Native American Writings of Julia White Woman Spirit The Pow Wow Trail Looking Back
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia in the Southern Spring of 1995

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EDITORIAL COMMENTARY
by PRF Brown
BCSLS {Freshwater}
Mountain Man Graphics, Australia

Native American Writings

Julia White

I have a strong belief that education = knowledge;
that knowledge = understanding, and that true understanding
alters our perceptions and our awareness of our selves,
our belief systems and our world.

All things on earth are alive,
and all things have a spirit, a message, and value.
Before we judge a culture, or a race, or an ethnic group,
or even a stand of trees,
we owe it to ourselves to learn all we can
so that we may understand the spirit
and the value of the thing being considered.

The following sections provide a little information concerning the subject matter of Julia White's current portfolio of writing, and reference other pages of more detailed information elsewhere located on the web.

In this series of articles on the substance of the lives of some of the well-remembered Native American "Woman Spirits", Julia White covers much historical ground. The gathering of the backgrounds to all these related stories and accounts of Native American history, the portrayal of a time of great struggle and change, how this was met in an individual basis and the growth and development of the inner personality. The skills of teaching the ways of nature, the ways of choice and decision making, both the warrior's path and the path of medicine, the strength of conviction and the importance of the power of peace - all these issues and more - are interwoven into the tapestry of these researched writings.

Dahteste {Mescalero Apache}, Nancy Ward {Cherokee}, Juana Maria {Chumash}, Coosaponakeesa {Creek}, Kateri Tekakwitha {Mohawk}, Hanging Cloud {Objiwa}, Susan La Flesche {Omaha}, Tocmetone {Paiute}, Sacajawa {Shoshoni}, Pocahontas {Powhatan} and Kaitchkona Winema (Modoc} are some of the accounts in which the "Wise Woman" spirit is honored by the Native American tribes of man in a natural and consequential way.

Often reconciliatory, working tirelessless in an environment of war but with a conviction of ultimate and natural harmony, and often raised into a position of government, these Native woman were all afforded great respect - and by all parties to the witness of their wonderful lives. And the living echoes of this respect to these brave women spirits, continues to this very day and beyond - in the place-names, the education and the languages not only of the North American continent, but of the global tribe.

More detail concerning Julia's accounts can be found at the InnerSpace Gallery which is filled with excellent research information on past and present Native American ways, customs, beliefs and way of life. In particular, "Woman Spirit" discusses some Native women of history who left a lasting impact on society.

For a laterally related article concerning the Australian aboriginal Native Peoples and the approach to the knowledge of that which is spiritual, refer to this review of Wise Women of the Dreamtime".

"The Pow Wow Trail" is a new series of writing released by Julia White in 1996. It concerns the customs, dances and clothing of the Pow Wow - a traditional way of natural life which is certainly not historically past, but in fact represents a growing resurgence of natural community spirit - a rekindling of the ancient and natural celebration of the spirit.

As a "WoodStock" without the alcohol, the natural worship of nature and celebration of its blessings represents a return of the beginnings of the possibility of peace to the sons of all man on the planet. Wisdom is not yet lost to the Native peoples of many parts of the world, and many still actively assist its global rekindling.

For further information visit The Pow Wow Trail site which hosts the real_time information on the current revival of the ancient customary way.

All living beings on this planet have a heart, a mind and a soul, and though they be otherwise born in different vessels of outer form, the inner forms of all living beings teaches of an ancient unity. The great spirit which flows from the soul is of one nature - as the sunshine which flows from the sun is of one nature. As the sunshine fills the terrestrial realms of our planet with life-giving light and warmth, moving the winds of air and raising the waters, it acts as an ecosystemic engine of living power. Likewise, in all creatures of nature - in all living beings of the face of this earth - the great spirit moves, and its teachings are of one spectrum of living qualities.

The Ant, the Badger, the Bear, the Cat, the Coyote, the Deer, the Elk, the Horse, the Moose, the Mouse, the Otter, the Peacock, the Raven, the Spider and the Wolf all have stories to tell of their place in the natural kingdoms of planetary life on Earth, and these teachings are instructive in the personal growth and inner searching that the "student of life" may contemplate.

For further detailed summaries on these writings you will need to reference the Animal Walk main page, at which you will find not only extracts from "Animal Walk" by Julia White, but other reviewed writings and information spanning many philosophies and spiritual paths.

The recent web publications of Julia White are extending from the First Peoples of the North American continent, to cover other parts of the global environment of man. The series of articles is prefaced with the comment:

"Looking Back" is a series which began in 1993 in order to share the passions, customs and lifestyles of the First Peoples so that readers may understand what it was like to live in the early days."

In these growing accumulation of articles Julia honors the Life_Ways of the peoples of this Earth, our planet, from the Catawba Peoples, to the Moche of Peru and extends to a resource concerning the Chumash - the Sea-Shell People of the Pacific Coast and beyond. Each of the accounts provides pointers to further literary background material and the method by which these might be obtained.

Looking Back is many_times over a practical contemplation, rememberance and meditative experience, for it may provide the strength, the courage and the knowledge to face our future challenges. One might say that we only draw our living breath from the present, and that the past is gone and is forgotten to our accepted civilized observation of Western history, however this would be doubly blind. Firstly, the experiences of the peoples of the world all live on in the living memory of those who are indigenous to the planet (and this is all peoples). And secondly, the air that we breath is from the ancient past - for AIR is an integral part of a biological ecosystem and itself was borne from bioplogical processes over the course of billions of years.

Like footprints across the soul of experience, Looking Back is an integral part in evolving the future path fowards. Each of us has access to the domain of the InnerSpace, and if we are honest enough to admit it, we are all students of life in this Inner Cosmos - just as we also seek survival and furtherance in the Outer World. The writings of Julia White can be recommended to the students of life and for the seekers of the nature of nature, for her works in this area are in honor of the Ways of the Past.

Unless one honors the past, how can one find honor in the future?

In conclusion, it is fitting to end this review with a message of welcome
from the author of the above writings and this is best done therefore,
in her own words ....

Date: Wed, 28 Feb 1996 10:46:20 -0800
To: prfbrown@magna.com.au
From: meyna@ix.netcom.com (Julia White )
Subject: What Can I Do?

BUT...WHAT CAN I DO?

Consider:

Moses
Buddha
Jesus Christ
Marie Curie
Ghandi
Clara Barton
Edgar Cayce
Sister Kenney
Helen Keller
Albert Einstein
Jonas Salk
Martin Luther King

to list only a few. Each of you has a list of your own if you will stop to think for a moment. In some real way, physical/metaphysical/spiritual, each of these people has left the world altered for the better. Each of them was only one person, who fought for a principle, and a vision, against overwhelming odds.

What can you do? What gifts and talents do you have (and this is no time to sell yourself short)? When you see a person suffering, offer comfort. When you have the chance to share your thoughts and feelings and beliefs, do it. Share your knowledge, and your experiences and your wisdom. As long as you speak and act out of love and compassion and understanding, Spirit will open door after door for you. None of us know who may be touched by a simple word or unselfish act. The impact of that caring could change a life forever.

Have faith in yourself. Make use of your special talents. You are the child of the Creator by whatever name you know the God-Spirit; the Universal Mind. You have value that is yours alone, but that is part of the universal hoop. Take courage, and remember ...

NOT the Same Breed of Cat!
By: Julia White

Part of my work involves conducting classes and seminars which are very interactive; anything but dry and boring lectures. One series of these classes is called "Re-Creating You", and focuses on self-awareness, self-enlightment, and self-improvement. At the beginning of the session, I caution those present to be sure they are ready to do the work to be presented, because they will never look at themselves, the people in their lives, and life itself in the same way again. Why?

There is a formula which I believe in, and which I see demonstrated every day of my life. That formula is: Interest leads to education; education leads to knowledge; knowledge leads to awareness; awareness leads to understanding, and understanding alters our perception and (hopefully) our behavior forever. What does all this have to do with wisdom? Let's examine the formula.

You have the right to choose those things in your life which interest you. I really don't give a hoot how computers are made, so I'm not going to take my time and my energy to learn about the intricacies of computers because it simply doesn't interest me.

On the other hand, I am very interested in what makes people tick; why we all view ourselves as we do, and why we treat others as we do. Because this subject is of interest to me, I learn all that I can, from all possible sources and viewpoints, on those elements which dictate human thought patterns and behaviors. Because it interests me, I pay close attention to what I learn. What is happening? Education is taking place.

With this education comes knowledge. A word of caution here. All the knowledge ever written in all the books which exist will lie dormant in those books if we don't have the gumption to use what we learn. So many of us put up a good front, go to classes and seminars, watch educational TV and expose ourselves to new developments in the things that interest us, but IT ALL STOPS THERE. We have heard new things which could change our lives for the better, but we put it aside with "that's nice, but it's not for me". We have picked up a little education, but no real knowledge. True knowledge shows itself when we are able to apply what we have learned to ourselves, and to the things which interest us and affect our lives.

Why don't we turn our new information into real knowledge? Because it will force us to examine our old belief systems, and our old behaviors. It will turn our focus inward, with greater attention to our own spirit. It will take our ignorance away. Once real knowledge takes over, your awareness grows because you see things in a different light. That gets uncomfortable and, sometimes, downright painful. Knowledge challenges you. Are you going to continue with the old belief that you now know is wrong, or are you going to stick your mental toe out and try a new approach?

With our knowledge firmly in hand, we begin to examine situations. The more we examine, the more we learn and the more aware of alternates, options and surrounding influences we become. If we allow ourselves to become aware of all aspects of a thing, WE WILL UNDERSTAND IT. Be careful. That's dangerous. With understanding, we are once again forced to make a choice. When you truly understand a thing you must decide whether to accept it as it is; to change it; to eliminate it, or to ignore it. The exercise of this choice should be based in wisdom which reflects your knowledge, and your understanding of the effects your choice will have on others.

In my view, true wisdom allows you to make decisions and choices based on all your learning, knowledge, understanding and experience. Those decisions and choices are made in a calm, rational, unbiased and unemotional manner, with full awareness of the consequences and ramifications which will result. You should try this -- it's tough. It's much easier to re-act impulsively to a situation than to gather all the facts, weigh the information, and act with restraint and wisdom.

A scholarly definition of wisdom comes from Dr. June Bletzer in her wonderful book "The Donning International Encyclopedic Psychic Dictionary". It reads:

"WISDOM - Strength; there is a strength that comes from knowing. The application of knowledge and awareness happens first. The practice of awareness turns it into knowledge. The correct and timely use of knowledge turns it into wisdom for that person. This wisdom is then imprinted upon the Soul-Mind permanently. If it is a proper application of a personality trait, one will have that personality trait forever. Whatever the situation was that was handled correctly will not occur again as it is now wisdom, and does not have to be re-experienced. Wisdom is the correct expression of the potential of the human seed and, once learned, will not have to be handled again. To quote from Don Juan 'a man of knowledge is one who has followed truthfully the hardships of learning; who has without rushing or without faltering gone as far as he can in unraveling the secrets of personal power.'"

Consider those words carefully. Do you live your life from a place of wisdom, or do you hurtle from one crises to another on an emotional roller coaster. You have made that choice. Only YOU can change it.

"Rejoice when the going gets rough, when everything turns mean.
It is time to shout and clap our hands -- if only in the privacy of our own minds.
To rejoice in difficulty doesn't seem reasonable, because the natural way would be to give up and cry.
But we rebound from trouble faster when we turn off the tears and turn on the joy.

It comes from the inside and goes to the outside --
and that is how the spell or gloom is broken.
If we have never done it before, we need to learn how to think joy and act joyful,
because the heart is listening -- and it is out of the heart that all issues are settled."

From "A Cherokee Feast of Days",
(c) Joyce Sequichie Hifler, 1992;
ISBN 0-933031-68-8

Researched and referred by Julia White

	Native American Writings of Julia White Woman Spirit The Pow Wow Trail Looking Back
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia in the Southern Spring of 1995