Native American Poetry by Larry Kibby
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia in the Southern Summer of 1996

Native American Poetry

Larry Kibby

In his short book "Native American Poetry", Larry writes of himself:

"In my travels across the country and my life within the reservation system, I have managed to hang on to various regards that I have learned or was taught. The tradition and traditional issues are being preserved and protected today, and I feel that it is necessary to promote a voice of concern towards these issues, with strength and a strong determination.

The following poem called "The Circle of Life" is taken from Larry's book of Native American Poetry.

The Circle of Life

Oh Great Spirit,
Of the Indian People,
Hear my words
For they are words that come
From the heart, soul and mind.

Oh Great Spirit,
Be my mind
Be my eyes
Be my ears
Be my heart
Be my soul
Be within me
So that I may walk
With dignity and pride.

Oh Great Spirit,
Of the Indian People,
Know of me.
For I am of your people.
I am Indian,
An Indian of the Circle of Life
A prisoner of War
In my own Land!

Oh Great Spirit,
Of the Indian people,
Hear my words
For they are for you.
They are of you.
You are my way of Life
In the Circle of Life.

Further Information ........

Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 15:25:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Larry Kibbey
X-Sender: kibbey@diamond
To: Mountain Man
Subject: Native American Poetry - First Publications

Hello Peter,

I've been out of town to a Yuwipi Ceremony and once again I'm
headed out to a Sweat Lodge but won't be gone as long.

I'm glad you and your family, friends found "Native American
Poetry" to be filled with good reading. Thank you for wanting
to put it on a separate page and I would appreciate it.

At this point I have about 40 copies left, which can be purchased
for a donation of $7.00, plus $3.00 shipping and handling, by
writing to:

Larry Kibby, Program Director
Western Shoshone Historic Preservation Society
Elko Indian Colony
1581 Pinenut Circle
Elko, Nevada 89801

Cash and or checks are accepted and should be made out to the
Western Shoshone Historic Preservation Society.

Currently, I am working on the second edition, which may be larger
than the first, due to the fact that I am including my Prose articles
in the second edition, which I had wanted to be in the first.

If you need further information Peter, or need something other
than what I've included in this notice, let me know.

Winter has left us plenty of snow here, and we have another storm
coming in this week-end, which will cover up the old snow that
has melted to some extent, but not very fast. In some places
it measured up to four feet high and here on the Colony we got
at least three feet and five in some places I think. It's been
a good winter, with plenty of snow and thats good, it's needed.

Glad you liked the book. Take care and if you need anything else
give me a holler...

Larry Kibby

E-MAIL: kibbey@sierra.net

NOTE: A further item from Larry's selections, entitled "An Indian Prayer Christmas Day" is available on the web ...

A Farewell ...

Standing in the twilight hours of a new day, long before the dawn of morning, ready to blow on an Eagle Whistle, to send on a final journey, one who has gone before us.

Four times the sound of an Eagle Whistle will echo across the land, awaking the shadows of life as the four winds carry a matter of death to our ancestor's who await the arrival of another who will soon know the answers of life and death.

As the whistle is blown into the four directions, the songs of long ago are heard amongst the tree tops, across the valley floors and through the mountains bringing clouds filled with tears of our ancestor's who know that a life filled with love is coming before them in a matter of death that will live within the universe of life.

Long ago, so many elder's filled the land of our people, but slowly we bid farewell to these old ones, who gave us a chance to live and learn their ways, who gave to us of their hearts, who allowed us to know the truth of times gone by.

Today a tear falls across the land and in the early morning twilight we say farewell for now and know that in time, they will join those who now stand over us and guide us along the path we travel.

For all of life, we live and die, and the Eagle Whistle blows.

Larry Kibby - kibbey@sierra.net

Apparitions of Time

Today I look into the mirror of life and I can see apparition's beckoning to me to follow the ways of my ancestor's, whose blood cover's this our Mother Earth. A blood that flows with grief and sadness, a blood that flows like an empty river that trickles onto a land and spreads out like a blanket.

Once this blood was thick, but now it has become thin without direction or purpose and the heart, soul and mind has lost the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of ancient times gone by, times of a life that our elderly tried to preserve and protect so life's definition would be with purpose.

Father Sun arises before the multitudes and fines a question of concern within the Sacred Circle of Life, for the quality of the mortal's are lost inside and can-not find their being in truth. They have become empty with remorse, for gold, silver and a theology has found direction that goes away from the Four Sacred Winds, the Seasons of Life and the heart is massive with greed that desecrates and destroy's all of the realtions once considered sacred in existence.

Heavy have the limbs become, so that the Sacred Pipe is not carried or offered with respect and Brother Eagle shot down, tossed and laid about like an implement without honor and the disgrace for these Sacred ways carries a laugh of sorrow and a tear falls dry.

Sacred songs with words of life are upon the Four Winds and the Sacred Drum beats like the heart, but it can only be heard in reality by an appariation of yesterday that wander's in search of the survivor's whose creation is in meaning of tradition, the tradition preserved and protected so that there will be life again within the Sacred Circle.

Hypothetical words from a book imposed upon a tradition for no other reason then to contaminate the intelligence of our elderly so that the sacred would in fact become sacrilegious and the ritual's diabolical in contrast. Prese- cuted by a philosophical invasion, the Sacred Circle became square and chained lives were barred by constitutional order to ever promote the ceremonial life of tradition.

European life was introduced as civilization and they came, settler's, pioneer's and frontiersmen, looking for a way of life that would suite their unanswered questions for a theology that they could not relate to and they tried to fully terminate a Sacred Tradition and a people, but there is life after death and we are that life with the tradition of the Sacred Circle.

Great Spirit Grandfather, I stand before you and I am surrounded by my ancestor's and relation who will guide me within the sacred circle so that I will not stumble or fall or lose my way.

Great Spirit Grandfather, my words are upon the sacred smoke, for you and grandmother moon, for the four sacred winds, the seasons of life, the sacred eagle and feather's, the sacred water, the sacred cedar, the sacred sage, the sacred pipe, the sacred tobacco, the sacred drum and song, the sacred sweat lodge and visions, to all my realtions, the elderly, the sick and dying, the chained, the young, the unborn and Mother Earth.

These words come from my heart, soul and mind and are in search of your wisdom, knowledge and understanding, so that I may continue to travel upon the sacred path as my relations have done before me, so that I may be able to hear, see and speak about a tradition that is within the sacred circle of life. The traditon of life, the tradition of my ancestor's.

Great Spirit Grandfather, imposed upon with disease, sickness and death, your people have survived and through higher education, vocational training, they have entered into civilization with dignity, pride and honor, their accomplishments unique towards the development of modern technology for your people who no longer live in custom of the old ways and sorrowfully many have turned from the sacred circle, saying that the tradition can-not put food on their table to feed their families, or pay the bills and the young play video's, watch a t.v., and listen to a music that has a meaning of violence.

Grandfather, did you not give your people two legs in which to walk and run with? Then how is it that they can-not step into the circle? They can-not be ashamed, for this is where their ancestor's stood, seeking the questions to life and all that was placed before them, so that they would be with life always.

Grandfather, look down upon your people and grant them a strong shield of protection from all harm and evil, so that they may open up their hearts, souls and minds, so that the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of life will be within their reach and they will come to know of a tradition that has been preserved and protected by their ancestors, so that the sacred circle will become complete once again.

Grandfather, protect the elderly, the young, protect those who have chosen another belief, so that they may be always strong and healthy for tomorrow, so that their greed will not destroy them or their families, protect those who drink and use the drugs that cause the mind to become lost, protect the youth so that they will not find the path to gangs and death, protect all your people, for the direction they seek, some are not sure of the life or its way.

Grandfather, protect us from those who wish us to be like them or want to be like us but are only abusing and using a form of belief that can never be strong within their minds and let them know that the traditional belief belongs to us, the descendants of our ancestors, whose blood covers this our Mother Earth.

Grandfather, look down upon your people, for they need your direction for a unique way of life within the circle of life.

Apparitions of time, showing a people the direction to travel upon, the sacred path of the circle and soon the sacred circle will be full of life a life of goodness and strength.

The circle of life, the sacred ways of our ancestors belong within the heart, soul and mind, not on t.v., not on a radio, not in a movie or even a book. The sacred ways are for a people who believe in life and the principle of life and know that it is a matter that can not be sold and that no-one should sell it.

Too many people in the non-Indian society, are always making a dollar and the dollar can not buy a sacred life, just like noone can become a traditional over-night, or that no-one can just become a holy man or a medicine person. Many of these way are sacred and are known to be sacred, they don't come from a book, or a movie but from within the circle of life and true people know of these ways and those people don't sell or talk in public about these way much, bcause they know, (New Age groupies, wanna be's, agents of the law that destroy everything, or people from various theology organizations that don't care for the belief or the circle of life), their only intent is directed to abuse, misuse, ego, monetary gain and too discourage the traditional belief, so that once again it will be banned from reservations or those Native American Indian communities.

Some people brag too much about theirselves and how good they are and when they look in the mirror, they can't see the apparitions of time, nor can they hear the sounds of yesteryear when a people were free, when they were not America's Frist Prisoner's of War, who were placed in America's First Concentration Camps, the Reservations.

The Indian has been shackled and chained, but tomorrow is a new day and life will be strong and powerful within the circle of life, within the tradition of reality and maybe some of the lost people or people trying to be, will find their way and the circle will be even more unique.

Written Jan. 15, 1994
by:
Larry Kibby
Eel River, Bear River, Mattole, Wiyot Nation, California

Larry Kibby - kibbey@sierra.net

Native American Poetry by Larry Kibby
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia in the Southern Summer of 1996