GIVE THANKS FOR SIMPLE THINGS The Great Binding Law ....The council shall not sit after darkness has set in. Whenever the Elders of the Great Native American Nations assemble for the purpose of holding a council, the Chosen Elders shall open it by expressing their gratitude to the Great Spirit . Then all Brothers and Sisters greeting them, and they shall make an address and offer thanks to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of water, the pools, the springs and the lakes, to the maize and the fruits, to the medicinal herbs and trees, to the forest trees for their usefulness, to the animals that serve as food and give their pelts for clothing, to the great winds and the lesser winds, to the Thunder, or to the Sun, the mighty warrior, to the moon, to the messengers of the Great Creator who reveal his wishes, and to the Great Spirit himself who dwells in the heavens above us all , who gave all the things to all men, who are the source and the ruler of health and life. Only then shall the Elders declare the council open. ****The Simple Things **** There once was a girl who was not satisfied with simple things. Her parents feared of never finding her a husband , she would accept. Each man who came calling was not good enough. That one was too fat; he will never do. Another she said Did you see how shabby his moccasins were old and warn ? Or I didnt like the way he spoke. Such were the things she would say after each calling . One night, as the fire flickered low, a strange young warrior came to their lodge. Dahjoh, said the mother. come inside, but the visitor stood out in the edge of the light and pointed his finger, at the girl. I have come to take you as my wife, he shouted . Now ! This young man was very handsome. His handsome face shone in the firelight. Above his waist was a fine, wide belt of black and yellow wampum that glittered like water. On his head he wore two tall feathers and he moved with the grace of a willow tree in the wind. But her mother was worried. Daughter, she whispered , You would not take any of the men in our village. How could you marry a stranger whose people you dont know? It was no use, for the daughter liked what she saw and was satisfied. She packed her belongings and walked into the night, following the handsome warrior . The girl walked for several hours , through the darkness with him when she began to feel a little afraid. Why had she left her mothers lodge to come with this strange man , whom she had never seen? Just then her new husband grasped her arm. Do not fear, he said, whispering in the darkness. We will soon come to the place of my people. But husband, said the girl, how can that be? It seems we must be very close to the big river. Her husband grasped her arm again. Follow me, he whispered just down this hill. The two of them walked down a steep bank and came to a strange looking lodge which had a pair of horns, like those of a giant elk, fastened above the door. This is your new home, the husband said. Tomorrow you shall meet my people. And left her . The rest of the night the girl was cold , he had no fire pit or fire and she was afraid. She heard strange noises outside. She noticed that the lodge had an odor of dead fish. She held the blankets tightly about her and waited, wide-eyed, till morning. When the next day came, he returned , but the sun did not shine. The grey sky was filled with hazy light. Her husband gave her a new dress, covered just like his with wampum , sea shells. You must put this on, he said to the girl, before you become my wife and are ready to meet my people. But the frightened girl would not touch the dress. It smells like fish, she protested . I will not put it on. Angry but he said nothing more. Before long, he walked to the door of the lodge. I will go away for a time, he stated. Do not leave this place and do not be afraid of anything you see. And he was gone. The girl sat there wondering about her fate. Why had she come with this strange man? She saw that if she had been satisfied with simple things this would not have happened. She thought of the warm fire in her mothers lodge. She thought of the simple, good-hearted men who had asked her to marry them. Just then a horned serpent crawled in through the door of the lodge. As she sat there, stiff with fear, it came up to her and stared a long time into her eyes. Around its body were glittering bands of yellow and black. Then it turned and crawled out of the door. The girl followed slowly and peered outside. All around, there were many water snakes, some lying on rocks, some crawling out of caves. Then she knew that her husband was not what he seemed, not a human being at all, just a water serpent, disguised in human form. Now the girl knew , shed been foolish a girl. But she was not without courage. She knew that she would never agree to put on her husbands magical dress and become a great serpent herself. But how could she escape? She thought and thought and finally, for she had gone the whole night before without sleep, she closed her eyes and slept. Then, as she slept, it seemed to her an old woman appeared in her dream. My granddaughter, said the old woman in a clear deep voice, let me help you. But what can I do, Grandmother? she asked. You must do as I say, the old woman answered You must leave this place tonight and run to the edge of the village. There you will see a tall steep cliff. You must climb that cliff and not turn back or your husbands people will stop you. When you have reached the top, I shall help you. Then the girl awoke up , she realized she had to follow the old womans words. She looked outside the lodge and saw her husband coming, dressed again, in the form of the handsome warrior . She knew she had to go at once or be trapped in this place forever. So, quick as a partridge flying up, she burst from the door of her husbands lodge and dashed toward the cliffs. Come back! she heard her husband shout but she did not look back. The cliffs were very far away. She ran as swiftly as she could. Then she began to hear a sound, a rustling noise like the wind rushing through the reeds but she did not look back. The cliffs were closer now. Then once more she heard her husbands voice close to her yelling , Come back, my wife, you must join my people. But now she had come to the cliffs and began to climb. She climbed and she climbed, using all of her strength, remembering the old womans promise, as her hands hurt painful and grew tired, but she did not stop . Ahead of her was the top of the cliff and as she reached it, she felt the hand of the old woman lifting her to her feet. She looked back and saw that she had just climbed up out of the big river. Behind her swam many great water serpents. Then, as she watched, the old woman began to hurl bolts of lightning which struck the monsters. And she knew that the old woman was really, the Great Spirit. The lightning flashed and the thunder boomed rolled across the sky. In the river the water serpents tried to escape but the bolts of God struck all around them . Then the storm ended and the girl stood there, a gentle warm rain washing over her face as the Great Spirit looked down on her. Youre very brave, my daughter, she said. You have helped me rid the earth of many those monsters. Perhaps I may need to call on you again, for your good deed has given you much power. Then the old woman raised her hand and a single cloud drifted down to earth. She and the girl stepped into the cloud which carried them back to her village. It is said that the girl later married a brave warrior , whose heart was good. Between them they raised many fine children. It is also said that her spirit grandmother, came back to visit her many times. Often she would fly with her to help rid the earth of evil creatures. And when she was old, she always told her grandchildren these words: Always be satisfied with simple things. Cetan
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:17:28 +0000
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