The Great Mystery An Indigenous Perspective

been rattling around in my documents and found this article..you
can google Scott C Barta, a Nakota man, and he is still active...
this article is written by him..and i apologize if anything in it offends anyone..
HE DOES TELL IT LIKE IT IS...........
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The Great Mystery An Indigenous Perspective



The ongoing discussion regarding "atheism, intelligent design,
evolution, creationism" appearing in the Opinion page in recent
December and January Northwest Arkansas Times issues reads very
interesting. Being from northwest Iowa, visiting a good friend in
Fayetteville during the "holiday" break, I rarely get a chance to see
such dialogue, as the newspaper in my hometown seems too
`conservative' to even print such discourse.



I thought it possible to bring a little `Indigenous thought' into the
discussion, facts which are for the most part unknown, unavailable to
most, or ignored. For most of my adult life I have been studying the
Indigenous understanding of what is called the "Great Mystery" or "All
That Is", in my Nakota (misnomer "Sioux") Indigenous Red "Indian"
Language, we say "All That" Is "Wakan Tanka."



Contrary to the evolution/creationism people, the Nakota do not try to
decipher or `break down' life but instead to learn throughout life to
appreciate the great gifts of Nature - which we are actually and
factually a relative to and part of. Without the Two-Legged "human
being", the Earth and beings of Nature would get along just great, yet
another `clue' to be always thankful of the Natural World we need.



Nakota "spiritualism" consists very simply of Unci Maka "Grand Mother
Earth" and Tunkasina Mahpiya "Grand Father Sky" which are Wakan Tanka
– the "Great Mystery." The Nakota never worried about why the Sun came
up and why the Sun went down, but were instead thankful for each Sun
rise and Sun set, a very advanced way of thought, a manner of thinking
now mostly, and unfortunately, neglected and disregarded.



During the recent influx of huge amounts of European "Christians" to
my homelands, Indigenous peoples were forced for many years to submit
to the god/creation society now prevalent in America. Most of the
people I know today – red, white, yellow, or black in skin tone (the
four sacred colors of human kind) believe in some type of "creator,
higher power" or "god" concept. The "god" idea was a man-made
invention just ten thousand years ago that came hand-in-hand with
domesticated animals, money, male-dominating power and authority
desires, slavery, greed, and the denial of Earth and Grand Mother
Grand Mother Earth (the necessary and important female aspect of the
family and community). All colors of human kind knew the Earth to be
round and had peaceful communities and happiness before the "crusades"
or the newfound marauding groups of power-hungry conquistadors. The
rest is history, so to speak.



The rest of my acquaintances do not claim "god" have some type of
"after life" or reincarnation-type theory that they profess to -
usually, nonetheless, with some type of a "belief" and often a "higher
power" lingering somewhere in the background. In accordance with
ancient Indigenous teachings, however, it is the duty as two-legged
human beings is to be just that – human beings.



Recently, I have discovered within myself, that it is not necessary to
have "beliefs", whether it be in science or religion, but instead "be"
and live every day in the moment and find contentedness, while
understanding and appreciating all the great gifts of Nature afforded
to us each day from Earth and Sky.



For eons, rare and sincere visions and dreams of individuals within
Indigenous communities were gifted from Wakan Tanka and were highly
revered. These similar gifts were afforded to all the races of human
beings millions of years ago (despite Adam and Eve or the monkey
theory), and included such things as the Fire, the Bow and Arrow, and
the Tipi or home shelters.



So why did Indigenous Red "Indian" Nations and Peoples live in such
peace prior to this "columbus era" (1492 to the present) upon Great
Turtle Island "western hemisphere" with no forts, fences, weapons of
mass death and destruction? They accomplished this by living in
balance with Nature, respecting all beings of Nature – thereby making
it possible to respect and hold dear their human relatives. Water was
free and pure, and an individual simply had to hunt and gather the
fruits, vegetables, plants, and animals (and dry and prepare it for
winter months) needed for their life. Therefore Indigenous peoples
were thankful and appreciated even the tiniest drop of water,
understandably a reason why the Nakota word for water is MiNi or "My
Life."



A most stress free life with no automobiles driving past homes and
children at forty miles an hour, no child molesters, no burglary,
lying, cheating, murder, rape, war; no old age homes, orphanages, or
prisons `freed-up' Indigenous Peoples so that they could and did enjoy
plenty of quality family and community time for sharing and loving.



Basic Laws of Nature and common sense principals kept a "moral
compass" (as referenced in the Times December 27 issue) intact for all
Indigenous Peoples long before columbus. Right and wrong was
understood – without scientific or religious jargon or man-made ideas
and "laws", which are only made for societies of the lawless.
Understanding Wakan Tanka also meant that the Earth was known by
Indigenous peoples as being round, just like the Sun and Moon – a fact
they so eagerly shared with Columbus. Truly a deep understanding of
life on Grand Mother Earth.



There is a continuing struggle for the last of Indigenous resources
like coal and oil. Greedy corporations who control government policy
have a desire for lands – Indian "reservations" (formerly considered
concentration camps) for which to place toxic wastes upon. And because
the United States already has over nine trillion dollars worth of the
Nakota People's "Black Hills gold" housed illegally as stolen property
in Fort Knox Kentucky, `Indigenous information' is conveniently left
out of "history" and replaced with such things as the "tomahawk chop"
or "Indians scalped." When in fact, again, it was the early Dutch
colonists who began the bounty for the whole bodies, then the severed
heads, then finally just the black hair "redskin" scalps of the
Indigenous men, women and children - paid so eagerly by the early
colonial governors.



It is sometimes difficult to explain these facts to the average
American, as they have been instructed these stereotypes throughout
their `schooling.' When these facts are mentioned, too often a simple
response - based in denial, is "Oh you Indians used to kill each
other, too!" Although claims of 100 million dead peaceful Indigenous
Peoples at the hands of disease and the early pilgrims, settlers, and
Americans compares drastically to only 3 – 5 thousand Europeans dead
(the largest probably Custer at the Little Big Horn, a mere 200 fully
battle-ready fighting troops) in just five hundred years does tell
quite a different story then what is `taught' in American classrooms.



How does the above relate to the "atheism/intelligent
design/evolution" discussion? My Nakota People conduct many
thanksgiving ceremonial exercises throughout the year, such as the Sun
Dance – thanking the Day Sun (Sun) and Night Sun (Moon) every Summer
Solstice. The shortest day, Winter Solstice, of the year was also
recognized with the cleansing north Winds honored and excitement for
the `return' of the Day Sun northward. The Sun warms and the Moon
facilitates the ocean currents and Sacred Time of the female.



Tobacco is offered as thanksgiving to a Sacred Tree when having to
take the life and cut it down in order to construct our needed Tipi or
house, as does the same practice occur when the sacred life of all
Plants and Animals taken by our humanly needs. Lowly man, who would
starve, be forced to survive, or freeze to death without our
superiors. The Sacred Tree does not have to kill to live, nor does the
Sacred Deer have to `make fire' to live their lives; and neither have
to make jackets or blankets to cover themselves during the frigid
winter months, which qualities are, in fact, superior to humankind.
Without continual and sincere exercises in thankfulness by the
two-legged, the `chain saw is superior to the tree' mentality
overrides human common sense, which self-destructive spiral is most
dangerous for two-legged survival (let alone living) upon Sacred Grand
Mother Earth.



The Natural World is superior to the human being; a fact which is
contrary to innuendos in the both the Christian bible which suggest
man has "dominion" over the earth and its creatures, as well as
scientific theory. A misunderstanding by Christian peoples and the
scientific community is the misconception that reason - versus
instinct, is somehow a superior trait over Animals and Nature. This
confusion has led to great tragedies in nature and among human kind.



It seems many people today are bound by fear. Some by a fear of dying
and `going to' a place they call "heck" – a fear of the unknown. Yet
should fear be the deciding factor on what keeps some with their
"moral compass" pointing north, and what may keep them behaving? Might
their lives instead be dictated by love of Earth and Sky, and the
great gifts of Nature, their relatives ignored and abused?



As far as the evolutionists go, hand-in-hand with the "intelligent
designers", maybe they spend too much time thinking of ways to create
things that ultimately destroy Nature – our extended family. Today I
am thankful to the evolutionists and creationists and to the Northwest
Arkansas Times which has allowed me to weigh in on such an important
issue.



(Also, the "Folktales from Around the World" piece in the Times on the
27th was very interesting also! I like your paper! Keep up the great
work Northwest Arkansas Times!!)



In Unity To Protect

Grand Mother Earth,



Scott C. Barta

Nakota Indigenous Red Nation

Nakota Hills ("Sioux City, Iowa")

712-899-0763

Scotttreaty@aol.com



Scott C. Barta is a freelance writer from Sioux City, Iowa, and
founder of 1851Treaty.com, a premiere website about the 1851 Treaty of
Fort Laramie and the true history of Indigenous Red Nations and
Peoples.  His articles and writings appear in such publications as the
South Dakota Indian newspaper, the "Lakota Journal", and on numerous
websites.