<head>Eternal Circle


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IN loving memory of my father Emerick J Kodak (aka.Cody-Botch) Feb 16,1918-May 17, 1980 Buried May 27,1980. Sadly Missed and Deeply Loved.

Sacred Hills

WITHIN THE CIRCLE:ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, THINKING IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE SEEN OR TOUCHED. LIVING OR INANIMATE,THAT DOES NOT HAVE A SPIRIT: " WE INDIANS LIVE IN A WORLD OF SYMBOLS WHERE THE SPIRITUAL AND THE COMMONPLACE ARE ONE..

WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEM NOT WITH THE HEAD BUT WITH THE HEART,AND WE NEED NO MORE THAN A HINT TO GIVE US MEANING"...

A PIPE OR A PAIR OF MOCCASINS MAY APPEAR QUAINT OR MUNDANE TO NON-INDIAN EYES BUT THEY MAY HAVE ENORMOUS SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE TO AN INDIAN. THE DRAMAS AND SONGS, LIKE THE CEREMONIAL DANCES, ARE NOT PERFORMED FOR ENTERTAINMENT, BUT FOR ATTAINMENT OF THE BALANCED LIFE. IN THIS , THEY ARE VERY ESSENCE OF INDIAN LIFE.... " ALL THINGS ARE TIED TOGETHER WITH A COMMON NAVEL CORD," AS ONE INDIAN ELDER STATED....


The Dream Walker

THE GREAT SPIRIT: THE VISION QUEST--INDIVIDUAL RELIGIOUS REVELATIONS THROUGH DREAMS AND VISIONS- HAS LONG BEEN THE FOCAL POINT OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF MOST NATIVE AMERICANS... VISIONS PROVIDE ACCESS TO POWER, THE CURRENT OF SUPERNATURAL FORCE THAT COURSES BENEATH THE SURFACE OF EVERY ASPECT OF INDIAN LIFE..." THE GREAT SPIRIT IS IN ALL THINGS; HE IS IN THE AIR WE BREATHE."...

IT IS THE GENERAL BELIEFE OF THE INDIANS THAT AFTER A MAN DIES,HIS SPIRIT IS SOMEWHERE ON THE EARTH OR IN THE SKY, WE DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT HIS SPIRIT-IT STILL LIVES.

SO IT IS WITH WAKAN TANKA. WE BELIEVE THAT HE IS EVERYWHERE, YET HE IS TO US AS THE SPIRIT OF OUR FRIENDS WHOSE VOICES WE CAN NOT HEAR...

EVEN SO, SOME PLACES AND OBJECTS ARE MORE HIGHLY CHARGED WITH POWER THANOTHERS... ALTHOUGH ALL POWER SPRINGS FROM THE GREAT SPIRIT, IT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN DIFFERENT WAYS; FROM GREAT ELEMENTAL FORCES LIKE THE SUN, THE MOON, AND THE WINDS TO INDIVIDUAL ROCKS, ANIMALS, AND TREES...MOUNTAINTOPS AND PLACES NEAR WATER ARE ALSO FULL OF POWER.

CONVERSELY, OTHER SPOTS ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS-PARTICULARLY GRAVE SITES WHERE MALEVOLENT SPIRITS OF THE DEAD MAY LURK. IF THE SPIRITS ARE NOT APPEASED BY CORRECT BEHAVIOR, THEIR POWER CAN CAUSE HARM...............................


BUFFALO WOMAN

EARLY ONE MORNING A CHIEF SENT TWO OF HIS YOUNG MEN TO HUNT FOR GAME. THEY SEARCHED EVERYWHERE BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. SEEING A HIGH HILL, THEY CLIMBED IT IN ORDER TO SEE THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

HALFWAY UP THEY SAW SOMETHING COMING TOWARDS THEM FROM FAR OFF, BUT THE FIGURE WAS FLOATING NOT WALKING, FROM THIS THEY KNEW THAT THE PERSON WAS " wakan " --HOLY.AS IT CAME NEARER THEY REALIZED IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN , SHE WOREA WONDERFUL WHITE BUCKSKIN OUTFIT, TANNED UNTIL IT SHONE A LONG WAY IN THE SUN.

IT WAS EMBROIDERED WITH SACRED AND MARVELOUS DESIGNS OF PORCUPINE QUILLS, IN RADIANT COLORS, NO ORDINARY WOMAN COULD HAVE MADE. THIS wakan STRANGER WAS Ptesan-Wi, WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN. IN HER HANDS SHE CARRIED A LARGE BUNDLE AND A FAN OF SAGE LEAVES. SHE WORE HER BLUE-BLACK HAIR LOOSE EXCEPT FOR A STRAND AT THE LEFT SIDE, WHICH WAS TIED UP WITH BUFFALO FUR. HER EYES SHONE DARK AND SPARKLING WITH GREAT POWER IN THEM..

ONE BRAVE WAS AWESTRUCK, BUT THE OTHER DESIRED HER BODY AND STRETCHED HIS HAND OUT TO TOUCH HER. THIS WOMAN WAS " lila wakan " -VERY SACRED AND COULD NOT BE TREATED WITH DISRESPECT. LIGHTNING INSANTLY STRUCK THE BRASH YOUNG MAN AND BURNED HIM UP.TO THE OTTHER SCOUT WHO HAD BEHAVED THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN SAID: " GOOD THINGS I AM BRINGING SOMETHING HOLY TO YOUR NATION A MESSAGE I CARRY FOR YOUR PEOPLE FROM THE BUFFALO NATION GO BACK TO CAMP TELL THE PEOPLE TO PREPARE FOR MY ARRIVAL,AND SET UP A MEDICINE LODGE WITH 24 POLES."

THE YOUNG HUNTER RETURNED TO CAMP AND TOLD THE CHIEF AND PEOPLE WHAT THE SACRED WOMAN SAID.SO THE PEOPLE PUT UP THE BIG MEDICINE TEEPEE AND WAITED.AFTER 4 DAYS THEY SAW THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN APPROACH,CARRYING HER BUNDEL BEFORE HER.SHE OPENED THE BUNDEL,THE HOLY THINGS IT CONTAINED WAS THE chanunpa "Scared Pipe".SHE HELD IT OUT,GRAPSING THE STEM WITH HER RIGHT HAND AND THE BOWL WITH HER LEFT.

AND THUS,THE PIPE HAS BEEN HELD EVER SINCE.THE WOMAN PLACED A DRY BUFFALO CHIP ON THE FIRE AND LIT THE PIPE WITH IT.THIS WAS "peta-owihankeshni","the fire without end" SHE TAUGHT THE PEOPLE EVERYTHING.WAKAN TANKA SMILES UPON US BECAUSE NOW WE ARE AS ONE, EARTH,SKY,ALL LIVING THINGS.SHE TAUGHT THEM THE 4 DIRECTIONS.THE SACRED WOMAN TOOK LEAVE OF THE PEOPLE,WALKING OFF TOWARD THE SETTING SUN.AS SHE WENT,SHE STOPPED AND ROLLED OVER 4 TIMES,EACH TIME TURNING INTO SOMETHING DIFFERENT,A BALCK BUFFALO FIRST,THE SECOND A BROWN ONE,THE THIRD A RED ONE ,AND LASTLY THE 4 TIME,SHE TURNED INTO A WHITE FEMALE BUFFALO CALF.

A WHITE BUFFALO IS THE MOST SACRED THING ONE CAN ENCOUNTER.


HERE I SIT WITH PEN IN HAND MY MIND IS ON THE PRAIRIE LAND MY BROTHERS LIVE IN OLD TEEPEES THROUGH WIND AND RAIN AND MISERY.

THE WHITE MEN CALL US SAVAGES FOR OUR SKIN IS RED AS CLAY WE RIDE THE PAINTED PONIES AND HUNT BUFFALO EVERYDAY,

THEN CAME THE TIME WE SUFFERED THE "GREAT FATHER " TOLD US LIES HE MOVED US ON THE "TRAIL OF TEARS" WHERE SOME SLOWLY LOST THEIR LIVES,

THEN GOLD WAS FOUND BY SETTLERS ON INDIAN PROMISE LAND AND ONCE AGAIN THE WHITE MEN PUT BLOOD UPON OUR HANDS,

THEY DROVE US TO THE MOUNTAINS WHERE SOME OLD PEOPLE SLOWLY DIED WE DISEMBOWELED OUR HORSES AND THRUST OUR CHILDREN TO WARM INSIDE,

THE SEED OF THE THE TRIBES WERE SCATTERED LIKE THE WINDS THAT CROSS THE PLAINS WE WERE ORDERED TO A RESERVATION UNDER "GENERAL CUSTERS " NAME,

WE LEARNED THE WHITE MANS CUSTOMS WORKED LIKE ANIMALS IN THE RAIN WE CAME DOWN WITH SPOTTED FEVER ONCE AGAIN WE LIVED IN VEIN,

OUR CHIEFS WERE LOCKED IN SHACKLES AND PUT BEHIND LONG IRON BARS TO AN INDIAN THIS WAS PAINFUL AND OUR HEARTS WILL ALL BE SCARRED,

WE FLED ON BACK TO OUR HOME LANDS BENEATH THE BLACK HILLS OF THE NORTH AND HELD A COUNCIL MEETING BEFORE WE'RE BLOTTED OFF THE EARTH,

WE INVITED ALL THE WHITE MEN AND EVERY RED MAN TOO TO ATTEND OUR TRIBAL MEETING SO OUR LIVES COULD START A-NEW,

WE CAMPED AT THE POWDER RIVER SENT OUR RUNNERS WITH THE NEWS TO TELL THE GREAT WHITE WARRIORS WE'DE JOIN IN PEACE TO TALK THINGS THROUGH,

THE BLUE COATS CAME WITH RIFLES FROM THE SEVENTH CALVARY WE WERE GUARANTEED PROTECTION OF OUR HOMES AND FAMILIES,

WE WANTED NO MORE BLOOD SHED BUT THE WHITE MEN HAD NO EARS THEY WOULDN'T LISTEN TO THE WORDS WE SAID FROM YEAR TO YEAR,

THEN CAME THE TALKING WIRES WHERE NEWS WOULD TRAVEL FAST THEY WERE PUTTING IN A RAILROAD ACROSS THE PRAIRIE VAST,

WE CALLED THE RAILROAD "IRON-HORSE" FOR IT MOVED UPON THE TRACKS LAID DOWN BY UNION SOLDIERS BUT IT DIDN'T MOVE TOO FAST,

THEN CAME THE BUFFALO HUNTERS THE GRIERSON SOLDIERS TOO WHO REMINDED US OF BISON BECAUSE OF THEIR HAIR AND COLOR TOO,

THE HUNTERS KILLED OUR BUFFALO FOR THE HIDES UPON THEIR BACKS AND LEFT THE BODIES ROTTING UPON THE PRAIRIE GRASS,

NOW CAME THE " BLUE COATS " WITH RIFLES THAT REPEATED WHEN THEY SHOT AND WHISTLING PIECES OF METAL FROM THE CANNONS THAT THEY BROUGHT,

THE WHITE FLAG MEANT SURRENDER THOUGH THE GREAT WHITE FATHER LIED FOR WHEN WE PUT THIS CLOTH UP THE CANNON WHISTLES CRIED,

MY PEOPLE RAN FOR COVER IN THE BANKS OF THE RIVER BED THE ARMY TOOK US PRISONERS TO FORT MACKENZIE SO IT'S SAID,

AN INDIAN CHIEF HAD VISIONS WHILE STANDING IN THE SUN HE SAW THE RED MEN DYING SLOWLY ONE BY ONE,

THE FLED AGAIN INTO THE NIGHT WITH A FEW HORSES THAT WE FOUND A FEW OF MY PEOPLE WALKED THE MILES ON SNOWY COVERED GROUNDS,

WE HAD NO FOOD NOR WATER NO ARROWS TO HUNT GAME WE TRAPPED A FEW COYOTES WHO WERE OLD AND GOING LAME,

WE MET UP WITH THE COMMANCHE'S "TEN BEARS" WAS THEIR CHIEFS NAME HE TOOK US IN AND FED US THEN WE WERE ON OUR WAY,

WE MOVED TO A PLACE IN TENNESSEE AND LEFT OUR BROTHERS AT " WOUNDED-KNEE " NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS YET TO COME THE FOURTH DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS 1891,

WE HEARD THE NEWS ABOUT THAT DAY HOW BIG FOOTS CAMP WAS BLOWN AWAY THE BIGGEST MAN WE EVER KNEW "FAREWELL-MY BORHTER WE'LL MISS YOU ",

NOW THAT PEACE HAS COME TO TERMS IT TAKES OUR HISTORY TO LIVE AND LEARN THE INDIANS THAT SURVIVED THOSE DAYS NOW GO TO SCHOOL THE WHITE MANS WAYS,

SOME BECAME DOCTORS WITH A DEGREE OTHERS LIVE SIMPLE JUST LIKE ME BUT I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER AND NEVER FORGET MY BROTHERS WHO PAID FROM THE WHITE MANS NEGLECT....

COPYWRITTEN BY: (TIANA) ROSE MARIE POLON DECEMBER 8, 1987

"MY BROTHER'S THE GREAT RED MEN !".... #--->


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