"Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.
If men spit on the ground they spit on themselves. This we know. 
All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.
Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

~Chief Seattle~
Art by R. Swanson

Today near evening time I did lead the little girl who has no seeing a little way into the forest where it was darkness and shadows there. I led her toward a shadow that was coming our way. It did touch her cheeks with its velvety fingers. And now she too does have likings for shadows. And her fear that was, is gone.

~Anonymous~

~Walking Buffalo, Canadian Stoney Indian~ 

The forest was full of homeless and wounded creatures after the great fire.  The Raccoon Tribe ravaged all the nearby mountain cabins and brought food to the hungry. The Tribe of little bandits worked long and hard hours to supply what was needed to help the other friends of the forest.   Mama Raccoon was busier than most of the others of her Tribe, mending the cuts and bandaging the burns of those who came for assistance.  Days dragged into moons, and still the needy came in hordes.  Mama Raccoon was the protectoress of the frail, the children, the injured, and the underdog.  She took her mission very seriously and labored day after day with little relief or rest.  The other raccoons became increasingly aware because Mama was close to collapse. One morning, Mama Raccoon fell over, barely alive.  The others took her to the burrow and nursed her as best they could.  In her lapses of dreams and consciousness, Mama Raccoon heard the Earth Mother saying "You gave all of your strength to others, forgetting to weigh the consequences. The little bandit in you who robbed food from those who had a lot, giving it to those who had none, has lost her balance.  In order to heal, you will need to see the error of robbing yourself of all your energy and giving it away, leaving you with none." Mama Raccoon learned these lessons and got well.  Now she teaches these same lessons to humankind, reminding them to give to the best of their abilities without robbing themselves of their health or sense of well-being. ~Jamie Sams~

thank you Hummingbird

The forest creatures were speaking to one another and conversing with the plants when an old man and a little girl began making their way up the trail that led to the alpine meadow. Everyone noticed that these humans were reverent as they passed through the various glens that were connected by the elk trails. this quiet and respectful behavior made the forest Relations happy, showing that some humans understood and honored the Sacred Spaces of other life forces.

When the two humans reached the alpine meadow, the little girl asked her Grandfather if she had observed the Sacred Spaces of her Relations properly, causing him to grin when he nodded his pleasure at her behavior. The little one then asked her Grandfather where Sacred Space lived. After trying to blink back the tears of tenderness in his eyes, he spoke. "Little One, each living thing's Sacred Space lives in between the in breath and the out breath. We cannot always see its outer boundaries, but the center of its home is nestled in the space between two heartbeats."

~Jamie Sams~