Honoring Your Chief, Elders, Ceremonial Leaders and Your Teachers!

Honoring Elders

• Posted by White Buffalo Calf Woman on April 23, 2009 at 3:00am

Image: Chief Arvol Looking Horse Who Sits On Top of the Mountain Top, Holiness Looking Horse is Chief to the Great Sioux Nation, Lakota, Dakota and Nakota!

Instructions for Honoring Chiefs, Elders Ceremonial Leaders and Teachers. The Elders, Ceremonial Leaders and Teachers hold the wisdom of our Ancestors. They are to be honored and always treated with respect.

1) You are responsible for paying transportation expenses whenever you invite a Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher to a gathering, teaching circle, for a healing or for any ceremony. ·This includes airfare, transportation to and from the airport or simply gas for their car, making sure to cover all mileage.

2) You are responsible for providing all the Chief's/Elder’s/Ceremonial's/Leader’s/Teacher’s meals. ·Ask ahead of time, if there are any dietary restrictions, i.e.: sugar, fat, red meats. Find out which are their favorite foods.

3) Always approach an Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher with medicine/tobacco (ask what they need or want) for teachings, healings, or ceremony. ·Medicine/tobacco is not a gift to the elder directly; it is the means by which the Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher makes a connection with the Ancestors to receive instructions. It is a respectful way to recognize Chief'/Elder’/Ceremonial Leader’/Teacher’s knowledge and spirit connection. ·When you ask for teachings in the traditional way, you never push. You wait until the Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher is ready to teach you. During the wait, the Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher is watching, praying, and listening. The Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher may not get back to you for months, even years. They may never respond, but they are still watching, praying, and listening. It is said that it is traditional to ask respectfully four times (This means with tobacco.) The Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher can then decide if you really are truly interested and will do the work.

4) Do not disrespect Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher by interrupting while they are talking or working with another. ·If it is necessary for you to talk with them, stand in their field of vision a short distance away until they acknowledge you before you approach them. ·If they do not know you, introduce yourself and state what your purpose is. Then listen carefully to anything they may share with you.

5) Respect their traditions and teachings even if they are different from yours.

6) When transporting Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher be sure to show respect. ·Be considerate, help them by opening their door, assist them into the vehicle if they need help, and make sure they are comfortable.

7) When assisting them with their belongings, ask which ones you may touch. ·Their medicines may be in one of the bags and it is inappropriate for you to touch their medicine without their permission. ·Respect their silence on the way to a destination, and once you get to the destination. They may be tired from their journey or preparing themselves for the event. Please allow them to do so without interruption. If they invite conversation, they will let you know.

8). When housing Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher, respect their need for privacy and rest. ·Give them a room to themselves with a good bed and attend to any needs that they may have, especially food, beverages, and water. ·Introduce them to anyone they do not know. ·Inform them of the location of the bathroom, and where they may smoke or pray if they are smokers or pray with a pipe. ·If they wish to visit with you, they will make that known to you. Please do not keep them up all night visiting. Recognize their need for sleep.

9) Do not expect the Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher to do any work other than the ceremony or teachings that have been requested of them. If they wish to help in any way, they will offer.

10) When an Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher enters a space, offer them a seat and ask if there is anything that you can get for them.

11) When receiving teachings or healing from a Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher, it is customary to recognize the value of what you have received by gifting them accordingly. ·In time, as your understanding of the teachings deepens, it is appropriate to gift them again. In the past when we all lived in villages or closer together, all the Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher needs were taken care of. You need to recognize the gift they bring to you and help them so they may continue to share with everyone.

12) If you have the opportunity to visit a Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher in their home all of the same considerations listed above will apply. Additionally, you might consider the following as other ways to support them. .Working in his/her garden ·Running errands ·Cutting & stacking wood ·Stocking refrigerator and shelves with food ·Care for pets

13) Working with and for a Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher is a lesson in humility and respect for each one of us fortunate enough to have that opportunity. ·If an Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher is awake, I cannot sleep. If a Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher is hungry, I cannot eat. ·If a Chief/Elder/Ceremonial Leader/Teacher is cold, I cannot be warm. Thank you Creator for our Elders. Thank you Creator for our Ceremonial Leaders, Thank you Creator for our Teachers. 

Thank you Bear Warrior for bringing these instructions to us. Thank you John Spiraling Wind, for demonstrating the ways with an Elder. Posted on March 26, 2009 at 8:42pm by Navaho Girl, from the Four Corners, of the Native Peoples who will guide the way!

Singing the heart of the reflection by White Buffalo Calf Woman (ptse san wi yan), your Twin Deer Mother

For you we sing to know the wind, each day our love shines your way!  Do you believe in all the disease or are you going to let us in? For love is here and going to stay, when you let our hearts know the way, join with us to be with thee, for God is Great in liberty. Gift all we have in God's command and now we wait for you to hand, the love we long for each and roaming day, while we wait patiently for thee.  For Rainbow Warriors will come home to thee, when you remember the land of thee.  The land we seek is inside of thee, the heaven's abounding company.  Let our hearts blow in the wind.  Let our minds be smiles again.  Let the sound of glory live again, when we sing hymns in loving winds again.  Hold on tight, it's going to be a bumpy ride, but we'll be here to hold on to each day, cause Great Spirits coming to save the wretched way, and we are going to be a Sacred Day, when we are here to love the Song God gives, the prayer of whims, the doors to the wind. We are going home, when we accept the time, when God lives here and we are going to Shine.  Keep the door open when we come home to thee, live inside our hearts with us and know the place of thee, for God is great and living liberty, when wings fly home and we can sea, the winds of time gifts us to be free.    

Don't be blue (sadness), be bleu (revolution) to the new, for we are here to set you free! Rainbow Warriors of Prophecy march for thee!

Fire Offers Purification

Pray With Elders around the World

Hear Your Relatives Perfect Flowing Hearts
Listen to the Blessed Rainbow Colors of the Four Directions

Learn Warrior Skills with the Peaceful Wisdom Prayer!

 

There is a place where the Buffalo (flesh of earth, the light that grows, the four sacred directions, where we do) roam, and my heart does know how to roam, to be across the rolling hills, to eat of the green grass and know my fills. I am nourished by this love, the place, where I live inside the dark, the heaven calling, to fill me up. We the Rainbow Clan do know (how to drink from this spiritual cup), that we are part of this sacred show, where the Horse (soul of heaven, the heart that knows) runs wild and free, to be with Warriors, the Dog (rainbow warrior of prophecy who stands their ground) who bleeds (follows the red road, the law of love, where the fighting is for the unification of the broken heart, to bring the warrior up).