This book was produced by the collective effort of "The Turtle Island
Publication Group & Sister Vision Press". Canadian Cataloguing in
Publication Date, ISBN 0-920813-92-5. 1994. 22 pgs. Approx 10x10"
Discusses each Prophecy ....
The Seventh Fire is the time we are living now. It was foretold
that in the 7th Fire, a new people would emerge, a new generation who
would not let all the pain and anger and lies stop them from finding
out the truth about who they are and what has happened.
It would be a time when the new people would look back over the Trail of
Tears of so many generations and ask "why". In looking back, they would
notice things others had left beside the trail & they would go back &
pick them up & bring those things with them into where we are now. The
things that were left behind were the various ceremonies, the medicines,
the drums, the songs, the dances, the languages, the stories -- all those
things that gave meaning to being an Ojibway.
In trying to find the Original Meaning of these things, the new generation
had to seek out and find the remaining Teachers & Elders who had this
knowledge. They had to find those who had not "fallen asleep." In
finding & reclaiming meaning for themselves & their lives, it becomes
their task to stir the remaining embers of the Original Instructions into
a Fire of Healing in order to bring as many others as possible into
rebuilding a Sacred Circle of Life. They are the ones who spend their
lives stirring others to waken, discover, & reclaim Culture & Spirituality
back into the Circle of their lives. They are the ones who inspire others
to walk again, the Good Red Road. That choice is before us now."
"Why all this at this time? There is the Hope that somehow, together,
we would light the Eighth Fire. Ideally, the 8th Fire would be one of
peace & harmony for all -- if we choose carefully the road, we, as
human beings, would travel from this time forward. All of creation
depends on the choice we make now -- individually & collectively. So
much healing is needed if we are to ensure our individual & collective
survival within the Circle of Life of which we are all a part.
That's where I'd like to end the story."
*******************************
Personal Note: We need the healing of the Eighth Fire, and clarity on the
meaning of the 7th Fire, which can only be interpreted with a pure sense
of purpose and kindness to each other. In all honesty, my own personal
agenda has not given me the endurance to enter into some of the discussions
whose "Subject" lines have popped up on my screen, particularly on NatChat.
With some major health issues last month (too close to cardiac arrest for
my taste) caused by a MAJOR blunder on behalf of Western medicine, I've
had the privilege to "re-assess" my priorities, and attempt to shed a
little light for those able/willing to re-think their direction & attitudes.
None of us is perfect -- that is save for the Creator, & I think he is
too busy sometimes, frankly; BUT passing judgment on one another, "declaring
war"/counting coup on others because they think differently, rather than
follow a CALM discourse of discussion hurts all of us. We can only keep
our culture alive by pulling together and curbing the urge to get into
flame wars... lets keep those flames in the fires of the prophets, & not
in cutting words to our brothers & sisters.
As we enter this "Holy" time of year for all mankind, lets keep those
less fortunate in our hearts, not forgetting to pray for political prisoners
like our brother Leonard Peltier, & even for the souls of those slime balls
in the FBI who trump up charges to protect their own agendas. Smudge your
homes and minds; show your love to your family & friends while you can;
share with others, & pray for peace -- within your Nations, within your
cities, country, the world, & even more, within the hearts & minds of
those who struggle on a daily basis to establish priorities & feed their
families.
Niin sa,
lyn
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+
"We did not weave the web of life. We | Lyn Dearborn; Naturalist/Person
are merely a strand in it. Whatever | Turtle Clan Ojibwe
we do to the web, we do to ourselves" | Basketry Instruction
--"Walk gently on Mother Earth" -- | dearborn@anchor.engr.sgi.com
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+