3 THE WAY
“They” tell us we can’t go back to the OLD WAY, to be realistic. But there is no old way, no new way, there is a way of life. We must live in balance with the EARTH. WE must do it. We have no choice. They want to break our spirit. They will do everything to break our spirit, our will to live.
WE MUST LEARN TO RESIST. – John Trudell
(Meteors Image, see footnote)
John gets it… “They” are the INVISIBLES, the force you and I and our ancestors have been dealing with for centuries.
Seventh Fire Prophecy
In 1988, Edward Benton-Banai documented this prophecy in The Mishomis Book:
“The time of the Seventh Fire New People will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail. Their steps will take them to the Elders who they will ask to guide them on their journey. But many of the Elders will have fallen asleep. They will awaken to this new time with nothing to offer. Some of the Elders will be silent because no one will ask anything of them. The New People will have to be careful in how they approach the Elders. The task of the New People will not be easy. If the New People will remain strong in their quest, the Water Drum of the Midewiwin Lodge will again sound its voice. There will be a rebirth of the Anishinabe Nation and a rekindling of old flames. The Sacred Fire will again be lit. It is this time that the light skinned race will be given a choice between two roads. One road will be green and lush, and very inviting. The other road will be black and charred, and walking it will cut their feet. In the prophecy, the people decide to take neither road, but instead to turn back, to remember and reclaim the wisdom of those who came before them. If they choose the right road, then the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth and final Fire, an eternal fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood. If the light skinned race makes the wrong choice of the roads, then the destruction which they brought with them in coming to this country will come back at them and cause much suffering and death to all the Earth’s people.”—Anishinabe Medicine man Eddie Benton-Banai (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe)
Traditional Mide people of Ojibwe and people from other nations have interpreted the “two roads” that face the light-skinned race as the road to technology and the other road to spiritualism.
From the Mishomis Book:
To the sun, the Great Spirit gave the power of light and heat.
To the earth, he gave the power of growth and healing.
To the waters, He gave the power of purity and renewal.
And to the winds, He gave the power of music and the breath of life itself.
On earth the Great Spirit formed mountains and valleys, plains and forests, islands and lakes, bays and rivers. Everything was in its place. Everything was beautiful.
Then the Great Spirit made the plant beings. There were four kinds, flowers, grasses, fruits and trees.
To each He gave a spirit of life, growth, healing, and beauty. Each he placed where it would be the most beneficial a