The Medicine wheel

Old Native American wisdom. We need to gather as one people to save earth and all people.

 
 

Wisdom of the Medicine wheel
 

I have been  lucky.  Many kind Native Americans took me under their wing and taught me how to find peace.
 
At the Mall I went to the so-call Native American store. A Middle Eastern man tried to sell me a Chinese made items.  I touched a Medicine Wheel.
 
I told him:  "A proper Medicine Wheel has the power of the four winds."

I touched a  Dream Catcher." A real one would protect your spirit and keep bad dreams away."
 
He grinned at me. He didn't understand a word that I have spoken. He told me. "It does the same things." I left the store with nothing.
 
I sat with my Apache Friend and his family outside the gate of Fort Hood, Texas. I sat and listened to him.  His skin hardened by the Texas sun. I came and sat with him every Saturday for many months.

He had a story for every item he sold. I brought him food and water.  His stories were passed on to him by family and elders.
 
He gave me a Medicine Wheel. He rose up and made a circle with his hands. He told me.  "All people are part of the circle of life.  We all have a purpose, he had sadness in his voice. We Apache and Native Americans were responsible to protect Nature. We did a poor job."
 
"The white people were responsible for the fire. They shared their gift and now fire is held in every corner of the planet. His eyes looked at the ground, then he raised his eyes and looked to the sky. The fire was taught Atomic and nuclear power too well."
 
"The black people held the strength, wisdom and honour. The wisdom of the black people lost direction. We need their strength before we kill off all that is good."
 
"The yellow people have courage, leadership and clarity. The gentle and calm souls will be necessary for this world to seek peace."
 
"The medicine wheel is a compass to all life. We must know all four directions."
 
At a Pow Wow in Texas a few Native Americans danced and invited all of us to join the dance of friendship. A old Apache man moved around the circle. Burned sage and blessed everyone who came.
 
He welcomed us. He began to speak.

"We were the last Americans allowed to dance our Native dances.
We were the last allowed to speak our language in public.
We have not forgotten. 
We go on and hope for better days."
 
He blessed all of us and his kind eyes show respect for all.
He raise his hands and spoke to the sky.
"Teach us the four winds. 
Give us wisdom. 
Teach us humility. 
Show us clarity. 
Allow us to trust our brothers."
 
I'm proud of my Ojibwa heritage.  I'm proud of my Mexican/white heritage. The Medicine wheel showed us we are one. We need to work together. Red, black, white and yellow were given gifts.
 
Old Apache raised his hands to the sky. Then created a full circle. He moved slowly around  the inner circle and looked in all our eyes.
 
 
"We are one.
Let's pray for peace."
 
East wind - Yellow people - Path of light - Spiritual - courage.
West wind - Red people - Path of vision - physical -prayer
North wind - White people - Path of quiet - Mental - wisdom
South wind - Black people - Path of peace - natural - trust

 
This is a view of many years of learning. Every teacher tells the story differently. I believe we are one people. Peace will come when we learn to work together.

Black, White, Red and Yellow are the four corners of the Medicine Wheel. All with important gifts to bring to achieve peace with each other and the planet.


                                     Coyote

 
 

Author's Note

If mistakes. Please tell me. Never too old to learn.

Reviews

[Neville]

What a truly inspirational and important poem we have here. Until now, I did not appreciate the true significance of the 'Medicine Wheel'
I have learn't many things this evening and am subsequently both humbled and very grateful to you my dear friend Coyote.................All Good Things, Neville

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Neville. The Medicine. A symbol of peace. One people and one earth.

[Neville]

Amen to that..........

[Ken e Bujold]

Wow, this is my introduction to your work Coyote, and let me tell you it is powerful. Spellbinding. I hung and every word of this gentle call to all mankind to see what divides is not us, that truth be told we are indeed all of the same spirit.

Thank you for the great read

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Ken for reading and the kind words. I appreciate.

[W. Barrett Munn]

Quite an excellent story. My wife is Cherokee, a first family whose great, great grandmother walked the Trial of Tears. I an Scot-Irish. But for some reason I have always accepted that we are all equal and have never grasped how racism exists in the world. We are not all that different in DNA that sponges, for that matter. Enjoyed your poem. Thank you.
W.
PS: If you get a chance you might like to visit my poem based on my wife's Cherokee heritage: The Remembered is the title.

[Coyote Poetry]

I will visit now. Many races in our world had been abused. The Scot-Irish had stood their ground. thank you for reading and the comment.

[John]

The Apache is a font of folkloric wisdom. I like this mix of narrative, dialogue and poetry.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you John. Took me 33 years to appreciate my Ojibwa blood. The Apache on the highway. A generous soul.

[Brad Dehler]

Thank you Coyote. Very good reflection of the Medicine Wheel and other powerful themes related to our native history that lives in this present world. Bless you for keeping the memory and the power.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Brad for reading and the comment. If we don't get along ASAP. It could become too late for our world to know peace. The sad part. Our world had never known peace. Even the Romans kept fighting and taking more land.

[Ranger Kessel]

You are truly lucky to have such a friend and witnessed some things. I am happy you shared your experience

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Ranger Kessel. We must learn to get along. Before it is too late.

[Robert Haigh]

An interesting and thought-provoking poem. We do need to work together to achieve partnership and peace. Let us hope that world peace and world unity can, in time, become a reality. Thank you for sharing this.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Robert for reading and the comment. I hope the same.

[lifejunkie]

A'ho mitákuye oyás'iŋ brother, we are all related. Thx for sharing!

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree and thank you for reading and the comment.

[lifejunkie]

You're most welcome. I am a settler but my late wife and daughter were Lakota as is my current spouse, so any Indigenous content is most welcome. I lived by a Nakota reserve grouping up so learned many different special groupings of 4 based on the four colours of the Whilte Buffalo Calf Maiden, the Four Winds, Four of the Six Sacred Directions, etc. My wife Kimimela-Iyéya's heart pretty near JUMPED outta her body when she saw your poem! We got married in February, and I'm reminded why my first marriage I kept secret, I live somewhere where Native American woman-White man mixed-couples are still socially unacceptable, so I don't come across much positive writing like this, it gives me hope me hope for Grandmother Earth whenever I see First Nations beliefs spreading.

[Mark]

There is great power and wisdom here. I am always inspired by your words.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Mark. We must share the land and keep the children safe.

[knighngale]

oh wow, won't tell, but it is very critical. I will tell you something, please don't hurt, okay, Red is above. Yellow, White, Black, you see. There is four, but five, you see. He is great, but has partialness. A true spirit, doesn't speak like that. White, and Mexican, he isn't. Apaches never mix. :D Great read!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you.

[knighngale]

your welcome honey, :D

[JE Falcon]

So much to think about. This is a great story to revisit and to ponder what is said. Thanks!

[Coyote Poetry]

We need to be kind to each other my friend. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[JE Falcon]

True, the Golden Rule has made its rounds with all cultures.