10 Indian Commandments.

**Pharm Girl** · 01-26-2009, 05:25 AM

The Ten Indian Commandments

1. Remain close to the Great Spirit.

2. Show great respect for your fellow beings.

3. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.

4. Be truthful and honest at all times.

5. Do what you know to be right.

6. Look after the well being of mind and body.

7. Treat the earth and all that dwell there on with respect.

8. Take full responsibility for your actions.

9. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.

10. Work together for the benefit of all man kind.

in the Valley............~

**Pharm Girl** · 01-26-2009, 05:26 AM

We were given the code, the seven laws, by the Great Spirit himself a long time ago.

Number one is respect for proper authority. Our Native way of life teaches us respect for grandparents, chiefs, medicine people, and for Grandmother Moon, Mother Earth, and everything that has life. We are a law abiding people; I've sat on a few of our courts, In a small case there would be one judge reaching agreement with both parties in the contest. In a big case like murder or rape, three judges would reach agreement with both parties in contest. There was no appeal except going to the chief's council, but because everything started out with an agreement for justice, the appeal didn't usually do any good because the intent was to avoid having to put up with somebody wanting to overrule or destroy their own.

Number two is to preserve and promote the beauties of nature. I don't believe there is anything like this in the books of Christians, Buddhists, or Muslims, but there should be.

Number three is to judge with kindness and wisdom. The white man's bible tells you not to judge. Our law is to judge but with kindness and wisdom. Even a little baby starts to judge when it's born about whether it's hungry or wants a diaper change, and it will let you know. Great Spirit gave us a brain to use to exercise good judgment, whether it's about a job or a relationship. We should use judgment in our daily lives so that we are not gullible or taken advantage of.

Number four is moderation in all things. We say that if it helps, it is good. We're not told don't do this or don't do that, but rather to exercise moderation, and that covers a lot. We don't want to be extremists, and this takes us out of the category of being fanatics.

Number five is to play fair in the game of life. It is not fair to take advantage of old people, women, or children. It is not fair to invade someone else's land or home and demand that they fight you for it. Beating up your neighbors is not fair. Filling food with preservatives and drinking water with chemicals is not fair.

Number six is that a person's word of honor is sacred. The United States government doesn't make treaties with counties or states, only with sovereign nations. There were three hundred and ninety-seven treaties in the United States with Indians. All were broken by the government. We are asking these people to be honorable, to stop lying and stealing and breaking treaties. We have to be honorable ourselves if we wish for others to be honest. We have always kept our word, kept our treaties, because it was in our teachings.

Number seven is respect for difference, the basis of Indian teachings. Everything we do in our way of life has to be based on respect for other people and all living things. The Great Spirit made people of different colors like flowers. There are red flowers, white flowers, black flowers, and yellow flowers. These flowers all make us feel good when we look at them, and this is the way it is supposed to be when we walk among other people—we should walk with courtesy and respect, and never with aggression or lies because of their color or nationality. We should only think of beautiful things when we look at other people.

Mercury · 01-26-2009, 05:28 AM

11. Open casino with great buffet

**Pharm Girl** · 01-26-2009, 05:33 AM

The food is being served.......

stateofkane · 01-26-2009, 02:42 PM

Those are good commandments, and I don't think there is anything in the bible about preserving Earth or nature, in fact it says humans have "dominion" over animals, and "use the Earth for your needs", which has been interpreted by many right wing Christians to pollute and damage the environment for profits. The judging thing is interesting too, because it does seem impossible not to judge, and maybe that's why ultra-christians are very judgemental, because they are being told to go against their instincts.

Dozer McDozer · 01-29-2009, 09:33 PM

what no sweet potatoes?

i think judge with kindness is implied... at least to me it is. And yes its important to be aware so you are not taken advantage of.

theres a difference between needs and wants.

dkv · 01-30-2009, 02:19 AM

There is another India which is a home of some big liars.It is in Asia.

**Pharm Girl** · 01-30-2009, 05:00 AM

"Marriage among my people was like traveling in a canoe. The man sat in front and paddled the canoe.

The woman sat in the stern but she steered."

Peace seeker · 01-30-2009, 11:33 AM

thanks PG

wise commandments

i send vibes to you

**Canuck Wisdom** · 01-30-2009, 12:02 PM

In the christian tradition humans are the earths stewards, and we are responsible for good stewardship.

**Pharm Girl** · 02-03-2009, 01:45 PM

Hunt when you must,
Rest in between.
Share your Affection,
Voice your Feelings,
Wolf Credo Respect the Elders,
Teach the Young,
Cooperate with the Pack.
Play when you can,
Leave your Mark................ ..~

**Pharm Girl** · 02-03-2009, 01:46 PM

"The Earth was created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was. The country was made with no lines of demarcation, and it's no man's business to divide it. I see the whites all over the country gaining wealth, and I see the desire to give us lands which are worthless.
The Earth and myself are of one mind. Perhaps you think the Creator sent you here to dispose of us as you see fit. If I thought you were sent by the creator, I might he induced to think you had a right to dispose of me.

Do not misunderstand me; but understand me fully with reference to my affection for the land. I never said the land was mine to do with as I choose. The one who has a right to dispose of it is the one who created it. I claim a right to live on my land, and accord you the privilege to return to yours.

Brother, we have listened to your talk coming from our father, the Great White Chief in Washington, and my people have called upon me to reply to you.

The winds which pass through these aged pines we hear the moaning of departed ghosts, and if the voice of our people could have been heard, that act would never have been done. But alas though they stood around they could neither be seen nor heard. Their tears fell like drops of rain.

I hear my voice in the depths of the forest but no answering voice comes back to me. All is silent around me. My words must therefore be few. I can now say no more. He is silent for he has nothing to answer when the sun goes down."

Thunder Rolling in the Mountains-Chief Joseph, Nez Perce

farmergiles · 02-03-2009, 02:38 PM

Always been a fan of Chief Joseph.

farmergiles · 02-03-2009, 02:47 PM

.

**Pharm Girl** · 02-04-2009, 04:47 AM

To Take Care of Mother Earth and the other 3 colors of Man.
To Respect this Mother Earth and Creation.
To Honour All life, and to support that Honour.
To be Grate-ful from the heart for All life.
It is through life that there is Survival.
Thank the Creator at All times for All life.
To Love and express that love.
To be Humble. Humility is the gift of wisdom and understanding.
Kindness. To be Kind with one-self and with others.
Sharing. The Sharing of feelings and personal concerns and commitments.
Honesty. To be Honest with one-self and with others.
To be Responsible for those Sacred Instructions and to administrate those Instructions to other Nations.

**Pharm Girl** · 02-04-2009, 04:49 AM

"The Circle has healing power. In the Circle, we are all equal. When in the Circle, no one is in front of you. No one is behind you. No one is above you. No one is below you. The Sacred Circle is designed to create unity. The Hoop of Life is also a circle. On this hoop there is a place for every species, every race, every tree and every plant. It is this completeness of Life that must be respected in order to bring about health on this planet."

~Dave Chief, Oglala Lakota~

**Pharm Girl** · 02-04-2009, 05:00 AM

"Traditional people of Indian nations have interpreted the two roads that face the light-skinned race as the road to technology and the road to spirituality. We feel that the road to technology.... has led modern society to a damaged and seared earth. Could it be that the road to technology represents a rush to destruction, and that the road to spirituality represents the slower path that the traditional native people have traveled and are now seeking again? The earth is not scorched on this trail. The grass is still growing there."

Meegwetch GrandFather William Commanda

**Pharm Girl** · 02-18-2009, 06:18 AM

The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged....

Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom, an intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations.

You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....

Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.

-Black Elk (Oglala) 1863-1950

**Pharm Girl** · 02-19-2009, 12:12 PM

"Let me be a free man - free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the Religion of my Fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself."

Chief Joseph - 1877

**Pharm Girl** · 03-18-2009, 03:14 PM

There are many different versions of the origin of this American Indian oral tradition. For the Ojibway/Anishinabe people, the legend is as follows. Long ago, after the Great Mystery, or Kitchi-Manitou, first peopled the earth, the Anishinabe, or Original People, strayed from their harmonious ways and began to argue and fight with one another. Brother turned against brother and soon the Anishinabe were killing one another over hunting grounds and others disagreements. Seeing that harmony, brotherhood, sisterhood, and respect for all living things no longer prevailed on Earth, Kitchi-Manitou decided to purify the Earth. He did this with water.

The water came in the form of a great flood, or mush-ko'-be-wun', upon the Earth destroying the Anishinabe people and most of the animals as well. Only Nanaboozhoo, the central figure in many of the Anishinabe oral traditions, was able to survive the flood, along with a few animals and birds who managed to swim and fly. Nanaboozhoo floated on a huge log searching for land, but none was to be found as the Earth was now covered by the great flood. Nanaboozhoo allowed the remaining animals and birds to take turns resting on the log as well. Finally, Nanaboozhoo spoke.

"I am going to do something," he said. "I am going to swim to the bottom of this water and grab a handful of earth. With this small bit of Earth, I believe we can create a new land for us to live on with the help of the Four Winds and Kitchi-Manitou."

So Nanaboozhoo dived into the water and was gone for a long time. Finally he surfaced, and short of breath told the animals that the water is too deep for him to swim to the bottom. All were silent. Finally, Mahng, the Loon spoke up. "I can dive under the water for a long way, that is how I catch my food. I will try to make it to the bottom and return with some Earth in my beak."

The Loon disappeared and was gone for a very long time. Surely, thought the others, the Loon must have drowned. Then they saw him float to the surface, weak and nearly unconscious. "I couldn't make it, there must be no bottom to this water," he gasped. Then Zhing-gi-biss, the helldiver came forward and said "I will try next, everyone knows I can dive great distances." So the helldiver went under. Again, a very long time passed and the others thought he was surely drowned. At last he too floated to the surface. He was unconscious, and not till he came to could he relate to the others that he too was unable to fetch the Earth from the bottom.

Many more animals tried but failed, including Zhon-gwayzh', the mink, and even Mi-zhee-kay", the turtle. All failed and it seemed as though there was no way to get the much needed Earth from the bottom. Then a soft muffled voice was heard. "I can do it," it spoke softly. At first no one could see who it was that spoke up. Then, the little Wa-zhushk", muskrat stepped forward. "I'll try," he repeated. Some of the other, bigger, more powerful animals laughed at muskrat. Nanaboozhoo spoke up. "Only Kitchi-Manitou can place judgment on others. If muskrat wants to try, he should be allowed to."

So, muskrat dove into the water. He was gone much longer than any of the others who tried to reach the bottom. After a while Nanaboozhoo and the other animals were certain that muskrat had give his life trying to reach the bottom. Far below the water's surface, muskrat, had in fact reached the bottom. Very weak from lack of air, he grabbed some Earth in his paw and with all the energy he could muster began to swim for the surface. One of the animals spotted muskrat as he floated to the surface. Nanaboozhoo pulled him up onto the log. "Brothers and sisters," Nanaboozhoo said, "muskrat went too long without air, he is dead." A song of mourning and praise was heard across the water as muskrat's spirit passed on to the spirit world. Suddenly Nanaboozhoo exclaimed, "Look, there is something in his paw!" Nanaboozhoo carefully opened the tiny paw. All the animals gathered close to see what was held so tightly there. Muskrat's paw opened and revealed a small ball of Earth. The animals all shouted with joy. Muskrat sacrificed his life so that life on Earth could begin anew.

Nanaboozhoo took the piece of Earth from Muskrat's paw. Just then, the turtle swam forward and said, "Use my back to bear the weight of this piece of Earth. With the help of Kitchi-Manitou, we can make a new Earth." Nanaboozhoo put the piece of Earth on the turtle's back. Suddenly, the wind blew from each of the Four Directions, The tiny piece of Earth on the turtle's back began to grow. It grew and grew and grew until it formed a mi-ni-si', or island in the water. The island grew larger and larger, but still the turtle bore the weight of the Earth on his back. Nanaboozhoo and the animals all sang and danced in a widening circle on the growing island. After a while, the Four Winds ceased to blow and the waters became still. A huge island sat in the middle of the water, and today that island is known as North America.

Traditional Indian people, including the Ojibway, hold special reverence for the turtle who sacrificed his life and made life possible for the Earth's second people. To this day, the muskrat has been given a good life. No matter that marshes have been drained and their homes destroyed in the name of progress, the muskrat continues to survive and multiply. The muskrats do their part today in remembering the great flood; they build their homes in the shape of the little ball of Earth and the island that was formed from it.