With all the strength of our spirits, we must strive to become willing vessels of Wakan Tanka’s blessings, allowing the sacred breath of life to move through us as the winds move across the vast prairies. It is no small thing to be chosen as messengers of love, bearers of the sacred gifts of spirit, entrusted to spread the sacred teachings of unity and concord across Mother Earth.
This is not a task of our choosing but one written in the stars long before our birth, woven into the sacred hoop of life by the unseen hands of our ancestors. We give thanks with all our hearts, our voices rising like the smoke of a sacred fire, for such a privilege is beyond measure. A lifetime of devotion is but a single breath in the eternal dance of creation, and yet, even if we sang our gratitude for a thousand years, it would not be enough to repay this great favor.
Lift your spirits above the moment and gaze with the eyes of faith into the vast horizon of the future! This day, a sacred seed is sown, placed within the embrace of Mother Earth, nourished by the waters of our prayers and the warmth of our love. Though it may lie unseen beneath the soil, its roots are already reaching deep, its spirit moving.
Behold, a time will come when it shall rise as a mighty tree, its branches strong, its leaves whispering wisdom in the winds, its fruit abundant and sweet for future generations.
Rejoice! Sing the songs of the ancestors, for the dawn has broken! A light has been set within you, a fire kindled in your heart, a star placed in the sky of your soul, and its radiance shall not be dimmed. Wakan Tanka has crowned you with honor, and through you, through the path of your footsteps upon the sacred earth, the whole world shall be brightened.
Let our hearts be as steady as the heartbeat of the drum, our spirits as free as the eagle in flight, our souls as pure as the waters of the sacred springs. Stand firm in this truth—you are chosen, blessed, and light.
Lala, Deksi, Ate, and Brother Phil -Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ. We are all related.
Šúŋkmanu Hé Miyédo! Čhaŋnúpa Sápa Hé Miyédo!
Ĥeȟáŋ Wičhášta/Delória Tiwašpaye, Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ, and Chickasaw Nations
