Manataka American Indian Council
Frank Fools Crow
On Healing
Ceremonial Chief -
Western Teton Sioux
Frank
Fools Crow has had many exceptional things written about his
profound love and concern for all races. It was his fervent wish to
share his profound gifts with as many as he could reach.
"Survival of the world depends on our sharing what we
have, and working together. If we do not the whole world will die.
First the planet, and next the people."
"The ones who complain and talk the most about giving
away Medicine Secrets, are always those who know the least." He had
little time for anyone who attempted to keep blessings for
themselves."
Fools Crow
agreed with Black Elk when he said, "I cured with the power that came through me. Of
course, it was not I who cured, it was the power from the Outer
World, the visions and the ceremonies had only made me like a hole
through which the power could come to the two-leggeds. If I thought
that I was doing it myself, the hole would close up and no power
could come through. Then everything I could do would be foolish."
He
believed that the Higher Powers taught that this healing power comes
in and through a person first to make us what we should be, and then
flows through us and out to others.
In his becoming
a hollow bone, Fools Crow believed that he went through four
stages.
First, he
called in Wakan Tanka to rid themselves of everything about them
that would get in the way, such as doubt, questions or
reluctance.
Then he
recognized himself as a clean vessel or tube, ready to be filled
with hope, possibilities, and anxious to be filled with power.
Third, he experienced the power as it came surging into him.
Finally, giving power away to others, knowing that as they are
emptied out, the Higher Powers will keep filling them with even
greater power to be given away.
There is no
consensus among Native Americans or outside observers regarding the
definition of power, but the general view seems to be that power
comes initially from a supernatural source or sources, and that it
is best described as an astounding and electric like energy that
pervades the universe.
Power is
present everywhere, in ever varying degrees in everything. This
power exists in everything so that it can justifiably be said that
each of us is, in a sense, part of this power. Frank Fools Crow
expressed the idea that it was his belief in this power, which he
recognized as an entity, that made his communication more effective.
In order to prepare for receiving and using the power, he performed
a simple, yet powerful, prayer and ceremony.
With his eyes closed, he began to pull with both hands at
his chest and abdomen as if he were pulling out evil, negative
things or stumbling blocks. He grabbed many handfuls, and threw away
what he had gathered.
He clutched
at the air above him, where he seized unseen things in his head and
body.
Finally, he started to pull invisible things
out of his chest and body, holding both hands side by side in front
of him and threw what he was clutching out into an invisible
audience.
As he sang a
"sound song" to the Higher Powers, he became like a clean new hollow
bone.
He prepared for any spiritual or healing act by
this simple ceremony. He taught that the cleaner the bone, the more
powerful the healing. Medicine People do what they do for their
community and nation.
"We are called to
become hollow bones for our people, and anyone else we can help. We
are not supposed to seek power for our personal use and honor. What
we bones really become is the pipeline that connects Wakan Tanka,
the helpers and the community together. This tells us the direction
our curing and healing work must follow, and establishes the kind of
life we must live. We have to be strong and committed, otherwise we
will get very little spiritual power and will probably give up the
curing and healing work. The lessons we are taught by our human
teachers, as Stirrup was for me, stressed that the traditional way
of performing a ritual is more important than curing someone. Curing
a single individual is only important in terms of what this teaches
the entire community. This community must continue to know that
Wakan Tanka, and the Helpers are always with it, and that it need no
be afraid."
Seeing a person healed gives them this assurance, and it
gives the community strength to carry on in the face of distress and
disasters. So the Medicine Person sits at the center of every
important thing that goes on in their community and nation, and when
power is set in motion and distributed, it brings us more and even
greater power. We emphasize that prevention is more important than
treatment where the community and individuals are
concerned.
Getting
ready in advance may not prevent our being hurt, but it keeps us
from being destroyed. It is unfortunate, but our people have begun
to forget this, and they are paying a tragic price for it. They get
knocked down and they do not have the strength or the way to get
up.
In summary, Fools Crow was taught that while we
are each given natural power at birth, we are also surrounded by
spiritual or supernatural power. This spiritual knowledge includes
the knowledge needed to obtain power and to set it in motion. If we
wish to go beyond the natural power we were born with, we must
entrust ourselves to Wakan Tanka, Grandmother Earth, and the Spirits
of the Four Directions (Helpers) and then call in spiritual power
from them. When we have made contact, we can ask them to send to us
their individual spiritual powers to be added to our natural powers.
We then receive the knowledge we need to understand what we have
been given and the directions for changing this power into
motion.
The procedure for receiving power:
*
Purification - Becoming a clean tube for the Higher Powers to work.
* Using focusing tools to walk the Ancient pathways where we
will find guidance in ways to achieve goals.
Dispensing
this power to others:
As all of
this is done, we enter into a special reciprocal relationship with
our community. By sharing this power everyone is cared for.
"Anyone
who is willing to live the life that I have led, can do the things
that I can do," said Frank Fools Crow.
If the
prophecies are right, making our communities a place of cooperation
and communication with the Higher Powers may be critical to our
survival.
Prayer
before the U.S. Senate - 1975
by
Frank Fools Crow, Old Lord of the Holy Men
Ceremonial
Chief and Medicine Man of the Lakota Nation
"In
the presence of this house, Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, and from the directions
where the sun sets, and from the direction of cleansing power, and from the
direction of the rising sun,
Grandfather, Wakan-Tanka, Grandmother, the Earth who hears everything, Grandmother, because you are woman, for this reason you are kind, I come to you this day. To tell you to love the red men, and watch over them, and give these young men the understanding because, Grandmother, from you comes the good things, good things that are beyond our eyes to see have been blessed in our midst for this reason I make my supplication known to you again. Give us a blessing so that our words and actions be one in unity, and that we be able to listen to each other, in so doing, we shall with good heart walk hand in hand to face the future. In the presence of the outside, we are thankful for many blessings. I make my prayer for all people, the children, the women and the men. I pray that no harm will come to them, and that on the great island, there be no war, that there be no ill feelings among us From this day on may we walk hand in hand. So be it."
For more information read: "Fools Crow", and "Secret Native American Pathways" both by Thomas Mails.
Submitted
by Naja Crow
Graphics
Courtesy of SilverHawk