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Healing Circles of Life
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
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Arvol Looking Horse Reports
on
WORLD PEACE and PRAYER DAY
reprinted from Indian Country Today, Aug. 31, 1995
[ The item below is a letter to the editor, and thus the words are owned
by the author, not the publication. It is on this basis that the item
is being transmitted without permission from _Indian Country Today_ by
NativeNet. --Gary (gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us) ]
In the January 1995 Lakota Times I published my presentation to the
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization where I stated:
"In August 1994 a White Buffalo Female Calf was born. This tells us
it is time to take our rightful place leading the people toward peace
and balance once again. We will pray for the return of our holy land.
We will pray for the two-legged, the four-legged, winged ones, and for
Mother Earth."
"We ask that you pray with us. Indigenous Nations know our Mother
Earth is suffering. Humanity is heading toward total chaos and
destruction."
"That is both a scientific and spiritual fact."
"As caretakers of Mother Earth, it's our responsibility to tell our
brothers and sisters to seek Peace. We ask every nation to declare
June 21, 1996 World Peace and Prayer Day. Pray at this time with us
in your sacred areas."
Since that time I have had resounding responses from both Indian
leaders and spiritual leaders around the world. In March 1995 I met
with Liberal Member of Parliament Elijah Harper -- a high-profile leader
who stopped Canadian Constitution legislation because it did not
recognize Aboriginal rights. He has committed to helping June 21
become a legal holiday in Canada.
Also, I met Chief Ovide Mercedi, who represents over 500 tribes
in Canada. Ovide is in full support of June 21 and is beginning the
groundwork to gather elders and spiritual leaders this October to
ensure that all tribes participate June 21, 1996.
In May there was Summit VI: an international gathering of spiritual
leaders at Six Nations, Canada, which focused on the prophecies of
Indigenous people and what we are to do at this time as a people.
Cree from the north agreed to support this day with us, pray from
their sacred site and host the June 21, 1997 World Peace and Prayer
Day.
Mayans from Chiapas, Mexico agreed to gather all their spiritual
leaders at the Temple of the Sun to pray on this day with us and host
World Peace and Prayer Day June 21, 1998. Mayans talked of the time
when the white jaguar spirit is to be released. Last January over 900
medicine men gathered to write their prophecies on the wall of the
Temple of the Sun.
A man from Malaysian rainforest talked of diseases elders said are
coming. Tears of blood will stream from children's faces because they
are uprooting trees that hold in the underworld. He agreed to take
this message to over 11,000 rainforest Indians to pray with us June
21 from their sacred site.
The Maori spoke of children suffering starvation as the world is going
to shift and cleanse herself if we do not listen to the prophecies'
instructions to return to our spiritual ways and use of the knowledge
our ancestors left us. They said they will pray from their sacred
mountain, which is the first mountain to greet the rising sun. I
could go on and on, but you get the picture.
I was asked at Summit VI to talk to Dakota, Nakota and Lakota chiefs
and delegates of our traditional knowledge of the Pipe and prophecies.
We have relatives as far north in Canada as Alberta. We've forgotten
about these people, and I'm working to help them reunite with southern
relatives.
I had a dream on the way to the Summit of a "ride" where my
grandfathers came toward me in full headdress and buckskin through a
cloud of dust.
I felt like a young child. I wanted my headdress -- the one placed on me
when I was 12 years old, but I remembered mice had torn it. Just then
someone stuck a full headdress under my right arm. In the dream I
wanted to ride with my grandfathers -- a day I had waited for all my
life.
I told people at Summit VI I would lead a unity ride through Canada to
reunite our relatives this coming July. I believed the dream was of
the upcoming ride in June from Canada to the Black Hills.
I traveled to Joseph Bighead, Saskatchewan to visit a traditional
Cree, Chief Ernest Sundown, who wished to present me with a trailing
headdress for my commitment to unity and mending the sacred hoop since
1986.
From there I traveled to Pheasant Rump, Saskatchewan -- a Dakota reserve
-- and gave names to young men and women. The family presented me with a
yearling horse. We rode from Pheasant Rump to Wahpeton, Saskatchewan
in three weeks.
Elders greeted us from each community, sometimes with a Pipe. Chiefs
joined us, wearing their headdresses and carrying their staffs. We
would be led into a tipi to speak of prophecies and smoke the Pipe.
Each nation honored us and committed to June 21, 1996. Some said they
never thought the message would come to them from their relatives in
the south. They never thought they would live to see this day.
From Wahpeton I hurried to Green Grass where we organized a two day
gathering to talk about World Peace and Prayer Day with our own
people, the World Council of Churches and members of peace
organizations.
From there I traveled to Pine Ridge, and again spoke of my whereabouts
and push for World Peace and Prayer Day.
During this time I also dreamt of Sun Dancing. I had never had this
dream before, and was told by elders when they made me Keeper of the
Pipe and chief, "You do not have to Sun Dance because your whole life
will be a sacrifice for the people. The people take care of the
Keeper, so you never work because you are the center and cultural
carrier."
My decision to Sun Dance is a commitment to pray for the people -- for
things to change for the good, as they aren't good now and seem only
to worsen. My brother Ivan's vision was to go back to how Sun Dance
was originally formed. We honor his vision and commitment to
strengthen the ceremonies in a good way. It is the right time to Sun
Dance.
It is time for me to remind the people I have two titles - one as
Keeper of the Sacred Pipe and one as chief. To our knowledge no other
Keeper was given two titles or burdens at such an early age.
This is a great responsibility at a time when the people are suffering
all the effects of genocide and religious suppression. Alcohol and
abuse is the way of life we see.
I am trying to change that cycle of abuse we have toward one another.
As Keeper and chief, I ask people to look at the big picture. Look
past your own personal situation and ask, "What have I volunteered for
my people lately?" And show respect for our ways and prophecies --
-- our cycle of life where there is no ending and no beginning --
Mitakuye Oyasin
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
Keeper of the Sacred Pipe, Green Grass, SD
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For additional information about Roy Steevenz, Titus Qomayumptewa,
the Hopi Indians, Global Moccasin Ceremony, Chief Arvol Looking Horse,
World Peace and Prayer Day, and the white buffalo calf, please access
the following topics:
Hopi: the People of Peace
Global Moccasin Ceremony
Journey for Health & Peace
World Peace and Prayer Day
Miracle: The White Buffalo Calf
Tree of Peace: New World Democracy
These documents available by fax or snail mail from Turtle EyeLand.
For more information, send $1 and your address to Turtle EyeLand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
for a green and peaceful planet for the Seventh Generation
David Yarrow at Turtle EyeLand
c/o Broeckx, P.O. Box 6034, Albany, NY 12206
dyarrow@igc.apc.org 518-426-0563