PROPHECIES, REALITIES, AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE FUTURE -UN HEADQUARTERS-02/09/ 1995 ( 30 years has gone by like the breath of a buffalo on a cold day!)
Presented to Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuellar and the World Commission on Culture and Development
By Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr., Deloria, and Hinhan Wicasa Tiospayes, Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations
UN Headquarters, New York City, New York, February 9, 1995,
Very Respected Friends and Relatives,
As always, I pray that you and the many loved ones around you are in good health and happiness.
With the spiritual understanding that we represent all those beloved relatives who walked the Red Road before us, I have complete faith that we can build a just, new global civilization.
Drawing on the collective consciousness of countless previous generations, we have the divine capacity to resolve and heal all past grief, fear, hatred, and broken trusts while building a just, sustainable, and harmonious world that will fully realize the unlimited potential of our Human Family, both individually and collectively.
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We are living in the days of the fulfillment of sacred prophecies. An Elder once told me, “Grandson, the longest road you will ever have to walk in your life is the sacred journey from your head to your heart.”
Another wise Elder said, “We will never solve the many critical and life-threatening issues before us solely through the intellect; for every problem the intellect solves, it creates ten more.” The intellect is a sacred gift of the Creator, but without an open, visionary, and creative heart, there is no wisdom. Both our heart and mind are gifts from our Creator and inseparably connected.
Countless centuries before the birth of our generations, the Ancient Ones gave us prophecies that foretold these very days that we are living. This new Divine Springtime is unfolding with ever-increasing clarity, as promised.
I am sharing with you my innermost feelings and thoughts about actualizing this long-held vision of the emergence of a new world civilization founded on spiritual principles and values.
In December 1982, on the high plains of Alberta, forty wise, respected, and dedicated elders, spiritual leaders, and community members from different Indigenous Communities across North America came together for four days and nights of in-depth, purposeful consultation.
Our common purpose was to develop a holistic model of human and community development, inspired and guided by organizing principles, values, strategies, and processes of sustainable, harmonious change, healing, and growth rooted deep in the Natural Laws that are at the innermost heart and core of Indigenous cultures throughout Mother Earth.
Through this prayerful, elder-guided consultation process emerged the spiritual guidance, understanding, wisdom, strength, vision, and faith that the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, committed and dedicated to doing so, had the potential to develop sustainable, healthy, creative, and spiritually balanced communities free of alcoholism and drug abuse.
This humble beginning was empowered, guided, and sustained by an ever-deepening understanding of the natural laws, prophecies, spiritual values, and wisdom shared with us over the years by elders, spiritual leaders, visionaries, and our Indigenous communities. We have steadfastly continued our healing journey into our long-awaited future with this patient's faithful and prayerful support.
With the unfailing guidance and assistance from those beloved elders walking the path before us, it has become evident that the long spiritual wintertime of our Indigenous peoples is over, and the long-awaited springtime is unfolding slowly but steadily, with ever-increasing beauty and healing in every direction.
As we heal ourselves and our communities, Indigenous peoples everywhere will have a higher and more important spiritual role in the final unfolding of this dynamic change throughout Mother Earth.
Before outlining the fundamental guiding principles that have emerged from the ongoing consultative process of the past twelve years, we must briefly reflect on the challenges. These are the critical and pressing challenges to address if we prosper as noble, just, compassionate, truthful, and forgiving human beings and societies.
Conversation with an old friend while visiting the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. He asked my grandfather to explain to him what ecology was all about.
“Well,” my grandfather said, “you know, tahansi, myc, we have these educational places where you can study books, talk and learn about life. Some people attend these learning places for many, many years. After people have read enough books, written about what they read, and talked about what they wrote about, they become what they call “Doctors of Life.”
These Doctors then get jobs where they earn a lot of money so they can read, talk, and study more. They have machines that look at very small things and make them look big and other mechanisms that look at things far away and make them look close. They even put different materials in containers and pour them back and forth so they can find out more about Mother Earth.
They have spent vast amounts of money and studied Mother Earth for many years and recently made a discovery. They found out that everything is interrelated. They discovered that when you pollute the air, which all living things breathe, and poison the water, which all living things depend on, you pollute all living things. What do you think about that?”
The old man smiled knowingly and shook his head. “I was wondering when they would get around to that! Just look at what we do to our Mother Earth. We cut her hair where it should not be cut up and rip up her skin where it should not be ripped up, then we drill holes inside her and suck all of her blood out, put things inside of her, and blow her bones up.”
He then looked deeply into my grandfather's eyes, shook his finger, and said, “And what would happen if you did that to your mother? She would die! We will all prematurely die, as well, if we do not learn to respect and understand the spirit and teachings of our Mother.”
(2) Along with the dramatic increase in environmental destruction, natural disasters are synergistically and simultaneously increasing everywhere on Mother Earth. These natural disasters include earthquakes, droughts, fires, hurricanes, weather changes, incurable diseases, air, soil, and water pollution, floods, tornadoes, insect infestations, and the destruction of the ozone layer and polar ice caps.
The Western medical complex is just beginning to realize that their worldwide war on “ending disease” is failing on many fronts. Super drugs have created “superbugs” that are breaking through every line of defense that has been created by Western Science, with little hope that more expensive and powerful drugs will prevent these super diseases from having a rapid, deadly, widespread global impact.
It is important to note that, in desperation to find new “cures,” the Western Medical Complex is currently spending millions researching plants and herbs that Indigenous Science Systems developed and utilized for countless centuries to find alternative ways to deal with these new, deadly, human-created diseases.
(3) The world’s population is increasing by more than 92,000,000 people yearly, adding to a world population of more than 5 billion. If every human living on Mother Earth could experience the average economic status found in middle-income homes in Canada and the US, we would need two more entire planets. ‘
Until we thoroughly understand the true meaning of respect for all life, the sacred relationship between women and men, and the spiritual purpose of our physical existence, we will continue to move toward worldwide disaster. This change will not happen by force but through spiritual understanding.
(4) Global economic competition is increasing. The current world financial system is spinning out of control despite the best efforts of our nation-states to stabilize a system that no longer serves the needs of our human family. Instead of sovereignty, in its purest meaning, financial institutions of this world are attempting to manipulate and control our economic and social destiny for selfish purposes.
Our global financial markets are increasingly destabilized by financial speculators whose primary motive is the unquenchable thirst for material riches, at whatever cost to future generations. More economic theories and external controls will not solve this deepening crisis.
Only when our hearts experience the Divine Reality that there is just One Race, the Human Race, and that all Mother Earth is the common spiritual heritage of all beings, and that the Hurt of One is the Hurt of All and the Honor of One, is the Honor of All, will we be able to develop economic systems that are life-preserving and life-sustaining.
As a wise Elder once told me, we will pay a very high price whenever we make a financial gain on the weakness of others or unfairly exploit others for our selfish purposes. Again, the hurt of one is the hurt of all, and the honor of one is the honor of all.
(5) The social and cultural disintegration of human beings and their communities is increasing daily. Divorce, child sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, family violence, abuse of women, violent crimes, suicide, and other distinctive signs of our increasing spiritual sickness are as bright as the midday sun.
Only when we can understand and embrace one another as members of the same Human Family will we have an everlasting foundation for rebuilding our communities and the world. As one of my grandfathers said, “My grandson, the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, has given all people wisdom. To every living thing, he has given something special.
Some people receive their knowledge and understanding through books. In your life, grandson, you too must read and study books, but remember to take with you on your journey only those things that bring more unity within yourself and others, that bring goodness and understanding and help us to serve one another in better ways.
Wakan Tanka also gave our Indigenous peoples, and all other human beings who live close to Mother Earth, knowledge and wisdom through dreams, visions, fasting, prayer, and the ability to see the lessons the Creator has put in every part of creation."
He said, "Look at those trees standing over there. The alder does not tell the pine tree to move over; the pine does not speak to the fir tree to get out of the way. Each tree stands there in unity, with its mouth pressed toward the same Mother Earth, refreshed and warmed by the same breeze and sun, with its arms raised in prayer and thanksgiving, protecting one another. If we are to have peace in the world, we, too, must learn to live like those trees.
Look, grandson, at the beautiful teachings the Creator has put in the little stream. Feel that water and see how gently and lovingly it touches your hands. It travels through deserts, mountains, and many places but never turns its back on anyone or anything.
Even though water gives life to all living things, it is humble and always seeks the lowest spot. But water also has great faith, power, and patience, for even if a mountain stands in its path, it keeps moving until that mountain is finally washed into the sea and is no more.
These are spiritual gifts and capacities that the Creator has given each of us. To be happy with ourselves and one another, we must always do our best to develop these sacred gifts and capacities.”
(6) As the old world order becomes increasingly unstable, governments trying to control the social and political disintegration are increasingly violating human rights. As these abuses increase, an ever greater number of people will react to them with greater violence, acts of violence not only against governments but between ethnic and racial groups as well. The spiritual reality is that the old world order can no longer meet the needs of the people of Mother Earth.
Only by providing positive alternatives to the destructive and inharmonious living patterns will we be able to rebuild our families and communities. Without love and forgiveness for ourselves and others, we will be unable to heal the age-old fear, mistrust, greed, selfishness, and hatred that is destroying the innermost heart of the human family.
External control and repression of the human spirit will not end the devastation of our worldwide social order. Only self-discipline and penetrating vision in the service of the Creator, others, and ourselves will enable us to be victorious over all the abuse of the human spirit that surrounds every human being and every human community.
The spiritual reality is that the old global order, based on materialism, selfishness, and prejudice, can no longer meet the needs and growing consciousness of our Human Family and is disintegrating. Only by providing positive alternatives to our destructive and inharmonious living patterns will we be able to rebuild our families and communities.
Without love and forgiveness for ourselves and others, we will be unable to heal the age-old fear, mistrust, greed, selfishness, and hatred that is destroying the innermost heart of our Human Family.
External control and repression of the human spirit will not end the devastation of our global social order. Only self-discipline and penetrating vision in the service of the Creator, others, and ourselves will enable us to be victorious over all the abuse of the human spirit that surrounds every human being and every human community.
7) As governments become more rigid, abusive, and uncompromising in a last-ditch effort to save the disintegrating institutions of the old world order, terrorism and random acts of violence will increase dramatically.
This movement of disintegration will continue until the ancient teachings found at the heart of all living cultures and spiritual traditions that teach us how to live in harmony and balance with all life are once again alive. We have a critical decision before us. Will we continue to walk the path of hatred, revenge, and pain, or will we choose to walk the path of healing? Each has its own clear consequences.
As the spiritual greatness of our Indigenous peoples returns with increasing strength, it is clear that we are choosing the sacred path of healing, the way foretold in our ancient prophecies.
Not only is each one of these seven global challenges monumental in themselves, but it is obvious that we are approaching a global catastrophe, as the crossroads at which they all meet is coming rapidly into view. It will take bold, courageous, unified, and selfless action to avert such destruction; the choice is ours, and that decision is ultimately spiritual.
With the courage and dedication to utilizing the wisdom and guiding spiritual principles of our elders on the path to a peaceful and equitable future, we will find that we have the power and ability to carefully and lovingly remove any barriers that have limited the development of our full potential as human beings and communities.
The greater the difficulty in our path, the more significant the opportunity for our growth and ultimate victory. We can always become more than we have ever been.
Our ancient teachings show that the Sacred Eagle of Humanity has two perfectly balanced and harmonious wings, one representing women and the other men. In our relationships as women and men, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, we must join together to eliminate all forms of disrespect, mistreatment, or lack of sharing in raising the world’s children.
It is my most profound prayer that with every new sunrise, we may increasingly recognize and understand that the most Sacred Ceremony of all Ceremonies given by our Creator is the birth of a child! Therefore, everything we can do to provide our children and communities with the best possible future is a sacred gift and responsibility.
Beloved friends and relatives, is not the moment long overdue, through the eternal power and love of our good Creator, for us to free ourselves entirely from the hurt of both the past and present so we may genuinely soar like majestic eagles to the promised greatness of our Sacred Destiny and Future?
