That is interesting Myrna, I didn't know that the Indians watch the animals and watch what they ate
around certain trees and that was the plants they made there medicine.out of. Here is a picture I just drew of a little Indian girl and a light house. painted by karen gigikos

Hi Karen,

Nice picture of your sad little girl. I notice so many picture of the eyes of native Americans their eyes are so sad, I think they have carrying a heavy load for many eons.


Honoring the Animal Spirits

In the Native American tradition, man communicated with the Creator through interaction with nature; the birds, the forest, the animals.... Many chose or were given symbolic "power animals" whose strength or character reflected the human character traits of the individuals claiming the "power" of that specific animal. Much of this attitude has carried over into modern society as advertisements picture tigers with gas tanks (speed and power) or the U.S Government and the bald eagle (power from a lofty position). :)

"What does the symbol of a bear, a whale, a wolf, ..... mean?" Each picture or listing provides a starting place in understanding the possible symbolism of each of nature's creations. Tribal legends or stories have been added to many of the animals. Pen and ink symbols were created by art students from Dulles High School of Missouri City, Texas. A special thanks to Dorothea M. Exis for the Powerful Symbols logo at the top of this page.

Animals

It is our intent to spur your interest into further examination of possible symbolism of each listing and how it may relate to you personally. By no means do we intend that this list represents a totality of information as individual tribes have adopted specific symbolic meanings based on their own cultural folklore. Further references can be found at the conclusion of each article.

Blessings,
Myrna

Myrna,

I love to pop in and check out your forum.

Hope all is well.

Here's a little something

HI Roger,

So glad you came by and gave me the pictures of the Native American dress.
I found this very interesting.

Native American Quotes:

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	mstheme"The culture, values and traditions of native people amount to more than crafts and carvings. Their respect for the wisdom of their elders, their concept of family responsibilities extending beyond the nuclear family to embrace a whole village, their respect for the environment, their willingness to share - all of these values persist within their own culture even though they have been under unremitting pressure to abandon them." Mr. Justice Thomas Berger, Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, (aka the Berger Inquiry), Canada.msthememsthemelist
	mstheme"Rather than going to church, I attend a sweat lodge; rather than accepting bread and toast [sic] from the Holy Priest, I smoke a ceremonial pipe to come into Communion with the Great Spirit; and rather than kneeling with my hands placed together in prayer, I let sweet grass be feathered over my entire being for spiritual cleansing and allow the smoke to carry my prayers into the heavens. I am a Mi'kmaq, and this is how we pray." Noah Augustine, from his article "Grandfather was a knowing Christian," Toronto Star, Toronto ON Canada, 2000-AUG-09.msthememsthemelist
	mstheme"If you take [a copy of] the Christian Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words are printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our bible IS the wind." Statement by an anonymous Native American woman. msthememsthemelist

mstheme msthemeseparator

Introduction

A quote from Native American Religions by Arlene Hirschfelder and Paulette Molin (Facts on File, New York, 1992, ISBN 0-8160-2017-5) is instructive:

".....the North American public remains ignorant about Native American religions. And this, despite the fact that hundreds of books and articles have been published by anthropologists, religionists and others about native beliefs......Little of this scholarly literature has found its way into popular books about Native American religion..." ₁

Yet Natives culture and religion should be valued. They have made many contributions to North American society:

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	msthemeAn awareness of concern for the environment.msthememsthemelist
	msthemeFood staples such as corn, beans, squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes.msthememsthemelist
	msthemeThe design of the kayak, toboggan and snowshoe.msthememsthemelist
	msthemeThe original oral contraceptive.msthememsthemelist
	msthemeCultivation of cotton.msthememsthemelist
	msthemeOver 200 drugs, derived from native remedies.msthememsthemelist

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It is ironic that the wine that is the Christians' most sacred substance, used in the Mass to represent the blood of their God, has caused such a trail of devastation within Native populations. Meanwhile, the Natives' most sacred substance, tobacco, has caused major health problems for so many Christians.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more than one race, was 4.5 million as of 2005-JUL-01. ₂ According to the most recent Canadian census, in 1991, there were 1,002,945 Canadians with North American Indian, Métis and/or Inuit ancestry. 10,840 Canadians are recorded as following an aboriginal spiritual path; this value is believed to be greatly under-reported.

Hugs,

Myrna

Received this form a friend at Tagged. It is very relaxing