WHATS YOUR INDIAN NAME?
It has to do with full momentsof mountains, deserts, sun, gods,song, completeness.
It has to do with stories, legendsfull of heroes and traveling.
It has to do with rebirth and growingand being strong and seeing.
You see it's like this (the movement):go to the waterand gather the straight willow stemsbring them homework carefully at forming themtie on the featherspaint them with the earthfeed them and talk with thempray.
You see, son, the eagle is a whole personthe way it lives; it means it has to dowith paying attention to where it is,not the center of the earth especiallybut part of it, one part among all parts,and that's only the beginning.
IT WAS THE THIRD DAY, JULY 12 , 1971
Hitchhiking on the way to Colorado,I heard your voice, "Look, Dad..." A hawksweeping its wings clear
through the whole sky
the blue the slow windfresh with the smell of summer alfafaat the foot of the Jemez Mountains.
(You see, the gods come during the summerfor four days amongst the people,bring gifts, bring hope and life,you can see them, I mean.)
Waiting for my next ride,I sang, Look, the plants with bells. Look, the stones with voices.
In the late afternoon,there was suddenly a noise of birdsfilling up everything.
This morning in the newspaper,I read about starlings at the Air Force base.
I guess they were but all I knew yesterdaywas that they filled up the trees,the utility wires, the sky, the world.
That's all I know.
WHAT MY UNCLE TONY TOLD MY SISTER AND ME
Respect your mother and father.Respect your brothers and sisters.Respect your uncles and aunts.Respect your land, the beginning.Respect what is taught you.Respect what you are named.Respect the gods.Respect yourself.Everything that is around youis part of you.
