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When the first Europeans came to this country, they saw our Cherokee people praying to the Sun, Moon, Stars, Trees, Plants, Wind, Lightning, Birds, Animals, Fish, Snakes and Rocks. They called us pagans, heathens and savages. For some strange reason they developed the idea that we did not believe in God, although in many different tribal languages there were references to a Great Spirit, the Great Creator, the Maker. The truth is that not only did the American Indians worship God, but they also respected and communicated with that which God had created. The Cherokee generally referred to the Great Spirit as Yowah.
Nature communicates to all people. Maybe not all the time but at least some of the time. It appears, however, that most people are not aware of this communication going on around them. Some who notice it either do not believe it or they do not understand it. Profound encounters and messages are considered supernatural. Natural signs and omens are considered superstitions, and direct experiences are labeled hallucinations. Are we to believe that Nature itself is not real? Or have we just lost touch with the true reality?
Despite the forces of acculturation, traditional Native American Indians and the medicine men/women still understand the sacredness of Nature. They see the life-giving force of the Great Spirit flowing through all things in the Universe. Because of ancient beliefs, teachings and spiritual practices, they feel and maintain a direct kinship with all of Creation. According to traditional Native American belief systems, everything is a source of "power", and as a result it should be revered. The traditional Native American believes that each living thing in Nature has a spirit of its own, in addition to being connected to and part of the Great Spirit. That is why we pray and give thanks to the Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain and Wind. We also realize that they cannot live without our "relations". We also realize that they cannot live without us; hence there is a reciprocal relationship. Some of this ancient knowledge can still be found in the Farmer's Almanac today.
Our animal, bird and other Nature relations are imbued with extraordinary life-giving powers and knowledge that can help us to survive and succeed in life. But in order to use this knowledge we must also learn the laws of Nature. For example, there is what we call the law of cosmic duality, which means that everything in our Universe and Nature has two sides to it: the physical and spiritual. We also believe in the law of reciprocity. We just can't keep taking from Nature without replenishing or giving something back in return. Otherwise we break the sacred circle and become responsible for creating our own problems with Nature.
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