This book is dedicated to the memory of my teacher, my mentor, my friend, and a true brother in spirit (De`no’de’ nok`ta), Joe “White Feather” Massey.
Without his instruction and introduction to the Medicine Wheel philosophy, this book would not have been possible. Thank you, Joe; for, wherever your spirit roams in the Spirit World, you are always with me and you are loved.
Foreword
Connediu, or Ga-nyah-di-yo, which is interpreted, Handsome Lake, was called the Seneca Prophet. He was a once a warrior and sub-chief who fell to the guile of ardent spirits provided by the white man. He became a drunk and fell deathly ill, and into a coma so deep, they thought him dead. In 1799, as his daughter was preparing herbs for the burial of his body, she heard a noise behind her and discovered her father standing there alive. Though terribly weak and collapsing, he told his son-in-law to bring his half-brother Cornplanter to his bedside. There he revealed a vision to them all that he had experienced as he lay near death. It was the vision of the four mind-changers which would adversely affect the history, the cultures, traditions, and religions of our people.
His first warning by the messengers was about the liquid mind-changer, alcohol, which would cloud our minds and cause us to betray our own people, give away our homelands, and sell our very souls lusting after these ardent spirits.
His second warning and mind-changer was the vision of the Black Book which was organized religions. And while he saw some of the great wisdoms within the leaves of the Bible, he also saw the way the white man corrupted and distorted the words and meaning of that book. He saw the hypocrisy of all organized religions and cautioned his people to take care from which hand one receives these words of truth, or lies.
His third warning of the mind-changer was that of a card; gambling. He saw the nature of how his people were becoming addicted to games of chance and how they were deceived by nut-and-shell games and encouraged to bet more and more. This would result in the selling of our culture, our relics from our pasts, our homelands, the false promises of wealth and fortune, and the creation of destitute poverty among our people.
His fourth vision of the mind-changers was the song. He saw the enticement of his people to follow after the modern inventions of Europeans just as the sailors were lured by the songs of the sirens in the book “Ulysses”. It represented materialism, jealousy, envy, and greed for worldly possessions. Our people would be deceived by this song which proclaimed, “You must have this!" Or, “Look at how beautiful our calico is! Surely you prefer this over your traditional attire!” The song declared and produced foreign ideas such as the concept that one could own a piece of land or another human being. It taught us that men should be dominant over women, and that children and women were no more than possessions which could be bartered, traded, or sold.
And, for the remaining 16 years of his life, he would minister to his people, speak to them of temperance and the aversion of alcohol. He eloquently told his people that perhaps the
Europeans could drink this liquid, but it was never meant for our people. He never took another drink after his vision. He was born in 1735 and died in 1815 and had an estimated 55 to 70 thousand followers. And every year since his death they recite the "Code of Handsome Lake" at the feast of the Green Corn.
If one were to examine the true history of Native America, that one would see the truth of the prophet's visions which is obvious in our very troubled, modern-day world. And now I continue to share his message. But I learned this message only after I, myself, followed his previous destructive path as an alcoholic as well. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I know the message, the Gai’wiio’ or “Good Message”. I know I was given this gift and the understanding and perspective of interpretations of the Medicine Wheel philosophy of healing and my responsibility to share it with others. And, so I will! Because I believe it to be God’s Will. This is the truest path i have found to the six words I live by; “To thine own self be true.”
What is gained so far in our journey?
Are there any new discoveries which provided you with an "Aha!" moment? If so, then you understand the concept of becoming enlightened or having your mind illuminated. It is that light bulb that goes on when you have come to a conclusion of a struggle in the mind or the intellect. It is purely honest and has no reservations of discarding that which one once perceived in exchange for something new and healthier. Can you reach this place without having first travelled the other paths? It is not likely because the MW is a philosophy of spiritual order and logic. It is primarily cause and effect without any unrealistic or dishonest expectations. It speaks to us that if you are to receive these gifts you must do a personal inventory that is completely honest. We must reflect and review our lives and how the decisions we have made in our minds may have been harmful or even fatal to ourselves and others. We must honestly consider the adverse impact we have had on creation as a whole that was directly caused by our minds and intellects. Here is where we must dissect and tear ourselves down piece by piece to examine every vital element that has created imbalance in our own lives and how that imbalance has affected the rest of the natural world.
The mind and intellect can be a dangerous place to be if we are not illuminated by the light of the Spirit of Truth (Okashewakon Manitou). And it is not the truth of mankind. It is the truth of the spirit which speaks to our innermost souls and determines the nature of our individual spirit. Darkness cannot live in the light. So, when we attempt to impose ourselves on others, it is not the spirit of light which we share, but darkness, because it is of ourselves, fallible and weak, leaning on the egos
and understandings of humankind, and not grounded in honesty and truth. The mineral totem of Wisdom is calcite and its color is fluorescent blue, Its animal totem is the firefly (Dewat’she do:gws) and its plant totem is wild American Ginseng.
I hope you will take the time to earnestly and honestly reflect on how these teachings are dependent upon one another and how it would be unreasonable to expect we can gain anything without at first emptying ourselves of some of the junk we are indoctrinated with. This Medicine Wheel way makes no excuses for us to justify and rationalize why it is okay to defile the Spirit which dwells within each of us. I hope you will read my book. Peace….....God's Peace......Ush`ka Waso’