in order to love me, you must know what i am.
i sing with the wolves,
dance with the deer and
swim with the fish.
i am native american.
my skin is red like blood,
my hair is black like night
and my eyes are brown like the trees in which we live
i am native american
with the earth beneath my feet,
bow strung between my fingers
and the wind hinting me forward
i am native american
fire is as much my brother as the members of my tribe.
i must learn to listen,
yet be stubborn enough to know when to stay.
i am native american.
i have native blood through my veins and
as much beauty as the land on which i hunt.
i am native american.
i live to smile at death.
the creed:
the earth is your mother, care for her.
honor all your relations
open your heart and soul to the Great Spirit
all life is sacred; treat all beings with respect
take from the earth what is needed and nothing more.
do what needs to be done for the good in others
give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each new day
speak the truth, but only for the good in others
follow the rhythms in nature; rise and retire with the sun
enjoy life's journey, but leave no tracks.
being indian is mainly in your heart.
it's a way of walking with the earth instead of upon it.
a lot of the history books talk about us Indians in the past tense, but we don't plan on going anywhere... we have lost so much, but the thing that holds us together is that we all belong to and are protectors of the earth; that's the reason for us being here.
mother earth is not a resource, she is an heirloom.
