Being the tribal elder is serious business … but understand this elder has a sense of humor.
The serious part involves members of the tribe looking for guidance because the elder supposedly speaks with sagacity and wisdom. The fun part comes into play because the elder is only human, still capable of mistakes, and still capable of pulling a tribal leg from time to time. Kind of like telling a person to go to hell in such a way that they anticipate the trip.
Since I’m not truly 99 as my profile says … though age 59 presents a good start … any wisdom I possess is based on common sense, experiences, and a large handful of interaction with my Sioux friends in South Dakota. I’m a white man, a wasicun, but my friends made me a better person by pressing me to understand Mother Earth.
Mother Earth, or Turtle Island, is the shell that cups all mankind. And, the colors of mankind are not just a coincidence to the four colors of a medicine wheel. Even though the medicine wheel colors represent distinct natural phenomenon, they also represent the colors of mankind.
White – pointed to the sky, or north. It’s the color of purity, a combination of all colors. It is the blend of humanity
Yellow – pointed to the east, is the color of the rising sun that gives life to all creatures
Red – pointed to the south, is the color of life force, health and vitality; the color of the Real People
Black – pointed to the west, is the color of the gathering storm clouds which bring rain. It is also the color of mystery, and sometimes the sadness of life.
Each tribe may have slight variations in the colors, but the meaning is basically the same. And, there’s a reason the medicine wheel is round. The medicine wheel is a symbol for the Circle of Life, which is ever evolving, ever bringing new lessons and truths to the walking of the Path. But, enough preaching to the choir.
I’ll leave you with a Lakota saying taught to me:
Istámagoŋge, K’éyaś wána watóŋwe - Having been blind, I now see.
There’s much to be learned from looking at the clouds, the stars, the grass and the trees. These are the foundations of life much more than the Rolex and airliner. Look to Turtle Island first for your answers. Then your eyes will see.
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