THE TIME IS NOW
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Dear Respected Elders and
Friends: I am known to the common
world as Katherine Cheshire founder of Touch the Earth Foundation, http://www.thehopiway.com.
After many, many years of service and planting and kiva ceremonies, the Elderly Elders of Hopi
adopted me and gave me the this name, a full time job. There are few that remember the work we
have done and the years of learning and teaching. The young councils and the younger leaders
have short memories and also believe the misinformation of those whom would cause more division
among the peoples. Some people don’t have their “ears on right” and mishear what one is
saying and thus cause troubles of no repair--like the old word game where someone whispers in
one's ear, and by the time it gets around the circle, the message is entirely wrong. Even with all these
challenges, the old ones that remember are threatened with their very lives, homes and family
not to speak of these things. I have lost many of my beloved family and can no longer disclose
the true elders for fear of their lives. However they were wise enough to give a piece of the
puzzle to some that would listen and not change their words or deeds for the future children of
all humanity and the very life of Mother Earth. Nearly all the elders that
held the Open Rainbow have dawned the Sacred Cloud Mask and only visit us in our dreams, visions
and messages of the Cloud Kachina’s. At least this is my own experience. I cannot speak for
others. Although I can stand for my own understanding of living and being taught by so many in
such short earth time, it would not be proper to express in public. Having been placed in
positions to teach and speak is very daunting. Yet the strength given to me by the corn meal and
tobacco trail that was left by my adopted Hopi family, my own Lakota Grandfathers, women before
their time, my Irish Grandmother, and uncountable spiritual leaders over the world helped lead
my way. These elders come to me in
dreamtime and in waking hours of the Day and they, as well as I, send a Cry! We Cry with our
voice, we cry with our tears, we cry for our all the ancestors have left to us to finish: what
they were given to do through their Prophecy, Warnings and Instructions which passed on mouth to
ear in private palaces for over 1100 years. We send a Cry for help and, as you do to those of
One Heart, to come forth and join hands with this effort of unity and understanding. One person
cannot change this world, however one person can change the world for one person and therein the
whole world. You are alive, every day is sacred every night is Holy. Is there someone you can
reach with what has been given to you to share in this sacred and short time on Mother
earth????? When we leave and dawn the Cloud Mask of our own, will you return in shame to your
Creator for not accomplishing what you came to do. Or will you go to the West or Sacred Dawn (as
your traditions speaks) with a pure heart and humble hands, knowing you did all you could do for
your Mother Earth and all land and Life on her? As a recognized elder in the
world and many teaching camps I implore your message be heard. Never once over the last 50 +
years (and archives of 100 years in my trust) did I ever, every hear these old traditional
spiritual people say “No you can not pray with us, because you are not of our blood!” This
is too “New ager”! NO, they would come and watch and teach, not judge and humiliate. They
would teach by story, but mostly by action, they would be there when someone got into trouble.
They would make sure all the doors were safe and protected and the Ceremony was held in the Safe
and Sacred Robes of the Ancients of those whom went before us so no harm would come to anyone.
They taught with love and kindness and their own actions. Not once! did I ever see these
Spiritual warriors of the OPEN RAINBOW turn their back on someone in need and spiritual help. Grandfather Dan was always pleased and very happy when he come home from being chosen chief or just being honored as the Oldest Hopi to still be alive and holding full “Chief Responsibilities for Kiva Ceremony” after his young wife died 90years or so ago. He lived long at 110, dedicating his life to the Hopi Men Societies and Kiva Father. And believe me that is no small task for anyone least of all someone of that age. He would come home to his beloved cornfields after the ceremony and be so happy that when he came out of the Kiva and looked on to the plaza dancing Kachina’s, in his own words. “I saw them there, it was
good “Lullma” (beautiful) to see Yellow people, Black people, White People, this is what we
want, everyone to come and pray with us, maybe some one will hear our prophecy and help the Hopi
to spread our message around the world.” The Spiritual Elders of the
Hopi, Navajo and many, many other nations have always worked together in this way to Bring peace
and understanding among all human kind in accordance with Mother Earth and the Great Plan of the
Creator. The Creator and the Universal Laws never change, they never break down. We
humble, (five) 5 finger, two legs, with no connection to the unknown must turn to those whom
have gone before us and left the knowledge for those to follow. We must honor our ancient
cultures or face the consequences for our self-importance in our youth. In the summer of 1994
something happened and many some ones heard the call when the first White Buffalo was born in
Wisconsin. That--along with the release of the Hopi prophecy--signaled that it was the
time per our instructions and warnings that we must open the sacred bundles and share our wisdom
with you. The sacred Wampum Belts came out, the stone tablets lay in waiting, the sacred arrows,
the “quickening” begin and now 10 years later it is up to us? Do we remember these promises?
Are we so weak we cannot see this to the end in peace and respect for one another? I understand
it is hard to get our ideas across to these seekers, I know personally, how they take a truth
and twist it and profit by our trust and innocence of the modern world. So I also understand
that if your vision is to retreat and rest it is right, and to stay in balance one must do so. Although, stop, think, remember, this is my belief and what I was told by many elders. As it was told from mouth to ear in private, now must be brought to those who come with one heart to seek and learn. Test, of course there are your “false prophets” as you have point out on your web page. And there is also many good and true hearts that cannot find Pease and rest, in the way of the 4 walled and stain glass holy places. Most beautiful as they are and I love the churches I am asked to visit and pray with, just as much as I do the Kiva, the Sundance, the Return of the Salmon, The Sacred Dawn Ceremony in the land of Abanaki, the great water and ancestor ceremonies in the west. Yet these modern ways often dose not ground the Spiritual Forces the way our ancient ceremonies do. I believe this is why even in our Native Tribes they have mixed them together. Part of the reason is the Boarding Schools literally “knocked it out of them” yet there heart and soul belongs to the same Creator, by what ever name it chooses, some even say Mother Creator. After all it is our mother earth that bring us life and substance to survive and by the grace of Father Sun all life grow. And if it is true that there is one mother that sustains all life on earth, and there is one farther that supports and protects her and all her children. It must be so with the human family. WE are all their children, we are the new and the old the ones we have been waiting for, as told by prophecy, The Children of the Open Rainbow. To Walk in the days of the prophecy? Or not? What is your Decision? The time to sit on the fence and through stones are over, because we all live in the house of glass you can fool yourself. Never the creator and the holy spirits that guide our path, will the stone you through create a ripple of destruction or LOVE? Let us be mindful of our thoughts and deeds. And remember to learn, see, sense, touch, hear, and understand for yourself. Do not believe second hand news, get it from the mouth of who said it and then decide what you will. To quote another Hopi Elder “It may be to late, we are eating polluted food, we are destroying our mother earth and all her children, the ancient cultures are being destroyed by the modern human family, the only solution is to go back to our original spiritual instructions. And if we are fortunate with the help of father Sun and the Creator we can make a difference. Think of the coming generations. Man’s life on earth is decided by prayer with help from the Creator we can all walk the beautiful path to a peaceful future.” Lullama Beautiful Life and land together.” It is said that the Hopi Elders and others have shut down and retreated and this may be so because they have been at this so long. (Although I know many that go about their business quietly, still) And I was taught by the old Faith Keepers, if we are still breathing, if there is one to sing, one to dance, one to drum, one to set the sacred fire, one to tell the sacred story with a loving heart there will always be life on or Earth Mother. May we all live in peace, with understanding and respect for every sacred traditions as one human family connected by the very ground we walk on and the sun that shines daily.
Copyright
Touch the Earth Foundation, the Elders, and Katherine Cheshire
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