Writings by Learners

Native American
by David Mercado

4 toes
sun
water
burst
bird

Our history tells us of European settlers imposing great bodily harm and severely damaging the Native American psychological spiritualism to communicate to their Creator of Life. Others may call him God.
     A tremendous number of catastrophes befell Native Americans who were forced to change their own native nature and to follow within the Roman Catholic mission.
     These principles of the European civilization had no meaning to them.
Their identity of language, their appearance, and social activity were also forced to change or stop. At one point the Europeans almost erased their Native ways of identity.
     The situation just got worse. Disaster from different diseases brought by Europeans reduced the population of all Native Americans.
Americans Indians were just native people who prospered off the environment. The Native American had remarkable love for the land, with a great deal of respect for the environment.
     They themselves felt responsible to protect all life forms on earth — ocean, blue whales, mountains, the trees, birds, animals, bugs, and our children.
     Native Americans were able to encounter their Creator as their Father. I don’t criticize history; I just encourage you to learn from history!
Don’t be skeptical of the Native American ways. Just try to understand their beliefs and then you may encounter the Creator as well.

Symbols from the Chumash People, native to Santa Barbara, California.
To learn more about the Chumash People, please visit the Chumash Interpretive Center website.

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