National American Indian Heritage Month

Turtle

National American Indian
Heritage Month

Daily Question:

Why are American Indians sometimes referred to as Native Americans?

Answer...

News

The Talking Stick

News from Indian Country

Canku Ota
(Many Paths)

On-Line Exhibits

Seattle Indian Photos

"Out of the Silence: The Enduring Power of Totem Poles"

Who Stole the TeePee?

Reservation X

American Indian Charities
* = Combined Fund Drive Charity Recipient

*American Indian College Fund

* Northwest Indian College

* Seattle Indian Center

* South Puget Sound Intertribal Planning Agency
(no website)

* Red Eagle Soaring
(no website)

* American Indian Community Center
(no website)

* Friends of American Indians in Education
(no website)

* Native American Rights Fund

Adopt-a-
Native-Elder

American Indian Heritage Foundation

Native American
Fish & Wildlife
Society

American Indian
Education Foundation

November Is
National American
Indian Heritage Month.
It is a time to celebrate the rich cultural traditions and proud ancestry of American Indians and recognize the vital contributions these groups have made to the strength and diversity of our society.

Quote of the Day
American Indian Quote of the Day

"How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?
The idea is strange to us.
If we do not own the freshness of the air
and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
We are part of the earth and it is part of us.
The perfumed flowers are our sisters;
The Deer, the Horse, the great Eagle, these are our brothers.
Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.
If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.
All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.
All things are connected.”
~ Chief Seattle ~

NW Tribal History

American Indian Stories
Click Here

The Medicine Wheel & The Four Sacred Directions

The Medicine Wheel is a Native American symbol used For the teaching of balance, harmony, and the brother/sisterhood of people. The Wheel represents Life. The center cross symbolizes the Four winds, the Four seasons, and the Four sacred directions. We move around the wheel in a clockwise direction, like the sun does. It is a never-ending cycle of beginning and ending. When we come to an end it is merely a new beginning.

The East is represented by the Eagle and is the direction of new beginning as the light of a sun on a new day. The Eagle stands for Great Strength, Leadership and Prestige.

The South is represented by the Wolf and is the direction of warmth as the sun is at its peak at high noon. The Wolf stands for Intelligence & Leadership - Strong Sense of Family.

The West is represented by the Bear and is the direction of night time, darkness, and unknown mysteries. The bear stands for Strength, Learned Humility, Motherhood, Teaching

The North is represented by the White Buffalo and is the direction of cold as the cold of the night sets in, and the snow of the Arctic. It is also the direction of wisdom.

The Sacred Eagle Feather

When the world was new, the Creator made all the birds.
He colored their feathers like a bouquet of flowers.
The Creator then gave each a distinct song to sing.
The Creator instructed the birds to greet each new day
with a chorus of their songs.
Of all the birds, our Creator chose the Eagle to be the leader.
The Eagle flies the highest and sees the furthest of all creatures.
The Eagle is a messenger to the Creator.
During the Four Sacred Rituals we will wear an Eagle Feather in our hair.
To wear or to hold the Eagle Feather
causes our Creator to take immediate notice.
With the Eagle Feather the Creator is honored in the highest.
When one receives an Eagle Feather
that person is being acknowledged
with gratitude, with love, and with ultimate respect.
That feather must have sacred tobacco burnt for it.
In this way the Eagle and the Creator are notified
of the name of the new Eagle Feather Holder.

Buffalo
The Buffalo (ya'-n'-s-si' or yansi)

The buffalo or bison is considered by many tribes to
be a symbol of abundance for it was the meat of the
buffalo that fed the people, the hides that provided
clothing and shelter, the bones and sinew provided
tools of survival.

In the Legend of the Sacred Pipe, the White Buffalo
Calf Woman gave the Sacred Pipe to the Sioux as a
caretaker for the Red Nation. This pipe held the power
of the Great Spirit. She brought the people a message
of peace and said that they would have good hunting
and turn into a great nation. The appearance of a white
buffalo is a sign that prayers have been heard, and
signals a time of abundance plenty.

"Buffalo Medicine" means to bring a special honor,
or appreciation for all of the things that the Earth
provides for her children. To use buffalo medicine
is to smoke the pipe in a sacred manner, and to give
praise for the richness of life to be shared with all.

If a child's name included the word "buffalo" in it, the
Indians believed that the child would be especially
strong and would mature quickly. If a warrior was
renamed after a vision or great hunting or war
accomplishment, and his new name included the
word "buffalo," it meant that the buffalo was his
supernatural helper, or that he exhibited the strength
of a buffalo, or that he was an extraordinary hunter.
In other words, the name described the powers of the man.

Societies named after the buffalo had the animal as
their patron. Holy men who saw buffalo in the vision
during which they were called to the practice of
medicine would seek thereafter to commune with
the Great Spirit through the buffalo

Buffalo Stories
How the Buffalo Were Released on Earth (Apache)
Origin of the Buffalo (Cheyenne)
The Origins of the Buffalo Dance (Blackfeet)
Origin of the Buffalo (Cheyenne)
Race with the Buffalo (Cheyenne)
Buffalo Dance (Mandan)

Daily Question Answer:

When referring to American Indians or Alaska Natives, it is appropriate to use the terms American Indians and Alaska Natives. These terms denote the cultural distinction between the indigenous people of the continental United States and those of Alaska. While the term "Native Americans" came into usage in the 1960s out of respect to American Indians and Alaska Natives, usage of the term has expanded to include all Native people of the United States and its territories, including Native Hawaiians and American Samoans.

Links

Art and Culture

Iroquois Beadwork

Hitéemlkiliiksix

Native Quilts

Native American Authors

Turtle Island

List of American Indian Role Models

Clothing, Regalia, and Textiles

American Indian Poetry by Night Sky

Food & Recipes

American Indian Books Source

The Six Nations