In 1969, my Grandfather, Frank White Buffalo Man, shared with me a wonderful spiritual insight and understanding that relates, among other things, of how we must learn to respect, honour, love, support, and understand each other as different nations, tribes, communities, peoples, religions, and cultures of the human family and the spiritual qualities needed to be victorious in manifesting freedom and human rights.   He said, “You know grandson, the Great Spirit has given all people wisdom.  To every living thing, he has given something special.  Some people receive their knowledge and understanding through books.  In your life grandson, you too must read and study books, but remember to take with you on your journey only those things that bring more unity within yourself and others, that bring goodness and understanding and help us to serve one another in better ways.”



“The Great Spirit,” he continued, “also gave our Indigenous peoples and all other peoples who live close to Mother Earth, both wisdom and knowledge through dreams, visions, fasting, and prayer, and the ability to see the lessons the Creator has put in every part of creation.  Look at those trees standing over there; the alder does not tell the pine tree to move over, the pine does not tell the fir tree to move over, each tree stands together in unity, their mouths pressed toward the same Mother Earth, refreshed by the same breeze, warmed by the same sun, with their arms upraised in prayer and thanksgiving, protecting one another.  If we are to have peace and true freedom in the world,” he said, “we too must learn to live like those trees. …

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"There was the cycle of the mineral, the rock. There was the cycle of the plant. And now we are in the cycle of the animal coming to the end of that and beginning the cycle of the human being. When we get into the cycle of the human being, the highest and greatest powers that we have will be released to us. They will be released from that light or soul that we carry to the mind. But right now we're coming to the end of the animal cycle and we have investigated ourselves and learned what it is to be like an animal on this earth.



At the beginning of this cycle of time, long ago, the Great Spirit came down and He made an appearance and He gathered the peoples of this earth together and He said to the human beings, "I'm going to send you to four directions and over time I'm going to change you to four colors, but I'm going to give you some teachings and you will call these the Original Teachings and when you come back together with each other you will share these so that you can live and have peace on earth, and a great civilization will come about." And the Creator said "During the cycle of time I'm going to give each of you two stone tablets. When I give you those stone tablets, don't cast those upon the ground. If any of the brothers and sisters of the Four Directions and the four colors cast their tablets on the ground, not only, will human beings have a hard time, but almost the earth itself will die."



And so the Creator gave each of us a responsibility that Indigenous peoples call the Guardianship. To the Indian people, the red people, the Great Spirit gave the Guardianship of Mother Earth. We were to learn during this cycle of time the teachings of the earth, the plants…

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Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity’s stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth.

At this critical juncture when the intractable problems confronting nations have been fused into one common concern for the whole world, failure to stem the tide of conflict and disorder would be unconscionably irresponsible.UJH

Presented by Phil Lane Jr., Chairman of the Four Worlds International Institute  to Former UN Secretary General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar and the World Commission On Culture and Development, at  United Nations Headquarters, New York City, April, 1995

Very Respected Friends and Relatives,

 

As always, it is my hope and prayer that you and the many loved ones who surround you are in the very best of health and happiness.

 

With the heartfelt understanding that each one of us is the spiritual representative of all those beloved relatives who have gone before us, I have complete faith that, together, we will be able to build a New World Civilization.  Drawing on the collective consciousness of countless previous generations, we have the divine capacity to resolve and heal all past grief, fear, hatred and broken trust, while building a just, sustainable and harmonious world that will fully realize the unlimited potential of the human family, both individually and collectively.

 

We are living in the days of the fulfillment of sacred prophecies.  An Elder once told me, “Grandson, the longest road you will ever have to walk in your life is the sacred journey from your head to your heart.”  Another wise Elder said, “We will never solve the many critical and life threatening issues before us solely through the intellect, for every problem the intellect solves, it creates ten…

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