Creator 

  Great Spirit

"We have a Creator, that exists outside of ourselves. We are a small but significant part of the creation and we are accountable to Creator for how we behave toward others, Our Mother Earth and all of her children" 

Great Mystery lives in everything, is everything, and encompasses everything in Creation...
 and knows no boundaries or limits....all peoples (humans, plants, animals, rocks etc...) had free will to co-create with the Great Mystery in beauty and truth or in ugliness or despair.

THE COMMON GOOD

In our tradition, the most important principle is that of The Common Good. This landscape that we all experience is the very body of Creator, Great Spirit. The greatest aspect of this body of God is equanimity. Equanimity is the understanding that we are all the same, we are all equal, because we are all part of Great Spirit and equal participants in the Great Mystery.

Honor is a very important way of life in this tradition. The Common Good is that which is of equal benefit to everyone. Honoring the Common Good means serving Great Spirit by serving others selflessly, and in a way that people reap the reward together as a community. It also means serving the needs of those who have far less than you do.

Honoring the Common Good means no individual in the tribe advances unless the whole tribe advances together. Individuality in service is the act of using your God-given talents to serve the common needs of the community, before tending to your personal advancement. It means putting us first rather than me first. “Us�?is extended far beyond that of immediate family

This principle of The Common Good is practiced to instill equanimity in the people. It is practiced to cultivate the understanding that one should only take what one really needs and should spend the rest of one’s time in service to the tribe, to his/her community. In fact, the tribal member who sets her own needs aside in order to take on the burdens of the tribe is held in highest esteem

From Wakan Tanka, The Great Spirit, there came a great unifying life force that flowed in and through all things---the flowers of the plains, blowing winds, rocks, trees, birds, animals---and was the same force that had been breathed into the first man.  Thus all things were kindred, and were brought together by the same Great Mystery.

Kinship with all creatures of the earth, sky, and water was a real and active principle.  In the animal and bird world there existed a brotherly feeling that kept the Lakota safe among them.  And so close did some of the Lakotas come to their feathered and furred friends that in true brotherhood they spoke a common tongue.

The animals had rights---the right of man's protection, the right to live, the right to multiply, the right to freedom, and the right to man's indebtedness---and in recognition of these rights the Lakota never enslaved an animal, and spared all life that was not needed for food and clothing.

This concept of life and its relations was humanizing, and gave to the Lakota an abiding love.  It filled his being with the joy and mystery of living; it gave him reverence for all life; it made a place for all things in the scheme of existence with equal importance to all.

The Lakota could despise no creature, for all were of one blood, made by the same hand, and filled with the essence of the Great Mystery.  In spirit, the Lakota were humble and meek.  "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth"---this was true for the Lakota, and from the earth they inherited secrets long since forgotten.  Their religion was sane, natural, and human.

Chief Luther Standing Bear
Teton Sioux

I think that wherever the Great Spirit places his people, they ought to be satisfied to remain, and thankful for what He has given them, and not drive others from the country He has given them because it happens to be better than theirs!

This is contrary to our way of thinking; and from my intercourse with the whites, I have learned that one great principle of their religion is "to do unto others as you wish them to do unto you!"  The settlers on our frontiers and on our lands never seem to think of it, if we are to judge by their actions.

For my part, I am of the opinion that so far as we have reason, we have a right to use it in determining what is right or wrong, and we should pursue that path we believe to be right.

If the Great and Good Spirit wished us to believe and do as the whites, he could easily change our opinions, so that we would see, and think, and act as they do.  We are nothing compared to His power, and we feel and know it.

Black Hawk
Sauk

Our wise men are called Fathers, and they truly sustain that character.  Do you call yourselves Christians?  Does then the religion of Him whom you call your Savior inspire your spirit, and guide your practices?   Surely not.

It is recorded of him that a bruised reed he never broke.  Cease, then, to call yourselves Christians, lest you declare to the world your hypocrisy.  Cease, too, to call other nations savage, when you are tenfold more the children of cruelty than they.

Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea)
Mohawk

Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit.  If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it?  Why not all agree, as you can all read the book (Bible)?

Brother, we do not understand these things.   We are told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from father to son.  We also, have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us, their children.  We worship in that way.   It teaches us to be thankful for all favors we receive; to love each other, and be united.  We never quarrel about religion, because it is a matter which concerns each man and the Great Spirit.

Brother, the Great Spirit has made us all, but He has made a great difference between His white and His red children. He has given us different complexions and different customs. To you He has given the arts. To these He has not opened our eyes. We know these things to be true. Since He has made so great a difference between us in other things, why may we not conclude that He has given us a different religion according to our understanding? The Great Spirit does right. He knows what is best for His children; we are satisfied.

Brother, we do not wish to destroy your religion or take it from you; we only want to enjoy our own.

Red Jacket ( Sagoyewatha)
Seneca Chief

We were lawless people, but we were on pretty good terms with the Great Spirit, creator and ruler of all.  You whites assumed we were savages.  You didn't understand our prayers.  You didn't try to understand.   When we sang our praises to the sun or moon or wind, you said we were worshipping idols.  Without understanding, you condemned us as lost souls just because our form of worship was different from yours.

We saw the Great Spirit's work in almost everything: sun, moon, trees, wind, and mountains.  Sometimes we approached him through these things.  Was that so bad?  I think we have a true belief in the supreme being, a stronger faith than that of most whites who have called us pagans....Indians living close to nature and nature's ruler are not living in darkness.

Did you know that trees talk?  Well they do.  They talk to each other, and they'll talk to you if you listen.  Trouble is, white people don't listen.  They never learned to listen to the Indians so I don't suppose they'll listen to other voices in nature.  But I have learned a lot from trees: sometimes about the weather, sometimes about animals, sometimes about the Great Spirit.

Walking Buffalo

(Tatanga Mani)

Stoney Indian