A message from a Blackfoot Brother and Friend. His words are very Wise Words. I have an Encyclopedia Britannica dated 1918, that says in part that the world does not have an endless supply of oil, and it is important to start looking for alternative resources.It was suggested that Wind and Solar power be explored as viable alternatives. My point here, is that we are a world that is led by big business and greed. Oil Company's and the Auto manufacturing Industries, have us by the balls, and we the consumer are paying the way. Here in Oregon and SW Washington, we are seeing the rise of huge Wind Farms, which are providing a lot of power to the Grids, of the power network. Wind power and Solar power are logical choices to use, and this needs to be expanded. In the 60's, Solar panels were developed and as were such things as composting toilets, and storage systems for power needs. The cost of cheap power is vital. We cannot continue to rely on hydro-electric projects to serve the needs of so many, and we have ruined many wild rivers and the fish runs that used to fill them. As a Native American, it is sad to see the tremendous fish runs of the past disappearing forever, as just a memory. Many of my People, depend on the Salmon and Steelhead runs to, live. This is rapidly going away. Our Forests have been decimated for years by the logging and Lumber Industries, and Clear Cutting the forests was a very wrong thing to do. My Brothers of Amazonian, are right to fight the continued greediness of those who are destroying the flesh of the forests there. It MUST stop. It is our belief that the Earth was a gift to us from the Creator. All the plants and animals were placed here to be a part of the circle of what is life. When you remove a part of the circle, it disrupts the Whole. We are destroying the most precious of gifts, this Earth, our Mother. There are so many gifts of this Earth that we have used for years, in harmony with nature. When our ancestors killed an animal for Food, they prayed to the spirit of that animal, and gave many thanks for the gift of life that it provided to the family. All Parts of the animal were used. There was very little to no waste. When the gathering of roots and berries and harvesting of grain was done, there was always a care for the plant from which it came, and it was a practice to give back what was taken. Some re-planted and sowed the Earth with seed from the parent plant, so that it would be re-born. My People were of the Plains, and it was that they would start fires to burn the great sea of grass, from which they gained life. This burning was a way to assist the Earth in a rebirth, by burning off the old dead grass, and allowing the new grasses to come out to replenish the supply for the animals who depended on it. The Buffalo and Wapiti, and deer, depended on green forage for life. The Native Peoples depended on the Animals for their Life..Thus the Circle continues. Sadly, we live in a time which demands more and more, and the total raping of the Mother and the devastation of our lands, and our Forests and our Wildlife, is killing all of us as well. The Ozone layer of this Earth is the Protective layer from the power of the sun, and that too, is dissolving away. Our Glaciers are warmed and are melting, our North and South poles are melting. I will be dead and gone before the total annihilation of this Earth will occur, but, if we do not stop this need for "progress",... ALL life on Earth will end. We are making it happen quickly, all in the name of More $$$$$$$$. A Blackfoot Brother Amen My Friend, It is sad, but true what my Blackfoot Brother brings forth about Mother Earth and Father Sky. I can add no more because he has just about covered it all except that now when a Forest Fire starts it rages out of control. You ask why is this happening? The answer is a simple one, but a hurtful one. When the Native Peoples burned off the land it was called Renewal. Then when a fire developed it did not rage out of control and wipe out 1000's of acres of forest. It burned low enough so it didn't hurt the trees. After the Europeans took the land away from the Native Peoples the renewal was stopped and brush grew thick in the forests. I do not claim to be Native American, but I was told by the chief of the California Cherokees, chief of the Alabama Cherokees, a friend who's ancestors were Tecumseh and Quanah Parker and several other Native Americans, including some of the peoples of Australia that I have the Heart of the Peoples. I am very proud of my Native American Heart. Yes, I also believe in the peoples beliefs, ways and means. I started learning about the Peoples at the age of 6 after seeing the movie, "Drums Along the Mohawk." I am now 67 and still learning every day from the peoples. I have a website that I use to tell the truth about what was done to my brothers and sisters many years ago and what is still being done today. I have people thanking me every day for my site. Some are young students, some are Teachers and Professors, some are Native Americans, some are non Native Americans learning. I've had several non native americans tell me that my site opened their eyes. Yes, my Blackfoot Brothers words are True Wise Words. If you are non Native American and you have the heart of the Peoples, the Peoples welcome you and I welcome you. My Heart is Sad for Mother Earth, Father Sky and the Peoples. Bob Schneider aka, Cougarheart The message below comes from a Brother in Brazil. His words are also Wise Words. I am also worried with the way things are going in Brazil, especially the devastation of Amazonia and the Cerrado (the Brazilian savannah), the region where I live. Many big farmers and industries are deforesting vast areas of the Rain Forest and the Central Plateau for planting soy, corn and wheat and others for feeding the cattle, in the name of export policies. A former secretary of Environment, Dr. José Lutzemberger, once said: 'The Amazon Forest is not the lungs, but the air-conditioning of the Planet'. Now we can see he was quite right. President Lula was elected with strong support of the 'green' environmentalists, but he's betraying his promises of campaign, one by one. Politicians... how can we trust them? Tommaso di Lampedusa once wrote: 'Things have got to change completely in order to remain the same'. Only awakening our conscience we will be able to change things in our countries and in the World as a whole. I fear it's getting late... Yes, Wise thoughts and words, my Blackfoot friend! I am 1/3 native indian (I like to say I have one foot in Africa, the other one in Europe, and my butt in South America) ... I felt really sad and ashamed when I read Brazil has only 500 thousand surviving indians in a population of 180 million souls, while in Canada you have one million indians in a population of 30 million souls. That's a huge debt and I'm not sure we'll be able to pay it in the future. Ivan-Brasil Thank You My Brothers, what more can I add. It has all been said by two Wise Men. My Heart is heavy with sorrow. Bob Schneider, aka Cougar

This page was last updated on: November 19, 2004