One of our privileges at Hinduism Today is to connect with and support indigenous peoples and their wisdom ways, lending Sanatana Dharma's strength to theirs in support of a global renaissance of original sacred traditions. Our publisher was recently asked to collaborate with the ancient Hopi tribe of American Indians who are struggling for their freedom and independence. To get this message from their "Eldest Elder," his blessings were sought in the fields, where Grandfather Dan, 105, can still be found planting corn. His statement of the Hopi prophecy and predicament reveals remarkable parallels with India's spirituality. Readers are urged to help the Hopi people.
We are celebrating a time in our history which is filled with both joy and sadness. I am very glad that our Hindu brothers have given us this opportunity to share our feeling with you. We know many of you are having the same troubles.
We Hopi believe that the human race has passed through three different worlds and life ways since the beginning. At the end of each prior world, human life has been purified, or punished, by the Great Spirit "Massauu" due mainly to corruption, greed and the turning away from His teachings. The last great destruction was the flood which destroyed all but a few faithful ones who asked and received permission from the Great Spirit to live with Him in this new land. Great Spirit said, "It is up to you whether you are willing to live My poor, humble and simple life way. It is hard, but if you agree to live according to My teachings and instructions, if you never lose faith in the life I shall give you, you may come and live with Me." The Hopi and all who were saved from the great flood made a sacred covenant with the Great Spirit at that time. We Hopi made an oath that we will never turn away from Him. For us, the Creator's laws never change or break down.
To the Hopi, the Great Spirit is all-powerful. He appeared to the first people as a man and talked with them in the beginning of this creation world. He taught us how to live and how to worship, where to go and what food to carry. He gave us seeds to plant and harvest. He gave us a set of sacred stone tablets into which He breathed all teachings in order to safeguard His land and life. In these stone tablets were put instructions, prophecies and warnings. This was done with the help of a Spider woman and Her two grandsons. They were wise and powerful helpers of the Great Spirit.
Before the Great Spirit went into hiding, He and Spider woman put before the leaders of the different groups of people many colors and sizes of corn for them to choose their food in this world. The Hopi was the last to pick. They choose the smallest ear of corn. Massauu said, "You have shown Me you are wise and humble. For this reason you will be called Hopi ["people of peace"], and I will place in your authority all land and life to guard, protect and hold in trust for Me until I shall return to you in later days, for I am the First and the Last."
This is why when a Hopi is ordained into the higher religious order, the earth and all living things are placed into his hands. He becomes a parent to all life on earth. He is entitled to advise and correct his children in whatever peaceful way he can. So we can never give up knowing that our message of peace will reach our children. Together with the other spiritual leaders, the destiny of our future children is placed in our hands. We are instructed to hold this world in balance within the land and the many universes with special prayers and ritual which continue to this day. It was to the Spider woman's two grandsons the sacred stone tablets were given. These two brothers were then instructed to carry them to a place where the Great Spirit had directed them. The older brother was to go immediately to the East, to the rising sun. Upon reaching his destination, he was instructed to immediately start to look for his younger brother who shall remain in the land of the Great Spirit. Older brother's mission, when he returned, was to help his younger brother [the Hopi] bring about peace, brotherhood and everlasting life, on his return.
Hopi, the younger brother, was instructed to cover all land and mark it well with footprints and sacred markings to claim this land for the Creator and peace on earth. We established our ceremonials and sacred shrines to hold this world in balance in accordance with our first promise to the Creator. This is how our migration story goes, until we met the Creator at Old Oribe over 1,000 years ago. It was at that meeting when He gave to us these prophecies to give to you now at this closing of the Fourth World of destruction and the beginning of the Fifth World of peace. He gave us many prophecies to pass on to you, and all have come to pass. This is how we know the timing is now to reveal the last warnings and instructions to mankind.
We were told to settle permanently here in Hopi land where we met the Great Spirit and wait for Older Brother who went East to return to us. When he returns to this land, he will place his stone tablets side by side to show all the world that they are our true brothers. This will happen when the road in the sky has been fulfilled. Also something will be invented, an object which in Hopi means "gourd of ashes." This gourd, when dropped upon the earth, will boil everything within a large space, and nothing will grow for a very long time. The leaders will turn to evil ways instead of to the Great Spirit. We were told there would be many ways this life may be destroyed if humankind does not heed our prophecy and return to the original spiritual instructions. We were told of three helpers, commissioned by the Great Spirit to help the Hopi bring about the peaceful life on earth, who would appear to assist us. We should not change our homes, our ceremonials or our hair, because the true helpers might not recognize us as the true Hopi. So we have been waiting all these years.
It is known that our True White Brother, when he comes, will be all powerful and will wear a red cap or red cloak. He will be large in populations and belong to no religion but his very own. He will bring with him the sacred stone tablets. With him there will be two great ones, both very wise and powerful. One will have a symbol or sign of swastikawhich represents purity and is female, a producer of life. The second of the two helpers to our True White Brother will have a sign of a symbol of the sun. He too will have many people and be very wise and powerful. We have in our sacred Kachinaceremonies a gourd rattle which is still in use today with these symbols [see the inserts above] of these powerful helpers of our True Brother.
It is also prophesied that if these three fail to fulfill their mission then the one from the West will come like a big storm. He will be many in numbers and unmerciful. When he comes, he will cover the land like the red ants and overtake this land in one day. If the three helpers chosen by the Creator fulfill their sacred mission, and even if there are only one, two or three of the true Hopi remaining holding fast to the last ancient teaching and instructions, the Great Spirit, Massauu, will appear before all and our world will be saved. The three will lay out a new life plan which leads to everlasting life and peace. The earth will become new as it was from the beginning. Flowers will bloom again, wild game will return to barren lands, and there will be abundance of food for all. Those who are saved will share everything equally, and they all will recognize Great Spirit and speak one language.
Our Plea
We are now faced with great problems, not only here but throughout the land. Ancient cultures are being annihilated. Our people's lands are being taken from them, leaving them no place to call their own. Why? It is because many have given up or manipulated their original spiritual teachings. The way of life which the Great Spirit gave to all people of the world, whatever your original instructions were, are not being honored. It is because of this great sickness called greed which infects every land and country that simple people are losing what they have kept for thousands of years,
Now we are at the very end of our trail. Many people no longer recognize the true path of the Great Spirit. They have, in fact, no respect for the Great Spirit or for our precious Mother Earth, who gives us all life.
We were instructed in our ancient prophecy that this would occur. We were told that someone would try to go up to the moon. They would bring something back from the moon. After that, nature would show signs of losing its balance. Now we see it coming about. All over the world there are now many signs that nature is no longer in balance. Floods, drought, earthquakes and great storms are occurring, causing much suffering. We do not want this to occur in our country, and we pray to the Great Spirit to save us. But there are now signs that this very same thing might happen soon on our own land.
This land, called the Land of the Freedom, celebrates many days reminding the world of these things. Yet in over 200 years the original Americans have not seen a free day. We are now suffering the final insult. Our people are losing the one thing which gives life and meaning to life–our ceremonial land, which is being taken away from us. Hotevilla is the last holy, consecrated, undisturbed traditional Native American sacred shrine to the Creator. As the prophecy says, this sacred shrine must keep its spiritual pathways open.
We are at the final stages now. There is a last force that is about to take away our remaining homeland. We are being denied many things, including the right to be Hopis and to make our living in accordance with our religious teachings. The Hopi leaders have warned leaders in the White House and other leaders. Our prophecy says it must be up to the people with good pure hearts that are not afraid to help us fulfill our destiny in peace for this world. We stand at a crossroad–whether to lead ourselves into everlasting life or into total destruction. We believe that a human being's spiritual power through prayer is so strong it decides life on earth.
Now I hope and pray that your help will come. If you have a way to spread the truth, through the newspapers, radio, books, through meeting with powerful people, tell the truth!Tell them what you know to be true. God bless you, each one of you, and know our prayers for peace meet yours as the sun rises and sets. May the Great Spirit guide you safely into the path of love, peace, freedom and God on this Mother Earth. May the holy ancestors of love and light keep you safe in your land and homes. Pray for God to give you something important to do in this great work which lies ahead of us all to bring peace on earth. Be well, my children, and think good thoughts of peace and togetherness. Peace for all life on earth and peace with one another in our homes, families and countries. We are not so different in the Creator's eyes. The same great Father Sun shines His love on each of us daily, just as Mother Earth prepares the sustance for our table. Do they not? We are one after all.
Chief Dan Evehema, 105, is the spiritual leader, eldest elder, Snake Priest, Roadrunner Clan Society and Kachina Father of the Hopi. He lives in Hotevilla, the Hopi sovereign nation, 60 miles from the Grand Canyon. Letters may be addressed to P. O. Box 257, Solana Beach, CA 92075 USA. Visit the Hopi on the World Wide Web: http://www.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us/ ashram/Resources/Hopi/techqua-ikachi.html.