Teaching, A Guide to the Sacred

Wolves have been long regarded by Native Americans as teachers or pathfinders. Wolves are fiercely loyal to their mates, and have a strong sense of family while maintaining individualism. In the stars, Wolf is represented by the Dog, Sirius, thought by many abroginal tribes to be the home of the "Ancients." It seems to be through this connection that Wolf has come to be associated with ancient teachings.

The horse has been pictured as an animal with supernatural power in many cultures.

Courage, Spirit, and Bravery

Eagles have long been associated with the highest pursuits. In 1969 a voice rang out to the world, "The eagle has landed." What better symbology for a landing on the moon than the "eagle". From the time that the Persians and Romans carried eagles into battle, these majestic birds have symbolized courage, strength and bravery. As aerial hunters, eagles are the undisputed masters of the skies. Many tribes have identified the eagle as the one closest to the Creator.

Loyalty and Protection

Man's best friend... One of the tribal stories said that when the Spirits got ready to leave the Earth, they drew a line in the dirt. On one side was man and on the other the spirits from the Upper Worlds. Just then a great fissure was created by the line, and man was no longer able to cross over to the spirit realm. As they stood there, the fissure grew and widened, and at the very last minute "dog" jumped across to stand with man.

Graceful gentleness, and Sensitivity

Although there are many types of deer, they all have on thing in common - gracefulness. Deer blend very well with their environment but are very sensitive to every sound or movement. Often twins, even triplets, are born in the spring. Does and bucks live in seperate groups until mating season. The white-tailed deer are moderately gregarious, and family members forage food together along with other family groups, giving the appearance of a large herd.

Abundance

The buffalo or bison is considered by many tribes to be a symbol of adundance for it was the meat of the buffalo that fed the people, the hides that provided clothing and shelter, the bones and sinew provided tools of survival. The Lakota's trace the origin of the sacred pipe to the appearance of the white buffalo calf woman who promised abundance for the tribe as they honored, by prayer, the Great Spirit and all of their relations, meaning the other creations of nature.

Gentle Strength and Dreaming

The brown bear, common to areas of the Southwestern US can grow from 4 to 5 feet and weigh as much as 400 lbs. Although they have great strength, their gentelness makes the bear's behavior almost "human like". They are relatively good natured, but don't plan on making them mad. They have a serious side!

LAME DEER
Blood Turned to Stone

The significance of the peace pipe:

I held the pipes. Their bowls were my flesh. The stem stood for all the generations. I felt my blood going into the pipe, I felt it coming back, I felt it circling in my mind like some spirit. I felt the pipes come alive in my hands, felt them move. I felt a power surging from them into my body, filling all of me. Tears were streaming down my face. And in my mind I got a glimpse of what that pipe meant.

I had intended to write about the role of spirit animals, but as I came to think about the topic more, I found that there are so many differences in thought between traditional Native American culture and modern American culture that it is difficult to actually explain it from a NA point of view. We of modern America (MA), with its background influence of anglo christian, tend to think of Native Americans only in stereotypes. So, this article will discuss the role of animals in NA culture, but will focus also upon NA spiritualism and thought, as it cannot be separated. Please keep in mind that "Native American" is a huge term encompassing many different tribes, nations, families and belief systems. In referring to NA, I will be particularly addressing the culture of the Sioux nation. And I'm sure that I will even get some of that wrong, so please bear with me.

From Lame Deer Seeker of Visions
by John (Fire) Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes (1972)

Our grandfathers told us how the sacred pipe was brought to our tribes. One summer, untold lifetimes ago, our different bands gathered for their yearly get together. The earth was beautiful, covered with high grass and flowers, but the people were hungry. This happened long before we had either guns or horses, and the life of a hunter was hard and uncer-tain. Among the Sioux, the ltazipcho- the "Without Bows" tribe- had not had any meat for days. They decided to send out two hunters to scout for buffalo.

by WOLF MOONDANCE
A Shaman of the Osage People

By Raven Hail

The very essence of life is the continual balance between the dual polarities of the universe. Such polarities include positive and negative, good and evil, love and fear, yin and yang, spirit and matter, day and night, joy and sorrow, dominance and submission--male and female.

Prior to perhaps 60 thousand years ago, the Western Hemisphere was completely devoid of humans. People arrived by traversing a land bridge between Siberia and Alaska. Because of the wide range of habitats here, different native religions evolved to match the needs and lifestyles of the individual tribe.

By Ghost Wolf