WambliHo_News

Wambli Ho,

Voice of the Eagles

A Colorado Non-Profit Organization

To promote healing of the Sacred Hoop

through education, support, and assistance in preserving the traditions, culture, language, and spirituality of Indigenous Native American Peoples, and promoting harmony, peace, and spiritual unity among all nations with the ultimate goal of global peace and healing.

David Swallow, jr., Sponsor and Spiritual Advisor

Stephanie M. Schwartz, Volunteer Editor

Email: WambliHoNews@aol.com

Feature Articles in this Issue:

Peta Awiyenke Sacred Fire Conference Report by Rocky Rodriguez

Here and There in Colorado: A Visit from a Lakota Elder by Paula J. Gruentzel

Interview with Nathan Chasing Horse by Cetan Itunkasan

Anishinaabe Way Conference by Cetan Itunkasan

Special Report on the Pine Ridge Reservation by Stephanie M. Schwartz

Plus:

Granny's Insights by Audrey LInk

And information on:

World Peace and Prayer Day 2003

Native American Holiday Bill and March 2003

Leonard Peltier Defense Committee: Legal Update

and more!

Editor's Note: This past summer of drought resulted in fire bans across numerous states of the west and southwest. One crisis resulting from this was the inclusion in the fire bans of the sacred fires of religious Native American ceremonies. This conference, and its Resolution, was one step in the ever-continuing efforts of Peta Awiyenke to educate mainstream government officials in Colorado and reach an agreement that does not interfere with freedom of religion while keeping the land and natural resources safe.

The Peta Awiyenke Sacred Fire Conference that was held in early October in Woodland Park, Colorado was successful in two parts:

1) the presence of our spiritual leaders and advisors.

2) the presence of Sundance people standing together for the same right to pray without interference.

The objective of this Conference was to educate officials. However, it was not so successful as many did not come. One official from the Colorado Department of Corrections, Mr. Lee Hendrix, did participate thoroughly and entered into the Sacred Stone Peoples Lodge. Mr. Hendrix was also filling in for the Commissioner on Indian Affairs. This representative was a key figure as he is the one that can influence change, to advocate, for the inmates' right to pray in the lodge as well as to ensure they have what they need to have for their ceremonies across the board in Colorado. .Also present was Mr. Drew Chase, Firefighter and Former Forestry Department employee. Both men have pledged to advocate on our behalf for our right to pray without impediment. We also have full support from the Greeley Colorado Fire Department.

The Spiritual representatives in attendance were Mr. David Swallow Jr., Mr. Wallace Black Elk, Mr. Robert Cross, Mr. Leonard Crow Dog, (all of the Lakota Nation) and Mr. Kenneth Frost from the Southern Ute Nation. Also various lodge keepers and water pourers from different parts of the state were present. The final day, the people wrote a resolution document taking in mind the words of our Elders. This process was overseen by Grandfather Black Elk. A meeting was than set with the Lt. Governor Mr. Joe Rogers and a delegation selected at the Conference presented the document to his office. The delegation consisted of Grandfather Wallace Black Elk, Marilyn Black Elk, Rocky Rodriguez, Fred Rodriguez, Bernard Ice, Drew Chase, and Laura Naranjo.

Lt. Governor Rogers was in support of these efforts and the language contained in the document. He has written a letter of recommendation that this Resolution be signed as an Executive Order by Governor Owens. Now that the election is over we pray that attention has been put to this issue by Governor Owens. If the resolution becomes an Executive Order then there will still be work to do with local, state and federal offices to ensure policy that reflects its principles. If the Governor does not do this then it will have to go to a bill form and be lobbied for passage when the Colorado Senate goes into Session in January.

There is not much time and people have a tendency to get caught up in the holiday hype. We pray and ask all of you to pray that an Executive Order is forthcoming. We ask all people on the red road in Colorado to walk your prayer by being involved with these processes. This struggle is all of ours, not just a few.

Since the conference, Peta Awiyenke has received regrets from officials that could not attend but want to be informed of the results and have conveyed support for us. Some meetings with various Fire Chief personnel are forthcoming as they too are now working on their legislative tasks.

A short documentary is being made for educational purpose. When it is complete you may contact Peta Awiyenke or Wambli Ho, Voice of the Eagles (WambliHoNews@aol.com) for access to a copy.

Title: Sacred Fireplaces: Enactment of resolution that safeguards the right to worship without impediment and/or penalties, nor undermine Federal, State or Tribal policies and regulations.

WHEREAS, we the Sacred Fire Peoples of Colorado, invoke the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendents the inherent sovereign rights as indigenous people, secured under agreements with Federal, State and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the Constitution of the United States to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of indigenous people, indigenous cultural values, and otherwise promote the welfare of indigenous people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and

WHEREAS, the Sacred Fire Peoples of Colorado is a community group, who along with our indigenous spiritual leaders and elders have practiced sacred ceremonial fires for time immemorial of our people and

WHEREAS, the health, safety, welfare, education, and preservation of cultural and natural resources are the primary goals and objectives of the Sacred Fire People and

WHEREAS, the Federal and State agencies of Colorado need to consider addressing indigenous use of sacred fires for ceremonial and traditional purposes and

WHEREAS, indigenous peoples need critical attention from Federal and State agencies of Colorado that have vested interests in indigenous cultures and

WHEREAS, Federal and State agencies of Colorado need to provide responsible law making decisions that will eliminate misunderstandings of the use of sacred fires and irresponsible law making prohibiting sacred fire use and exempting federal, state and corporate penal systems and

WHEREAS, Federal and State agencies of Colorado need to include indigenous people in their right to worship using sacred fires and establish that sacred fires are not recreational and

WHEREAS, the impact and oversight in granting the use of sacred fires in Colorado has and continues to affect/effect indigenous people in their rights to worship, heal, and educate using traditional indigenous knowledge and

WHEREAS, It is the prayer that a statewide policy be introduced, implemented, and endorsed by the Federal and State agencies of Colorado that protects the civil and human rights of indigenous people to worship using sacred fires and

WHEREAS, the Sacred Fire Peoples of Colorado has agreed to this legislation in support of sacred fire use among indigenous people of Colorado at its October 4-6, 2002 Sacred Fires Conference held at the Catamount Institute, 3168 Edlowe Road in Woodland Park, Colorado.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Federal and State agencies of Colorado hereby approach their governmental offices to undertake and officiate the use of sacred fires by indigenous peoples and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Federal and State agencies of Colorado does support the creation, endorsement, and implementation of sacred fire use in Colorado that calls for the protection of indigenous people, their civil and human and religious rights to the extent that such policy provide for protection for sacred fire use.

CERTIFICATION

The foregoing resolution was adopted at the 2002 Conference of Sacred Fire Peoples of Colorado, held in Woodland Park, Colorado among consented approval from spiritual leaders, elders and indigenous sacred fire practitioners.

Following the birth of a White Buffalo Calf in 1994, the Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe for the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nations, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, was directed to honor the four Directions with ceremony on June 21st. According to Lakota Star Knowledge, the birth of Miracle, a female white buffalo in Janesville Wisconsin, signaled a time of earth changes and the coming of the mending of the Hoop of All Nations. The Summer Solstice is said to be a powerful time to pray for peace and harmony among all Living Beings. Mother Earth's gifts, the air, water, plant, animal, and rock nations must be allowed to heal if we are to live in harmony with Her.

All Nations recognize Sacred Sites as Places to gather or perform private ceremony. For countless generations these Sites were honored, cherished and strengthened through ceremony and our Mother Earth remained healthy. To ensure the lives of future generations for all our relations, we must begin again to honor, cherish, and renew Our Mother.

For four years, beginning in 1996, Chief Looking Horse honored June 21st by offering ceremony to the Four Directions. He traveled to Gray Horn Butte in Wyoming (aka, Devil's Tower), the Cree Nation in Canada, Pipestone Quarry in Minnesota and to Costa Rica. People of all the Nations of the globe were invited to offer ceremony at Sacred Sites. Thousands around the world have responded and began honoring their local sites. Following the Wopila (Thank You Ceremony) in the "Heart of Everything That Is", the Sacred Black Hills in 2000, it was decided that Chief Looking Horse must once again offer ceremony to the Four Directions of the globe. He began in Ireland in 2001, then on to South Africa in 2002, Australia in 2003, Japan in 2004, and in 2005 will offer another Wopila on Turtle Island (North America) to complete this commitment to bring about awareness.

Honor Your Earthly Mother

Honor Your Heavenly Creator

Do not take the life of any living thing,

Do not trash Love...it is a Sacred Gift,

Do not trade yourself for un-enduring worldly riches,

Do not be a false witness of the Sacred Law, the Divine, and use it against each other,

Do not envy your neighbors possessions...

for the Sacred Law, the Divine, gives you much greater gifts.

The "Stew" of Destruction and Devastation has a bitter taste that does not nourish either our bodies, our minds, our emotions, or our Spirits.

Thoughts are VERY POWERFUL. As you think, so you will create a magnetic field around yourself, that will draw into your experience that which you focus on.

Look into your hearts and see which "pot of stew" you truly wish to create.

Wallace Black Elk, 82, author and Sicangu Lakota Spiritual Elder spoke at his granddaughter's Middle School in Colorado recently as part of their celebration of Native American History Month. He was accompanied by his daughter, Marilyn Black Elk.

A few of his thoughts and teachings, which he shared with the students, included:

What is an Indian?

"I am not Indian. Columbus made a 180 degree navigational error. He thought he was in India. Maybe the indigenous people here should have told him to turn around and go back." - Wallace Black Elk

"I am not a Native American. My people were here before this Turtle Island was called America." - Wallace Black Elk

What Is Respect?

"Respect means that you listen to your elders, your parents, and your teachers. They are trying to help you. You should pay attention. That way, you honor them." - Wallace Black Elk

You Have Been Given Four Things

"You have been given four things: Wisdom, Knowledge, Power, and Gift. These things that I am telling you may take years to digest in your minds before they begin to make sense. You must honor these four blessings by having good thoughts, good words, showing kindness to others. When you do this, you will begin to understand what I am talking about." - Wallace Black Elk

You Are Sacred!

"My people understand that you children are sacred. You are precious. You are our future. Your elders, parents, and teachers need to teach you well so that you can help them when they are old. Listen to what they are teaching you so you will know what to do when you are in charge." - Wallace Black Elk

Flat-headed People.

"Some people thought that the Earth was flat like a pancake. They thought they would fall off the edge. They were flat-headed people. My people knew thousands and thousands of years ago that the Earth is round like a ball. It is a circle. But the "flatheads" never asked my people because they thought we were just dumb Indians. Now they are in trouble and they want our help. They have turned this Turtle Island, the land of peace, into a trash pile." -Wallace Black Elk

I Think We Better Learn How To Speak English!

"People say things without understanding or thinking about what they are saying. When you hear something with your ears and let it come out of your mouth, it is called hearsay. Be careful what you let come out of your mouth. Be sure you really understand what your words mean."

"You should learn to speak the language of your ancestors. If you have a German name, learn to speak German. If you have a Spanish name, learn to speak Spanish. If you have a French name, learn to speak French. If you could learn to speak in the language of your ancestors, then you would begin to understand what you are really saying. You could really speak then."

"The English language is all messed up. They teach you to read and write English, but nobody knows where those words really came from. Their meanings are all messed up now.

So people cannot understand what someone is saying to them. People cannot communicate anymore. So I think we all better learn how to speak English before we end up blowing our own heads off with that nuclear bomb, because we can't communicate." -Wallace Black Elk

You Are Part of Everything!

"You are part of everything! You are part of the fire, you are part of the water, you are part of the green, you are part of the stars, and you are related to everything. You are related to the stones, to the trees, to the fish, to the creepy-crawlers, to the ones that fly, to the ones that walk on all fours, and to the ones that walk on two legs. Everything is sacred and, therefore, you are sacred too."

"That's what we mean when we say, Mitakuye oyasin." - Wallace Black Elk

Study and Digest.

"Study my words very carefully. Then they will begin to digest in your mind. Then your bodies will be strong. And then your spirits will be happy." - Wallace Black Elk