In a Land
Not So Far Away
By
Jacqueline L Gordon
AKA
Taqseblue
This is a story of a people in a land not so far away, in a
time not so far behind. A proud but yet
not arrogant people. In this land lived
a whole nation of these people.
In this land there were no state boundaries or dividing lines
that anyone person or group could stake a claim to a plot of land as their
own. Just many different languages and
customs, which divided them into many different clans and families, with in
what we know today as tribes.
Within these tribes they learned to share the responsibility
of rearing and teaching the young.
Together they worked to raise all their children and together they
taught all their children the sacredness of life and death.
Within this land there
were no schools or colleges, history books or museums where one could preserve
ones history, heritage and culture. A
well of information was stored in the hearts and minds of every person; man,
woman, or child that would listen. History
itself was passed from one generation to the next through the telling of
stories and legends. Morals and values
were strategically placed within these stories and legends and were spoken of
often too the youngest on up to the eldest.
That is how they learned, and what they learned they held deep within
their hearts to guard and protect, because this was their history, this was
"their" story.
These people lived not in just one place upon this great land,
but in many places. They lived on this
land since time no one really knows.
And they learned to share this land with each other despite their
differences in language and customs.
They learned to revere the land that they lived on and learned to share
in the beauty that it portrayed. Being
careful not to disrupt created harmony.
They learned how to communicate with each other. Through time they developed trade languages
that they all could understand, depending upon their geographic locations. These means of communication aided in trade
and in the keeping of peace amongst neighboring tribes.
In times of peace and in times of war these people
flourished. In bad times they knew that
the enemy across the river and over the hill was also their brothers and sisters
from times past. They understood and
knew that time and forgiveness could and would heal old wounds.
These people were mothers and fathers, grandpas, grandmas,
aunts and uncles. Brothers and sisters,
nieces and nephews, and cousins to one another. Most of all they were children of the Creator, and children to each other. Babies were cuddled and cherished by
all. The beginning of life was all important.
These people cried with sorrow and pain, and rejoiced with
good news. They laughed at good humor
and scrutinized poor taste. They could
dance to the steady beat of a drum, and the soft melodious hum of a hand carved
flute. And they could sleep to the
sweet soft singing of the breath of life that filled the night air.
The law of the land was written within their hearts. Love and revere the Creator with your mind
heart, soul and body. Do unto others as
you would have others do unto you. Love
your neighbor, for he is your brother and do your best to live in harmony with
all created things because the Great Spirit had made them all. These people knew that love could bring
life, and hate could bring death. To
these people love, respect and thankfulness summed up the law.
In this land there were no "old" people. Just wise elders. These wise ones were well advanced in years, a little ruff around
the edges but beautiful to behold. One
respected and loved the wise ones, they were a wellspring of information on the
trials of life. The wise knew
"life" personally, for they had lived it.
To these people in this great land there was but one god. He was known as the "Great
Spirit", The Creator, Grand-father.
Great Spirit had made all.
Everything upon this land had been placed there by Him. And because He had made and placed every one
and everything in it's place, one could not be callus or hasty about removing
what was placed there by Him.
Great Spirit had made the sun and the moon, and set the stars
where they race. The earth He molded
with his own hand. He placed the
mountain where it sits and the stream where it flows. The trees He planted with care and the flowers with love. Everything these people would need to exist
and live was placed upon this land, and they called her "Mother
Earth". For she would nurture them
with her bountiful crops, for the Great Spirit had given her this ability.
Every breathing creature was placed by the Creator to roam and
flourish, and to be part of the circle of life upon this land. So these people had a respect for the animals
of the land, and the birds of the air, and the great fish of the sea.
Celebrations were many with these people. Thanksgiving was made to the Great Spirit in
these celebrations, for he had made them all.
Thanksgiving and forgiveness was also sought from the creatures that had
given their own lives to be a part of the circle of life, in food and clothing
for these people. For they gave to
preserve another.
Spiritual reality was true reality in itself. For they understood that Grand-Father was
Spirit, and that His worshipers must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. In everything they did, they knew there was
a spiritual side as well as a physical side.
For one could not exist without the other. Spirit and physical were forever entwined, made to compliment
each other. For He had made both, and
what He made, one respected and acknowledged.
To not do so, meant one did not believe.
Such was the life of the people of this great land. They lived, they loved, they laughed, they
cried, they even birthed new life to carry on, they grew, they learned. Then when the time was right, they died. To
these people death was not absolute.
But just a path to walk down to get to the other side, where life would
continue. New adventures, new lessons,
new faces, and old faces to bring joy to the soul.
The people of this great story are my people, this is my
history. A walk through the ages has
brought us to this point in time. My
people were not perfect, but they were human, and they were spirit. And the Lord God hath made us all!
Taqseblue.
Swinomish
and Chippewa.
Native American Indian
Jacqueline
L Gordon
3660 Memorial Pkwy NW
Kennesaw, Ga. 30152
(770) 975-8619 / Swinochip7@aol.com