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He's a little man not just
a child. He is looking at the men around him to learn who he will one
day become. He listens to their words, the music of their voices. He
feels their warmth, their power and their vibrations.
He watches their every move, their response. He is
learning the songs and feels the beat of the drum in step with his own
heart.
He sits on his father's knee so that one day he will
know now to hold his own son on his knee while he drums and sings the
songs of the people. He is a man in the circle of men who are
brothers, fathers, husbands, uncles.
He learns their humor, their smiles and laughter. |
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See how intently he listens and watches.
Every syllable, every punctuation is imprinted on his being. His
little hand touches his father's hand. He feels safe and loved by this
man, his father, who has brought him into this circle to drum and
sing. He is learning in the school of life and it is a powerful
education. He is learning the connection to Mother Earth. He is
learning to honor his Mother Earth because through his father he is
being honored. Sitting on his father's knee he becomes one with the
beat of the drum and the power of the songs.
This is what it means to be "an Indian." It's about learning to
listen with your heart. |
He
is learning the meaning of honor. He is becoming a man who lives in
honor. He is imprinting honor in his heart. It will become who he is.
Honor is not always solemn but it is the steady heartbeat of a people,
the family, a clan, a tribe. There will be laughter and exuberance in
a life lived in honor.
He is learning the Original Instructions: To love, honor, and
respect all Beings in the Web of Life. He is learning to let his heart
soar with the song and the beat of the drum. He is becoming a man
among the people who support and nurture his becoming. He is learning
to become a man in the circle of men. |