Indigenous wisdom, particularly from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, offers a profound framework for understanding humanity's interconnectedness with nature and provides essential guidance for sustainable living, emphasizing respect, balance, and long-term responsibility for future generations.
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and just state your name and your clan name
[sighs]
I'm um
um Orin Lions that's my English name
Jo giso is my clan name
the wolf is my my clan anad do is my
nation the hoodon is the Confederacy
and the Confederacy is better known as
the IRA
we're old people been here a long time
so the first question from your Vantage
Point and from your people's Vantage
well that's huge it's huge like creation
creation is the universe creation is
everything that we can see and probably
a whole lot that we can't probably more
than that we can't see but it's what's
about us and it's the relationship
this amazing
[snorts] uh Web of Life that we have here
here and
and
and nature
which is part of creation is more like
the Earth itself in its part in its
position in this whole Web of Life in
the creation
we have relationship with uh all the
elements and forces of life including
including
the sun we call our elder brother the
moon we call our grandmother
the U winds we call our grandfathers the
four directions our grandfathers
and then all of the elements of life
itself so in this idea of creation
nature is the Earth itself and we call
the Earth mother
ioa our mother as we call all women ioa mothers
mothers
and from mothers spring life and we
understand that and we know that life
Springs from the earth
that Generations that are looking up
layer upon layer waiting their time to
come up and and serve and be is our resp responsibility
responsibility
so the Earth is
how are the Earth is a fe is the mother
and so how are humans described what
kind of are what kind of agents are well
then if if
if you have U if you have a mother then
you have children so we're children
we're Children of the Earth
and uh we're tied to the Earth
we come from the earth and we go back to
the Earth and and the Earth has great
systems of U regeneration
regeneration
great cycles of regenerative life
and it's these cycles
that we're all part of just as the Earth had
had
seasons of Life
all animals and all things that grow and
fly and including humans have seasons of
life as well and so we we grow in the
same style what's different about all of
that is
the time
the time that's allocated to the
varieties of life that are on the Earth
and we have a fairly long
long
system of life but not the longest
turtles live beyond beyond us
parrots live beyond us
um there are certain mammals that that
are have an older uh life cycle than we
do but we have a long life cycle as it
is on Earth and then also when you move
down to the Fine insects and their life
cycle is counted in days
so what you have is this variety and
complexity of life and and the times
that are allocated
and what happens during those times for
each of these elements that's what's
in the understanding of the Earth how
does what does what are your
recommendations for how we should treat
the how humans treat the world and the
planet and our resources
what is the disposition that we need to
take humans toward the gifts that the
planet provides us
well what I've noticed and know about
indigenous people around the earth is that
that
many many indigenous Nations have
have been able to uh
to hang on to the knowledges that they
have the traditional knowledge
and in this traditional knowledge
is the um directions
directions
are the instructions for a good life so
we have instructions about how do we
conduct ourself on this Earth and
probably the first one is uh respect
and I think if there was a law common
law around the world the indigenous
peoples and I think everybody respect is
a law
and and if people followed this law
simple law of respect they'd have a lot
more peace and you'd have a lot more uh
quiet and and and a better life so I'd
say respect
uh conduct yourself accordingly and and recognize
recognize
what your obligations are and what your
duties are and the duties are to protect
these life forms
when The Peacemaker came to our
territory about a thousand years ago and
brought this whole concept of Peace as
the original five nations the Mohawks
the onidas the onondagas
like cayugas syas
uh we're in a constant War Warfare and
we had really forgotten our instructions
that we had prior to that and we're not
living by them
and Peacemaker came Among Us and and
brought this whole idea concept of peace
and democracy
and he gave it to us whole
and it took him a long time to do that
there's a whole story about how he came
and [snorts] how he worked with hayan wi
whom you call hayasa
and how they worked and brought together
this great Confederacy called the hoodi
nooni based on peace
based on equity and justice for people
and based on the power of the good Minds
The Power of unity
the issues of Health
all given to us thousand years ago
and and he laid out the process by which
we we do this and and one of the first
things he said was
he was going to give great
responsibility to the women
since the Earth is female and the women
should be working with the Earth
men would be in charge of fire
women would be in charge of water
and so
we're we're the the men our our work to
see to the welfare we do counseling
we do meetings we do all of that and if
needs be we fight
uh but basically we're we're dedicated
to peace
and that was what's was so important
about that time a thousand years ago
when if you looked in in Europe at that
time there great wars were going on and
the whole history of Europe as I saw it
as one war after the other Century after
Century how people lived in constant
constant fear
and thousands of thousands of people
died well in this part of the the
universe which was kind of just uh
isolated Western Hemisphere wasn't even
known about we we were operating under a
different system
and it was basically one of respect and
councils of of leaders to try to keep
the peace because human nature is human
nature and you have to have a process by
which to meet problems
and you have to have rules and so forth
so the rules was always based around
respect and fundamental to all of that was
was
was the
understanding of
how the Earth itself uh was Paramount to
all of our life and so in this uh idea
of respect was also the understanding of
what we should do and how we should
conduct oursel according to the elements
of the earth and all of the natural worlds
worlds
so we always said that we were we have
been told and understand that we're relatives
relatives
and where our white brother will talk about
about
water and T trees and animals and fish
as resources
we talk about them as relatives and
that's a whole different perspective if
you think that they're relatives and you
understand it and you understand that
then you're going to treat them
differently and the responsibility The
Peacemaker said to us were very clear
he planted a great tree of Peace Great
White Pine
a great symbol to our Nations he said
this is the great tree of Peace
he said its roots will be four white
roots of truth that re in the four
directions of the earth
and those that have no nowhere to go can
follow the route back to its source and
come under the protection of the great
tree and he says on top of this tree I
place the eagle and the eagle who will
watch everything and watch and guard the
security of this tree and will let us
know when problems are coming
and he said that this tree of peace is a
spiritual law it represents a spiritual
law and the spiritual law is the law of Nature
Nature
and he told us explicitly never
challenge this law
because you cannot Prevail you will not Prevail
Prevail
wrap your laws your rules and your conduct
conduct
he said you the leaders when you're when
you're weak as a human being he said
this tree will give you your spine strength
strength
wrap yourself around this tree because
it's powerful do not challenge
the laws of nature because you cannot
you will not Prevail
now that's great wisdom that's a
thousand years ago [sighs] and it
reminded us uh of of our obligations and
so Indian nations in North America South
America Central America far as I know
indigenous people around the world all
have ceremonies
and these ceremonies are thanksgivings
for what we have
uh we have just now initiated
a great ceremony for the trees at
onandaga and long houses of the Six
Nations still operational and we hold
these Ceremonies for the leader of the trees
trees
which is the maple
the maple is the leader and so we have a
ceremony of Thanksgiving as soon as the
the sap starts running and then when the
sap stops then we'll have a closure
ceremony but in between we're thankful
for all trees of this Earth wherever
they are whatever their names are those
that we know and those that we don't we
give thanks and so if this kind of
instruction were given and understood by
other people and you wouldn't be cutting
trees all over the world and destroying
the infrastructure of life and
everything that's in the woods
we had a a a profound agreement when we
first initiated the five nations later
become the six nations with the
uh Tuscarora Nation came in 1713 1722
became the sixth Nation but we all agreed
agreed
we all agreed that we would work
together and be together together and so
we had a treaty amongst ourselves
and it was called simply one dish one spoon
spoon
that's a concept of sharing and this
world has to understand the importance
of sharing
I know that in the structure of the
United States it's very contrary to that
people are not instructed to share
they're instructed to gain they're
instructed Ed to hold to themselves
they're instructed to to gather unto themselves
themselves
uh and they're rewarded for that and so
you have a you have an instruction
that's contrary very contrary to this
whole concept if indeed this is what you
think is right but this I'm simply
telling you what our instructions are
and so operating under this you know
I've traveled to Indian nations across
North America and Central America America
America
and I always am invited to the
ceremonies and I know what's going on I
may not understand the language and the
dances may be different but I know what
is being said it's always the same
Thanksgiving to the creation
Thanksgiving to the to the lifegiving
forces of the earth
and you know when the Christians came
here they they made life hard for us us
they brought a whole different thought
and idea
and we're still suffering from that but
we can get into that on a later time but
in in relation to all of this and you're
talking about conduct a conduct is quite
simple respect for life and
understanding that life is our relatives
and how goes it with them goes it with
us and so we've taken this to a high
degree um
I'm um a chief one of the Chiefs in the
Council of Chiefs at onandaga and I sit
on behalf of the turtle Clan even though
I myself am a wolf
I have a lot of experience
with different administrations with
different events in this country and
I've watched a lot of changes
and I see that we're not doing very well
that we seem to be moving farther and
farther away
from what would be good for our
grandchildren and their children
and so I think that the
instructions for people is be respectful
for Life appreciate what you have share
what you have and make up your own mind
about things
uh it's very difficult to
to deal with a whole nation that's
instructed to be greedy
you know how how do you deal with that
uh to to be mindful of yourself and your
own doings and and uh to secure
everything for yourself and and to
become as they pointed out a few days
ago one of the billionaires of the world
they they promote that and they say
that's great and they say this is what
you should be striving for
but we look at it differently
that amount of wealth in this time in
life in Earth is a lot of influence and
a handful of people with that amount of influence
influence
and that kind of a direction in life is
not going to take you in the right direction
direction
I mean they peace meal stuff and they
can't say that they're bad people but we
don't say that at all we just say that
their instructions seem to be directed
in the wrong way
and interesting you know to us being an
American Indian and familiar with the
processes of uh foundations and people
trying to get money for this and that
and poor Indians and and so forth
first of all today in all of uh the
United States we're less than 1% of the
population of the country
and support for Indian causes from the
foundation world
not even 1%
going to Indians why is that you know
it's interesting question
why why is it that they don't want us to
survive that they don't see it's important
important
and that maybe we're uh
more of a problem
I mean the whole process of the United
States history has been to assimilate us
and of course it's a question of land
so we've been fighting this this whole
issue of land land claims you know in
1492 we owned all of North America
and owned it in the broad sense in that
it was in our caretaking and no one owns
the land it always belongs to your children
children
and your grandchildren so we were
protecting it in their interest well a
whole different thought came here
and when they first said they wanted to
buy land our leaders laughed and they
said how can you buy land they said
that's like buying water or buying air
you can't buy land land belongs to everybody
everybody
but certainly not and today we can see
yes they do buy land and you can fly
over America and you can see all the squares
squares
but all this land is bought
but the land that you bought you don't
carry the responsibility that goes
through the land it's a personal
Gathering and so the consequence of that
is it's deteriorating
and so I don't know what the what the
answer is to all of this except that uh
under the leadership of this country
right now we're going downhill fast
and I think that this presid Administration
Administration
uh Mr Bush is is acting in a criminal
Manner and not uh telling the children
or protecting the children and
grandchildren's interests
he's not protecting their interest
and that's really criminal I mean that's
going against our instruction entirely
he's not protecting life he's promoting
the interest of business
and their interest is profit so we're in
the problem and the consequence of which
we look at
the present state of the world is is um
very serious in terms of its health and
how the health relates to us I think we
have to understand something here
and that is that uh the Earth can deteriorate
deteriorate
and ultimately
um lose its life-giving forces and
it can uh change become Barren or it can
change and become snow it has uh its own
its own Direction it has its own will
and ability
and uh we're part of that
and so right now I see two big two big
areas of concern
some time back when Einstein was asked a
question about what is the most powerful
law of the universe he said there was a
law of compound
and I pondered that you know and I said
compound what does that actually mean
and and I really thought about it and
have been thinking about it lately and
uh I come to the conclusion that it's
kind of like an explosion in Reverse
it starts slow and ends fast
where an explosion starts FL fast and
and slow
so compound are in two that I see and
one is a compound of the ice melting
and the other is a compound of human population
population
both are moving and accelerating
both are under their own Direction it
doesn't seem like there's a control
Factor here
uh for either one certainly the the ice
melt is something Beyond
uh our control at the moment because
what it takes it takes the instruction
of The Peacemaker to be of one mind he
said when you're of one mind the power
of the good mind can change anything
and so uh so we have to somehow get to
that point of unity of thought and
Direction and effort and if we can do
that we certainly can mitigate what's
going on now you know when we're
concerned is for the children and their grandchildren
grandchildren
and their children
Peacemaker said
you know that uh that we're responsible
and that we should be always watching
and and so uh I think what he's saying
and and uh the instruction is correct
and and could could happen um
um
America is isolated from the world both
in thought and conduct size oceans
oceans
and in that isolation
uh you know
it's heavily involved in in what's going
on inside America like for instance um
you know
and I'm I'm part of that too because um
the other this weekend Syracuse
University just just won uh you know the
Big East title well I'm a alumni
Syracuse and so I enjoyed that
but this whole country
is is
fixed on the idea of sports it's fixed
on the idea of of uh distractions and
and uh human titilation if you will or
whatever it may be and they're not
looking at the large pictures
and they've become insulated against the
realities of the world
uh even our poor people poor people in
in the US would be wealthy in any other
part of the world
I mean poor people in America have
television sets
that's not the way it is in the rest of
the world
and we're just maybe 1if of the
population of the whole world and yet
we're we're using one quarter of all the resources
resources
I know vice president Cheney said well
if we're creating one quarter of the
energy of the world then it's just right
for us to use one quarter of the resources
resources
or that kind of thinking
is very destructive
so I think we have to adjust and and be
be alert and aware we have to get a
message to the people and they have to
understand the seriousness of this
situation right now this compounding of
human population
you [sighs] know Lester Brown who who is
who's you know recognized as one of the
great uh scientists of the World
concerning environment and interest said
that um in 1950
there was 2.5 billion people in the world
so in that short time
we almost double triple the population
of the world that's not sustainable
that is not sustainable you can't do
that but we are
you know and and that's a reality who
knows that who thinks about that I heard
Ted Turner say that one time he says
well in my lifetime I've seen this
population double
and you think about that you know it
took four million years to get to that
point and take something like 50 years
to do it twice no that don't work and so
that's what we're facing
in the world today we have China who has
1 billion people more 1.3 I think May
probably more by this time
India which has 1 billion people just
the two of them
or one-third of the population of the
world and they're busy
yeah we started out with that you talked
about the destroying major and just what
have your Council said about this de has
this been predicted what were the signs
have [clears throat] the signs occurred
have these signs have things come to
pass that you've been predicting [snorts]
[snorts]
yeah okay
yeah it's interesting you know uh that
Indian nations have what they call prophecies
prophecies
but also the Bible has prophecies
and and people have had prophecies all
the time seems to be part of human nature
nature
and these prophecies uh currently we're
we're working on on on organizing them
and as I studied um I come to the
conclusion they're not so much
prophecies as they are
instructions of conduct and the
prophecies being that this will happen
if you don't do this or this will happen
if if you drop this
so it always leaves the the option
to the present
that always leaves the option to the
current generation
and I think that that's the the
we've had uh three three major events
for the hinos Shoni one was the first
time when we were given the instructions
of how to live which some people would
call um religion or ceremonies that was
long ago we're not sure exactly when but
we do know the process and we knew what
happened how it happened very very very
long ago and then somehow we got lost
personally I mean the six five nations
and began this fighting and then we had
the second instruction or support that
was the coming of The Peacemaker
spiritual being who gave us this great
idea of democracy and organized our
thoughts in that direction
and I mentioned earlier that uh he gave
this responsibility of raising the
leaders to the to the women
um he also instructed us on the
importance of Clans so I think this
relationship is important people should
understand the relationship between us
and the natural world and we we love
that so much that we have taken on the
symbol of of our our relatives and so as
you see I'm wearing the symbol of of the turtle
turtle
well the turtle also represents uh North
America the great Turtle Island
and it's a symbol of longevity and of strength
strength
and so we have a turtle Clan and yet I
told you I'm a wolf so we have a
relative of wolf and the deer and and
and the Beaver snipe
all of these
and and the different nations have
different Clans sometimes I'm just
astonished by the amount of Clans that
The hoopies Have and the amount of Clans
that the navajos have they have a wind
Clan they have a they have a
just about whatever you could think of
there's a clan but it's all related to
Nature and so that's how we see ourselves
ourselves
and and a wolf is a wolf is a wolf and
so I'm always mindful of what's
happening to my for footed brother
and we were instructed to watch that and
to see because they said whatever
happens to him is going to happen to you
and so how we treat
these these uh animals who are who are
doing what they do uh in in kind of a
uh they live in a state of grace they
they don't do anything wrong they just
do what they do and they do their best
to do it in spite of everything and
everything they continue so we know in
New York City as we sit here pretty
quick now there's going to be Hawks
flying through here
and certainly the geese are flying
and this is an old Flyway right here
they used to stop here all the time they
still fly they still go by here because
it's an old rule an old law it goes on
it's just that you don't see them but
they are doing their best to continue
and so it's like that around everywhere
and we have to understand this relationship
relationship
and so we have that and it brings us
closer and it helps us to to respect
better uh how they how they serve with
us and how life Works
quite a while back maybe 150 years ago
Chief yattle said something that was
very profound said a lot it was very
profound but one thing he said was we
are part of a web of life
and every strand is important
and that what be one part will befall
the other
and so this is what we don't seem to
understand or comprehend is this this
web of life that we we live in and how
interdependent we are so you know there
was also an observation made just not
very long ago about the body weight of
human beings some way way way back many
years when when the body weight was just
something like 1 Point something of of
the weight of of all mammals in the world
world
and today the body weight of human
beings is 98%
and all of the animals of the world are 2%
2%
you think about that think what we've
done already
so there's a great imbalance there's a
great imbalance of Humanity on this
Earth and and the natural laws don't
abide that they don't abide and they uh
there's law and the best thing you can
do is keep the balance so we should be
paying real attention to that
and just the quality of life that comes
from all the beings that are here will
be they'll be denied or grandchildren
and then when they lose that then they
lose even better perspective of how to
survive so we're destroying their well-being
well-being
we're really destroying the the efforts
that can put forward if they have the
respect and knowledge
I don't know this style of talking and
observation they tell me is not
realistic in today's times
and I suppose not if you're thinking in
terms of Wall Street and you're thinking
in terms of power and authority
but in the long run it is absolutely the
law and as The Peacemaker told us a long
time ago
it will prevail
and so the Earth itself well
it'll change
it'll cool down
we'll have another Ice Age and we're in
that process right now the trigger has
been pulled the action is taken and it's
going on right now and I've had long
discussions with Scientists in different
parts of the world and they tell us
that's exactly what's going on the
amazing thing is that this country the
United States refuses to acknowledge
that just astonishing
and and uh time is an element now and
now we're bringing in another element
time to how much time and that's always
the question
that was a three-part series
uh written in the New Yorker I don't
know whether you're aware of it or saw
it last spring written by this woman
probably I think one of the best
compiling is of fact
very realistic assessment of what's
going on
and in that discussion in her story she
told about how this present
Administration went to one of the
scientists that knows about all of this
here in New York and asked him what was
his prognosis and he said it's bad we'll
be lucky to be here in 100 years and
maybe sooner
and he said also that people going to
have to adapt to the changes but the
changes are going to come so fast that
you won't be able to adapt so
so
it struck a court because I remember at
one point when when U the president was
asked about about this climate change
which is a softer discussion of global warming
warming
when he's asking about this he said well
we're just going to have to adapt
so now I understood that he did know and
he was instructed
and he simply chose to use the words we
will have to adapt well of course we
will I mean there's no other option and
whether you're capable he didn't go on
any any further so his awareness then is
obvious and which makes his culpability more
the world needs good leers and good leadership
leadership
so I think uh what's happening now uh is
is clearly an indication of where we are
it's a
international Universal Action Now taken
by these huge systemic changes
the Gulf Stream slowing down in the
Atlantic Ocean has been slowing down 1960
1960
the whole of the Atlantic Ocean was pure saltwater
saltwater
and now a convection of of ice water
snow and the melting of the snow and
has mitigated
the salt water and we now have a
convection of of fresh water that's
reaching all the way to the Carolinas
the result is that the Gulf Stream is
slowing down and a report from
University of Bergen
a university that sits on the coastline
of Norway who monitors the current I
gave a report in 2001 and they said more
or less and uh you know I don't have the
exact words but more or less they said
Gulf Stream slowing down and if it
continues to slow down at the pace it's
doing it could conceivably stop
altogether within the next 15 years
and so here we are now and that's what's
changing now we're hearing and seeing in
one report after another the
acceleration of the ice melt well that's
the condition of the earth that's where
we are
and so how do we how do we meet that
challenge well we have to take some instruction
instruction
and and people I I should give you U some
some
hope here in that uh and the other
nations of the world are very much aware
of this and are trying hard and they
look at the United States is completely
crazy they think that this country is
just simply not in its right mind in
Direction it's taking
and and looking at us as a whole but um
I remember too that uh when in 1992 when
we went to the Rio meeting
on uh the issues of environment great
meeting that was held in Rio
and when President Bush number one spoke
he said and I guess I have to paraphrase
again because I do remember it he said
said they uh
and I'm trying to remember um
um
yeah he said the American standard of
living for the human for the United
States is not up for discussion here
that's an amazing statement because
everybody had come from around the world
I don't know biggest Gathering of world
leaders ever to meet this problem and he
laid it right out flat well okay that's
everybody's problem but we're not going
to discuss that here and when you're
talking about one of the biggest
instigators and problem and and the
leader says that it doesn't leave you
much hope so I think the American
population have to really think about
leadership now got to change leadership
and you got to get good leadership and
Leadership has to be responsive to the
to the welfare of the people not to the
welfare of interest
and those are simple things but they're
very difficult I think the Democratic
process in America has been co-opted Now
by by corporations and big money
and uh and it's hard to even reach the
ear of your representative for the
common person so the common person feel
feels helpless
but they aren't if they understand
and in this idea of democracy which I
must say the IRA had a lot to do with
you know if you read uh the discussion
by Ben Franklin he tell you he tell you
they was very very uh impressed with
this idea of uh of democracy and
Leadership by agreement and consent
and uh and the
the ability to set up leaders and remove them
them
he was very very uh impressed
and so uh you know from
from 1754
when they had the discussion in Albany
Plan of Union came directly from six
Nation he asked our leaders to preside
Chief by the name of hendrik Mohawk
Chief presided at that time explain talk
about democracy
so we've had a lot to do and we have
uh we have you know in 1987
the uh Senate passed 76 recognizing the
contribution of the iray to the
Constitution of the United States
so it's it's it's there that was 100%
past if you can think of that and and
that was hopeful
so I think that uh the the a marks are
here of what's Happening you can look
about and see the change in temperatures
everybody's kind of Basking in the in
the warm Winters and kind of
they they don't say so but they like it
but the lack of snow on the ground the
lack of snow on the ground is bad for
the Earth that's water Earth is water so
when when when the earth doesn't have a
blanket of snow that it can melt slowly
into the Earth and and rejuvenate the
water then you're going to have a dry
season and then the influx of winds high
winds we see that that was told to us we
were told two things they said that will
tell you what the condition of the earth
will be when the earth is deteriorating
one will be the acceleration of the
Winds and the other will be how people
treat their children
and we see you know it's a comment on
both the natural world and a comment on
human population
so how people are treating the children
today are very bad we at the time when
people mention that our people well that
can be who would who would mistreat
children well of course we know better
we know better today
than the winds we've seen and they're
coming and they're coming stronger
and this Katrina was just really the beginning
beginning
they're going to come more and more
um this morning this morning watching
watching that string of uh tornadoes
that went through Illinois
is just an indication of the violence
and the power we were told long ago that uh
uh
the winds are so strong that if they
ever do come down to the Earth itself
they can blow the very dirt off the face
of the Earth and we don't want to see that
that
and we're told that the only way to do
that is to be respectful and in your conduct
conduct
and so there's a lot of indicators
indicators of what's going on today
population beyond control Mother Earth
has laws and rules and one of them is
balance she will keep the balance regardless
regardless
and if an element is out of balance like
the population of human beings on this
Earth she'll balance it how she does
that we may not like most likely it'll
come with disease
and this will be very Democratic
it will go across people's lives it'll
go across leaders
it'll go across everything because
really there's no mercy in nature
there's only the law and the rule and I
think that's where we we fail and we're
way way away from that
and um people have taken religion and
and Confused it with their own
from what I know and I don't know a lot
I think old age gives you one
perspective and that's the older you get
the more you realize how little you know
and how much more there is to know
so at my age I have a perspective about
that and I see
that human nature and human beings have
a very consistent way of doing things
and uh that's learning the hard way I
just love to learn the hard way and it
seems like every generation has that
even though the instructions are clear
so I remember even with my own son Rex
lot of trouble with Rex in the beginning
my daughter was fine Rex he had a hard
time and I used to call him Rex the hard
way it took him a long time but he's
doing well and he had to learn the hard
way and I tell you it was hard hard on everybody
everybody
but I think in these times we don't have
a lot of time
we don't have I think time is is an
element here
I know the Maya said to us that um their
calendars ending on [clears throat] 2012
so I said well okay
then what and they said well you know
our calendar is predicated on a number
of years and so this number of years is
over and and we'll simply make another
I said oh wow that's good news I said
but what about what is anything going to
happen and they said well there's going
to be a Period of Enlightenment
I said a Period of Enlightenment
and I said what is that and I wondered
about it and what is Enlightenment
Enlightenment is when you suddenly
perceive something and you see it for
what it is and you you understand it and
it's clear
and I thought this probably could be
like this
group of men that went out on a fishing
boat on monok island and such a nice day
they said let's go swimming
and of course not realizing that monok
is a is a runway for the great white shark
shark
and they're out there splashing around
and one of the men happens to see a fin
very large proportion bearing down on him
him
now that would be a Period of Enlightenment
Enlightenment
he would see everything clearly
and hard to say what you would think
about in a time like that I should have
stayed home I should have never swiming
I should have should have would have
could have this an old saying isn't it
well that's where we are we're right
there so the Period of Enlightenment and
the ability for us to deal with it
is going to reflect on I think the
teaching Of The Peacemaker again
Maurice strong who was the Secretary
General Vet
in 1992 in Rio asked me to
repeat for him the instruction from The Peacemaker
Peacemaker
so that he could pass it on to the
leaders of the world and I said really
he says I think it's a good instruction
so it goes it's very simple The
Peacemaker said to the assembled Chiefs
that he had taken all his time to raise
and instruct and give you know the the
Clans and the Nations and the
responsibilities of the women
responsibilities of the men
responsibilities of the people which is
by far the largest responsibility
and he said that when you sit and you
Council for the welfare of the people
think not of yourself
nor of your family or even your generation
he said but make your decisions on
behalf of the Seventh Generation coming
so they may enjoy what you have today
so it's an instruction of responsibility
it was a very Visionary instruction it
was a long term instruction
it was one that looked seven generation
and I'm talking the full life of a
person not the generations they have
today 20 years or so to us it's not a generation
generation
so he was saying if you take care of the future
future
you'll be taken care of yourself you
yourself will have peace
so peace is what we want
peace is what we're after
and the wars that are raging about now
are violent violent
um I would say examples of what happens
when you when you refuse to acknowledge
a better way of life
and we have to do better if we're going
to survive
and I'll tell you this that the Earth is
not going to disappear
they have a great regenerative power
this Earth
and and one of my good friends
you know John Mohawk
young man what I call resident intellect
of Ira
great brilliant mind he said well I
always thought he said that
human beings are still
a biological experiment
we're here a short time we haven't been
here long in the time of the earth not
very long at all and the Earth is is not
dependent on us we're dependent on it so
that if we choose to eradicate ourselves
from this Earth
by whatever means the earth goes nowhere
and in time it will regenerate
and all the Lakes will be pristine
the rivers the waters the mountains
everything will be green again
it be peaceful
there may not be people
but the Earth will regenerate
and you know why because
the Earth has all the time in the world
and we don't
so I think that's where we're at right now
now
sometime sometime long ago
I think it was when
Europe began to domesticate animals
I took a different course in Direction
in life from what it things used to be
not to say it was wrong
just simply what happened
and that developed into whole idea of of
Europe and it developed into Nations the
idea of Nations they're relatively new
this idea of Nations
uh nation states is certainly new
um and States
that's that's almost within our lifetime
but not quite
uh this whole idea of of consolidation
of power in entities
is uh has been a development of of
humanity to a great degree unless of
course you were indigenous and you were
living in the North country
where you really had to depend on your
your knowledge of the environment to survive
survive
the best teachers that we had when we
learned from from all the time was
nature and the animals they taught us a lot
lot
and any any indigenous person will tell
you that I know one of the leaders from
Greenland inet man said if it wasn't for
the bear we wouldn't know how to survive
and so it is that that that's important
and and um what what the teachers are
and and what how they do things and how
You observe that indigenous people have
great observation we've learned that
over a period of time I myself am I'm
not a a spiritual leader I happen to
agree to work for the Confederation and
work for the anoga nation but I'm just
simply a runner for elders and for
people who who knew a lot
and I'm not the best person I don't
think in terms of representation of of
indigenous people however rever as it
turned out in this idea of running and I
do that a lot I go everywhere and they
speak and they said well you've learned
how to speak the English language very
well so you go and do it and they
instruct me what to say and then I go
and do it but also in that process you
have to think on your feet and make some
decisions and so forth so anyway over
the period of time and and I'm what you
call a an acclimated man and I think the
iray is the I have been in contact with
with uh Western European Society for a
long time
uh the first treaty we had was 1613
was called a two rampam and we laid down
some discussion points at that time we
said that well you know you you want to
you want to trade in our our territory
talking to the Dutch 1613
but we see that you're not
seeming to go away here so we think that
maybe we better talk about relationship
how we going to deal with one another
and so we set up the two World belt
which essentially says that this your
ship your people your ways of life uh
your government our canoe our people our
way of life we go down through the the
River of Life the Gent
side by side and we'll be hooked
together with a chain three lengths
peace friendship for as long as the sun
rises is in the east as long as the
rivers run downhill and as long as the
grass grows green that's why those words
are there it's the grandfather of all
treaties between us and our white
brother and so you'll hear that you'll
hear those words again and again whether
you hear it from Oklahoma or whether you
hear it it's it's a standard
and so we we talked about respect there
and we respected them and we established
pray process
so I think at the time there was a real
option on the part of of uh Europeans to
change when they came here
but I I Swit tapes yeah I think that two
row belt was was a great observation and
a great comment on on how we saw life if
you saw the belt and we we have it it's
uh a white belt that's about
3 feet long and uh has two rows of
purple beads from the Cog shell
and the two rows are equal side by side
going down the white representing peace
and the River of Life
and one row representing the boat and
the other canoe
held together by this three lengths
we call the covenant chain friendship
now that was you know a time the 16 or 133
133
1613 you know when Europe was in flame
so to speak when there was U huge
ravages of of uh typhoid and
and great plagues going on and a lot of starving
starving
uh and wars
and I think it what they brought over here
and I think at that time
if they listened more to our Direction
and took it a little bit more
realistically it might have been a a
great opportunity to change direction
but if you remember in the Northeast
there was the pilgrims that landed and
they were coming with a mindset about
religion and God and law which we
thought was very curious because they
did a lot of things we thought was just
really dumb really stupid
uh and and they didn't laugh or they
didn't smile they all wore black it was
just uh we were we were just kind of
fascinated by this group of people but
it underestimated them I'm sure
and and that idea that mindset that
Christian doctrine that Christian idea
has really dominated this this land
and they said after a while they said
if if our if the blood runs to our
ankles we'll take our we'll take our land they called our land their land
land they called our land their land if the blood runs to our ankles
if the blood runs to our ankles so it it it showed that they were
so it it it showed that they were bringing this idea
bringing this idea and in the whole history of of what
and in the whole history of of what occurred with the Spanish the
occurred with the Spanish the conquistadoras
conquistadoras the uh Inquisition
the uh Inquisition all going on 1492
all going on 1492 the Pope's DEC ation that we're flora
the Pope's DEC ation that we're flora and fauna that we have no right of title
and fauna that we have no right of title to this land
to this land established into US federal law
established into US federal law obviously they had a chance second big
obviously they had a chance second big chance was when they formed the United
chance was when they formed the United States and we were working with them in
States and we were working with them in that direction Continental Congress came
that direction Continental Congress came to us and said will you fight with us
to us and said will you fight with us against the king of England
against the king of England and our chief said to him
and our chief said to him that's your father
that's your father we know your father we work with your
we know your father we work with your father we love your father
father we love your father we know you we work with you and we love
we know you we work with you and we love you as well so we see this as a fight
you as well so we see this as a fight between Father and Son
between Father and Son so we think it wouldn't be proper to
so we think it wouldn't be proper to join
join in this family fight the Continental
in this family fight the Continental Congress representatives and they were
Congress representatives and they were meeting
meeting Upstate New York then
Upstate New York then um
um and they saidwell good they said'
and they saidwell good they said' because that was our second request if
because that was our second request if you were not going to fight with us you
you were not going to fight with us you wouldn't fight against us and we said
wouldn't fight against us and we said that's what we we we think and Six
that's what we we we think and Six Nations at that time was merely trying
Nations at that time was merely trying to survive these huge elements of of
to survive these huge elements of of power from from France and from England
power from from France and from England and from Spain and these you know
and from Spain and these you know whipsawing right across what is now New
whipsawing right across what is now New York we're right in the middle of this
York we're right in the middle of this thing
thing and using the best of our ability to
and using the best of our ability to survive
survive and so we took that position
and so we took that position and uh George Morgan who was the one
and uh George Morgan who was the one Speaking said that's good we agree with
Speaking said that's good we agree with that and so he went back to the
that and so he went back to the Continental Congress and John Hancock
Continental Congress and John Hancock first president of the Continental
first president of the Continental Congress commissioned a wam belt to be
Congress commissioned a wam belt to be made
made and to verify this sanction this and
and to verify this sanction this and sanctify it in this belt was made he
sanctify it in this belt was made he commissioned it and they made it this is
commissioned it and they made it this is they were dealing in our style of
they were dealing in our style of government one them and the meeting was
government one them and the meeting was held at Fort pit 1776
held at Fort pit 1776 and there was the first peace meeting
and there was the first peace meeting between the new United States and the
between the new United States and the six nation
six nation and even at that time six Nation asked
and even at that time six Nation asked him where's your flag
him where's your flag and they realized they really didn't
and they realized they really didn't have a flag and if and the first flags
have a flag and if and the first flags that they flew if you remember was a
that they flew if you remember was a pine tree
pine tree it was a pine tree with the eagle on top
it was a pine tree with the eagle on top and so they took a lot from us they took
and so they took a lot from us they took a whole lot government by consent by
a whole lot government by consent by caramel two houses Elder Brothers
caramel two houses Elder Brothers younger brothers Council fires the great
younger brothers Council fires the great fires they called themselves the 13
fires they called themselves the 13 fires as we called ourselves the six
fires as we called ourselves the six fires oh we were really really involved
fires oh we were really really involved our chiefs were up and down the whole
our chiefs were up and down the whole East Coast almost every event died on
East Coast almost every event died on the road trying hard to survive and keep
the road trying hard to survive and keep the peace and I think at that time the
the peace and I think at that time the opportunity was there and then when they
opportunity was there and then when they and they made the the Constitution
and they made the the Constitution another great opportunity but they
another great opportunity but they wouldn't give up slavery
wouldn't give up slavery they would not give up slavery and the
they would not give up slavery and the women were nowhere to be seen and we
women were nowhere to be seen and we said well you know how can you how can
said well you know how can you how can you ignore
you ignore 50% of the population you know not only
50% of the population you know not only that but with so much you know dependent
that but with so much you know dependent upon them that wasn't their style and
upon them that wasn't their style and there was kind of a reverting back to
there was kind of a reverting back to to European thinking and I think that
to European thinking and I think that was a failed point there
was a failed point there in the history and then they began to
in the history and then they began to consolidate
consolidate and it worked up to the point when they
and it worked up to the point when they call the Manifest Destiny about about
call the Manifest Destiny about about 1843 I think first time that was
1843 I think first time that was mentioned
mentioned Manifest Destiny we we are
Manifest Destiny we we are God has destined us to be the leaders
God has destined us to be the leaders and um I think it's that kind of
and um I think it's that kind of thinking that uh has been driving this
thinking that uh has been driving this country and I think that these wars that
country and I think that these wars that we're engrossed in right now are nothing
we're engrossed in right now are nothing but an extension of that kind of
but an extension of that kind of thinking
thinking and very very ill timed and Ill
and very very ill timed and Ill conceived and and you know has created
conceived and and you know has created such turmoil across the world we have to
such turmoil across the world we have to have peace we have to have a better
have peace we have to have a better understanding of who we are and there
understanding of who we are and there has to be a great sharing so so how can
has to be a great sharing so so how can you expect a country you know who would
you expect a country you know who would elect the President Bush although people
elect the President Bush although people will say that he didn't get elected
will say that he didn't get elected but you know uh you're talking about a a
but you know uh you're talking about a a you know the highest court in the world
you know the highest court in the world challenged for by their for their
challenged for by their for their integrity
integrity and now Indian nations you know trying
and now Indian nations you know trying to maintain themselves
to maintain themselves study made some time ago found out that
study made some time ago found out that the lotas and Pine Ridge were the
the lotas and Pine Ridge were the poorest people in the United States
poorest people in the United States and yet they should have 1 half of all
and yet they should have 1 half of all home state coal mining that should go to
home state coal mining that should go to them according to the Treaty of 18 1968
them according to the Treaty of 18 1968 Fort larmy that was the agreement and
Fort larmy that was the agreement and these treaties that we have today that
these treaties that we have today that we still have we try to you know
we still have we try to you know activate them it's impossible
activate them it's impossible it's ignored but it's real so I think
it's ignored but it's real so I think America has to change course and quickly
America has to change course and quickly they have to instruct the children in a
they have to instruct the children in a better way they have to be aware that
better way they have to be aware that there are forces larger than human
there are forces larger than human forces
forces these forces are absolute with no mercy
these forces are absolute with no mercy and if you don't learn you're just going
and if you don't learn you're just going to suffer the consequence
to suffer the consequence and so that's uh that's the instruction
and so that's uh that's the instruction has to come from the leadership and from
has to come from the leadership and from the people
the people there are so many good people in this
there are so many good people in this world and and that gives me hope all the
world and and that gives me hope all the time now you know as I said before
time now you know as I said before I I represent a council I represent a
I I represent a council I represent a nation I represent a Confederation and I
nation I represent a Confederation and I represent often Indian thinking across
represent often Indian thinking across America
America and we have a traditional circle of
and we have a traditional circle of Indian elders and youth we meet annually
Indian elders and youth we meet annually and we have this discussion and we talk
and we have this discussion and we talk about the condition of the earth and and
about the condition of the earth and and how it is and what's in store and uh
how it is and what's in store and uh there is there is hope always hope and
there is there is hope always hope and the hope is in the conduct of the people
the hope is in the conduct of the people but the actions and time are forcing
but the actions and time are forcing issues now so I think uh they fact that
issues now so I think uh they fact that I'm sitting here talking to you and that
I'm sitting here talking to you and that I reflect a lot of the learning that
I reflect a lot of the learning that I've I've learned you know from people
I've I've learned you know from people like gagea and and Turner and and uh my
like gagea and and Turner and and uh my my good friend Dean Morton
my good friend Dean Morton uh many many good people in this world
uh many many good people in this world and many directed in the right way and
and many directed in the right way and and the fact that you yourself are are
and the fact that you yourself are are taking this Mission which is what it is
taking this Mission which is what it is uh and that you have leadership this
uh and that you have leadership this young lad by the name of DiCaprio
young lad by the name of DiCaprio I'm I'm encouraged that uh to take the
I'm I'm encouraged that uh to take the serious issue because that's what it's
serious issue because that's what it's going to take and you're going to have
going to take and you're going to have to bring awareness to the people and I
to bring awareness to the people and I hope that this will help and help them
hope that this will help and help them understand that it's really almost not a
understand that it's really almost not a question of who's right and who's wrong
question of who's right and who's wrong it's a question of what do we do now and
it's a question of what do we do now and that's the direction what do we do now
that's the direction what do we do now and we organize our forces and we
and we organize our forces and we organize our leadership
organize our leadership and we direct ourselves in a big unified
and we direct ourselves in a big unified effort around the world to act on behalf
effort around the world to act on behalf of the seventh generation and all the
of the seventh generation and all the life on this Earth peacemakers said to
life on this Earth peacemakers said to us in their instructions
us in their instructions he said now I place in your hands the
he said now I place in your hands the welfare of all life he didn't say the
welfare of all life he didn't say the welfare of the people he said the
welfare of the people he said the welfare of all life and we take that
welfare of all life and we take that literally
literally so when I travel and when I speak I'm
so when I travel and when I speak I'm just doing my instructions that was
just doing my instructions that was given so long ago
given so long ago because our mandate is to look out for
because our mandate is to look out for everybody
everybody and I can tell you that when we have our
and I can tell you that when we have our ceremonies
ceremonies and we're going to have a planting
and we're going to have a planting ceremony pretty soon
ceremony pretty soon and we're going to have a ceremony for
and we're going to have a ceremony for the strawberries the leader of the fruit
the strawberries the leader of the fruit and we'll have a ceremony for the beans
and we'll have a ceremony for the beans and we'll have a corn ceremony
and we'll have a corn ceremony when we have these ceremonies you're all
when we have these ceremonies you're all included
included we don't we don't say this is a ceremony
we don't we don't say this is a ceremony for the underdog
for the underdog we say this is a ceremony for the people
we say this is a ceremony for the people and we were told that as long as we hold
and we were told that as long as we hold these ceremonies we're going to survive
these ceremonies we're going to survive as long as there's one to listen
as long as there's one to listen one to speak
one to speak one to sing one to dance
one to sing one to dance will fight [snorts] on
will fight [snorts] on and so it's up to us it comes down to us
and so it's up to us it comes down to us at the last minute and we have to use
at the last minute and we have to use our
our Common Sense which
Common Sense which is not so common anymore
is not so common anymore and I think we have to rely on our on
and I think we have to rely on our on our own observations and challenge poor
our own observations and challenge poor leadership change leadership
leadership change leadership and act quickly and strongly and be
and act quickly and strongly and be convinced of our our Direction
convinced of our our Direction and it certainly would reinforce the
and it certainly would reinforce the indigenous people traditional people
indigenous people traditional people uh would make us feel good to to see
uh would make us feel good to to see this and and I can report you know to to
this and and I can report you know to to my people
my people there's a group of people out there that
there's a group of people out there that are doing something and uh we'll see
are doing something and uh we'll see where it goes
where it goes and at least they're allies so that's
and at least they're allies so that's what we are we're allies
what we are we're allies and uh it's a common fight common cause
and uh it's a common fight common cause it's for the future
it's for the future it's for peace what could be better it's
it's for peace what could be better it's a good fight so we should be happy to be
a good fight so we should be happy to be in it and happy to be able to make that
in it and happy to be able to make that difference and I believe it's this
difference and I believe it's this generation the next one coming going to
generation the next one coming going to determine
determine whether we survive
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