New Age Gathering

THE PRINCIPAL PEOPLE
In the days past when our People were overcome with plight and hunger it was the duty of the Leaders to hunt and provide for the people. The Leader was sad because his people had nothing to eat and were very hungry. He could not hunt the bear anymore because the BEAR said, "If you eat me, I will give you diseases of the
heart, for you have become a heartless people."

THE PRINCIPAL
PEOPLE

The Peace Eagle

In the days past when our People were overcome with plight and
hunger it was the duty of the Leaders to hunt and provide for the
people. The Leader was sad because his people had nothing to eat and
were very hungry. He could not hunt the bear anymore because

the BEAR said, "If you eat me, I will give you diseases of the
heart, for you have become a heartless people."

DEER said, "If you eat of me you will get rheumatism and your joints
and bones will stiffen and swell with fire because you have lost
beauty and grace. You have become embittered and crude. You abuse
and rape even your children, destroying their innocence."

RABBIT said, "If you eat me, you will have weaknesses of the mind
and become forgetful. You will feel chilled and then the fires of
your Spirit will burn you with fever. You will suffer duality and
fear of everything."

The SQUIRREL said, "If you eat of me, I will give you vertigo, and
all you eat will burn your insides. Your stomach will bleed."

The great Animals all cursed man with illness. Man no longer held a
place of Honor in the Circle of Life. He was not honored in the Hunt
and he forgot the way of appreciation. Life was filled with pain for
Man.

In these days, the Leader was leader of the People because they
trusted him and knew he protected and loved his people. He was the
Father of the Nation or Tribe of People. He ate only after his
People were all fed. He slept under warm blankets only if everyone
was covered and warm.

The People called upon him for a great Council. They turned to the
Leader and ask, "When will the animals come back, when will you hunt
again, we are starving and growing weaker. Many are dying and are no
more. We must have food soon or we shall all perish." Many shouted
to him to call war upon other nations of people who they thought had
more than them.

The Leader was a man of great faith. he was trusted and always
honored all his relations. He was brave and had great courage,
Leaders from many Nations knew of his valor. He loved his people and
gave his life for them. He saw all his children thin and gray. He
heard the babies and Old people crying and his heart hurt. He had
tried to help the People understand how things would need to change,
he saw their greed and self-destruction. He did all he knew to lead
them towards honorable living again. His example was not enough. And
some even hated him for it, and said he was a weak man to be so
righteous.

So the Leader prepared him self to hunt. He Prayed and did the
Ceremonies of the Ancients Ways to honor all life. He remembered the
Wisdom of his Grandfathers and Elders. He walked through the forest
and for 28 days, continued fasting, to find a solution to feed his
people. He said, "Great Spirit, what can I do? We are a wicked
people. We have forgotten to give appreciation and offering before
the hunt, and taking only what we need. We have wasted and killed
without honoring our Prey. Now none come to us in our hunts, they
curse us when we eat to survive. It is true we have taken even when
we had more than we needed, and let food sit and rot. We have begun
to War with each other for possession of things and taking a persons
freedom away. For all this and more I come to you seeking atonement.
My People are hungry, our children are starving. I offer myself in
complete giveaway to Great Spirit so my people can be fed." He
prayed long and hard. He chanted all his holy words. "I ask to have
a relation that my people will feel safe to eat, and that will not
give them diseases."

The Standing Tall People (Trees) knew him well and told him the Real
People must learn respect.

The Plant People in the forest had remained the only friend of Man.
They said to him, "Put your heart to the Mother of all form here,
Earth. She has love unending and she heals all form and matter that
is of her. Man has forgotten how to call upon her.

The Leader lay upon the Earth and spoke to her of "RESPECT", and
promised he would always live by the rule and measure of respect if
she would help him and his People. He cried and his tears fell upon
her soil. She felt his sincerity and goodness. The Great One
extended herself again to her Children. And said to the Leader, "You
must live by this law you have made RESPECT. Appreciate everything
your life here within my body brings to your day. All has purpose.
There is only "The One That Is All Things." Do not waver from your
word. Hold your word as valuable as your next breath."

Great One looked upon this and saw this great man. Love was again
being shown for the gift of life and the Good Earth. He lifted the
Leader into The lodge so he could be with the Leaders of The Elder
Fires. Above in Galunlati. (the Star Peoples home)

The Leader was given a vision of a Turkey - it was the color of the
Earth, and the Leader knew this was good. He thought The People will
know this is a gift from the Earth Mother and is safe to eat. The
feathers were also shiny and iridescent and was like a star filled
midnight Sky, ah. . . the Leader thought and the lights of the Sky
Nations are there as well. He watched as the Great Peace Eagle
(Turkey) walked about. Yes. . . yes he walks as a noble one of great
dignity! He will help the people find dignity again. The wise Leader
was humbled by how majestic this creation was. Then he saw the
beautiful fan as the turkey spread its tail feathers, and the Leader
said, "This is good the people will recognize the sacred ceremonial
fan and know it will give us back our powers and make us strong
again." Then the turkey spread its wing feathers toward the ground
and began to dance! "And the People will return to the Ancient
Ceremonies of harmony and flow with the great cycles of Sky and
Earth."

The Leader pondered, how will we know it is okay to eat him? We
cannot kill the Sacred Messengers for food. And this is a sacred
One. It must speak to my people to let them know it has come as give
away, to be eaten. At that moment, the turkey looked at him and
spoke, "Oh Good and Noble Leader, I have been given for only one
purpose, to feed you. Your prayers have been pure and your deeds of
valor are many. My body will give Man more energy (proteins) for his
muscles than any other, it will carry no curse. My Feathers will
Dance with you and you Great and wise Leader will wear my feathers
as your cape, to remind all of the unending love that surrounds all
creation. In my feathered cape you will walk proud and free of
malice.

My bones will give you tools to provide all other needs you have. At
my breast over my heart will be a bone that will remind you how
Great Spirit fulfilled your wishes. Keep this bone as my example to
you (that) man and spirit are bonded in Life. Make the part of me
that touches the Sacred round of the Earth Mother your offering to
the Fire, so I may return as often as you need me. Keep this
agreement with Great Spirit and you will not hunger again.

I am a message. . . the message is Love and Trust, it says The One
That Is In All Things calls to The people to return to honor and
harmony. To live in Peace and create beauty where ever you are. Live
in Respect and all shall flourish, we are One."

The Leader said, "Oh Noble and Sacred Bird my people will not
understand all this. they will be afraid to eat so Sacred a Being.
We have suffered many generations now and Trust is not the way we
live anymore. They will need to hear you tell them, and if you speak
such wisdom they will even be less certain they should hunt and
feast upon your body! They have become superstitious in their
beliefs and practices now. They no longer remember where they come
from or who they are.

The Great Bird said, "I will do what must be done, let us return to
your people they are growing weaker and soon will perish if we do
not go now." He made cornmeal offering of appreciation for this
vision and gift. As he started back to camp to tell the people about
The Turkey, it began eating his cornmeal offering. he made a trail
of cornmeal which the turkey ate and followed him back to his
people, arriving very plump, having eaten so much cornmeal.

The Leader came to the Clan Mother and said, "Great Spirit has sent
us this Great Bird for food." The clan Mother watched how noble and
dignified the bird walked. Holding his head with a manner of courage
and strength. She said, "We can no longer trust the words of the
Leaders and Warriors. Times before they said it was okay to eat from
the hunt and we have diseases of the heart and mind, and aching
bones...how can we eat such a fine bird? Birds are Great Spirit's
messenger."

The Leader explained his vision and that he gave appreciation and
made a cornmeal offering. And then what he thought was a vision
became real and the turkey started to eat the cornmeal. At this
point, the turkey came closer showing no fear as all the other
Animals would, and run from Man. This one walked among them knowing
no fear. Clan Mother saw it was the color of the Earth and felt her
Woman spirit stir inside her Being. The Turkey spread its tail and
she saw it was in the shape of a Ceremonial Fan. Then he spread his
wing feathers down and Danced. Clan Mother said, "how can we eat of
this, it Dances and is a Sacred Messenger?"

The Turkey walked into the middle of the circle of people who had
gathered to see this magnificent Bird and looked at the Leader and
said, "Gobble me up, gobble me up." The Leader jumped up, and stood
back in shock! "What is it you say to me?" he called out. The Turkey
walked closer to him and said again, "Gobble me up." The Leader
looked at his people and knew they all had heard the Bird speak. Now
the people would believe and eat of it. So they prepared as they had
been given instructions to do.

The Turkey said, "You will anoint my body before you eat it with
spices and herbs. The garlic, to surrender to the Holy of all
Holies. Cinnamon to open it to the powers of procreation. Nutmeg of
the Great Spirit of the Evergreens and knowledge of eternal life.
Honey to maintain gentle nature and serenity. Peanut oil to enhance
assimilation and reconstruction of wholeness and vitality. this was
placed upon his body after all his feathers were plucked carefully,
so as not to break or damage a single one. A great fire was made for
roasting the Turkey. They put ground corn and a few whole kernels
inside. They turned it over and over cooking it evenly.

The Clan Mother was glad to see how the People were laughing and
happy as they prepared for the feast. Her Woman Spirit felt the
union with Earth Mother again and she felt the first tears of joy
come.

Soon the turkey was ready to eat and it was very big, for it was now
filled with stuffing. The Clan Mother carved the turkey from the
bone carefully as to not break any. She found the Wish Bone and it
was as the Great Bird had said. She fed all the families. Our Leader
does not eat unless everyone else has been fed. The Clan Mother came
to the Leader and said, "Leader, my arms are tired from carving so
much turkey and feeding all the People. Will you help me carry this
turkey?" And the Leader helped bring the abundance of turkey to the
people.

The Clan Mother said, "Leader, it is time to feed yourself and your
family." When the Leader saw all the meat that was left, he was
surprised and asked, "Has everyone been fed?" Clan Mother
replied, "Yes Leader. Everyone has had two servings." The Leader
asked, "What about the stuffing? Has everyone had stuffing?" Clan
Mother replied, "Oh yes, Leader, they have had stuffing in great
abundance." Clan Mother went to the fire and she too was surprised
to see the turkey had totally replenished itself. The Leader was fed
turkey and stuffing, and all his family ate heartily. As they ate
all felt humble for all that was being given and felt their minds,
bodies and spirits healing and becoming whole again.

The turkey replenished itself again and again. The People ate of
this Turkey all year long, always with appreciation. They used every
part of the turkey, recognizing its complete give away. Everyone was
gifted with a turkey feather. After all went well for a full change
of seasons, one morning as Clan Mother went to the fire to prepare
the food, she saw two eggs. She knew these were the seeds of the
Great Bird and that it was pleased with The Peoples offering and
trusted them again.

She kept the eggs warm and cared for them as a Mother would any
child. She sang love songs and sang stories to the eggs as they
incubated. She knew if it was to reproduce, it would need to have
Woman Spirit of the Great Bird. She made offerings to the Earth
Mother for this. And each day sang her womans Way chants.

The first egg opened and it was the Hen. She reminded them of the
subtle beauty of woman. The females do not need to decorate
themselves extravagantly, because they already have inner wisdom and
beauty.

The second egg opened and it was the male, and with beautiful
feathers so Man would remember his role and do as he was to be in
the Earth.

Today the Turkey Cape is worn by the most noble, courageous and
generous of men.

The white meat of the turkey has the highest protein of all meats.
The dark meat has fats needed to assist the body to generate heat.
The Real People will not eat from the knee down of the Turkey for
that is the part that moves in the field of the planet herself and
belongs to the Mother. The feet and lower leg is given to the Fire.

The Wish Bone is saved intact and strung as ornamentation.

The Turkey is Sacred to the Eastern Woodlands People. Its Feathers
are used in all Sacred Ceremonies.

It is a messenger of Innocence, Compassion, Abundance, Trust,
Dignity, Peace and Eternal Love.

It calls all Mankind to practice RESPECT.

This is how it was told to us by our Old Ones. and this is what it is all
about Respect, Love, Harmony, Peace and unity, and understanding,

Posted by Cougar Saturday, July 29, 2006 (19:16:30)