Invocation to South Bend Common Council

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FEB 1 3 t!" ' Invocation to South Bend Common Council AHO (greetings) DN M.JONES CITY CAWt.Erh. 3nUTN REND,IN I offer this invocation in honor of a local Native American Longhouse. For over nine years I studied with a local Cherokee Elder. Prayer begins around a sacred fire with four medicines—sage, sweetgrass, cedar and tobacco. Each person is smudged with burning sage to remove negative energies. (I won't set off smoke alarms by doing this.) The smoke of the burning sage is gently wafted over the person with a feather. The four ribbons which are red, yellow, black and white, represent the color of the four races on earth and the four directions. The rattle or drum is a welcome for the Ancestors to join in the gathering with the living. Everyone sits in a circle because everyone is equal. This is a "talking feather". It is not a real eagle feather. It is a dyed feather. Since I am not Native American, it would be illegal for me to own one. Should I find one in nature, I would turn it over to the Longhouse. The Blue Jay feather with it represents the Cherokee Elder who taught me since that was her feather. As you hold the Talking Feather, please say something you are GRATEFUL FOR, a KINDNESS you did for another person this week to make their lives better or you may opt to stay SILENT and pass the Talking Feather to the next person. As you hand the feather to the next person, you say, "AHO" as a greeting. As the person receives the feather, they say, "AHO" in return. While you hold the Talking Feather, it is your turn to speak. Everyone else is to REMAIN SILENT as a show of RESPECT. At the end of passing the Talking Feather from person to person, I offer the prayer of, "May we all know PEACE as one." My mother grew up on Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, which was located on Black Foot land. My grandparents founded Habitat for Humanity. The first Habitat Houses were built on Koinonia and I spent my summers there painting those Habitat Houses. President Carter grew up in Plains, Georgia, just twelve miles away, which was also on Black Foot land. His very first act of office as President was to lift the ban on Native Americans being able to speak their language and openly worship. I'd like you to think about this since this happened in 1976. Most of us in this room were alive when this oppression was finally lifted and their religious rights were restored. It is my hope this Council will appreciate this Invocation since we are all living on Native land, as evidenced by the many Indian names we have around us. As part of the oppression of our government, Native Americans were not allowed to own "white man" businesses. They were allowed to profit from entertainment and gambling. Hence, we have the Four Winds Casino. Their children were taken away to government orphanages where they were not allowed to speak their native languages. Many of the children were abused and died in these orphanages. Some were adopted out, but not allowed to know they were Native American. At the end of this, I am passing out small bags, known as a "Giveaway". Native culture teaches SHARING. I hope your takeaway is: RESPECT, GRATITUDE, KINDNESS, SHARING, INCLUSION and PEACE. Thank you, Sue Kesim