The people of the Six Nations, also known by the French term, Iroquois [1] Confederacy, call themselves the Hau de no sau nee (ho dee noe sho nee) meaning People Building a Long House. Located in the northeastern region of North America, originally the Six Nations was five and included the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas. The sixth nation, the Tuscaroras, migrated into Iroquois country in the early eighteenth century. Together these peoples comprise the oldest living participatory democracy on earth. Their story, and governance truly based on the consent of the governed, contains a great deal of life-promoting intelligence for those of us not familiar with this area of American history. The original United States representative democracy, fashioned by such central authors as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, drew much inspiration from this confederacy of nations. In our present day, we can benefit immensely, in our quest to establish anew a government truly dedicated to all life's liberty and happiness much as has been practiced by the Six Nations for over 800 hundred years. [2]

Black Elk's Vision
The content on this page is taken from the book Black Elk Speaks, by John G. Neihardt. The book is a recreation in English of the oral history that Black Elk, a medicine man of the Oglala Sioux Indians, recounted in 1931.
(NOTE: the webpage uses the word 'shaman'. This is an error, neither Black Elk nor John Neihardt used that word in the book! Native Nations medicine people are not 'shamans' and are not called 'shamans'.)

NEW Black Elk�s World
offers the full text of the twenty-first century edition of "Black Elk Speaks" (as told through John G. Neihardt by Nicholas Black Elk). Links within the text allow the reader to access biographies, historic and contemporary photographs, and maps of geographical features, towns, and battle sites. The glossary allows readers to view a current transcription and translation of each Lakota word within the text. Available in HTML or PDF version.

Earth Prayers for The Great Spirit
Sacred Seven Prayers, a prayer by Black Elk, and several others. (NOTE: the original Indigenous Peoples' Literature Site is now at http://www.indigenouspeople.net/.)

Four Sacred Medicines
Anishinabe people live life in a very sacred manner. This essay is on the The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians website, www.sootribe.org.

Honoring the Animal Spirits
Excellent pages about the "possible symbolism of each of nature's creations", with artwork by students from Dulles High School of Missouri City, TX, or photos. Many also have tribal legends or stories.

Miracle, the Sacred White Buffalo
New website sponsored by the Heider Family who hope to "bring understanding and answer many of the questions people have about Miracle."

Native American Commandments
Here is a quote from the prayer that follows the Commandments: "Great Spirit, give us hearts to understand;" (NOTE: the original Indigenous Peoples' Literature Site is now at http://www.indigenouspeople.net/.)

Power, The Force Of Life
This philosophical/spiritual essay, giving the People of Pine Arbor view, may not be easy to read or understand, as the first sentence says, but is worth the effort.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving
"This prayer comes from the Native people of the Iroquois Confederacy. . . . This prayer is the backbone of the Iroquois culture."

Sacred Instructions
Given by the Creator to Native people at the time of Creation, by Spiritual Elder William Commanda and Frank Decontie. Also on this page: Prayer before the U.S. Senate - 1975 by Frank Fools Crow, Old Lord of the Holy Men, Ceremonial Chief and Medicine Man of the Lakota Nation. (NOTE: the original Indigenous Peoples' Literature Site is now at http://www.indigenouspeople.net/.)

Shamanism, New and Old
An excellent and special article on this subject, which explains in great detail the meaning/origin of "shaman" and why it is a serious error to use this term in relation to American Indian medicine people, healers, spiritual leaders. Written by Jack Forbes, professor emeritus and former chair of Native American Studies at the University of California at Davis, where he has served since 1969. He is of Powhatan-Ren�pe, Delaware-Len�pe and other background. In 1960-61 he developed proposals for Native American Studies programs and for an indigenous university. In l971 the D-Q University came into being as a result of that proposal.

Sioux Heritage
The Reference & Resource Page recommends a book on Spiritual information, "Fools Crow" by Thomas E. Mails: "The life of Frank FoolsCrow, Teton Sioux, a dearly loved spiritual advisor & civic leader."

Smudging--A Native American Tradition
This page, by Elaine Lunham, is a good explanation of smudging with sacred herbs such as tobacco, sweetgrass, sage, and cedar, in the tradition of the Anishinabe people.

The Sweat Lodge
This article is a Gift. The author says its a "compilation of notes gathered during years of listening to Elders; also included are excerpts from a few good books and hard earned personal lessons gained from our many experiences."

The Totem Animals
This Totem Animal information is provided by Spirit Bear, an American Indian in what is now called Southern New England. This area includes the Narragansett, Wampanoag and Massachusetts Nations.

Traditional Wedding Ceremony
The Cherokee wedding ceremony is a very beautiful and sacred event.

VISION QUEST (CRYING FOR A VISION)
A description of this Lakota Sacred Tradition, on TheWildWest.org Web site.

The White Buffalo
A beautiful page giving the story of White Buffalo Woman in great detail, and continuing on to the story of Miracle and Medicine Wheel, our present day White Buffalo.