Strive to be a person who is never absent from an important act.
(Osage)
Great Spirit Prayer
"Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever
behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in the
face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the
intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy
overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands
and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.
"May you always walk in Beauty."
Chief YellowHawk
I hope the Great Heavenly Father,
who will look down upon us, will give all the tribes His blessing,
that we may go forth in peace,
and live in peace all our days,
and that He will look down upon our children and finally
lift us far above the earth;
and that our Heavenly Father will look upon our children
as His children,
that all the tribes may be His children,
and as we shake hands to-day upon this broad plain,
we may forever live in peace.
Red Cloud [Marpiya-Luta] (late 19th century) Oglala Sioux chief