Tag: Indigenous people

Blue Star Symbolism in Indigenous Cultures

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Astronomy, Hopi prophecy, Indigenous wisdom, Native American Prophecy, Native American Wisdom, Native Americans, Northern Cheyenne culture, spirituality, Videos
Astronomical photo of Orion
Orion, with Rigel at bottom right, at optical wavelengths plus the Hα (hydrogen-alpha) spectral line to emphasize gas clouds. [Attribution: Photo by Rogelio Bernal Andreo – http://deepskycolors.com/astro/JPEG/RBA_Orion_HeadToToes.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=207932%5D

Cheyenne Blue Star

The importance of the Blue Star is not unique to the Hopi. It is also a symbol the Cheyenne revere and paint on their faces for sacred rituals such as their Massaum ceremony as well as ceremonial fasts. Originally, it comprised four triangles joined at the apex, similar to a Maltese cross. [Learn more about the Massaum and its significance as the Earth Giving Ceremony in “The Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose.”]

The Blue Star is currently represented by a blue diamond shape that comprises four lines, two from the hairline above the bridge of the nose to the base of each ear, then lines drawn  to the base of the chin.

Rigel, a star in the constellation Orion, is what the Cheyenne consider the blue star, its rising when the Massaum ceremony public performance began.

Attribution: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) – [1], CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15407823

Navajo (Dine)

The Navajo (Dine) call Orion Atse Ets’Ozi, the First Slender One, a young, strong warrior responsible to provide protection to his family and people. Whether they attribute special meaning to Rigel is known only to their medicine men and elders because most of their star lore is considered sacred. They only talk about their constellations as part of their winter stories or to a limited extent during the summer solstice.

The Cheyenne also view the Pleiades as significant and paint it on their lodges. The Cherokee believe that is where they originally came from. This well-known grouping of seven stars is also revered by the Mayan, who return to it figuratively via sacred ritual.

Attribution: By NASA, ESA and AURA/Caltech – Hubble Refines Distance to Pleiades Star Cluster (STScI-2004-20), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17899258

Mayan Tradition

Star Ancestors book cover

Paul Werner Duarte, a German/Mayan descendant of the Olmec culture from Vera Cruz, Mexico, has a lengthy and informative section in Nancy Red Star’s book, “Star Ancestors.” In it he states, “The Red man has had a covenant with the beings from space since the beginning. The Red man is the Atlantean. Edgar Cayce once said, ‘Take an Aztec, take a Maya, take a Hopi, take a Cherokee, take a Cheyenne, and you’re looking at an Atlantean.’ Earth is not the original home for any human…. The Red man descended to Earth from the Pleiades; indienous people have a long history of space exploration and extraterrestrial contact.”

The Navajo (Dine) call the Pleiades Dilyehe, which translates “seed-like sparkles. Its rising and setting have been used for centuries and probably millennia to time when to begin as well as when to cease planting crops to assure they don’t freeze when planted too early or too late.

Dakota Blue Star

In the following video by Wanbdi Wakita, a Dakota elder, he explains how they came from the Blue Star . Their women had dreams about it and made it into their star quilts. He does not specify which star in the sky it might be. You cannot listen to this man without feeling his strong spirit.

Hopi Prophecy

The Hopi Blue Star prophecy is currently receiving a lot of attention with the appearance of 3I/Atlas. As far back as 1972 their holy man, Thomas Manyacya, attempted to warn the world. The video’s description on YouTube states:

The Blue Star – Thomas Banyacya: Thomas Banyacya: The Hopi Prophecy was first produced as a video letter to the United Nations Environmental Programme, at the request of the Hopi elders of Hotevilla. Thomas Banyacya, a Hopi leader and spokesman for the Hopi high religious leaders was in his 80s in 1989 when this important meeting took place and was recorded on film. In a traditional circle, Banyacya and the elders meet with visiting Lummi, Lacandone, and American and Mexican environmentalists.

They discuss the Hopi Prophecy that foretold, “Koyaanisqatsi”, meaning “life in turmoil, life out of balance,” as a result of increasing materialism and environmental destruction. Thomas carries the Hopi message which calls for universal peace and spiritual unity and how the only hope for humankind to survive is to return to connectedness with Mother Earth. Humanity must use its knowledge and technology to clean up the water, the air, and the contaminated land. At the same time, we must conserve the remaining natural resources. The individual greed of both people and nations must be replaced with global concern for the balance of life on this planet.

He repeated the message again in 1995 as you can listen to in the following videos.

Conclusion

Why is the Blue Star revered across numerous Indigenous cultures? Has the Blue Star arrived at last in the form of 3I/Atlas?

Whatever that object is, it has baffled scientists as its behavior defies the laws of physics. Is it being controlled by intelligent beings? It seems beyond coincidence that the WOW signal received back in 1977 that lasted 72 seconds came from the same place in the cosmos from which 3I/Atlas originated. Coincidence? Not likely, with odds around a billion to one.

Is it a message from the star people?

Time will tell.

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future updates.

Indigenous Wisdom of the Hopi Mysteries

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in astrology, Genocide, Government Policies, Hopi prophecy, Indian Reservations, Indigenous wisdom, Native American Day, Native American Heritage Month, Native American history, Native American Prophecy, Native American Wisdom, Native Americans, US History

In Honor of Native American Heritage Day, November 28, 2025

Wars are often caused by fear. Even when conquest is the intent, there is still an element of fear behind it.  In may be deeply buried in the subconscious, but it is there. It’s part of history that the white man has done everything possible to eliminate Indigenous people. This was clearly the intent of the Manifest Destiny era of western expansion of the United States when Native tribes were in the way. Had the tribes united against this invasion, they may have been able to prevail. But infighting among them made unification, even for their survival, impossible.

While given lip service as “sovereign nations” and even recognizing the strength of treaties in the constitution, nonetheless all the original occupants of what is now the United States retained was roughly 56.2 million acres (Bureau of Indian Affairs) which equals 87,800 square miles out of a total of  3.794 million square miles, or about 2.3%.

NationalAtlas.gov map of federa lands and Indian reservations

Those that weren’t killed or forcibly anglicized through brutal boarding schools were driven to these reservations. The definition of a “reservation” in Carl Waldman’s “Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes” states: A tract of land set aside historically by the federal government or state government for Indians. Reservations originally served as a kind of prison for Indians, who were not permitted to leave them. Nowadays, reservations are tribally held lands, protected by the government, where Indians are free to come and go as they choose.

So back to the original premise, before I went off on one of my usual tangents: What were they afraid of?  

I believe they were afraid of their inherent wisdom and connection with the Earth. Rather than belabor the sorry history of this country’s relationship with Indigenous people, let’s skip to the present time and the renewed attention to Hopi Prophesies concerning the end of the 4th world.

In her book, “Star Ancestors: Extraterrestrial Contact in the Native American Tradition,” Nancy Redstar states: Spiritual wisdom keepers around the world have recognized signs that were predicted by the ancient prophecies. These signs have signified the Time Keepers that they must now speak their closely held sacred knowledge concerning our origin from the stars; the influence of visitation on the formation of culture, tradition, and ceremony; and the imminent return of our Star Guardians.

The following video explains much of what the Hopi prophesy contains and definitely worth listening for 23 minutes.

Whether or not December 2025 is the turning point as implied by the video is a moot point. Timing in prophesy is difficult, but knowing what to look for is helpful– “Signs in the heavens,” if you will.

 Speaking of which, it’s interest to note that astrologically there are numerous changes occurring amongst the planets that likewise bode toward major change. The outer planets move slowly and they are all in the process of changing their zodiacal sign. It has been said that such a condition in the heavens has not been seen for 10,000 years.

Being a bit longer than western civilization has endured leaves us woefully ignorant of what happened back then.

Cover of Nancy Redstar's book "Star Ancestors: Extraterrestrial Contact in the Native American Tradition

This statement from Chief Dan Katchongva of the Sun Clan Hopi Sovereign Nation, (also found in Redstar’s book) explains why we might want to pay attention to the Hopi: The Hopi were survivors of another world that was destroyed. Therefore, Hopi were here first and made four migrations–North, South, East, and West–claiming all the land for the Great Spirit, as commanded by Massau, and for the True White Brother who will bring on Purification Day.

Others are not as confident as the video’s narrator that this transition will proceed peacefully. Thomas Benyaca states in Redstar’s book: Then you people must understand that the only way we can slow the cleansing and its terrible disasters is for the uniting of the Indian people to occur first.

This statement makes me smile as the author with Pete Risingsun of the Curse of Dead Horse Canyon Trilogy. The final volume of the saga depicts that very thing, unification of Native people, as they arrive on the cusp of prophesy. If you’re curious about a fictitious rendition of various Native American prophesies you would probably enjoy the story. While you may be tempted to skip to the third book, and if you’re really impatient, to the last chapter or so, reading the entire saga starting with the first book is highly recommended. Context is important regarding what precipitated the end result, which will also enhance your reading enjoyment. Let’s just say that a corrupt government gets what it deserves.

Troy Lang, another Native American quoted by Redstar, wisely states: The White race can choose two paths–the Black Road of Destruction or the Red Road of Spirit. The sacred circle cannot be complete as long as one of the race colors thinks it is the boss of all the colors.

Interesting times are on the way. The epilogue of “The Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits” occurs on Native American Heritage Day. Maybe one in the future will see similar circumstances.

To quote the conclusion of the video, “Some truths open only when we’re ready to see them.”

I believe there are many people out there of all colors who are ready.

Hopi Blue Star Prophecy Meets Inter-stellar Object 3i/Atlas

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in astrology, Astronomy, Hopi prophecy, Indigenous wisdom, Native American Heritage Month, Native American Prophecy, Native American Wisdom

There’s been a lot of hype lately about that strange interstellar object cruising through our solar system dubbed 3i/Atlas. Many weird things about it that differ significantly from the average, garden-variety comet have scientists puzzled and numerous others capitalizing on it for some excitement.

Will it deliver Star People that indigenous people have promised will return to save our planet from annihilation? The earth is definitely in a phase of radical change that many recognize.

Cover of Nancy Red Star's book, Star Ancestors

In the introduction to her book, Star Ancestors: Extraterrestrial Contact in the Native American Tradition, Nancy Red Star states, “The Hopi call the world we are now in the Fifth World. The creation and destruction of four previous worlds is held in common belief by the Mayans, Tibetans, North American Indians, Egyptians, and other cultures around the world. In four previous worlds, on four previous continents, humankind held technology and rituals of the highest order. Now, in the Fifth World, the abuse of technology through greed has led us to chaos, a world out of balance with the natural laws.”

Here’s a fascinating video about the Hopi Blue Star prophecy that speaks to its return to change the world as we know it and echoes Red Star’s statement.

And for comparison, here are two with a more scientific flavor. This first one is from the YouTube channel Space Race, the one following that from Fraser Cain for any techies out there who want references to scientific papers.

And to finish up, here’s as a link to Vedic astrologer, Juliana Swanson’s blog that provides loads of astrological insights into it.

Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments.

Medicine Men: Then and Now (Part 1)

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, conspiracies, Government Policies, In the News, Indigenous wisdom, Native American history, Native American Wisdom, Native Americans, Spirit Medicine
AI Generated image of a traditional medicine man shaking hands with a modern woman doctor

Healing is something we all seek at one time or another. In these modern times, many turn to their physician, who then sends a prescription to their chosen pharmacy. If you can afford it, you take it as directed. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Yet the human race survived for thousands of years without pharmaceutical companies. Probably the most questionable thing about them is how they did all in their power to suppress natural cures.

Why?

A natural substance cannot be patented and thus assure income.

Of course it’s becoming more apparent day by day that the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry isn’t about helping people get well–it’s about profits. While this subject is ripe for discussing any number of conspiracy theories, that is not the point I want to make.

Rather, I’d like to illustrate similarities between methods used for thousands of years by indigenous healers (i.e., medicine men or, in some cultures, shamans) versus “new” alternative medicine approaches that eschew drugs for other means for optimizing health, both physical and emotional, which are more connected than most people realize.

Cover of Louise Hay's book "You Can Heal Your Life"

That is one of the most fascinating “breakthroughs” in relatively recent times. Much of this began with Louise Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life. A similar book that was my first introduction to the possibility is Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Kuhn Truman.

In his book, A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle states, “Suffering or negativity is often misperceived by the ego as pleasure because up to a point the ego strengthens itself through it. For example, anger or resentment strengthen the ego enormously. . . If you were able to observe the physiological changes that take place inside your body when possessed by such negative states, how they adversely affect the functioning of the heart, the digestive and immune systems, and countless other bodily functions, it would become abundantly clear that such states are indeed pathological, are forms of suffering and not pleasure…”

Cover of Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth"

He goes on to say, ” The remnants of pain left behind by every strong negative emotion that is not fully faced, accepted, and then let go of join together to form an energy field that lives in the very cells of your body…The pain-body is a semi-autonomous energy-form that lives within more human beings, an entity made up of emotion. It has its own primitive intelligence, not unlike a cunning animal, and its intelligence is directed primarily at survival…That’s why it thrives on negative thinking as well as drama in relationships. The pain-body is an addiction to unhappiness.

Cover of "The Making of a Healer" by Russell FourEagles

Here is what Russell FourEagles, a modern-day Native American healer, has to say about such emotions:

“We humans tend to hang on to too much baggage such as anger, guilt, and pain. We tend to keep inside the hurts and sorrows from losses of family and friends. We also hang onto other life losses such as money and material things. That little place the Creator gave us to store our hurts was meant to be used for just a short while, until we were ready to let them go. But instead, we stuff our heart boxes with more and more hurts and traumas until we learn from our life’s lessons or die. We may often carry this baggage for many lifetimes if we don’t learn to let it go…

“The addition of the new trauma has caused the heart box to swell, so that it presses uncomfortably against the heart and lungs. But then, in an unconscious ability the Creator gave us, we have stolen energy from our own cells to build a wall around our heart box… One way to unload our heart boxes is through the Oneida Fire Ceremony. The ceremony’s main function is for us to give all our painful memories and traumas to the Creator. We do this through writing things down and offering them up in prayer. This ritual helps us to heal and get stronger. In the process, we uncover ever and ever deeper old hurts.” (The Making of a Healer: Teachings of my Oneida Grandmother)

Cover of Dr. Bradley Nelson's book "The Emotion Code"

As far as the Heart Box is concerned, modern researcher and chiropractor, Bradley Nelson, states: “Trapped emotions can create a wall around your heart that can block you from living life to the fullest…Your subconscious mind–which knows no limitations–will sometimes use the energy of these trapped emotions to create a barrier or shield around your heart. Literally, it creates a wall of energy around your heart, to protect it…

“When you have a Heart Wall, you are not able to give love as well as you might, because that love energy that is in your heart cannot get out as well. (The Emotion Code: How to Release Your Trapped Emotions for Abundant Health, Love and Happiness)

Cover of Karol Kuhn Truman's book "Feelings Buried Alive Never Die."

The heart is not the only place that emotions can be trapped. As Louise Hay, Karol Kuhn Truman, and Dr. Bradley Nelson each explained, different feelings get stored in different organs. If you have specific health problems, its origin could lie in some past emotional trauma.

I invite you to check out one or all of these books for details.

Watch for more on this fascinating subject of how ancient beliefs about everything from healing to the true meaning of consciousness are coming full-circle with modern science.

Living in a Gift Economy with Reciprocity and Gratitude

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, Indigenous wisdom, Native American Media, Native American Wisdom, Native Americans, spirituality
Book Cover of "The Serviceberry"

Review of “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

This beautiful little book gives you plenty to think about. The illustrations complement the text perfectly and help convey it’s sweet message. I expected it to be a bit longer, but it’s the expansion of an essay/article done previously.

I love the author’s insights based on her Native American heritage. There is so much wisdom there. The core message of the analogy to the serviceberry is reflected in the subtitle, “Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World.” Everything we have and need comes from the Earth as a gift. We should take only what we need. Greed and hoarding are not how nature operates. When do we attain the feeling of “enoughness?”

It’s message is also nicely expressed in Chief Seattle’s quote, “Take only memories, leave only footprints” from a speech he gave on honoring the environment.

Sharing builds friends and community. Giving back benefits both the donor and the recipient. She states, “Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy, and they  have the remarkable property of multiplying with every exchange, their energy concentrating as the pass form hand to hand, a truly renewable resource.”

She tells the story of a little wooden “Free Farm Stand” that was placed by the road where excess produce was left for people to take. The irony was that when winter approached and the stand was shut down, someone took the sign literally and actually took the stand itself! Fortunately, a young man in the area was working on his Eagle Scout Award and planned to build a new one as his project.

Many years ago I lived in a community that dated back to the 1800s where everyone knew each other. Probably more than half of them were related, progeny of the town’s founders. Our children played together, we shared our talents and our harvests. We bartered, eggs for fresh milk and various other exchanges.

This is fairly easy to do in a small community.  She mentions potlatches, which I was not familiar with, so I looked it up. The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “A ceremonial feast among Indian tribes on the northwest Pacific coast to which the host distributes gifts requiring reciprocation.”

I have seen that on a smaller scale, where you would take a treat or dinner to someone and tell them to pay it forward to someone else as opposed to paying it back to the giver. To think this was a inherent part of Indigenous culture is thought provoking at the least.

These practices are more easily accomplished in small neighborhoods where everyone knows each other. It brings to mind something I read in Nancy Red Star’s book, “Star Ancestors,” about a great migration that occurred thousands of years ago. The people were advised not to stop and build cities, but of course some of them did.

If you look at cities today you can see the wisdom of that advice. In cities people lose touch with one another. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, clear back in the 18th Century, argued that humans were happier and more virtuous in a “state of nature.” Cities, civilization, and fancy social structures just made people fake, greedy, and miserable. He saw city life as the root of inequality and moral decay. He believed living close to nature, simple living, and smaller, self-sufficient communities — not the crowded, artificial world of cities, was the way to live. Centuries later, Henry David Thoreau echoed the same sentiment in Walden Pond.

Going deeper into that subject opens Pandora’s Box, so I’ll leave that for another day.

Indigenous cultures had a beautiful concept of community and taking care of one other. Small communities often operate in a similar manner. Each of us could start with our families by instilling the concept of giving, reciprocity, and gratitude, then expanding it to friends, neighbors, and relatives.

After all, it’s the family where such beliefs should begin.

You can get your copy on Amazon here.

How Much Do You Know About MMIWG?

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Genocide, Government Policies, Indian Reservations, Native American history, Native Americans, Northern Cheyenne culture

What is MMIW Awareness Day?

May 5th is MMIW Day, a day to raise awareness for the widespread anger and
sadness in First Nation communities because of the missing and murdered women
and children in their communities. A red hand over the mouth has become the
symbol of a growing movement toward awareness, accountability, and advocacy.
The red hand represents the silence of the media, law enforcement and government
agencies on this issue, as well as the oppression and subjugation of Native women
throughout history. Join Native Communities on May 5th by wearing red and raising
awareness in the call for #NoMoreStolenSisters.

A wealth of information is available at https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw/.

Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-Women-and-Girls-ReportDownload

This is something few know about other than those directly effected by it. The following video will give you a closer look.

Shocking and another way Native Americans have been marginalized and discounted. Awareness is key to officials taking action. Pray that the focus on ending human trafficking will focus on this issue which has been a reality for indigenous people for decades.

Do You Hate Cliffhangers?

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Status, Native American history, Native American Prophecy, Native Americans, Northern Cheyenne culture, Uncategorized

Are you a reader like my daughter who avoids serials* until all volumes have been released?

Like the Curse of Dead Horse Canyon trilogy?

Sorry about the wait, folks. Two factors slowed down the saga’s completion: Disruptions to both authors’ lives and research.

Especially research!

If you’ve been waiting, (even though book 3 came out awhile back), your patience is about to pay off.

All three novels will be released as a single mega boxset ebook on April 18!

Preorder now to reserve your copy at a bargain price of $9.99 with the ebook delivered electronically as soon as its released. All three books are complete and unabridged, 2266 pages worth plus an addendum not found anywhere else.

See? Good things come to those who wait.

Assuming you haven’t read book 3, “The Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits – Novavose,” you’ll find it has a different pace than the others, especially once Charlie embarks on his ceremonial four-day fast.

Be prepared for a deep dive into Cheyenne history, culture, and ceremonies seldom represented in fiction! Those of you who relish immersion in anthropology through fictitious characters and situations imbued with historical truth will treasure these chapters.

Not so much if you’re looking for wham-bang suspense with no other substance.

I must warn you, however, if you’re tempted to skip the fasting sequence, be aware it’s the most consequential part, not only of the third book, but the entire saga. Consider that it drove the title as well as the picture of the Sacred Mountain on the original cover. The ending has far less meaning without that context, as one disgruntled reader expressed in a very nasty review.

Readers’ Favorite, however, gave it 5-stars and a glowing review that among other complimentary things states, “Stands out for its sharp writing and complete ability to immerse readers, especially in Charlie’s spiritual transformation. [His] heritage is painted from the sky to the smallest pebble and the fire burning in between. This finale succeeds with a perfect 10 landing. Very, very highly recommended.”

The cover for the ebook trilogy is a bit different than the others. Not only does it feature “AI Charlie,” whom you may have already met in the trailer video, but blatantly captures the saga’s overall theme. The trilogy’s description has a different spin when viewed from the ten-thousand foot level. Same novels, but the collective vibe is slightly different. Furthermore, upon request, a glossary of Native American words and phrases has been added along with a closer look at the Earth Giving Ceremony too detailed to include in the story.

 Its online description states:

The Curse of Dead Horse Trilogy ebook includes all three books of this multi-award winning saga! If you hate cliffhangers and waited until it was complete, this is what you’ve been waiting for. Furthermore, the addendum includes a glossary as well as additional information on Cheyenne practices with a comprehensive look at their Earth Giving Ceremony.

Order your copy now and prepare to be consumed by a story that brings a vast government conspiracy face-to-face with Cheyenne history, prophesy, and ceremony. After centuries of lies, oppression and broken treaties will justice be served at last?

You can preorder your copy here.

I hope you enjoy the completion of this saga. I must admit that I knew exactly how it was going to end from the first book, but didn’t know how it would transpire until Charlie’s fast. The research was worth its weight in gold showing how the ending was not so much of a stretch after all. Prophesy tends to be fulfilled, sooner or later.

*Per Google AI, “While both “serial” and “series” refer to a sequence of things, “series” generally describes a collection of related items or events, while “serial” specifically implies a story or narrative told in installments, often with an ongoing plot.”

The Power of Words

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Indigenous wisdom, Native American history, Native Americans, spirituality, US History, Videos

The purpose of words is to convey meaning. How they’re spelled, how they sound differs tremendously. Sometimes they convey the same meaning, such as for a cat or dog. Others are unique and can’t be translated into another language, especially if they’re based on cultural context.

When immigrants come to a country, they assimilate better if they learn the host language. This is not simply a matter of getting along better in society. It integrates them into the culture. America became a “melting pot” as immigrants came from a multitude of foreign nations, then were united in a common language, i.e. English, even if they maintained their ethnic traditions.

When Europeans came to the American continent they encountered indigenous peoples whose languages were entirely foreign. While there’s a similarity in etymology and syntax among Latin-based languages (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, etc.), those spoken by Native Americans (which were several) had no similarities to European languages. Their culture and society were so different, many words common to Europeans didn’t even exist in theirs and vice versa.

Most of our thoughts comprise words. A person’s vocabulary determines their ability to think and comprehend the world around them. Without applicable words, unfamiliar concepts cannot exist. Emotions, however, exist beyond words. If you see someone laughing or crying, you know they’re feeling something.

Europeans took possession of this country in a less than friendly manner. Eventually, indigenous people became the “Indian Problem.” They refused to cooperate by giving up the land gifted to them by the Creator, a.k.a. Great Spirit. After numerous wars, massacres, and ugly confrontations, those that remained were herded off to reservations. As if that wasn’t bad enough, their children were taken and sent to government boarding schools where they were “reprogrammed.” This comprised cutting their hair, dressing them in “civilized” clothing, and forbidding them from speaking their native tongue. Being caught doing so resulted in their mouth being washing out with soap.

This was not a benevolent gesture to help Native Americans assimilate into European/American society. The intent was to annihilate their culture, identity, and beliefs, an insidious form of virtual genocide. A slight improvement, I suppose, over edicts from the Vatican that gave early explorers and colonists permission to kill them or make them their slaves.

Imagine forcing new immigrants to give up their language and customs. As “guests” in this country, it could almost be justified, a condition of habitation that promotes unity. Instead, just about any document they may need to read is available in their own language at taxpayer expense. Yet, quite the opposite was done to indigenous peoples who were here first.

If you have a difficult time relating to this, consider hoards of Chinese soldiers swarming our borders and forcing us to abandon our way of life, including our language, and adapt to theirs or die.

As intended, indigenous languages began to disappear. Fortunately, some survived. Ironically, helping the current younger generations to learn their native tongue is now a function of the very schools who originally forbade them from speaking it.

Why should they care? Because that is who they are. Culture, ceremonies, and their collective philosophy of life is embedded in their language. They have words with no English analog. Even in English, certain things have different meaning. For example, “All my relations” to a Native American includes all living things as well as the Earth herself. “Turtle Island” is not only this continent, but embodies their creation story.

Why should we care if their culture is lost? Because it’s in the world’s best interest for it to be revitalized. Assimilating it may be the only thing that can save us from ourselves in this war-torn, polluted, technology-dependent world.

This short video (less that 3 minutes) contains the 10 Commandments of Native Americans. As you listen, consider they initially welcomed Europeans to their land. They only became aggressive when the Founding Fathers and those who followed didn’t want to share this country with its original inhabitants.

They wanted them out of their way.

A Quizzical Glimpse of Native American History

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Native American Heritage Month, Native American history, Native Americans

Most people are familiar with the saying “To the victor go the spoils,” which includes writing (or rewriting) history books to justify defeating the enemy.

With that in mind, see how many of the following questions you can answer correctly.

1. True/False King Ferdinand was given permission to kill indigenous people or make them their slaves by the pope.

2. How many tribal nations have a formal nation-to-nation relationship with the U.S. Government?

a. 14

b. 567

c. 173

3. How many federal and state-recognized American Indian reservations are there?

a. 492

b. 39

c. 334

4. How many states have a recognized American Indian reservation?

a. 35

b. 9

c. 17

5. True/False The Founding Fathers were sympathetic toward Native Americans and recognized their rights under the Declaration of Independence.

6. True/False The Declaration of Independence’s statement that “all men are created equal” included Native Americans.

7. What was the reason for the majority of U.S. Government – Indian wars?

a. White settlers occupying Indian land in violation of treaties

b. U.S. Government ignoring existing treaties due to westward expansion.

c. Loss of livelihood and hunting grounds to encroachment by white settlers.

d. All of the above

8. Indian people are categorized by culture and geography. Which of the following are NOT considered culture areas?

a. Arctic, subarctic, Northwest Coast, Plateau

b. Great Basin, California, Southwest, Mesoamerica

c. Great Plains, Northeast, Southeast, Caribbean

d. None of the above

9. In the early 19th Century, Sequoyah, a Cherokee polymath from the Little Tennessee Valley created:

a. A list of treaty violations to present to the U.S. Congress

b. The allotment system to assign land to individuals

c. A syllabary of 86 ornate characters

10. Which of the following places are based on Native American names?

a. Allegheny, Alaska, Adirondack

b. Biloxi, Caddo, Chattanooga

c. Hatteras, Erie, Huron

d. Wyoming, Winnebago, Wichita

e. All of the above

ANSWERS

1. True. The first papal bull issued for King Ferdinand in Spain after Columbus returned from the Caribbean stated: “All people of North America are no better than feral animals and may be slaughtered at will.” 

And that bull was followed by another that accompanied the North American land grants: “All land grants will be governed by the same rules as the land grants in Spain, to which you have been accustomed. Thus, as usual, any people populating your land defined by the land grant here issued are your slaves.”

2. b. 567 tribal nations

3. c. 334 reservations

4. a. 35 states with reservations

5. False. George Washington was known as Town Destroyer in the Seneca language based on the decimated cornfields and razed villages he promoted. Thomas Jefferson as Governor of Virginia, ordered a war of extermination against the Shawnee.

6. Following that “created equal” statement it states “except the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.

Yes, it really says that. The Natives were accused of being savages for defending their homeland while as one example, at Sand Creek the U.S. Army slaughtered innocent Native Americans who were literally flying the U.S. Flag with a white banner of surrender.

Custer did, indeed, have it coming.

I find it ironic that following WWII the U.S. was more than generous helping to rebuild war zones of former enemies in Germany and Japan, yet few promises made to this country’s original residents have been kept.

7. d. All of the above are reasons for the U.S. – Indian Wars.

The “Manifest Destiny” attitude of America’s early European explorers and subsequent settlers toward the country’s native population was overtly hostile. Land that was virtually stolen, deceptive treaties of which the Indigenous signers were not advised of their true content, and treaties to which both signatories agreed but Congress never ratified are but a part of the sordid tale.

Too many members of the Native population live in substandard conditions with many reservations comparable to a Third World Country and comprise some of the poorest counties in the United States. Yet now the government proposes giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to illegal aliens for being “inconvenienced.”

What’s wrong with this picture?

8. d. None of the above. All represent designated cultural areas.

9. c. A syllabary of 86 characters based on the sound of syllables in the Cherokee language

10. e. All of the above. Hundreds, more likely thousands, of places in the U.S. and Canada retain their Native American names.

SCORES BASED ON NUMBER CORRECT

9 – 10 Cheated or has a college degree in Native American History.

7 – 8 Assumed this was an open-book quiz.

5 – 6 Fan of Longmire series on Netflix.

3 – 4 A few lucky guesses.

0 – 2 Don’t waste your money on lotto tickets.

Swallow your pride and leave your scores below.

Review of Nancy Red Star’s “Star Ancestors: Extraterrestrial Contact in the Native American Tradition

Posted on by Marcha's Two-Cents Worth in Book Reviews, Indigenous wisdom, Native American history, Native Americans, spirituality, Uncategorized

This book is a masterful work of art in addition to containing a collection of personal experiences from members of several different tribes. These include Navajo, Mi’kmaq, Abenaki, Seneca, Cherokee, Tarahumara, Maya, Olmec, Yaqui, Creek, and Choctaw.

Though testimonials about UFO encounters are included, the majority of the book is on a more spiritual level, dealing with other types of connections with the Star People. These include the importance of ceremony, previous lost civilizations from millennia ago, high technology in the distant past, the origin of indigenous people, and prophecies of the future, which is upon us now.

The book has been around a while, the original copyright in 2000, then renewed in 2012. In today’s world that’s a long time and many things prophesied that may not yet have occurred by either of those dates have by now.

I think my favorite section was “We Wander This World with a Purpose” by Mali Keating. She spoke of the Hopi, where they came from, and their numerous prophecies. Here’s an excerpt of one section that explained so much about our modern world.

“The Anasazi were a people left over from the migration. The people were told they must never stop and build cities, but of course some did…. Cities make people crazy, as we all know. People become greedy and lose the ability to work together.”

Here’s another, that may not have been as apparent when this book was first released as it is now:

“The Hopi said that they would know that the end is coming when roads crisscrossed this continent like the web of a spider–those are the vapor trails of airplanes. You can see vapor trails like the webs of spiders in the sky.”

Actually, roads on which we drive crisscross the continent, too. Those trails in the sky,  however, are not vapor trails, they are called chemtrails. Vapor trails are condensation from normal airplanes whereas chemtrails are chemicals such as barium and aluminum being deliberately sprayed in the atmosphere to supposedly combat climate change. This, like so much else out there today, is a lie. If anything, they are causing the climate to go crazy by facilitating weather manipulation.

There are numerous photos of indigenous art and the layout of the book itself is genius, between Nancy Red Star’s commentaries before each entry to her free verse poetry at the conclusion. Reading these stories is not just informative, it’s an experience of another realm beyond what meets the eyes.

A realm that Native Americans and all indigenous people understand.

May we all learn from their ancient wisdom before it’s too late.

5-stars, Highly Recommended

Available from Amazon and InnerTraditions.com