Native Prayers with Reflection

Native Prayers

"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, andDemand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life,Beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and Its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,Even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people andBow to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food andFor the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks,The fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no living thing,For abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts Are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comesThey weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over againIn a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."
Tecumseh, Shawnee

Reflection:

For my Native American Literature I picked a poem called Native Prayers it is by the Shawnee. The reason why I picked it was because this poem has a respectful noble point of view towards the Native American people who wish only for peace between everyone and everything on this earth. I think this is a nice way to live to be respectful to everyone and not be prejudice against each because of skin or religion. Native Americans are proud, noble, respectful individuals who work hard to achieve tranquility. I think to have these qualities to be peaceful and work hard to achieve honor before death is a very respectful way of life. This poem has honor and it has message of peace between every living thing. The pictures are of wisdom and peace between the elements of the world. These two pictures have passion, beauty and the wish of peace towards the gift of happiness in life.

Dear Diary:

We cross over the prairie a couple of days ago and while we were crossing I noticed a couple of Indians on a hill. I was very scared I heard all lot of rumors about them murdering whites. I hope they don’t come and get us. At first I thought they were uncivilized creatures but today when my papa walk into there camp for supplies I began to notice they were kind of civilize but not a lot. They all had different jobs that would help there tribe, it was like a big family working together to make it work. When dinner came I set next to a girl name White Eagle. She was very nice and she new a little English but not a lot. Even though we couldn’t have a full conversation we had a connection where we could understand each other like friends. When it was time to eat this old man per in front of the crowd of people. He started talking in some weird language, he must be the chef. White Eagle’s brother was telling us in English what he was saying. The chief was very poetic and had a very nice strong calming voice to him. The poem was called Native Prayers, they were praying for peace and I began to think that these people may not be as civilize as us but, they have a more understanding about the world than we could ever have. They want peace with every living creature and plant in this world. I know understand that all the rumors that I heard were false but if they were true the only reason they fought back was because they wanted there land because they were here first. I feel sorry for them because they deserve to be here as much as we do, and better yet they deserve to be here more because they do not hurt nature like we do. I like it how they can be apart of this environment without destroying it like us civilize individuals. These people are proud individuals who deserve to be a part of this world as much as the next.

- Jane

Native American Dairy:

Seasons come and go our way of life stays the same but, what has change is the new danger that gathers by the great water. This new danger is a cruel strange animal with white skin and their strange clothing they come onto our land with strange things. They come in groups and they gather all along the coast. They are strong, they destroy everything in there path and nothing can stop them. Our tribe used to live on that very beach not any more, white men came and used there weapons to push us away. When we fought back our men fall and they fall down hard in numbers. They won’t leave us alone, they come onto our territory and clamed it as there own. We have move far away from the great water, past the great clear grassland and into the deep woods. Even though we move so far away they still come, Chief Windpipe was once a great warrior but, now he is getting old. With his old age, he gains wisdom and wishes for peace with the white man. He doesn’t want us to fight with the white men because that would bring about our downfall. I see his wisdom in this but I think that there is fear in that too. He is afraid of lousing, I wish every one would join together against the white man but, it is useless only a few want to fight back, the rest follow the chief. Tonight at the gathering Chief Windpipe invited the white man to come and join us I was angry at this but, I remained silent. I would not voice, my voice against the chief that would bring shame to my house. They sat there as we dance, and feast White Eagle’s brother Arrow talk to them since he knew there language. Arrow has no problem with the white man. He says that we just have to give them some land, and they will leave us alone. I have been arguing with him for many moons about what will happen when more come and take away all our land. Then they will force us into a torment camp like the Cherokee’s. I will never be able to trust them but I will try my best to get along with them in a noble way like it says in Native Prayers. I just hope that we will not end up in chains I hope we will be able to survive this new danger. I will pray to our god, I will be unmoving in changing to there ways.

Essential Question Reflection:

The Native Americans are the first Americans but, for them coming in first means coming in last. The American Dream that the white man treasures is a nightmare to the Native Americans in which invaders came to their homelands and disrupted their peaceful lives. To the Native AMericans what was once beautiful, clean "nature" has become corrupted by the white man's inventions, "civilizaiton". There is no Native American Dream, like the one for the white man, the American Dream is a false hope which the never ending crulety of the white men inflicts supreme control over the diverse population.