Native American General Cultures Information

Smudge Feathers:

Using a smoking smudge feather wand for purification is part of many Native American traditions.

Talking sticks:

Passing the talking stick from speaker to speaker is a respectful way to communicate and share opinions. This tradition is especially helpful in keeping disagreements from getting out of hand. Cherokee people respected the Talking Stick.

Dream Catchers:

The earliest dream catchers (sacred hoops) were crafted for children to protect them from nightmares, and were made from grape vines and honeysuckle vines. I craft with both!

Sweat Lodge:

The Native American sweat lodge or purification ritual cleans and heals the body, mind, and spirit.

Dreams:

The appearance of birds and animals, either in reality or dream time, are considered to be totem messengers offering spiritual guidance. And, Totems today still are spiritual guidance no matter if large or if small. Hand-made and carved are the traditional Totems. The Medicine people of every tribe and the Nation are the keepers of the Visions.

Story Gift:

Native American Traditional Storytelling is the Greatest Gift to share!

Medicine Sticks are very powerful and must be used with cautions.

Hair ties and hair feather decorations are very traditional.

Sacred stone remains the Turquoise and is used many ways!

Walking sticks were used by many elders and decorated. Some could tell a history of hunting or even of family history.

Native American Indian Cherokee Clothing and Regalia:

Originally, there were many different traditional clothing styles in North America. Nearly every Native American tribe had its own distinctive style of dress, and the people could often tell each other's tribal identities by looking at their clothes, headdresses, and ornamentation. The Cherokee Nation has some very special clothing: Like the Cherokee Tear Dress!

The use of Tobacco:

Indian stories has it that in ancient times, when the land was barren and the people were starving, the Great Spirit sent forth a woman to save humanity. As she traveled over the world, everywhere her right hand touched the soil, there grew potatoes. And everywhere her left hand touched the soil, there grew corn. And when the world was rich and fertile, she sat down and rested. When she arose, there grew tobacco...

Which The sacred pipe and Native American Pipe Ceremony are at the heart of native people's cultures as they travel the road of balance. The smoke coming from the mouth symbolizes the truth being spoken, and the plumes of smoke provide a path for prayers to reach the Great Spirit, and for the Great Spirit to travel down to Mother Earth.

The Native American pipe ceremony is a sacred ritual for connecting physical and spiritual worlds. "The pipe is a link between the earth and the sky,

Tobacco is offered in respect to Medicine People

And, this Tradition lives on!

American Indian Drums:

The most important Native American instrument was and still is the drum, as you can tell by going to any Pow Wow or Native American event.

The drum is the "Living Beating Heart of the Nation "and represents unto all Ears:

" WE ARE OF ONE BLOOD "

FANS: They are used to pray, or sing and to dance with.

The fringe part of the fan is said to represent Native roots.

The fringe: Why we put 12 fringes on the handle of the fan handle. These 12 fringes represent the roots; it represents the 12 months; it represents the 12 tails of the eagle and hawk; it represents the songs, the mountain song, and the early morning dawn songs.

Tradition explains to us that Clans, Tribes and Nations Warred against each other: Thus the War Parties!

Pow Wow Traditions and Sharings:

Pow Wows were the Native American people's way of meeting together, to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships and make new ones between the Clans, Tribes and Nations. At a Pow Wow no weapons of War were allowed save for the knife. Warriors were not allowed to fight.

The Warriors Dance arrived as a challenge back and forth. This Tradition is still with us Today: On many reservations the Warriors Dance is private to registered members of the Tribe and Special people they invite. NO CAMERAS are allowed for the Warriors Dance, and this must be respected by all attending.

A Pow Wow is a time to renew thought of the old ways and to preserve a rich heritage. It is a sharing of stories, items exchanged and the feeding of all attending from the hunt and prosperity of the Tribe holding the Pow Wow. Friend or foe all were always fed! Fires were lit and dotted the night skies! Stories were told and sharing of good hunts.

Pow Wow singers are very important figures in the Native American culture. Without them there would be no dancing. The songs are of many varieties, from religious to war to social. As various tribes gathered together, they would share their songs, often changing the songs so singers of different tribes could join.

With these changes came the use of "vocals" to replace the words of the old songs. Thus, some songs today are sung in vocals with no words.

Yet they still hold special meaning to those who know the song. Many songs are still sung in native tongue either newly composed or revivals of old songs. These songs are reminders to the Indian people of their old ways and rich heritage.

Dancers have always been a very important part of the life of the American Indian. Most dancers seen at Pow Wows today are social dances which might have had different meanings in earlier days. Although dance styles and content have changed, their meaning and importance has not. The outfits worn by the dancers, like the styles of clothing today evolve over time, it is not a stagnant culture, but a vibrant and changing way of life.

More Native Tradition Information

Learning to " Walk Silent "

Silent Walker: Once was man, whom mother earth tried to teach to walk silent within the woods. But, man always stirred the leaves. Man asked of mother: "Why do leaves still still?" Mother responded: "Because you have yet to divide yourself."

Man pondered and considered the silent walk path. Thus, the man began to renew his soul and walked with eyes stretched to visit the hawk and eagle, and to look beyond the trees, the forest and the earth itself: Began man to journey in walk to see what silent had to say! Lo and behold: One marvelous day: THE MAN WALKED AS THE SILENT WALKER. Mother said, " Now you have found the way of insight and knowledge: One stone away".

FIRST WORD OF ADVICE:

NEVER GIVE ANYONE ADVICE YOUR NOT WILLING TO DO ALSO WITHIN YOUR LIFE...FOR GIVING ADVICE SEEMS SO DIPLOMATICALLY EASY...THAT WE ALL DO IT TIME TO TIME.. BUT I SAY...NEVER GIVE SOMETHING I MYSELF CANNOT DO!

Native Tradition shares with us: THIS GREAT TRUTH!

That no man has the right to tell another man what to do.

We can share our Wisdom and Knowledge "When asked".

By Wha-O-Chee (( aka Artist/Author Robert W. Vincent ....known as pabear48 ))

To-Day beaded copies of designs are made commercially and in great numbers and yet there still are some traditional Medicine People who do hand-craft and create cultural styled regalia jewelry which is not commercially mass produced but are each hand crafted the traditional ways.

You can find real crafters at Pow Wows by simply asking if they can craft YOU a Special Order item with the bones and decorations YOU PICK. If they can you discovered a real traditional crafter and not a mass produced seller.

It is like a REAL SEED BEADER who can create a Special Order design of YOUR CHOICE of colored seed beads to use in the finished pattern item. Mass produced people whom are simply sellers cannot do this simple test? Hand-crafting is a learned skill and it is an art of Culture and Traditions. And, please remember just as you go to work expecting a living wage in these days: So does a genuine traditional crafter deserve the same concept and respect of their Mother earth gifted abilities as Medicine People. WE ARE REAL GENUINE CRAFTERS...You like one of my designs but desire different colors...We can do that!

You have found a real crafter To-Day!

Many moons ago there once was a mouse born pure white. An albino mouse
from the Creator. Like many field mice he roamed the woods and sometimes roamed the strange
structures with interesting smells coming from their tops. These were the tepees
of the People!

Within one of them was a great Warrior and hunting provider to the People.
But, this Winter was heavy and the snows came by the feet and rose to the top
entrance of the tepees. Starvation loomed unto the People and to the small animals
of the forest.

Because of the snow depths the white mouse had to explore for food in the smelly
place he rather not go. So into the skins of the strange structures he began his
adventure exploring for food. Once inside he felt the warmth of the air and sat
upon a wooden bowed item where he could see the strange People.
This mouse was known by folklore to be "Mutch-a-do" a special gift from Mother Earth.
And, he could speak the Native tongue! ( A gift from Creator)

The Warrior was known as "Kicking Bear" and was mighty among the People. But,
even the snows stopped him from hunting for the food so much needed. He sat at
the fire rubbing his hands when his eye caught the White mouse sitting upon his bow
hanging from a piece of deer hide. "Mutch-a-do" started the talk by saying
"Why do you stare upon me warrior of the Creator?". In reply "Kicking Bear" said:
"You are great medicine and respect of sight I must grant"
"Why did you enter my Circle?"
" I was hungry and it is cold in the depths of the snow" he replied.
" I have no meat for jerking" said "Kicking Bear" and "The wee ones cry in hunger
for even I cannot go outside and bring meat to the fires for all.
" Mother earth has brought the snows upon us like never seen before this time.
"But, I am hungry" said :Mutch-a-do
"Kicking Bear" stared again upon the White Mouse and said:
" I have this nut which you may have for it is all that I have left
to give to a visitor within my abode. My words are at an end just
as life is upon a path."

"You are a Warrior and I am well pleased in your gift of the nut"
said "Mutch-a-do", and you are not going to die.

Remember this my friend: To worry over "much-a-do" is like over
the other hillside where a herd of Buffalo is resting just 50 feet
from where we sit.

By Wha-O Chee

A story by Little Hawk: (copy-protected)

It was cold. The wind was howling. All the leaves had fallen to the ground. The snow would soon be blowing, and the food was getting low. There was no blankets, and the children would be cold. Mothers were worried and grandmothers were old, having a hard time keeping up. But, had to press forward the braves were saddened to watch. The families driven like cattle from their homes. Their clothes were tattered and torn. They dare not balk or turn around, for death was sure to meet them head on. The babes cried from hunger. Mothers had been murdered, raped, beaten and enslaved.

Yet! Onward was pressed by the white man's gluttonous greed for more land they did not need. Many stumbled and died. The new land was hot dusty and dry, and built on a lie. The pride of the native withered drove out by greed. The people still wait living in the swallows of earth: Nothing has changed except for the face on twenty dollars of the one who ordered the plight of a tract. That never could be understood. All because of a promise built on greed.

There is a trail I have often walked up on that is pelted with tears. I hear the babies cry. I place my hand over my heart. I feel the pain of their mothers death, and the tears streaming down the face of the brave. This was more than two hundred years. And, I still hear My People Cry...........(This is a copywrited story).........

The "Trail of Tears" was a real event that took place in the United States and is part of real history.

Hello All:

In this day and age E Mails are becoming larger and with animations and sounds embedded. Most ISP's have not corrected their servers to allow these to FLOW EASILY.

THIS YOU YOURSELF CAN CORRECT BY SETTING AN OVERRIDE
To set OUTLOOK EXPRESS TIME OUT OVERRIDE IS EASY:

Open Outlook Express
Click Tools
Click ACCOUNTS
Then click PROPERTIES
Then click ADVANCED TAB
NOW LOOK FOR THE BAR THAT SAYS SERVER TIMEOUT
SLIDE THE BAR TO THE RIGHT...ON FULL
CLICK...APPLY AND THEN CLICK OK

Now REBOOT SYSTEM
ONCE BACK MAKE A SYSTEM RESTORE POINT
SAYING: FIXED OUTLOOK EXPRESS
SAVE
REBOOT ONCE MORE
thats it!!

YOU HAVE CORRECTED AND NOW LOCKED IN THE CHANGE

Now make a System Restore Point

HAPPY COMPUTING
PABEAR