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Overflowing with love
I am self proclaimed mutt Irish, Welsh, Dutch, German & British and who would have thought, Haudenosaunee American Native.
Although my blood isn’t more the 1/16 American Native my heart has always overflowed with love for the fact that I can call myself (at least in part) a true American Native.
Haudenosaunee American Natives, also known as the Iroquois Indians were five houses of American Natives from upstate New York. These five houses were at war until finally one by one they joined to become what we today call the Iroquois (meaning longhouse) Confederacy. They live in longhouses that would house up to 20 families. In the cold of winter they would rarely leave these houses unless needed and these winters is why their stories got passes on from generation to generation. People sitting around tend to tell stories. They lived peaceful and made laws to maintain this peace. It was called “The Great Law.” They would not make new laws without careful consideration of how these laws would effect the next seven generations of people. When there was a dispute, in order to keep from actual war they would play a game which today we call lacrosse. This games would sometimes last hours or even days. Their equality was well diversified. Woman were highly respected and did many of the same jobs that the men did, including hunting farming and voting. The elder woman were spiritual leaders in the community. They were a wonderful people who had created a structure of congress that was officially recognized in 1988 as the foundation of our US government.
The American Natives has a deep relationships with the Earth Sky and the four Directions.
In honor of our Nations Original Natives I recorded a modern day variation of the Four Directions Prayer from the American Natives.
Peace & Joy!!!
Chris Temple
