded
and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and
follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he ether is able to fly or
until he is dead, then they launch out with another
formation to catch up with their group. When one of us is down it is up to the others
To stand by us in our time of trouble to help and
protect us. We need to stay in formation with those headed
where we want to go. It makes the trip easier
when we shear the tasks, and burdens along the way. The next time you see a formation of geese.
Remember their message that: It is indeed a reward, a challenge, and
a privilege to be a contributing
member of a team on this road called life.
rewrite by Thad Shouting Bear