Indian Belief

Your Religious Calling was written on Plates of Stone

by the flaming finger of an angry god.

Our religion was established by the traditions of our Ancestors,

the dreams of our elders that

are given to them in the silent hours of night by the Great Spirit,

and the premonitions of the Learned Beings,

it is written in the hearts of our people, thus:

We do not require Churches - which would only lead us to argue about God.

We do not wish this.

Earthly things may be argued about with men but we never argue over God.

And the thought that white men should rule over Nature

and change its ways following his liking

was never understood by the red man.

Our belief is that the Great Spirit has created all things,

not just mankind, but all animals, all plants, all rocks...

all on earth and amongst the stars, with true soul.

For us all life is holy.

But, you do not understand our prayers when we address the

Sun, Moon and Winds.

You have judged us without understanding.

Only because our prayers are different.

But we are able to live in harmony with all of Nature.

All of nature is within us and we are part of all nature.

Chief White Cloud.