NAMA STATEMENT AND PRAYER FOR OUR

MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

From Butch Artichoker (Lakota)

As a Lakota, we end our prayers with the phrase Mitakuye Oyas’in. It means “All My Relations” or “All My Relatives”. This comes from the Lakota Creation Story. At the very moment that creation began, this phrase took on an important meaning. Everything that came into existence carried with it the essence (blood) of the Creator. Anything and Everything that came forth was related to everything else that was created before and after. We exist within Creation and cannot escape our actions, thoughts and words.

We as humans are not separate from the Creator or Creation. When the Creator completed Creation It became Creation! If we look deeply into the phrase, “All My Relatives” you and I are related to the air we breathe, the water we take for granted, the stars, all living things, every stone or pebble. This has so many implications: it implies that this Coronavirus is our relative as well. I thought about that for several days and for that reason I thought that we should address it in prayer. In Lakota the word for prayer is “wacekiya” which means to call on a relative! Then on Facebook I saw a note written by a child that was addressing the Coronavirus saying, ” you are frustrating, you are taking everyone away, you are ruining our fun, you are keeping us inside and go away and leave us alone.”

Often, wisdom comes from children. We are all truly One!

Prayer

CREATOR, we call upon you to give us “all” good health and help us to understand. It is speculated that this sickness came from a four legged that lives close to the source of life (water) and the standing people (trees).

The main effect is on humanity which points out that the lesson is for us, the two leggeds. We have polluted our environment; damaged the water, the air, and our Mother Earth is sick. We have relied on technology and ignored the knowledge, teachings and wisdom of indigenous peoples all over the Earth. Since we rely on all of these very things for life it has caused us to take into ourselves the same damage we have done to these relatives, we are now living with the consequences.

Help those who don’t understand “mitakuye oyas’in” and bring a greater wisdom to those who lead and make decisions. This virus sees us all equally; no matter how powerful we think we are, no matter our poverty or wealth, our gender, our age, what religion we belong to or how smart we are. Watch over our generations and be kind in your judgement. Heal our minds, our spirit and our bodies. Help our children and elderly. Watch over and protect our families, friends and those who oppose us. 

Wopila tanka iciciyapelo (a big thank you from me)!

MITAKUYE OYAS’IN

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