History, Animal Spirit Guides and Quotes at The Miami Valley Council for Native Americans

THE MIAMI VALLEY COUNCIL

FOR NATIVE AMERICANS

ALL THINGS....ARE CONNECTED.....

"Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experiences of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites a family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.....

One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover - OUR GOD IS THE SAME GOD.

You may think that you own him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and his Compassion is equal for the red man and the white. This earth is precious to him, and harm to the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator..... So if we sell our land, love it as we've loved it. Care for it as we've cared for it. And with all your strength, with all your mind, with all your heart, preserve it for your children and love it......as God loves us all."

Chief Seattle, 1854

"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. ......Show respect to all people and grovel to none."

Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation

"In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals; for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beasts, and that from them, and from the stars, and the sun, and the moon, man should learn. Tirawa spoke to man through his works."

Chief Letakots-Lesa, Pawnee Tribe

"When the Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear, when that happens the Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them."

Chief Seattle

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of the buffalo in the winter time. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."

Crowfoot

"There is one God looking down on us all. We are all the children of one God. The sun, the darkness, the winds are all listening to what we have to say." .....I cannot think we are useless or God would not have created us."

Geronimo, Apache Nation

The Dream Catcher

Many American Indian traditions include the dream catcher. Legends say the dream catcher was a gift to man from the willow tree and the spider. The web catches all dreams drifting in the night air. The good dreams float down the sacred feather to the sleeping person, but the bad dreams become hopelessly tangled in the web until the morning light dissolves them.

Originally, the dream catcher was presented to a child at birth, to be kept throughout life. The power of the dream catcher was enhanced with fatishes and personal belongings.

COUP FEATHERS

To the traditional warrior greater courage was shown by touching a live enemy than by the killing of that enemy. This was called Counting Coup. For this deed an eagle feather was awarded, the Grand Coup. Other achievements or service to The People or Mother Earth were honored by the presentation of the feather of the eagle or other winged nations.