Spirit

By Ms. Brookie M. Craig, Tsalagi,
9 June 1995

I sit, hearing the voices that cry out through the winds for Justice and whisper the pain of their betrayals in my heart. I hear these words always...and wish I could find the way for others to feel them.

I think that you do.

For that....I am very grateful.

I have lived many seasons....seen many things...and like yanu, my fur is a bit tattered...worn and frayed, but my heart still feels the timeless beauty of the joy given by the gifts of the Sacred Ones. I have heard the words spoken...over and over...the empty promises...I have seen the hunger of my Peoples who wish only to be free in a land that promises this to all, but never allows it to be so.

I am growing older...and the winters are colder now..and the songs a little harder to hear but I am thankful they are still there.

There is so little time for the fire to burn brighter...for it to sweep our turtle island consuming the evil of slavery...for that is what we are as long as our right to self determine is withheld from us...slaves. And if that light does not shine on in the darkness the souls of my People will always be enslaved. The young must take the torch...run with it...never faltering in their journey to give the messages from the winds for all to hear.

They have taken our Eagles....our messages are harder now to hear...I ask you to not only to record the songs the feathered People sing to your ears..but to send them to all who need the melody in their hearts.

My Grandmother spoke to me of our People's demise...that someday we will no longer be able to care for the land....I hope the Ghost Dancers are right...that we shall return....but if we do not...there will be no one left to hear the Eagle's messages and tell the others of its sacred messages. I fear much for this. For when the heart of the People stops beating....the eagle plunges to Mother Earth....and all is lost. Our People are losing their hearts.

Once, I was asked by a Spirit Child in our Circle...Grandmother, what would you ask if you could have one wish?

In that question I saw the bodies of 4,000 of my People who died of the mistreatment on the Trail of Tears....the 350 frozen corpses left on the slaughter called Wounded Knee....the hundreds of women, old ones and babies butchered at Sand Creek...the thousands who had their noses cut off as bounties during the Indian wars....the rape of our beautiful Mother...the broken words...betrayals...and my heart immediately spoke its answer....

I would wish for someone in the Government to say...I am sorry for what we did.

I know that I shall never live to hear those words but wish someday that they may be spoken to you.

REMEMBERING NATHAN JIM, JR

Believe the Dream

For someday I too, shall transform, and if the fire is not kept burning it shall go out for all. Hear these words well. Listen to your heart.