WORLD PEACE and PRAYER DAY Response 2 of 3 dyarrow motherearth 9:17 PM May 27, 1996 (at igc.apc.org) From: "David Yarrow" close the circle ~*mend the grid ~*weave the web Healing Circles of Life SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Arvol Looking Horse Reports on WORLD PEACE and PRAYER DAY reprinted from Indian Country Today, Aug. 31, 1995 In the January 1995 Lakota Times I published my presentation to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization where I stated: "In August 1994 a White Buffalo Female Calf was born. This tells us it is time to take our rightful place leading the people toward peace and balance once again. We will pray for the return of our holy land. We will pray for the two-legged, the four-legged, winged ones, and for Mother Earth." "We ask that you pray with us. Indigenous Nations know our Mother Earth is suffering. Humanity is heading toward total chaos and destruction." "That is both a scientific and spiritual fact." "As caretakers of Mother Earth, it's our responsibility to tell our brothers and sisters to seek Peace. We ask every nation to declare June 21, 1996 World Peace and Prayer Day. Pray at this time with us in your sacred areas." Since that time I have had resounding responses from both Indian leaders and spiritual leaders around the world. In March 1995 I met with Liberal Member of Parliament Elijah Harper -- a high-profile leader who stopped Canadian Constitution legislation because it did not recognize Aboriginal rights. He has committed to helping June 21 become a legal holiday in Canada. Also, I met Chief Ovide Mercedi, who represents over 500 tribes in Canada. Ovide is in full support of June 21 and is beginning the groundwork to gather elders and spiritual leaders this October to ensure that all tribes participate June 21, 1996. In May there was Summit VI: an international gathering of spiritual leaders at Six Nations, Canada, which focused on the prophecies of Indigenous people and what we are to do at this time as a people. Cree from the north agreed to support this day with us, pray from their sacred site and host the June 21, 1997 World Peace and Prayer Day. Mayans from Chiapas, Mexico agreed to gather all their spiritual leaders at the Temple of the Sun to pray on this day with us and host World Peace and Prayer Day June 21, 1998. Mayans talked of the time when the white jaguar spirit is to be released. Last January over 900 medicine men gathered to write their prophecies on the wall of the Temple of the Sun. A man from Malaysian rainforest talked of diseases elders said are coming. Tears of blood will stream from children's faces because they are uprooting trees that hold in the underworld. He agreed to take this message to over 11,000 rainforest Indians to pray with us June 21 from their sacred site. The Maori spoke of children suffering starvation as the world is going to shift and cleanse herself if we do not listen to the prophecies' instructions to return to our spiritual ways and use of the knowledge our ancestors left us. They said they will pray from their sacred mountain, which is the first mountain to greet the rising sun. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. I was asked at Summit VI to talk to Dakota, Nakota and Lakota chiefs and delegates of our traditional knowledge of the Pipe and prophecies. We have relatives as far north in Canada as Alberta. We've forgotten about these people, and I'm working to help them reunite with southern relatives. I had a dream on the way to the Summit of a "ride" where my grandfathers came toward me in full headdress and buckskin through a cloud of dust. I felt like a young child. I wanted my headdress -- the one placed on me when I was 12 years old, but I remembered mice had torn it. Just then someone stuck a full headdress under my right arm. In the dream I wanted to ride with my grandfathers -- a day I had waited for all my life. I told people at Summit VI I would lead a unity ride through Canada to reunite our relatives this coming July. I believed the dream was of the upcoming ride in June from Canada to the Black Hills. I traveled to Joseph Bighead, Saskatchewan to visit a traditional Cree, Chief Ernest Sundown, who wished to present me with a trailing headdress for my commitment to unity and mending the sacred hoop since 1986. From there I traveled to Pheasant Rump, Saskatchewan -- a Dakota reserve -- and gave names to young men and women. The family presented me with a yearling horse. We rode from Pheasant Rump to Wahpeton, Saskatchewan in three weeks. Elders greeted us from each community, sometimes with a Pipe. Chiefs joined us, wearing their headdresses and carrying their staffs. We would be led into a tipi to speak of prophecies and smoke the Pipe. Each nation honored us and committed to June 21, 1996. Some said they never thought the message would come to them from their relatives in the south. They never thought they would live to see this day. From Wahpeton I hurried to Green Grass where we organized a two day gathering to talk about World Peace and Prayer Day with our own people, the World Council of Churches and members of peace organizations. From there I traveled to Pine Ridge, and again spoke of my whereabouts and push for World Peace and Prayer Day. During this time I also dreamt of Sun Dancing. I had never had this dream before, and was told by elders when they made me Keeper of the Pipe and chief, "You do not have to Sun Dance because your whole life will be a sacrifice for the people. The people take care of the Keeper, so you never work because you are the center and cultural carrier." My decision to Sun Dance is a commitment to pray for the people -- for things to change for the good, as they aren't good now and seem only to worsen. My brother Ivan's vision was to go back to how Sun Dance was originally formed. We honor his vision and commitment to strengthen the ceremonies in a good way. It is the right time to Sun Dance. It is time for me to remind the people I have two titles - one as Keeper of the Sacred Pipe and one as chief. To our knowledge no other Keeper was given two titles or burdens at such an early age. This is a great responsibility at a time when the people are suffering all the effects of genocide and religious suppression. Alcohol and abuse is the way of life we see. I am trying to change that cycle of abuse we have toward one another. As Keeper and chief, I ask people to look at the big picture. Look past your own personal situation and ask, "What have I volunteered for my people lately?" And show respect for our ways and prophecies -- -- our cycle of life where there is no ending and no beginning -- Mitakuye Oyasin Chief Arvol Looking Horse Keeper of the Sacred Pipe, Green Grass, SD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For additional information about Roy Steevenz, Titus Qomayumptewa, the Hopi Indians, Global Moccasin Ceremony, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, World Peace and Prayer Day, and the white buffalo calf, please access the following topics: Hopi: the People of Peace Global Moccasin Ceremony Journey for Health & Peace World Peace and Prayer Day Miracle: The White Buffalo Calf Tree of Peace: New World Democracy These documents available by fax or snail mail from Turtle EyeLand. For more information, send $1 and your address to Turtle EyeLand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ for a green and peaceful planet for the Seventh Generation David Yarrow at Turtle EyeLand c/o Broeckx, P.O. Box 6034, Albany, NY 12206 dyarrow@igc.apc.org 518-426-0563 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Birth of the White Buffalo Calf lets us know we are at a crossroads -- either return to balance or face global disaster. It's our duty to return to sacred places and pray for world peace -- if we do not do this, our children will suffer. -- Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Lakota-Dakota-Nakota Nation 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ** WORLD PEACE AND PRAYER DAY ** JUNE 21, 1996 ** JOIN US IN PEACE ** *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*