Under the Sacred Tree: Unity in the Light of Wakan Tanka.
This is the Day when the Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, the Holy Spirit, the Maker of All Good Things, has poured out the most excellent favors upon our Human Family. It is when the sacred breath of unity and compassion has been infused into all creation.
It is incumbent upon the world's peoples to reconcile their differences and abide beneath the sacred shade of the Tree of Life under our Creator's care and loving kindness with perfect harmony and peace. On this Day, let us hold on to all that will elevate humanity and promote our collective well-being, for we are one sacred hoop, wicohan wakan.
Blessed are those whom our Beloved has remembered, and fortunate are those whose names, through the wisdom of our Creator, have been concealed, held in the mystery of the Great Spirit’s eternal knowledge.
Let us pray to the One Who is above all, Wakan Tanka, to grant that all members of our Human Family may be lovingly guided to fulfill what is acceptable in the sight of the Maker of All Good Things.
This is the Day when our current civilization will be transformed, as the flow of a mighty river changes course, and a new, harmonious, global civilization will rise in its place. The Great Spirit speaks the truth that flows like the sacred waters of life and is known to the unseen realms.
This is the Day when the Ocean of the Great Spirit’s mercy is manifest to the Human Family when the Sun of the Holy Spirit’s loving-kindness radiates its warmth upon all beings. It is when the clouds of boundless favor and grace have embraced all. Now is the time to uplift the weary and refresh the hearts of the oppressed with the healing breeze of love, fellowship, and the living waters of kindness, wowačhiŋtanka.
Those who are the beloved of our Creator, wherever they gather, must show forth such humility and devotion that even the earth beneath our feet, makha, bears witness to our sacred purpose. Like the whispers of the wind through the sacred trees, our words should carry such spiritual power that even the dust beneath their feet is moved by its influence.
Let us walk on this Mother Earth and honor her gifts, for Ina Maka, Mother Earth, imparts blessings to all. Her humility, even while bearing the burdens of creation, reminds us of the sacred balance between strength and humility, where strength is used to serve and protect, and humility is a form of respect and acknowledgment of the greater good.
May we show one another love, patience, and kindness, taŋyaŋ wawokiye! If someone struggles to grasp the truth, may we approach them with great spiritual tenderness, as the soft rain nurtures the seeds without judgment! Help them gently to see and understand without placing yourself above them, for we are all equal in the sacred circle of life, representing the interconnectedness of all living beings and the shared responsibility to care for each other and Mother Earth.
On this Day, our sacred duty is to drink deeply from the flood of grace that the Great Spirit has poured out for all. Whether we receive a handful, a cup, or an ocean, let us give thanks with humility, for each portion is sacred and perfect. Let us never compare or measure the gifts given to others, for the blessings of Wakan Tanka flow according to the wisdom of the Creator.
Let every heart on this day strive for what best promotes the unity of humanity, the sacred cause of our Creator. Nothing can harm this Sacred Path more than discord, division, and disunity among the loved ones of the Great Spirit. May we turn away from disunity and instead weave together the hearts of the Human Family in the name of the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Pray to Wakan Tanka that we may taste the sweetness of deeds performed in a sacred way guided by love, compassion, justice, and service. May we embrace the humility shown in the path of service. May we forget the sometimes selfishness of ourselves and instead turn our hearts to the needs of others. May we use our energies to nurture the spirits of those around us. Nothing is hidden from the Great Spirit, the Knower of All Things.
If we follow this sacred path, our Creator's unmeasured and eternal blessings will rain upon us like the life-giving waters that renew our Mother Earth. These are sacred teachings from the One who is the Source of All, like the flowing rivers of wisdom. Let us ponder them in our hearts as we walk this sacred journey together, united under the care of the Great Spirit and the Creator of All That Is.
Šúŋkmanu hé miyé do! Čhaŋúŋpa Sápa hé miyé do!
Hinhan Wicasta//Deloria Tiospaye, Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ, and Chickasaw Nations
