“The great wheel of time has come full circle. Once again a small group of people have given up their attempts of internal reform. Once again, they look to how business can serve mankind and not a few men. Once again they seek to replace the institution with direct relationships between men and women. Once again, they seek to replace dogma with the observed design and ways of nature.

Once again a new technology for communication has arrived to aid this group to spread the word. Once again, the voice of people is being heard around the world and those that control the media, like those that controlled the pulpits and the church lists of approved texts, tremble.”

This reminds of me of how to make a headache disappear. I�m not making this up. You describe the headache�its shape, color, and location�then you estimate how much water it can hold. You answer each question in turn, looking carefully. Then you return to the first question.

What happens is, your answers change each time through. I think this is because your headache changes. Or maybe it�s the other way around: your headache changes because your answers change. In any case there comes a point at which there�s nothing left to change because at that point the headache is gone, you�ve described it out of existence.

I am sorry that I am unable to be with you for this important Conference. I have just turned ninety one, and at this age, it is not always easy to do everything one would like to. I see that you have many interesting presentations and workshops for the next few days, and I am sure that this gathering will be a very meaningful experience for you all.

As you may know, I have been keeper of three sacred Wampum Belts for over thirty years; they are not mine, I carry them for the people. The Seven Fires Prophecy Belt is speaking loudly now. It comes from the fourteen hundreds, and its prophecy foretold the coming of the light skinned race and the great and devastating changes that were to come into our lives. We are now living at the time of the seventh fire, where the crucial choice of respect for Mother Earth and all humanity is being presented with great urgency. But it seems like we are scarcely heeding the messages of Mother Earth, and her process of cleansing is taking on greater strength. In the last century, we have managed to inflict ninety percent of the damage to Mother Earth, altering climate and weather patterns, and as she grows sick, so do all her children. We all experience this in physical and emotional turmoil, as new diseases invade our environment and our lives and we look in vain for peace.

It is desperately important that we find ways to heal ourselves and learn again to walk in balance with the beat of Mother Earth. It is only then that we will be able to light the Eighth Fire of Peace. This Gathering offers opportunities to find that path to healing and hope. I hope you will all benefit richly from this experience.

The Three Figure Wampum Belt that I also carry dates back to 1700. This Belt signifies the sacred agreement my ancestors made with the newcomers, the French and the English, to share the grand natural resources of the continent of North America, Turtle Island, together with our values and culture, in three equal shares. Our people stand at the centre of this agreement. Our people were a generous people, and they could not have imagined the extent of the invasion of our lands that would follow. We never did receive our fair share of the resources of the land, and today, the indigenous peoples are the poorest and most powerless. And because our values were not reflected in the development of this country, Mother Earth is suffering and we are no longer peoples living in harmony and balance.

It is of vital importance that we learn to heal ourselves and reclaim our strength and our rightful place. As we learn to forgive and love again, we will grow in strength and lead the path to peace and healing for all humanity.

“You have not lived a perfect day, even though you earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”

— Ruth Smeltzer