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Ethics of the
Native Sacred Point of View
By CinnamonMoon
We're all familiar with the term
'ethical behavior' and it's something that each of us must define
for ourselves…how we see it is what determines whether
or not we can abide by our social standards or become deviant
to them. In Native Society all individuals hold the Sacred Point
of View as a way of life wherein all of life is a part of that
view. Outside Native society we find many cases where someone
wants to hold others to a higher standard than they do themselves.
Many want to think they're the exception to the rule and lose
sight of their own role focusing on others instead. Many individuals
are greedy or lusting after personal gains. In
Native culture that is the first thing one would look at…the
self as we relate to the whole where the wealth and sustenance
are shared equally. That said, I'd like to address an overview
of the Native perspective on ethics which seem to be at question
in this thread.
Ethical standards are built into
the cultural heritage and at one with the paths individuals
walk, the roles they play and the code of conduct they adhere
to. In Native perception there is no difference between the
spiritual and mundane, it's all One and the dimensions are layers
of life. The spirit worlds are just as much a part of everyday
life as the physical world is. You hear the term "All My
Relations" constantly because the world is one big family
in these cultural eyes and that includes spiritual entities
as much as humans or other lifeforms. In that light, stepping
from one dimensional realm to another is merely a shift of focus
through higher conscious awareness. We look here or look there
and see whatever it is we need to heed. We tune in and raise
our awareness to another dimension when we need to hear the
voice of guidance and seek counsel. In what we see and hear
we respond to it with a greater depth of understanding because
we see it as part of the Web of Life. It is often quoted: "What
we do to the Web of Life we do to ourselves"…a statement
that's along the same premise as the Golden Rule. Therefore,
in life everything is sacred and to be honored.
Honor is the ethical code of conduct
and if someone is not honorable they will be banished from the
social structure of the tribe…or in today's standards as
it applies outside of tribal society that would be banishment
from the community. The laws of the Tribe/community are set
within the premise of honoring all of life and our relationship
to it. They take into consideration that we are the caretakers
of Mother Earth and that we are responsible for Her well-being
and health. We cannot own Her, nor the land where we reside,
we are servants to Her and the environment as well as all its
inhabitants. It is therefore our 'duty' to pass that caretaking
on to the children and so in this way they are raised with the
same ethical teachings and approaches following the guidance
of their Elders. Even in Western society there is the old adage:
"Mind your Elders" but in Western thinking that's
not enforced nor is it given much respect these days, yet in
tribal culture it's the norm. It is the Elders who set the standards
based on their wisdom of experience and leadership by example.
All who are younger than them will adhere without question or
they will seek a Council of Elders to bring forth a grievance.
To question an Elder is considered very disrespectful. To ignore
an Elder is unethical conduct within the community and would
be upheld by the community
to enforce a banishment if the individual chose not to correct
their behavior honorably.
Now environmentally it is taught
the legacy we leave behind us carries over into the next 7 generations
that will follow. Before we take anything from the Earth Mother
there is the ethical duty of needing to preserve enough of what
we seek to see to the well-being of those 7 generations and
their needs. Cutting down a tree, seven trees would be passed
before one could be taken so there would be enough for others
who come behind us. Once that is seen to the needs of the moment
can be met with honor. Honor and duty are part of the Native
ethical composition of harvesting the sustenance we draw from
Mother Earth in any given form that might take. A resource near
depletion would be honored and tended rather than allowing it
to go extinct. Nothing is harvested without first honoring the
spirit of whatever it is we are seeking to nourish ourselves
by. Be that an animal, mineral, or plant, each kill or harvest
is taken with gratitude for the sacrifice of life that is made
and the sustaining consumption. If the taking would deplete
the supply then there would be no taking. The ‘taking’
is done ritually to honor that sacrifice and by that I mean
that there is an offering made, permission sought, and gratitude
through prayerful action in the process. Since lifeforms are
involved the permission to harvest that life is requested of
the lifeform or an offering made before a hunt. If the individual
harvesting does not feel it is freely given through their sensory
insights they will move to the next like source and ask again
repeating the process until permission is received. They are
functioning on an attuned sensory level connected to the spirits
that inhabit life with them so they Know when that permission
is granted. And they will continue until it is if it takes a
great deal of effort then that is the expenditure required to
honor the taking. Since everything that exists has a spirit
that gives it a life force, if a plant is taken, an animal slain,
or minerals extracted the life force is altered and/or sacrificed
for the consumption of the individual or social group…it
is taken only to sustain, not to serve greed. It is seen as
deserving of honoring it’s life force. Wealth is seen in
the wealth of the life force within the environment…the
health of the community, and the greater good of the whole.
The circle of life sustains itself but not without honor. Without
honor and a sense of duty that circle becomes contaminated,
toxic, and self-destructive to the point where all of life suffers
and excessive consumption results in the extinction of that
life force. We not only see this in our environments but in
our social structures and cultural governments too. Character
is walking in honor among Native People and therefore it is
part of their ethical code of conduct as each individual holds
strong pride in walking honorably. This is something we all
have within us regardless of our cultural heritage but it is
pronounced in the Native People. Pride is not seen as ego, it
is seen in the conduct of the individual being honorable. Everything
comes down to honor. The character of an individual goes beyond
our outer personality to the principles we stand on and the
convictions we uphold or put into practice through the actions
we take. Ethical behavior in Native terms means that’s
just what is adhered to…walking the face of the Earth Mother
practicing respectful motivations and the right of all living
beings (in whatever form they take or manner in which they walk)
to co-exist in a harmonious state. It is said we are to ‘walk
softly upon the Mother’ since this serves the whole. It
is taught that All will benefit
thus it becomes a code of ethical conduct to do this…softly
with respect, firmly upheld through honoring our convictions
through the Sacred Point of View. Let’s look at the ethical
code of conduct and how that affects the human side of our nature.
Native People do have conflicts,
issues that call for resolution do arise. When this happens
they are taken to a tribunal council or at the very least to
an Elder. It is the Elders who are considered to have the greatest
wisdom within the community and it is their advice that is sought
with great respect for that wisdom. The Elders are the ones
who comprise the Tribal Council and they are often consulted
individually depending on the size of the issue at hand, their
knowledge and expertise, and whether it’s affecting an
individual, perhaps a party of 2-3 individuals or the entire
tribe. The Elder’s word is final and like the jurisdiction
of the courts in modern society, a decision is obeyed without
question. If the word of an Elder seems unreasonable it can
go to the Council of Elders for a higher decision to be upheld.
That Council will first hear the matter at hand, then they will
consider the conclusion drawn by the original Elder before they
enter the Silence to draw greater insight and each member will
share afterward in a council to draw a unified conclusion of
their own. To disrespect the decision of the Elder or the Council
Fires of the Tribal Council is cause to be asked to leave the
community. Their wisdom is revered as they have lived long and
experienced much. Because they understand the foundations and
principles of tribal ethics and how to enter into the Sacred
Point of View they utilize that knowledge to come to a fair
decision. To ask for such consideration and advice and then
disrespect it because you don’t like what is offered is
wasting their time and insulting their honor. That decision
is not made in haste nor is it achieved without deep introspection.
Therefore the disrespect is seen as dishonor to the individual
that shuns the decision. There is a ritual way an Elder or Council
of Elders will conduct themselves to come to a conclusion of
the truth in any matter. By isolating themselves to set aside
their daily work to serve the individual/s involved they will
sit with the matter at hand. The first step is to focus on that
issue as they enter the Silence and consult the Sacred Directions
to gain a full perspective. They will not step out of the process
until it is completed so to ask for this time and effort and
not show respect is a grave insult. In the process all points
of view are examined to see the root of the matter, to see the
needs of those involved, and that all needs will be met fairly.
What is sought is a course of action and through it the lessons
that will bring about understanding and ethical conduct as a
result of the experiences. The persons involved in that decision
coming down do not question the discernment, they follow it
and learn in the process. The Elder/s will not explain the decision,
they will direct the course of action that is to be taken and
through adherence to the decision the lesson/s unfold by experience.
In this way the individual learns and chooses a right course
of action based on the experience and in-sight gained by it.
What are those lessons? Well, most often a course of action
is determined to place one individual in the shoes of another
so that they can understand that path walked and the needs it
calls into play. In this perspectives
start to change, an understanding and greater perspective brings
on transformation, and it brings about a unified attitude.
Sometimes the advice given allows
an individual to shed expectations and come to see that there
are other ways desires can play out. For instance, a woman barren
to conceiving a child might still nurture children through a
role as a Healer or Storyteller or teaching them crafts. Given
direction to do so for a time, which could be anywhere from
days, Moons, or a full cycle of seasons, the individual need
dictates it. Her need for a child of her own is replaced by
the greater need of the children for what she has to offer and
in that she has more than one child, she has many to love and
nurture. In the decision the Elder/s come to the focus is on
honor in character and motives are changed for the better with
a resulting harmony and peace of the spirit within. With the
experiences presented by the Elders an individual will come
to honor the roles others play and the efforts they put into
them. There is an increased ability to see the burdens people
bear for the sake of the whole and to assist to lighten those
burdens when our hands are free to do so. A willingness to contribute
takes place and with that comes our ethical behavior and the
respect for the course life is taking. We walk a little gentler
on the Earth Mother, we care about a greater number than just
the self, and we see how we can be a contributing factor to
the betterment of our social community simply by doing the best
we can. When we walk in good character and honorably we walk
with Integrity. When we walk honoring and respecting life in
all its multitude of forms and see a planetary family we walk
with right Intent. When we give whatever we have to give in
any moment and to the best of our ability we are walking with
Impeccability. The 3-I’s serve well to walk through each
day with all the challenges and blessings it holds. They serve
to remind us of our ethical conduct and the actions we take
then serve the greater whole. We see what needs doing and we
do it with conviction because we approach life from a Sacred
Point of View. It is the Sacred Point of View that determines
our ethics…be we an individual, a community, a country
or global populace. We have to choose to see this way, but it
certainly serves to bring the best of light to matters and therefore
the greatest clarity to any given issue or situation one is
faced with. Whether one fully understands the scope of an action,
by experience we will come to our validations and this approach
validates in the results. We see where we stand, where others
stand, and what in truth needs to be done. We see for ourselves,
we uphold what we see, and we walk with conviction because we
know it is right based on the balance within the whole. Our
conduct becomes contributive based on our convictions and destructive
based on the lack of knowing what they are or the disregard
for our responsibility to be a contributor.
While it seems a very simple way
to walk honorably and ethically to me, I know not everyone will
embrace that but it is a simple and beautiful way to approach
life, it’s how I walk my path. Now simple may seem easy
but that’s not always the case. Sometimes simply doing
what we see to be right is some of the hardest effort we’ll
have to produce. Sometimes the right thing is to take a stand
and follow what Spirit shows us through the Sacred Point of
View and sometimes that means we are called to defend it.
To hold the ‘right’ or
‘true’ Sacred Point of View we have to be willing
to set aside our personal bias and see the reality of what we’re
dealing with. Only then can we witness the needs that must be
met, and come to understand a willingness to do what must be
done. Only then can we find the conviction of that Truth and
uphold it. Others may not understand us, our methods of reaching
that clarity, but the results of what we produce will bring
the validations of the Truths we uphold. In serving the greater
whole we must see the greater picture, even to the extent of
going beyond our immediate community into the greater expanses
that touches. Seeking the truth in things ethically and morally
means we have to seek clarity and from as many perspectives
as we can. We, as spiritual pathwalkers along Native paths are
taught that we must look at all issues through the Seven Sacred
Directions, then Dance the Wheel for more details if we need
them. We do not just look at the ones that favor us as an individual,
and we consult our Guides, the Ancient Ones, and Spirit to do
this, and then respect what we are shown. That sometimes puts
us in learning experiences too, but we grow and we serve better
then – a humbled price to pay but a good one in the end.
In holding to that teaching we see we must be responsible for
doing that…for finding a way to enter the Silence, to sit
with Spirit, and be shown and guided. In walking our paths and
undergoing spiritual experiences we learn to trust in the guidance
we are given for it validates itself. Those validations compliment
the lessons and teachings we are given and we see for ourselves
how we are drawn through tapestries in life. And this way we
see it is up to us to choose to follow that guidance with conviction
or ignore it and suffer our consequences. When guidance is at
play the truth is always at the core. We are never led astray
other than by our egos. If we need a lesson through experience
then guidance will show us through it. If we do not honor guidance,
like our Elders, we lose honor and we do not honor the path
we walk…we end up talking our walk instead of walking our
talk. Regardless of whether others understand that or not, we,
those who follow the Native path, cannot let the opinions of
others color what we know to be true in our hearts and spirits.
Those who walk in a like-manner will understand and they are
the ones we seek to keep company with. Walking in this way we
uphold our ethics and in that we honor our path, Spirit, and
All Our Relations. We walk un-swayed by others because we walk
in a right manner. Walking in a right manner means we can see,
think, and feel for ourselves what is right and contributing
to the greater whole and then do what must be done by responding
to it. It is not a weighted responsibility, it is merely the
ability to see and respond, it is right to do so. When we hold
a Sacred Point of View we see clearly where others must honor
their own ability to respond. We see where there are those who
walk in a Sacred Point of View and those who walk thinking of
self, of feeding an ego, of not sustaining the whole and where
greed is out to destroy. Sometimes that whole is sustained by
one individual and sometimes by many, and we just might be the
one to make a positive difference.
I have seen situations and individuals
that need healing and I have been among them at times myself.
I have learned in the process that it is Spirit that brings
that through us, through our mistakes and lessons learned, through
the Shadows into the Light of Truth and that it’s not always
easy even if the method itself is simple.
I’ve seen those desperate for
healing that are ignored or ridiculed or shunned in some manner
by others who claim to be spiritual people. They are not seen
for their cries are annoying and so others will shut them out.
I’ve seen those who cry and will not respond to their own
needs when it’s up to them to ask for help and apply themselves
to their own healing, instead they are trapped in the pain and
cannot move beyond it. Until they open to healing they cannot
be healed, it is their choice, but I see those who try to comfort
them and become drained in the efforts. And I see those who
try to force them open, to pry them apart when they are clutching
their wounds. Isn’t that what happens in all sorts of circumstances
throughout the world? I see it all the time. I see this in individuals,
communities, regions, countries, governments, and global issues.
Ethics, honor, character, a Sacred Point of View and walking
a path based in that conviction will allow each of us to contribute
what we can where we can because it is the right thing to do.
Each individual in their own way contributes to the well-being
or destruction of the quality of life around them. It's up to
each of us to choose to walk with a Sacred Point of View and
guidance and to follow. I do all I can to honor what I’m
shown so that my touch serves to make a difference. I may not
always like what I’m asked to do but I will always follow
guidance and do the best I can at any given moment. It is what
works for me and while humbling experiences in clumsy actions
at times come to pass I do grow from them and learn to embrace
that I’m still human and need to grow. I can honor my lessons
because the Sacred Point of View allows me to see them for what
they are. Teamwork, leadership, governing bodies, what-have-you,
this is how I would walk with any of them. Native teachings
bring the ethical honoring of each individual and part of that
means we need to respect the fact that they have lessons to
learn just as we do and that means we need to exercise tolerance
until those lessons arise. We are taught that we cannot force
feed anyone, that if someone is not hungry for what we offer
they will regurgitate it. We can see when someone does this,
they begin to argue with us or turn away. This does not mean
we are wrong to be following guidance or honoring it, it means
they are closed to seeing that perspective. They must walk their
path and where it is taking them and we need to honor that.
We can certainly offer the Sacred Point of View to them, but
it is their choice to embrace it or not. Most often, if they
will open themselves to hearing it they will see the truth it
holds but we can’t make someone do that. All we can do
is honor them and ask their permission to speak it to them.
After we've spoken we then we must honor their choice to embrace
what we shared and discern their course of action. Ethically
our own course of action comes from there. Sometimes to honor
the path of another we need to stand on our conviction and watch
them go or defend the environment if called to do so. That’s
not easy, but the cause to respond is a simple one to conclude
and that will dictate the actions we take. It is our duty to
respond, but it is not our duty to carry the responsibility
of others who are able to carry their own weight. We are to
contribute to assist those
who need our help and what we can give, but we are not to do
their work for them. Because of this we must honor that they
too strive to grow and wait for them to come to us and ask for
our help. Then we are to discern through a Sacred Point of View
and the guidance that brings what that help will be. In honoring
the paths we all walk we walk our own with honor and ethically
through our Sacred Point of View and by entering the Silence
with Spirit and guidance
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Libraries
are on this row
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INDEX
Page 3
(Main Section, Medicine Wheel, Native Languages &
Nations, Symbology)
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INDEX
Page 5
(Sacred Feminine & Masculine, Stones & Minerals)
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©
Copyright: Cinnamon Moon & River WildFire Moon (Founders.)
2000-date
All rights reserved.
Site
constructed by Dragonfly
Dezignz 1998-date
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