The Ten Indian Commandments

[bobweaver]

The Ten Indian Commandments

1. Remain close to the Great Spirit.

2. Show great respect for your fellow beings.

3. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.

4. Be truthful and honest at all times.

5. Do what you know to be right.

6. Look after the well being of mind and body.

7. Treat the earth and all that dwell there on with respect.

8. Take full responsibility for your actions.

9. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.

10. Work together for the benefit of all mankind.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. What a wonderful world it would be if everyone followed these

THESE should be posted on courthouses around the country.

[Radio_Lady]

2. Beautiful Sentiments...

Good enough for a holiday card!

Where did you find these?

Thanks!

[bobweaver]

6. on a poster, you can order this poster online, look for "Ten Indian Comman

dments"

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. wow... ** directly violates 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 on a

daily basis.

and I am sure he THINKS he is following #1, so I will give him partial credit there.

[roguevalley]

4. Brilliant. Thank you.

[hangemhigh]

5. There's a reason,

for the Native American Holocaust-They GOT it and had to go-it was only FREEDOM ON THE MARCH.

[Fiona]

7. Beautiful

which tribe was this from?

[bobweaver]

11. I think it's common to most tribes. Mine says Free Cherokee of East Alabam

[progmom]

8. That's really beautiful

Does this come from a particular tribe?

[Kire]

9. I used to have that poster up in my dorm room in college.

[guitar man]

10. those are great

I love this prayer:


An Indian Prayer

We ask for strength and
you give us difficulties
which make us strong;
We ask for wisdom and
you send us problems,
the solutions of which
develop wisdom.
We plead for prosperity
and you give us brain and
brawn to work;
We plead for courage and
you give us dangers to
overcome.
We ask for favors and
you give us opportunities;
therefore, Great Spirit,
we ask you bless us
and assist us according
to thy will.

[Lone Pawn]

12. "Indian?"

Kinda broad, ain't it? Might as well call the Ten Commandments of Moses the "Eurasian Moral System," and leave it at that.

Anyway, this seems a bit too...oh, I don't know...modern-sounding. I haven't heard anything of a strict, in-writing moral code from any pre-European tribe--hell, even without the in-writing part (granting the widespread lack of more than a simple ideographic writing system), unless someone better-informed would mind pointing me to the light, I can't think of a single uniform code developed and refined before European influence. This seems to me a fairly modern invention—a "re-imagining" of the Ten Commandments either from a single, presumably Great Plains tribe, or as seen through Native American culture at large

[cleofus1]

13. yup...

It's homogenized, new age, neo, proto indigenous, re-imaged, generic, redskin pop philosophy...

But it sounds good...most of the philosophy I've heard has more to do with "walking a path" and "honor" and "skills". Concentric rings of power and stuff like ghosts and smoke and the wind. I remember learning about fetishes and how some earthly things represent the spirit world...you know stuff like that...

the problem is those damn Cherokees....every single white guy I've ever met who claims to be Indian says his grandma was a Cherokee...every single one!

the cherokees wanted to go into the white man's world...so a lot of this stuff is just their effort to fit native philosophy into white man's sensability...