Native American 12 Days of Christmas

I got this in an e-mail and thought I would share it

On the First day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me...

An Eagle sitting on a cedar tree.
On the second day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Two wise owls.

On the third day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Three sacred drums.

On the fourth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Four talking feathers.

On the fifth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Five prayer ties.

On the sixth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Six hawks a laying.
On the seventh day of  Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Seven stones for sweat lodge.

On the eighth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Eight great buffalo.

On the ninth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Nine precious elders.

On the tenth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me...

Ten eagle dancers.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Eleven braids of sweet grass.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me…

Twelve drummers singing.

The Story of the Native American 12 Days of Christmas

Gather round children and let us teach you a song that helps us to remember the sacred things of our Grandfather and the reasons that he came to walk our Land, clothed in Red Dirt.

We are excited to learn the things he accomplished for us, among us, and through us.

We are most excited that all the ways we have walked before now pointed us to this moment, when we mere humans would be able to walk as sons and daughters of the Most Holy One.

(Remember children, the eagle climbs the highest and takes our prayers to the High places, and the Eagle is Jesus, the One who was able also to climb to the heaven lies once and for all, to take our prayers, He is the Intercessor for all men).

(Remember children that the Owls represent both death and sacred messages from the Holy places… and in this song they represent the Old Testament and the new laws that brought death and mercy that brought life and Spiritual wisdom).

(For the drums beat out the sound of our Mother Earth while we pray to the Grandfather.. So as you hear them beat, Remember we now know that there is faith, hope and love in The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit).

(For the feathers remind us that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were given the talking feather by the Grandfather himself, to tell His story to us all).

(For we must remember that the law did not vanish and though we live by grace, there is a law to be followed and we humbly submit to that law, in offering our prayers to the Holy One).

(For we celebrate the creation of our Mother Earth, and thank Him for giving us all life, through our prayers, often using the feathers of this creature to smudge ourselves in preparation of that prayer time).

(For we must remember the gifts of the Spirit are seven fold, and we learn how to walk in these gifts through our fear and awe of our God, we do this praying in our lodges).

(For we want to remember the beatitudes, the blessings Jesus promised to come to his people, The buffalo represent his provision for our health, our very existence, as did the blessings He invoked on the people, the meek, those who weep, the poor all people have provision in Him).

(For as we sit at the feet of our elders we hear how we can walk in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they have always taught these truths, we just didn't know that they were the same truths taught by the Talking Leaves the white men brought to us).

(For our eagle dancers danced for the people, to protect the people, to keep the people in wholeness, and wellness.. As the Ten Commandments, were also set to keep the people whole, to protect them from their own evil thoughts).

(For as we send the smell of sweet grass to the heavens, it invites those of the realm of the Grandfather, to enter into our world to help us… in this we remember the faithful eleven who stood ready to help our Savior, ready to do his will and work, so it is with those we invite to help us, if sent By Jesus).

(For the drums he Gave on the third day can not help us to pray if they do not have four drummers each to beat out the heartbeat of the earth and its people to our God and when natives are on the drum, we call it Singing, because it is much more than just drumming