GRANDMOTHER SPOKE A TRUE SAYING TO OUR LIFE-FORCE

April 23, 1990, 846 am, U. C. Davis

GRANDMOTHER SPOKE A TRUE SAYING TO OUR LIFE-FORCE

Strange beings entered our homeland
without permission from our Council
They attacked our lives and our villages
without warning or declaration of war
They destroyed the delicate balance
placed among us at the moment of the origin of earth

Within their citadels and protected by stone walls
the Americans huddle and plot
Within their books of knowledge and history
they scribble half-truths to feed the thoughts of their children,
and ours also
Within their hearts there is a torment
which they blame upon the existence of our indigenous people
Within the tombs
where they hold council and plan strategy,
they plot to farther injure the wounded lives of the indigenous,
thinking if they damaged us the more they can find forgiveness
for their horrible crimes committed upon us and our homelands

Why?

As chool (sun) continued its journey over earth
And fire exploded in sparks
As a youth dropped a chunk of wood onto the sleeping coals,
Ju’wa (Grandmother) spoke:

“It is because Nilladuwi have no history except
for that which they agree between themselves
They cannot be proud of their existence
They do not know where they are
They cannot humble their terrified lives”

Morning winds moved the tree tops
During the approaching day an infant cried
Jahom (dog) barked an answer to parting yodel of Jamol (coyote)
Grandfather returned from his morning “thinkings” beside the great river
Hawk, motionless in sky searched for movement on the land
River tumbled and crashed and whispered as it moved to outer-ocean
Mountains vibrated with songs of the universe
Dose (deer) moved softly in the shadows of the pine, browsing
A child peered through the smoke-hole of the lodge
eyes bright, liquid, deep, as the eyes of a fawn
Far to the south there were clouds billowing and there was thunder

“If I could start from the beginning I could tell you many things
but there is no beginning
All that is made was made by a song of Quan (Silver Fox) long ago
so long ago it is hard to remember

Before there was anything there was nothing.
no stars
no Milky Ways
no suns
no earths
no moons

All that there is was made with a song by Silver Fox long ago.”

Children laughed in the distance, dogs danced in the dust
Elk bugled from mountain meadow
Mountain lion moved softly through the morning shadows, dreaming
Fox dreamed a dream also
Salmon moved from outer ocean to rivers
Grandfather prepared a song
Warrior prepare the net
Grandmother sang the song.
Salmon glistened in the great river
and smoked over smoldering fire

“Children, you must know
Since we are the first people upon this land others are jealous
We was many things
We was first people
Merkans (Americans) cannot point to a time when they was here first
and this makes them very angry

“As you move through life
Remember always that all things, the origin of all that is,
is in the songs of long ago
The songs that we must remember and must sing
we must sing with softness, a whisper
For to brag is not our way and it is not the way of the universe.”

My life-power led me to the great river to reflect on the words of Grandmother
My power then led me to the great libraries of the world
to reflect upon the words of the invading beings, in solitude
And here is what I discovered:

It is true that truth lives within our songs
It is true that all that there is,
is within our understanding
It is true that earth is damaged, and we, also
It is true that the way to heal earth and ourselves
is through our songs and our understandings
It is true that we each are as important to life
as each snow flake is important to winter

Did this information come to me through the great libraries of the world?

No!

It came from the songs of the great river
that reflect the words of Grandmother
as morning sun smiled across earth
and copper/honey children laugh with dancing dogs

This is how it is

Sul’ma’ejote