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An Elders Prayer for Peace
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BODY { MARGIN-TOP: 25px; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; COLOR: #0033cc; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica } An Elder’s Prayer for Peace
by Grandfather William Commanda, elder of the Prayer Vigil for the
Earth
Inherent in the prayer of the Indigenous Nations of Turtle Island is
the deep knowledge that we are all connected –my people in the east
say GINAWAYDAGANUC. The prayer is a celebration of the profound
knowledge that we are connected with the each other, as well as with
the chief elements–Mother Earth, Water, Air and Fire–the animate
and inanimate, the plants and animals and the larger universe,
connected energetically.
Spirit embraces and unifies us all.
Inherent in the prayer is a deep respect for both Mother Earth, the
penultimate provider and nurturer, and all her children. The prayer is
a constant reminder to honor this connectedness, and walk gently in
the places of our differences, for those are the places of
co-creation.
But across the globe, our relationship with Mother Earth and each
other has been disrupted, and storms and blood despoil our world. When
the new peoples arrived in this continent, they were too often
motivated by greed, the realities of the day were war and genocide,
and the ramifications were environmental exploitation and destruction;
my ancestors were nearly all destroyed. Today, three documentaries of
the present day–”Corporation,” “Fahrenheit 911″ and “An
Inconvenient Truth”–show that we are embroiled in the same
struggles at a global level.
We are now all feeling the impact of the environmental crisis that
has resulted from the reckless exploitation of land, water and air, in
escalating climate change; lands and peoples across the world are
embroiled in desperate wars; and health is a primary concern across
the world, no matter how privileged we might seem to be, for life
itself is under attack.
Today, the Law of Nature is revealing herself as the great equalizer
on all planes, with ominous implications for us all and for future
generations. But still too often, we see the issues as separate. We
need to realize how deeply interconnected they are in order to develop
a new blueprint for our collective future. These charts illustrate
this point.
Our ancestors always knew that all things were connected, and our
ancient prophecies told them that one day, all the world would one day
come to us to learn this. I have been the Carrier of the ancient
sacred Seven Fires Prophecy Wampum Belt for almost 40 years. This
prophecy, known to many peoples across the world, told of the
important choices we would have to make at the time of the Seventh
Fire, choices regarding our relationship with Mother Earth and each
other, and that time is upon us. We have to choose wisely to ensure a
meaningful heritage for all humanity and life forms.
A global shift in our value base is essential. We need to move from
greed and corporate domination to generosity and sharing; from fear
and war to racial harmony and peace building; and from relentless
environmental exploitation to the three indigenous Rs–respect,
responsibility and reverence for Mother Earth.
We need to inspire people across the world to embrace these values
urgently. This is the great challenge of our times–this is what the
Seven Fires Prophecy warned about. It is the task for which we have to
strengthen ourselves collectively. The transformation comes from
within first; then, recognizing that we are all connected, we reach
out to transform our brothers and sisters and leaders. We strive to
humanize institutions. I hold a vision for an Indigenous Centre where
we can all come together to animate this future. (www.asinabka.com)
When we come together with one heart, one love, one mind and one
determination, and breath our prayers and energy into the
International Day of Peace, we will be creating the pathway to a
Circle of All Nations, a Culture of Peace.
I attach my prayer for peace upon the commencement of the
International Decade for a Culture of Peace for your consideration. I
continue to pray for its realization.
–Megwetch
Grandfather William Commanda, a 94-year-old Algonquin Elder, is the
carrier of the Sacred Seven Fires Prophecy Wampum Belt and founder of
A Circle of All Nations
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This Sept. 21, please take a moment at noon
to join with millions around the planet and, in your tradition,
spend a few moments in praying or meditating for peace for this
magical world, all the generations to come and all our relations. May
peace prevail on Earth.
Tags: Prayer For Peace
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