The Spirit of
RedArrow

I am RedArrow, part Tsalagi (Cherokee) of the Anitsiskwa (Bird Clan) and part Scot-Irish. My Grandmother was full blood Cherokee. Even though I don't have a lot of Native American blood running through my veins, the feelings still run deep in my soul. We are all related. In my heart I am indian, wild and free.

My guide has asked me to honor the wisdom of my ancestors and to always "Stay on the Sacred Path". I have taken the Shawl, which means that I am willing to exchange information and allow all traditional teachings to live so that the goodness of each can be shared by many. I have found balance through the willingness to bend like the Bow of Beauty and send the Arrow of Truth into the world. The Arrow's path is straight and narrow and it's target is the heart.

RedArrow asks the Great Spirit daily. "Why can't everyone just BE?" Be proud of who you are. Be respectful of who other peoples are. The Eagles and Crows have no problem with it. Each and every one of us have come to the Earth Mother with a path to travel. Taking care of ourselves rather than trying to control others may be difficult. We need to realize that taking charge of another's life is not beneficial to anyone. Focusing on another's life keeps us from looking at our own.

Sitting Bull - Hunkpapa Lokota

The weaving in the medicine shield represents the web of fate in the wheel of life, which does not include any alternatives or solutions. It is typically human to get caught in the polarity of good or bad fortune without realizing that we can change it at any time. If we are not decisive enough about changing our lots in life, we may end up being consumed by our fears and limitations. Look for new alternatives to your present impasse. You have the power to change anything you don't like about your life. But, always remember, if you dishonor someone you have dishonored yourself.

God, Goddess, Great Spirit, Jesus, Jehovah, or whatever you call your Higher Power. We all must believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. Therefore, this is a rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this issue. ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE SAME PLACE. If you are of sincere spirit and you have your own personal relationship with your Great Spirit. NO ROAD IS THE WRONG ROAD.

We are all searching for Peace and Love. Have you found your "happy place" in life. Money and Things, will not make you happy. Another person cannot make you happy. You have to go inside yourself and find that happy place. You may be surprised to find that "simplicity" will make you happier than you have ever been in your life. Then we have to teach the children this valuable truth, because they are our future.

Publications of Zitkala-Sa
Courtesy of University of Virginia
Library Electronic Text Center
Gertrude Simmons was truly
a Goddess Woman......
Why I Am a Pagan
Old Indian Legends
School Days of an Indian Girl
An Indian Teacher Among Indians
Impressions of an Indian Childhood
The Soft-Hearted Sioux

"A wee child toddling in a wonder world, I prefer to their dogma my excursions into the natural gardens where the voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers. If this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am a Pagan."
Zitkala-Sa - Lakota Sioux, 1876-1938

Three Sisters
Copyright © John Guthrie
Cherokee Tribe Artist

Legend of the Three Sisters

You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....

Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.
Black Elk - Oglala Sioux Holy Man 1863-1950

Christine Quintasket, another Goddess Woman from the past. There is a wonderful Biography on Mourning Dove, (1888-1936) courtsey of the University of Minnesota, Department of English. Located in the Voices From The Gaps "Women Writers of Color" section of "Meet the Writer's By Racial/Ethnic Background".

These Men and Women I have quoted here were all Great Warriors of our time. The men in battle and the sharing of wisdom. The women.... the "Silent Warriors". The one's who birth a nation and hold it together with their love, beauty, nurturing, and wisdom. It is written, that a nation who fails to honor its women will soon perish. They have all made a mark on this world as we know it. And their life and the gifts they left us are still remembered. Find your happy place, make your mark, and leave something for the children who are coming behind us.

Each of us has nine power or totem animals that represent the medicine we carry in our Earth Walk. These animal or creature beings emulate our abilities, talents, and challenges. We have a totem animal in each of the seven directions to teach us the lessons of these directions. The other two animals which make up our nine totems are the ones which are walking at each side of us at all times, and which may have been coming to you for years in dreams. If they have not come to you in dreams, they may be animals that you are drawn to.

RedArrow's Spirit Animals