My Tribute to the 
Native People

Please go to this Link. It has a very important message and needs to be read and acted upon.
Thank you very much.

HUNKPAPA TREATY COUNCIL NEEDS YOUR HELP

My fathers people were the Lakota. He passed on 7 years ago.

  I used to worry about what degree of blood quantum I was until I was told by a very close friend (Commanche holy man) that it doesn't matter the degree of blood you have in you, but the degree of Indian you have in your heart. 

My given name is Janet (Harvey) Tallevast.Here is a photo of me when I was about 20 I guess.



A Lakota saw it and emailed me saying... "she is Oglala..they only ones with that ugly big nose". I almost died with laughter.. always knew my nose was "ugly and big". I wish to state at this time that I was raised totally in a white enviroment but my father taught me all he could of the ways of the people.

This page is a dedication to those of the People that have made a difference to the world and all that are to come and make their impact.  I also wish to state at this time that this page is not intended to take away from any of the hardships that the First People have had to live with due to the domination,in the past, from the white man and from greed. And as you read please bear in mind that this is a totally personal page I have put here. It is not for any monetary gain or even for self-aggrandization as I have been blamed for by certain people. I also wish to state that I look white since I got my looks from my mother. Just so there can be no mistake when you might come upon one of my photos that are here on the web.

I would like to share with others some of the Wisdom of the Elders which seems to be rooted deep in their souls that have made an impact to me after reading their words. It is a quiet thing, a dignity that seems to be born in them. Not needed is the materialistic attitude that some people seem to need to survive.. I am trying to keep in my memory the old traditional ways of the Lakota. I can only follow them as my own heart and conscience allows. I am still learning about my fathers people and I have made many, many mistakes in my quest for this knowledge. I have always known I had some Indian blood in me. My father never made anything of it.. it was just something that we all knew but it was not that big of a deal. Especially growing up in the white culture in a midwest rural area. I was always proud and would parade around saying I was part Indian as a child. It was not spoken of much in the home but we always knew it and my father taught us things that he had learned from his father and grandparents about different things. He taught me things he knew about - such as tracking, wild plants that are edible, trees, roots, the seasons, things like that. He taught me about horses although it seems like I had already known horses all my life...

I hope you will enjoy the words below and feel in them what I felt as I read them. Maybe if we all would read them and heed the Elder more this world would not be in the shape it is in. I pray every night that we will start to love ourselves and one another again so that our Mother Earth will start to heal and we will reap the fruits of plenty and become more spiritual - coming back into Creators grace. Enjoy your stay here...

  Here is a prayer that was given to me from a fellow Lakota. 
I really enjoyed it and want to share it with you.

OH GREAT SPIRIT, WHOSE VOICE I HEAR ON THE WIND, WHOSE BREATH GIVES LIFE TO THE WORLD. HEAR ME, I COME TO YOU AS ONE OF YOUR MANY CHILDREN, I AM SMALL AND WEAK, I NEED YOUR STRENGTH AND WISDOM. MAY I WALK IN BEAUTY. ANONYMOUS NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you as you read it. I have added a feature to this page its a link to a page of books to read for your enjoyment and learning about the Lakota and other tribes in the United States. The link will be placed below.

I was given permission to use this copyrighted  photograph in 1997 by the photographer
"Every part of this country is sacred to my people...The very dust responds more lovingly to our footsteps then to yours, because it is the ashes of our ancestors... (Chief Seattle, Nez Perce 1855 I have been told that it is Suquamish not Nez Perce so I am putting that name here also.. )
 
 
 

Native Quotes:
" You finally learn wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start truly living the life the Creator intended for you." (quote by - "Hoh Elder Lehah Fisher" excerpt from Wisdomkeepers by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden)

"Keep those material goods that you need to exist, but be a more sharing and generous person. You will find you can do with less. Replace this empty lifestyle of hollow impressing of the shallow ones with active participation for your Mother Earth. At least then, when you depart for the spirit world, you can look back with pride and fulfillment."
"Indian People do not like to say that the Great Mystery is exactly this or exactly that, but we do know there is a spirit world that lies beyond. We are allowed to know that through our ceremonies. We know that we will go into a much higher plane beyond. We know nothing of hell-fire and eternal damnation from some kind of unloving power that placed us here as little children."
"Mitakuye oyasin!!! We are all related!!!" (quote's by - "Eagle Man" - Ed McGaa - Oglala Lakota Sioux - excerpt from Mother Earth Spirituality)

"Today people seek knowledge not wisdom. Knowledge is of the past; wisdom is of the future." ( quote by - "Vernon Cooper of the Lumbee Tribe" excerpt from Wisdomkeepers by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden)

"If each of us looks deep inside ourselves we will find that which makes a difference." (quote by "Horse Woman Spirit Runs Free")

All Life is Equal
"Another of the Natural laws is that all life is equal. That's our philosophy. You have to respect life -- all life, not just your own. The key word is 'respect'. Unless you respect the earth, you destroy it. Unless you respect all life as much as your own life, you become a destroyer, a murderer." (quote by - "Oren Lyons" excerpt from Wisdomkeepers by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden."
 

If you are interested in having some books to read to learn and study the Lakota People here is a page I have put together. These are all book I have or have read in my studies of my people. They are all very good and instructional. Although I am sorta prejudiced toward Mother Earth Spirituality. here is the link: Book List on Native Americans
 
 
 

Below is a link to my thoughts on the matter of the way the White people treated the Lakota in the past, I in no way mean for it taken in the wrong view of life today) and today in ways still seem to treat them. I am not saying that they are a repressed people that only exists on Federal Assistance. My reason for putting it is my own personal railing against the right to believe in God/Great Spirit in the way they wish. I know that these thoughts will offend some of you who choose to read it. For that I apoligize. These are my thoughts and my feelings only so I choose to go ahead and publish those feelings here.
It is up to you to read or not to read... Please no Hate emails because you do not agree. As I said above... these are only my personal thoughts on the matter... My thoughts! 


Our greatest natural resource in the world is our children. It doesn't matter what nationality you are or what color or religion you are.. the children are our hope for our future and so we must do all we can do with what we have and we need to make peace with all for our children.. Through them (my own opinion) is the salvation of this big ball of earth we call home.. here is a link to a project for the Youth of the Lakota

Favorite Links.

Cheyenne River Youth Project

Native American Poems

Paha Ska - A Lakota Elder Roam Free The Path Indian Youth Pray Echoes Moonspeaker    

Links to Native American places of interest:
The Great Sioux Nation
The Native American Adventure - Native American Search Links etc.
Lakota Wowapi Oti Kin: Lakota information page
Main Menu: Native American - everything

Links to friends pages:
"Tribute to the Lakota" by Many Hawks Beloved Places
Nyte Shadows Home page
Nyte Shadows Gallery of Art and Poetry
Prayer Poem - Native American


   
 Email



Cyber Stalking:
this is a warning for those who know who they are:
I have one thing to say at this time.  Just because you might not agree with my thoughts or my words here is not a crime. The crime is when you go to my other pages and use them to post your hatred and harsh words about this page on a page that is totally unrelated to what you object to here and when you send continious emails filled with hate and threatening words.  I have been approached in the proper manner and have made adjustment to my page when I have been told in reasonable terms what was needed to be removed. Then I have also been blasted with hate emails and posts not just one time but over and over by the same person. I am here to tell those people. That kind of email and posts are against the law. It is called cyber-stalking and it is punishable by the law and I will have no alternative if you continue to presist in this vein to turning it into the law. This is not to be viewed as threatening  to the posters who post here in respect even while they might disagree with me. I will always listen to your words with the same respect you show me. Doksha.

  Poem written by Jan Tallevast - Horse Woman copywrited Jan Tallevast December 1996 Not to be duplicated or copied without Author's express permission. No "commercial usage" permission is granted.







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