In the sacred teachings of our ancestors, we are called to be fair in our judgment and reflect upon the exalted words of Wakan Tanka, the Great Mystery. Our Creator, the Maker of All Good Things, has placed divine utterances, sacred prayers, songs, ceremonies, teachings, and mysteries before us that have bewildered humankind's hearts and minds.
We may walk the path of true understanding through humility, a virtue that fosters respect, reverence, and openness to the wisdom of the Great Spirit.
Some claim knowledge without proof yet remain blind to the days in which the Orb of Wisdom rises from the horizon of the Great Spirit's vision. These times, when the sacred light of knowledge and guidance shines forth, are moments where each person is given their due and shown their place within the sacred circle of life. Yet, many do not see the more profound meaning hidden within the sacred words.
Our ancestors teach us that the truth is not merely the outward signs—such as the sun darkening or the stars falling from the sky—that reveal it. The Great Spirit speaks to us in ways beyond the physical, in the spiritual realms where true understanding lives. When people seek only visible signs and neglect the inner guidance of the Great Mystery, they turn away from the messengers of truth sent to unite us with Wakan Tanka's purpose.
Our journey toward understanding begins by pondering the mysteries we witness in our hearts. Where can we turn for refuge if we do not place our faith in the Great Spirit? Where can we find rest if not in the sacred ways? When the fire of love for the Creator burns within us, we will neither seek rest nor pleasure in the world. Instead, we will strive to ascend the highest peaks of wisdom, moving ever closer to the realm of the Great Mystery.
As we walk this sacred path, we are reminded that the answers we seek come from those who are like the holy springs of water, the Wellsprings of Knowledge gifted to us by the Great Spirit. They help us see with clear eyes and discern the ways of the Great Spirit from the ways of the world. Through them, we learn the wisdom of the beginning and the knowledge of the end.
We beseech Wakan Tanka to immerse us in these sacred waters and grace us with His presence's life-giving breath. May we release all that we have taken from the world and instead be adorned with the robe of the Creator's guidance. In this way, we may enter the sacred city of knowledge, where the leaves of every tree whisper the mysteries of life and the stones of the earth are radiant with divine wisdom.
This sacred city, fashioned by the hands of the Great Mystery, is a place where all things are made clear. Those who enter through its gates will comprehend the most profound truths, seeing the beginning and the end in the beginning. All things will be made accessible, and the fire of hardship will be transformed into the light of understanding.
But without the essence of the Great Spirit's wisdom, we would remain blind, unable to grasp the true meaning of the sacred words passed down through generations. Let us not be numbered among those who are ignorant, but instead, may we be recorded in the sacred songs of the ancestors as those who have embraced the wisdom of Wakan Tanka.
Though we have not met in the flesh, our spirits are united. This unity, born of our shared reverence for the Great Spirit, binds us in a larger spiritual community. May we present ourselves humbly before the Great Spirit, knowing that our Creator sees us even if we do not see the Creator! Let us strive to enter the sacred valley in the mountains of crimson-colored ruby hewn from the holy stones of unity. We will find peace, understanding, justice, forgiveness, and eternal life in the heart of the Great Mystery.
Shunkmanu Me Yedo! Chanupa Sapa He Me Yedo!
Hinhan Wicasta/Deloria Tiospaye, Hinhan Wicasta/Deloria Tiospaye, Ihanktowan, and Chickasaw Nations
