Greetings to all friends from Northern Paiute country in Nevada, USA!

This time of year is when I miss my eldest brother the most. With the year end holidays coming up and the family gathering yet again for sharing and precious memories, it is hard to realize brother is gone from Mother Earth. He left us in the spring of 2007, when all the daffodils were in full bloom. For the rest of my life, whenever I will see a sunny, bright patch of daffodils, I will remember my brother is at peace.

The words of Black Elk help me a lot at times like this. The cycle of life and death is very much a part of our lives and is a necessary part of the balance and harmony of Nature.

"You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation, and so long as the hoop was unbroken, the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance.

This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion. Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our teepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children."

Black Elk - Oglala Sioux
*******

The beautiful weather we have had here lately has given us many opportunities to ride around the country and enjoy the abundance of wildlife, the lovely autumn colors and the beauty of Nature. Wildlife abounds in Nevada. Throughout the mountains and small town parks, we have seen so many mule dear, squirrels, rabbits, hawks, eagles, woodpeckers and even been aware of the bears in the area. We have not seen any bears, but they have conveniently left piles of scat along the trails we hike, just to keep us alert to possible danger.

My 86 year old Mother still enjoys riding around on long lazy afternoon drives, walking along the park trails and delighting in seeing the "darling deer". My younger brother always knows the best places to drive to in order to experience the wildlife and the lovely scenery.
*******
Jonathan Windy Boy won the race for State Senator , November 4, 2008 in Montana. See the complete story here:

http://www.indiancountrynews.com/

Congratulations, Jonathan!

Also, at the same site:

"Athabaskan Fiddle Festival shows no sign of slowing down."
*******
Till next time friends, may your heart and moccasins find happy paths to follow. Walk in Beauty and Harmony.
Phyllis
*******

Here's the latest article from the Native American site at BellaOnline.com.

Apache Women, Keepers Of The Way
Apache women were safe-keepers of the traditions, legends, heritage of the People.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art17028.asp

Please visit nativeamerican.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Native American.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Native American located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=140

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Phyllis Doyle Burns, Native American Editor
http://nativeamerican.bellaonline.com

One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com