Of Yamassee
by admin
History revision in Beaufort, SC
St. Helena’s Church
I am reminded that history is written by the winners of wars.
Once sacred land in the barrier islands.
Bull Island
Live your life that the fear of death
can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about his religion.
Respect others in their views
and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life,
beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long
and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day
when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting
or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.
When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.
Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks,
the fault lies in yourself.
Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes
wise ones turn to fools and robs their spirit of its vision.
When your time comes to die, be not like those
whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray
for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.
– Tecumseh
Comments
“Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.”
Niel thank you so much for this! Shooting Star’s creed is just about the most beautiful ever uttered. Words to live and die by. So authentic and true. In Palm Springs it’s the Agua Caliente Indians that make sure to keep the sacred lands authentic and intact. Tahquitz is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see in this world. But I am surrounded by irritating wannabe WHITE injuns, they’re all over the place now, from LA to NewMexico, eating health food and burning white sage, roughin’ it in their air conditioned Hummers listening to drum ceremonies on DVD or slumming around on 40 thousand dollar HarleyDavidsons wearing authentic ZuniFetish jewelery and dyed black braids, they blend, like Elvis at a nude beach…or white rappers in Compton…then again, what do I know, I’m just a creative artist from LA LA land.
Indeed. Native American culture on the east coast has just about been scrubbed from the landscape. The town of Cherokee, North Carolina, is littered with casinos, jewelry stores, all night diners, and totem carvings, even though the Cherokee Nation doesn’t have totems. Bizarre.
On a related note, every time I see someone driving a new Harley Davidson these days, I think of an old poster that used to hang in my uncle’s garage — in the vein of horror-film posters, it was an illustration of a really clean-cut guy in a suit (on a shiny Harley D.) with a briefcase tied to the seat behind him… the caption said “BEWARE! THE STRAIGHTS ARE COMING!!” Businessmen, lawyers, and weekend “enthusiasts” have just about ruined motorcycling. When New York got a Harley Davidson themed restaurant, I knew it was over. I used to ride around with my uncle on his early 70′s Honda through the countryside – and if we got tired, or hungry, there was a well-packed sheet for sleeping on, using as a tent, or eating on the grass… no themed restaurants. No $40,000 Harleys. Hmm.
loved this, esp. after all life has thrown my way, i wish i could write something such as this, and mean it, you know? still, i push myself towards this type of serenity…it is hard to do.
good post. like the pics too. the land is familiar…