Not too long ago, on a hillside in the Willamette Valley, a Kalapuya Native stood with Cedar, Lavender and Sage in his hands…
“Creator, I pray to you with humility………….thank you for the sacred circle, mother earth, the water, the sky, the fire, and all my relations.
I pray that our people can walk with ONE HEART together………… Help us, we are pitiful…………………… help us live in ONE HEART with the earth, all of creation, and each other.”
Our ancestors asked for ONE HEART, with the wisdom that all our minds could never completely agree. But they knew if we put our hearts together, great things could be accomplished.
Over the years, the quest for ONE HEART is still sought after by many. With the truth that we are all equal regardless of color, nationality, gender, ethnicity, language we speak, where we live, what jobs or how much money we have, how we look, etc…
In Native American Traditions circles are found, and in ceremonies people often gather in a circle. It represents creation, mother earth, that all things are related, and that we are equal…all sides of a circle are the same.
Equity is the foundation for ONE HEART. By recognizing that all people are equal is agreeing that our hearts have the same significance. True Equity does not discount the beauty of Diversity, but supports individual cultures and ideas.
Only through Equity and Diversity can Unity be achieved. The goal of ONE HEART is not to change who we are or our heritage but to enjoy the richness of one’s personal culture/beliefs and respect all others the same. This is the opposite of “putting our differences aside”, which is tolerance. Rather, ONE HEART is a process of understanding and respecting the differences.
With Equity comes Healing, both personally and with others.
Through Healing there can be Unity (or Oneness)
Unity provides an opportunity for Hope.
Without Hope there cannot be Peace.
Over the past 100 years, the Native American Flute has migrated throughout the world. There are players in most countries, found virtually on every continent.
The ancient voice of the flute and its ability to provide personal expression contributed to the instrument crossing cultural and social boundaries globally.
This multi-cultural use of the Native American Flute has resulted in a broadened evolution of the instrument, both musically and its significance culturally.
It is common to find flute circles throughout the world today. Often, these circles include people of different ethnicities who sit together and share songs of the flute.
No one can deny that the Native American Flute represents a very important part of Native American heritage and life. Now to literally hundreds of thousands of people it also represents ONE HEART for all of mankind.
At any point in time, there is a song being played on the Native American Flute, somewhere in the world…Melodies of hope, peace, and unity.
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