Indigenous Peoples' Literature ™ in English

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Daily Inspirational Words

"So live your life that the fear of death
can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion;
Respect others in their view, and
Demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life,
Beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long and
Its purpose in the service of your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day
when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute
when meeting or passing a friend,
Even a stranger, when in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people and
Bow to none. When you arise in the morning,
give thanks for the food and
For the joy of living.

If you see no reason for giving thanks,
The fault lies only in yourself.
Abuse no one and no living thing,
For abuse turns the wise ones to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die,
be not like those whose hearts
Are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes
They weep and pray for a little more time
to live their lives over again
In a different way.

Sing your death song and
die like a hero going home."

Tecumseh, Shawnee

"While living I want to live well.
I know I have to die sometime,
but even if the heavens were to fall on me
I want to do what is right.

There is only one God looking down on us all.
We are all children of the one God.
God is listening to me.
The sun,
the darkness,
the winds,
all are listening
to what we now say..."

Geronimo

O Great Spirit, who art before all else and who dwells in every object, in every person and in every place, we cry unto Thee. We summon Thee from the far places into our present awareness.

O Great Spirit of the North, who gives wings to the waters of the air and rolls the thick snowstorm before Thee, Who covers the Earth with a sparkling crystal carpet above whose deep tranquillity every sound is beautiful. Temper us with strength to withstand the biting blizzards, yet make us thankful for the beauty which follows and lies deep over the warm Earth in its wake.

O Great Spirit of the East, the land of the rising Sun, Who holds in Your right hand the years of our lives and in Your left the opportunities of each day. Brace us that we may not neglect our gifts nor lose in laziness the hopes of each day and the hopes of each year.

O Great Spirit of the South, whose warm breath of compassion melts the ice that gathers round our hearts, whose fragrance speaks of distant springs and summer days, dissolve our fears, melt our hatreds, kindle our love into flames of true and living realities. Teach us that he who is truly strong is also kind, he who is wise tempers justice with mercy, he who is truly brave matches courage with compassion.

O Great Spirit of the West, the land of the setting Sun, with Your soaring mountains and free, wide rolling prairies, bless us with knowledge of the peace which follows purity of striving and the freedom which follows like a flowing robe in the winds of a well-disciplined life. Teach us that the end is better than the beginning and that the setting sun glorifies not in vain.

O Great Spirit of the heavens, in the day's infinite blue and amid the countless stars of the night season, remind us that you are vast, that you are beautiful and majestic beyond all of our knowing or telling, but also that you are no further from us than the tilting upwards of our heads and the raising of our eyes.

O Great Spirit of Mother Earth beneath our feet, Master of metals, Germinator of seeds and the Storer of the Earth's unreckoned resources, help us to give thanks unceasingly for Your present bounty.

O Great Spirit of our souls, burning in our heart's yearning and in our innermost aspirations, speak to us now and always so that we may be aware of the greatness and goodness of Your gift of life and be worthy of this priceless privilege of living.

ï¿½1996
Noel Knockwood , B.A. Elder

"Native Americans may be called the
'invisible people',
but their wondrous and beautiful words,
like the eons
of Earth's life they have seen,
will not fade or be
swallowed by time.
They belong to a people who have
always cherished the land,
who listen to it; in the
sound of water or the
sheen of a river stone.

Nature's song is pervasive and faithful.
It has a memory in its own language,
as well as a story to tell."

"Anyone with a sense of compassion and
responsibility must realize the
necessity of a more hopeful vision.
This vision is held in the traditions
and philosophy of a people who believe
in continuance for themselves and
for all life. Words are like gifts,
our granparents say. The spirit blooms
and we must remember our source of nourishment,
or we will starve forever."
"Each moment in life
is complete unto itself,
distinct from any other.
The energy felt among
indigenous peoples crackles,
like the energy needed
to shift continental plates
or that which propels
a child into the new world,
to start all over again.
This is what holds together
the power of the legend,
a power that calls all things
into existence and
assures respect for life everywhere."

"The Indians are not a race
to be forgotten.
They are a very valid and
live part of our society today.

The North American Indian was
considered a vanishing race,
and sadly, too often that is
how they were portrayed."

"It is in truth, not for glory,
nor riches, nor honors
That we are fighting,
but for freedom -- for that alone
Which no honest man
gives up but with life itself."

Declaration of Arbroath, Scotland
April 6, 1320 "What one feels in his heart and soul
defines a native person,
not the color of his skin."
Glenn H. Welker, Webmaster

TRUE NOBILITY
To be too big for worry, too noble for anger,
too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble
To be enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own
To think only of the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best
To think well of yourself and to proclaim it,
not in loud words, but in great deeds
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
My wish is to live without disliking anyone,
To love without being jealous of anyone,
To rise without being elevated over anyone, and
To advance without stepping on anyone
or becoming envious of those above me."

by
Ameen Rihani

Please Let WORLD PEACE Prevail

Pueblos Indígena de México [en Español]
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Compiled by: Glenn Welker
ghwelker@gmx.com

Copyright @ 1993-2016

This site has been accessed 10,000,000 times since February 8, 1996.

"Native Americans may be called the 'invisible people', but their wondrous and beautiful words, like the eons of Earth's life they have seen, will not fade or be swallowed by time. They belong to a people who have always cherished the land, who listen to it; in the sound of water or the sheen of a river stone. Nature's song is pervasive and faithful. It has a memory in its own language, as well as a story to tell." "Anyone with a sense of compassion and responsibility must realize the necessity of a more hopeful vision. This vision is held in the traditions and philosophy of a people who believe in continuance for themselves and for all life. Words are like gifts, our granparents say. The spirit blooms and we must remember our source of nourishment, or we will starve forever."	"Each moment in life is complete unto itself, distinct from any other. The energy felt among indigenous peoples crackles, like the energy needed to shift continental plates or that which propels a child into the new world, to start all over again. This is what holds together the power of the legend, a power that calls all things into existence and assures respect for life everywhere." "The Indians are not a race to be forgotten. They are a very valid and live part of our society today. The North American Indian was considered a vanishing race, and sadly, too often that is how they were portrayed."

"It is in truth, not for glory, nor riches, nor honors That we are fighting, but for freedom -- for that alone Which no honest man gives up but with life itself." Declaration of Arbroath, Scotland April 6, 1320	"What one feels in his heart and soul defines a native person, not the color of his skin." *Glenn H. Welker, Webmaster*