Article by IRA KENNEDYAmerican Indian Prophecies is not about the end of the world but, rather, a change of worlds-the beginning of a new Earth cycle. The prophecies of Black Elk, Wovoka, Rolling Thunder, Lame Deer, Sun Bear, and the Hopi are used to examine the differences between Western and Native American world views and their relationship to the future.
Written in the 1970s, the visions of Lame Deer and Sun Bear seem to be a logical extension of current events. After all, even prophecies conform to the laws of cause and effect. The difference between the prophet and the scientist is that the scientist relies on the process of deduction, while the prophet simply dreams. The scientist functions out of the conscious mind, the prophet from the unconscious.
There are two concepts common to all the prophecies presented here. One speaks of a change of worlds, another of the importance of American Indian traditions, particularly their reverence for Mother Earth. The old ways of the Native Americans cannot answer all of the dilemmas we face now and tomorrow. But, our present way of life is dysfunctional and outmoded. Choosing one or the other does not bring us into the new earth cycle envisioned by the prophets. Accepting certain Indian traditions doesn't mean rejecting all things from the white world. Each way can stand side-by-side like monumental pillars forming a gateway between which the path of the new way leads into the future.
Native traditions are rooted in magic, myth and metaphor; Western traditions, in science, history and fact. For the first time in human history both are accessible. In a very real sense these differing world views are like the two hemispheres of the brain: the intuitive right and the reasoning left. The synergistic potential of incorporating native and Western thought is an exciting and difficult prospect. But in a world that is long on problems and short on alternatives, this notion should be considered.
For example, take the concept of time. As mentioned earlier, the native view is circular, the Western is linear. In fact, Western linear time actually stands on end, the past is at the bottom, the new and improved present in at the top. That's called progress. Now, when you combine the two concepts the result is a spiral. It is a different image retaining the qualities of both, but its implications are deeper and richer.
For many, changing lifestyles and modifying world views have a quality about them akin to dying. For, indeed, such changes mean the end of the familiar world; but death isn't necessary. Imagine a caterpillar. It lives its life voraciously eating leaves until one day through some mysterious impulse it wraps itself in a cocoon and emerges some time later as a butterfly. It no longer creeps along on branches eating leaves, but takes wing and flies from flower to flower sipping nectar. The caterpillar didn't die, it transformed itself.
Human history is a story of transformation. We change our physical world through technology and our metaphysical world through religion. Many of our present difficulties arise out of the fact that our physical world is shifting faster than our ability to assimilate the changes. Concurrently, our spiritual life has atrophied from inattention. Our bodies and our spirits are off balance and out of sync. This results in feelings of confusion, impotence and stress. Anything we do under these conditions will be less than optimum. For our own well being we must transform ourselves, and remake our world.
Every place on earth, like every person, has a distinct character. Perhaps it is time to listen to the spiritual elders of this continent when they implore us to honor Mother Earth. Perhaps, with Western ingenuity and native wisdom we can cross the threshold into a new earth.
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