Luther Standing Bear was an Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Chief who, among a few rare others such as Charles Eastman, Black Elk and Gertrude Bonnin occupied the rift between the way of life of the Indigenous people of the Great Plains before, and during, the arrival and subsequent spread of the European pioneers. Raised in the traditions of his people until the age of eleven, he was then educated at the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School of Pennsylvania, where he learned the english language and way of life. (Though a National Historical Landmark, Carlisle remains a place of controversy in Native circles.)
Like his above mentioned contemporaries, however, his native roots were deep, leaving him in the unique position of being a conduit between cultures. Though his movement through the white man’s world was not without “success” — he had numerous movie roles in Hollywood — his enduring legacy was the protection of the way of life of his people. By the time of his death he had published 4 Books and had become a leader at the forefront of the progressive movement aimed at preserving Native American heritage and sovereignty, coming to be known as a strong voice in the education of the white man as to the Native American way of life. Here, then, are 10 quotes from the great Sioux Indian Chief known as Standing Bear that will be sure to disturb much of what you think you know about “modern” culture.
- Praise, flattery, exaggerated manners and fine, high-sounding words were no part of Lakota politeness. Excessive manners were put down as insincere, and the constant talker was considered rude and thoughtless. Conversation was never begun at once, or in a hurried manner.
- Children were taught that true politeness was to be defined in actions rather than in words. They were never allowed to pass between the fire and the older person or a visitor, to speak while others were speaking, or to make fun of a crippled or disfigured person. If a child thoughtlessly tried to do so, a parent, in a quiet voice, immediately set him right.
- Silence was meaningful with the Lakota, and his granting a space of silence before talking was done in the practice of true politeness and regardful of the rule that ‘thought comes before speech.’…and in the midst of sorrow, sickness, death or misfortune of any kind, and in the presence of the notable and great, silence was the mark of respect… strict observance of this tenet of good behavior was the reason, no doubt, for his being given the false characterization by the white man of being a stoic. He has been judged to be dumb, stupid, indifferent, and unfeeling.
- We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, the winding streams with tangled growth, as ‘wild’. Only to the white man was nature a ‘wilderness’ and only to him was it ‘infested’ with ‘wild’ animals and ‘savage’ people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery.
Ubuntu, Humanity Is Not Separate from Nature, We Are One With The Communiverse, And All Super Nurtural, Now Is The Time To Step Forward Into A World Of Transparency, Stability, Sustainable and Ultimately Peaceful
Awaken To Enlightened Overlays,
Free All Information, Free Up Patents, Copyright of all ecological, GOOD as Free Source, to Empower Less Fortunate People’s Eco Systems To Grow And Thrive
Be The Cure
Aid Monetary Fuelled Parasitic Organisations in Transforming Into Super Sustainable, Symbiotic Organisms
Transformation Not judgement
Turn From Monetary Product Driven Consumers Into Grateful Organic Co Creational Super Symbiotic Participants
It’s time to Create Lasting Peace On A Global Scale, Peace is Totally Sustainable, Natural Resources, Turn Each Army Into A Force For GOOD
Stabilise Countries, Their Eco Systems That People’s Need Not Move Transiently Fro Country To Country, Create Safety, Clean Water, Safe Organic Food, Free Information/Copyright, Free findings, Free patents that the poorest People’s May Create Safe Secure Communities, Societies, Supporting Natural Systems and A Globe Of True FREE Lasting PEACE
Now Is The Great Awakening,
We Are The CureNamaste, We Are Ubuntu, We Are Each Others Cure, Salvation, Heaven, Valhalla, Nirvana, Peace
Awaken And Remember
Be Not In The State Of Mind Of The Asking
Be Of The Gratitude Of Giving And Receiving And That Which You Seek Has Materialised
Awaken The Healing, Creative Overlay Of Your Greatest Self Right Here Right Now
Love Transforms The Beggining, The Destination, Through The Gift Of The Present
To The Miracle Of The Journey, The Journey Of Love Is The Destination
Loves Journey Is The Ability To Flood Reality With Healing, Selflessly Including You Too, Love Is Progressive And Undeniable, Love Is Seeing The World And The Communiverse Already Perfected, Freely Unified, It’s Ultimate Empowerful GOODness, Ultimate Peace
It is NOW Time to Value All that is GOOD in Humanity, Nature and all systems,
DISOLVE, unnatural debt based economy,
CREATE Natural, Sustainable Abundance
DISOLVE, Organisations/Production
CREATE Organisms that Co Create Holistically
Existence is working to rest at the weekend, on retiring when you are too old to fully enjoy it,
Living is Embracing Your Creativity To Surf Life’s Waves and Enjoy Each One, Here and Now, From First Breath To Last Breath and To Anticipate All Wonders That May Be Beyond
Honestly Divine those that are negative systems that do not serve anything least of all themselves,
Those who sit atop ivory towers must be free from the tyranny of a system based upon scarcity and debt as much as those with little food or clean water,
All must transform and be transformative, forgive and be forgiven and welcomed home
To judge, to alienate is not affective in transformative Creation,
To Empathise, To Love, to bring back into the Fold is True Human Nature yet Transcends to the Realms of Ultimate GOOD, where Limits DISOLVE
the monetary system and industry are just folly of an unopened mind
Unify Simbiotically, Charities, Renewable energy, Sustainable Investments, Ecologically sound Organisations, individuals, Communities, Cooperatives, Sustainable and of GOOD intent,
Empower everything to Transform everything to this awakened place
Put Simply, Empowered Selflessly Sustaining Individuals, Create Selflessly Sustainable Communities, Societies, Countries, Continents, Worlds,
Utilise all Media To Create, Needs Based FREE Source Reality, Where Knowledge And Growth Are Empowerfully Given With The Ultimate GOOD is our Intent and Focus,
Free Thought And Support, Naturally and Nurturally Expanded,
That We Flow From The Earth, With the Knowledge that We Have Created to the Best Of Our Ability A Home Of Infinite Joy, An Iridescent Jewel of Peace, Truth, Light and Love To Return To whenever We Wish and Created A True Gift To Take To The Communiverse That We Each Are A Part Of, That We Be Each Others Completion
In Honour Of All Life, All Peoples, Of Peace,
Of My Dad, Grandma, Uncle Billy, Aunty Doreen,
All Our Teachers
For GOOD
Catherine McCorkindale