Circle of Life - Songs and Hymns based on Spiritual Texts, Wisdom and Poetry of the Native American People

Listen to our Earth, our Mother, 
To what she is saying. People, listen all! 

Everything the Power of the world does is done in a circle.
The sky is round and I have heard 
that the earth is round like a ball
and so are all the stars. 

Birds make their nests in circles, 
for theirs is the same religion as ours.
The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle.
The moon does the same and both are round. 

Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing
and always come back where they were. 

The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood,
and so is everything where Power moves. 

In the beginning nothing was there where the world now stands,
nothing but darkness. 

But the Great Spirit was here from the beginning.
He made the Earth, and he made the Sky.
Everything there was as in a dream, everything there was holy. 

And at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit,
and this center is everywhere, it is within each of us. 
The Sacred Instructions given by the Creator 
to Native people at the time of Creation:
Take care of Mother Earth and the three other colors of man.
Respect Mother Earth and the Creation.
Thank the Creator at all times for all life.
Love and express that love.
Be humble. Humility is the gift of wisdom and understanding. 

Kindness.
Sharing.
Honesty. 

Let me walk in beauty 
and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made,
and let me learn the lessons 
you have written in every leaf and rock.
Make me wise so I may understand the things you have taught my people.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes,
so that when life fades my spirit may come to you without shame.

Look up the river, again and again,
in spring at the breaking of the ice, again and again.
You may see me coming down in my canoe.
Look up the river, again and again. 

There are many sleepy little birds,
Sleeply little birds, sleepy little birds.
So go to sleep, my little one. 

Come down, sleepy little birds, and sleep on her soft eyes.
That she may sleep the lifelong day,
That she may sleep the lifelong night. 

I have been to the end of the earth. I have been to the end of the waters.
I have been to the end of the sky. I have been to the end of the mountains. 
All is beautiful before me, all is beautiful behind me,
All is beautiful above me, all is beautiful around me.
All is beautiful! Indeed! 
 
I have been to the end of the earth. I have been to the end of the waters.
I have been to the end of the sky. I have been to the end of the mountains.
I have found none that are not my friends. 
 
This we know:
Earth does not belong to man, man belongs to Earth. 

This we know:
All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. 

Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web he does to himself. 

     and to the Chiefs of Peoples across the Great Water
     by Hiamovi, Chief among the Cheyennes and the Dakotas
 
Long ago the Great Mystery caused this land to be,
and made the Indians to live in this land.
And well has the Indian fulfilled all the intention of the Great Mystery. 
 
Once only Indians lived in this land. 
Then came strangers from across the Great Water.
No land had they; we gave them of our land. 
No food had they; we gave them of our corn.
They have become many and they fill all the country. 
The dig gold - from my mountains.
They build houses - of the trees of my forest.
They rear cities - of my stones and rocks.
None of the things that make their riches did they bring with them
from beyond the Great Water;
all comes from my land, 
the land the Great Mystery gave unto the Indian. 
 
And when I think upon this I know 
that in the heart of the Great Mystery it was meant
that stranger-visitors, my friends across the Great Water, 
should come into my land;
that I should bid them welcome;
that all men should sit down with me and eat together of my corn.
It was meant by the Great Mystery 
that the Indian should give to all peoples. 

There are birds of many colors - 
red, blue, green, yellow - yet it is all one bird.
There are horses of many colors - 
brown, black, yellow, white - yet it is all one horse.
So all living things - animals, flowers, trees.
So men: in this land where once were only Indians are now men of every color --
yet all ONE PEOPLE. 

That this should come to pass was in the heart of the Great Mystery.
This is right. And everywhere shall be peace.

May the Great Spirit send happiness to you,
May the Sun Father and the Moon mother shed their softest beams on you.
May the Four Winds of the World blow gently upon you
and upon those with whom you share your heart and home. 
And everywhere shall be peace.