My father has much pity for us
my father has much pity
I hold out my hands toward him and cry
in my poverty I hold out my hands
in my poverty I cry.
Wovóka the Paiute
received the Na’nisa’ana
in a vision directly from God
on the day of the black sun.
And God said tell all the nations the word;
Live in peace
and I will bring you together
with the spirits and a new earth
in happiness and abundance.
Wovóka the prophet carried the sacred word
to the Caddo, Lakota and Cheyenne
and the people began to dance
Na’nisa’ana
Wearing the magic shirts
they could see the relatives
who had left their bodies
hear the thunder of the buffalo
knowing the earth would be reborn.
The spirit host is advancing they say
the spirit host is advancing
they are coming with the buffalo they say
they are coming with the buffalo
they are coming with the new earth.
In the mists of Cheyenne autumn
shocks of corn and burning leaves
the spirits of the Sioux will dance
they are coming with the buffalo they say
coming with the new earth.
.
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painting : The Ghost Dance – Howard Terpning
http://swoyersart.com/howard_terpning/ghost_dance.htm
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toritto 
Another good one Frank. Seems a shame that some of them ended up running casinos. At least it brings money in for the community.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Well the advancing spirit better start picking up his pace a bit, before it is too late. I heard similar claims when I was a brain-dead Christian, and there was no savior waiting in the wings.
The sayings of the Native peoples of this continent, however, always touch and put me to shame, for the pain, sorrow, death and destruction my ancestors have brought down on them, this land and the world.
European Caucasians are known as the “white devils” in many places around the world. I can’t say I blame these people for their view of me and people like me,
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The double tragedy is that you personally did none of these horrible things, any more than I earned my living in the slave trade. Nowadays, we are reasonably civilised and yet we must carry for ever the guilt of people who never ever felt guilty in their sad, genocidal lives.
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Yes, it seems most of us are doomed to carry a “cross” that rightly belongs to the wealthy and powerful few who control almost everything, the same elite few who rape, pillage and murder many of us as well!
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An excellent poem.and an excellent blog post. Thank you for sharing it with us.
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