Seven Fires - William Commanda, page 2

Originally posted by Ghaele
> "In this time there will be a new people who will emerge from the clouds of illusion."

I find this expression, 'people from the clouds of illusion', to be a bit odd. People either exist or don't, they can't be illusions, was my first thogts.. But we actually have illusionary people. Cartoons, robots, androids (like Data from ST) and even actors can be considered. The people that actors play are fantasy or 'from the clouds of illusion'. Data (Brent Spiner) fulfills two of the mentioned possible illusionary people (actor and android ).

The clouds of illusion could also refer to the reality which we have become accustomed to accepting. We have developed, over the millenia, a set of moral principles which are unique to 'Western Ideology'. From Platonic thinking to the Christian base of ethics and onward into the schisms and problematic alliances between democracy and monarchy, theology and science, capitalism and trade. This is our 'world view'. For example, there is
the illusion that a dollar bill has value...in reality it has none other that what we agree it has. The same can be said for gold and diamonds. The fact that we give our governments power over our populations is also an illusion, in that we can remove that trust at any time.
Elder William talked about this during my visit. He pointed out that the first thing the Europeans did was divide Turtle Island into two parts...America and Canada...and then further divided those two parts into many others over time. To the natives, it seperated the nations...now divided by the mysterious illusion of borders.

from the bookLearning from a kindergarten dropout by Romola Thumbadoo (ISBN 0-9738693-0-5)

The struggles commence with the land, and this remains an issue of great contention. The fundamentaly opposed understanding of one's place and responsibilities on the Earth, the opposing viewpoints of owning land versus being owned by the land, and the new energy of 'commodifying' what had been viewed as sacred: these constitute the climate of confusion, misunderstanding, exploitation and expropriation under which the land treaties were negotiated, and they bred a legacy of distrust and conflict.

> "They will retrace their steps to find the treasures that had been left by the trail. The stories that had been lost will be returned to them. They will remember the Original Instructions and find strength in the way of the circle."

I don't understand this part. I guess one must understand what exactly this 'trail' mentioned is to understand. I obviously don't think one mean an actual trail...

This is one of the more confusing passages within the prophecy itself. I've speculated upon this earlier in the thread by relating it to other legends elsewhere, such as the returning Nefilim of Sumerian tradition. I talked to Elder William about this, and while he did not directly say that the 'New People' come from somewhere out in space, he did not deny it either, but nodded his head that this is so. He then talked about the young people of the 60's and how they became interested in the Red Path and wore feathers in their hair. He called them Rainbow Warriors and held out a great hope for their ways of understanding. Could the Rainbow Warriors be the New People? Personally, I'm convinced that the prophecy is talking about visitation from an alien race, that they have, in the distant past, come here before and that, in their return will bring an end to war. That they have left 'treasures along the trail' only adds weight to this notion (to me).

'The way of the circle' seems to point towards the witches with their circular rituals and dance, not to say 'circle' (group!).

Good point! I have had experience with the symbologies and rituals of Wicca and noticed a remarkable similarity between both the 'old pagan religions' of pre-Christian Europe and the Native American concepts of the 'Sacred Circle'. There is much here to discuss. In a basic simplification of its meaning, it is the 'interconnectedness' of all of life.

from the book Learning from a kindergarten dropout

The symbol of the circle is fundamental to the ideologies of indigenous and pagan cultures. The Medicine Wheel/Circle concept incorporates a cyclical view of life. There are many variations of the symbol, and its teachings are complex and endless.

It is essential for the medicine Wheel to be balanced, with no domination of any one spectrum. The Medicine Wheel spins and is always in motion. For Indigenous peoples of North America, the Medicine Wheel can represent the following and much more:

. The four cardinal directions- east, south, west, and north
. The four elements- fire, earth, water and air
. The four winds- east, south, west and north
. The four seasons- spring,summer,autumn and winter
. The four symbolic races- yellow, red, black and white
. The four dimensions of human nature- emotional, physical, spiritual and mental

Anyway I doubt the path to a peaceful future lies by not thinking. Feelings do not lead to the truth in my experience, only more trouble. Hate overrule all other feelings and so long as feelings exist there will be hatred and wars. As long as certain rich people and the media promote racism/facism and pro-war opinions I guess the way downhill is here to stay.
Altoght I like the Hopi-indians idea of 'one people' it is probably a product of naivete/ignorance or fantasy. On the other hand I guess the 'one people' (see hopi legends and my signature) is the only way to really combat racism and thus in the end wars.

These certainly are honest opinions and I thank you for sharing them.

Elder William had much to say on this subject (and he has had dialogue with the Hopi...he talked at length about it to me). I can only say, at this time, that there is a vast difference between what reason dictates one should do and what your heart tells you is the right course.

Thanks for the excellent questions, Ghaele...