In March 1995, I was honored to be invited to address Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuellar and the World Commission on Culture and Development at UN Headquarters in New York City. Among other things, I shared Seven Prophecies based on what elders had shared and what I observed and experienced in my first 40 years of life. These prophecies continue to unfold.
1) Environmental destruction is increasing throughout our Mother Earth. Along with this increasing destruction, Indigenous peoples and their way of life are rapidly disappearing. Unless there is a dramatic change in our actions towards our sacred Mother Earth, humanity’s ultimate survival is more than doubtful.
During the early years of North American’s “new” ecological consciousness, my grandfather had a 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, Cousin, we have these educational places where you can go 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 to read, talk, and study more. They have machines that look at tiny things and make them look big; other mechanisms look at things far away and make them look close. They even put different materials in containers and pour them back and forth to find out more about Mother Earth.
They have spent vast amounts of money and studied Mother Earth for many, many years, and they have recently made a discovery. They found out that everything is interrelated. They found out 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 and put things inside of her and blow her bones up.”
He then looked deeply into the eyes of my grandfather, 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, 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” fails 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, in desperation to find new “cures,”; the Western Medical Complex is currently spending $ Millions to research plants and herbs that were developed and utilized for countless centuries by Indigenous Science Systems, 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 human beings every year, adding to a current world population of more than 5 billion. In fact, if every human being who now lives on Mother Earth were able to 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 our physical existence's spiritual purpose, we will continue to move towards worldwide disaster. This change will not happen by force but through spiritual love, understanding, and forgiveness.
(4) Global economic competition is increasing. The current world financial system is spinning out of control despite our nation-states' best efforts to stabilize a system that no longer serves the needs of our Human Family. Instead of sovereignty, in its purest meaning, this world's financial institutions are attempting to manipulate and control our economic and social destiny for selfish purposes.
For instance, global financial markets are increasingly being de-stabilized by financial speculators whose primary motive appears to be the unquenchable thirst for material riches, at whatever the 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, whenever we make a financial gain on others' weakness or unfairly exploit others for our selfish purposes, we will pay a very high price. In essence, 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 increases with every passing day. 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 to me, “You know, 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 their mouth pressed toward the same Mother Earth, refreshed and warmed by the same breeze and sun, with their arms raised in prayer and thanksgiving, protecting one another. If we are to have peace in the world, we 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 and mountains and many places, but it never turns its back on anyone or anything. Even though water gives life to all living things, it is very humble and always seeks the very lowest spot. But water also has great faith, power, and patience, for even if a mountain stands in its path, it keeps moving and moving until finally that mountain is washed into the sea and is no more. These are spiritual gifts and capacities that the Creator has given each one of us. If we are to be happy with ourselves and with one another, we must always do the best we can to develop these sacred gifts and capacities.”
(6) As the old, outworn, global order becomes increasingly more unstable, governments will try and stop the social and political disintegration process by increasingly violating human rights. As these abuses increase, an even higher number of people will react to them with greater and greater resistance, including violence; resistance not only against governments but also the growing conflict between ethnic, faith, and racial groups.
The spiritual reality is that the old, global order, based on materialism, selfishness, and prejudice, is no longer able to meet the needs and the growing consciousness of our Human Family.
Only by providing positive alternatives to our destructive and inharmonious patterns of living 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 surrounding 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 disintegration movement 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 clear consequences. As the spiritual greatness of our Indigenous people's return, with greater and greater strength, it is clear to see 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 to see 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 to do so is ours, and that decision is ultimately a spiritual one.
