so many of the readers will have gone home for the Holidays, I thought
that I would share this with you before any of you left.
"AN INDIAN PRAYER CHRISTMAS DAY"
by
Larry Kibby
Great Spirit Grandfather
I send these words to you
To Father Sun
Grandmother Moon,
To Mother Earth,
To all you have created,
To all our relations
And to the four Sacred Winds.
Grandfather,
Today you gave
The breath of life
To an Indian child
In a most Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child
Will walk amongst his people
With his head held high,
With dignity and pride,
In a most Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child,
Will stand before his people,
With honor
And respect,
In a most
Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child,
Will be strong,
With wisdom, knowledge
And understanding,
That will come from
The heart, soul
And mind
In a most
Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child,
Will come before
A humble Nation of people
And like his brother
The Eagle,
And like the Sacred Buffalo
This Indian Child
Will be their strength
In a most
Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child
You gave to us
In a Sacred Way,
And with his eyes,
Will see all that is good
And with his ears,
Will hear all that is good
And the words
That he will speak,
Will be strong and powerful
In a most Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child
That you have
Brought before us
Your Native People,
Will be like his Ancestors
That have gone
Before him on their journey,
In that he
Will always travel
Within the Sacred Circle of Life
In a most Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child,
Will use,
His Eagle Feathers,
His Sacred Pipe,
His drum,
His Cedar,
His Sage,
His Sweetgrass,
Within the Sun Dance,
Within the Sweat Lodge,
Within all of his Traditional Ceremonies
In a most Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
This Indian Child,
Will be strong within,
His Tradition,
His Culture,
His Religion,
In a most Sacred Way.
Grandfather,
Thank you for each breath of life,
That you have given to our young.
For tomorrow,
Another Indian Child
Will come before us
And he too
Will have been born
The Indian Way.