The Hopi Message to the United Nations (12/10/92)

 

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 turning away from the Great Spirit's teachings.

The last great destruction was the flood which destroyed all but a few

faithful ones who received a permission from the Great Spirit to live with

Him in this new land. The Great Spirit said, "It is up to you, if 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 the creation of this world.

He taught us how to live, to worship, where to go and what food to carry,

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 made instructions and prophecies and warnings.

This was done with the help of Spider Woman. 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. The Hopi then chose the

smallest ear of corn. Then Massauu said, "You have shown me you are wise and

humble. For this reason you will be called Hopi (people of peace)."

It was to Spider Woman's two grandsons the sacred stone tablets were given.

These two brothers were instructed to carry them to a place the Great Spirit

had instructed them. The older brother was to go immediately to the east, to

the rising sun and upon reaching his destination was instructed to

immediately start to look for his younger brother who shall remain in the

land of the Great Spirit. The older brother's mission when he returned was to

help his younger brother (Hopi) bring about peace, brotherhood and everlasting life.

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 Oraibi

(place that solidifies) over 1000 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 Hopiland where we met

the Great Spirit and to 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 -- when the road in the

sky has been fulfilled and when the inventing of something, in Hopi means,

gourd of ashes, a gourd that, when it drops upon the earth will boil

everything within a large space and nothing will grow for a very long time.

We were told that three helpers who were commissioned by the Great Spirit to

help Hopi bring about the peaceful life on earth would appear to help us and

that we should not change our homes, our ceremonials, 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 population 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 the swastika, which represents

purity and is Female, a producer of life. The third one or the second one of

the two helpers to our True White Brother will have a sign of a symbol of the

sun. He, too, will be many people and very wise and powerful. [One will have

the symbol of the moja, or cross.] We have in our sacred Kachina ceremonies a

gourd rattle which is still in use today with these symbols 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 who remain holding fast to the last ancient teaching

and instructions the Great Spirit, Massauu will appear before all, and our

would will be saved. The three will lay our 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.

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 is this happening? It

is happening because many have given up or manipulated their original

spiritual teachings. The way of life which the Great Spirit has given to all

people of the world, whatever your original instructions, 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 told

that someone would try to go up to the moon, that they would bring something

back from the moon, and that after that nature would show signs of losing its

balance. Now we see that 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 constantly and causing much suffering. We do not

want this to occur in our country, and we pray to the Great Spirit to save us

from such things. But there are now signs that this very same thing might

happen very soon on our own land.

Now we must look upon each other as brothers and sisters. There is no more

time for divisions among people. Today I call upon all of us, from right here

at home, Hotevilla, where we too are guilty of gossiping and causing

divisions even among our own families, out to the entire world where

thievery, war, and lying go on every day. These divisions will not be our

salvation. Wars only bring more wars, never peace. Only by joining together

in a Spiritual Peace with love in our hearts for one another, love in our

hearts for the Great Spirit and Mother Earth, shall we be saved from the

terrible Purification Day which is just ahead.

There are many of you in this world who are honest people. We know you

spiritually for we are the Men's Society Grandfathers who have been charged

to pray for you and all life on earth, never forgetting anything or anyone in

our ceremonials. Our prayer is to have a good happy life, plenty of soft

gentle rain for abundant crops. We pray for balance on earth to live in peace

and leave a beautiful world to the children yet to come. We know you have

good hearts, but good hearts are not enough to help us out with these great

problems. In the past, some of you have tried to help us Hopis, and we will

always be thankful for you efforts. But now we need your help in the worst

way.

We want the people of the world to know the truth of our situation. This land

which people call the Land of the Freedom celebrates many days reminding

people of the world of these things. Yet in well over 200 years, the original

Americans have not seen a free day. We are suffering the final insult. Our

people are now 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. This village is the spiritual vortex for the Hopi to guide the

many awakening Native Americans and other true hearts home to their own

unique culture. Hotevilla was established by the last remaining spiritual

elders to maintain peace and balance on this continent from the tip of South

America up to Alaska. Many of our friends say Hotevilla is a sacred shrine, a

national and world treasure and must be preserved. We need your help.

Where is the freedom which you all fight for and sacrifice your children for?

Is it only the Indian people who have lost, or are all Americans losing the

very thing which you originally came here to find? We don't share the freedom

of the press because what gets into the papers is what the government wants

people to believe, not what is really happening. We have no freedom of

speech, because we are persecuted by our own people for speaking our beliefs.

We are at the final stages now, and there is a last force that is about to

take away our remaining homeland. We are still 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 the leaders in the Glass House[the United Nations] but they do not

listen. So as our prophecy says then it must be up to the people with good

pure hearts that will not be afraid to help us to fulfill our destiny in

peace for this world. We now stand at a crossroad whether to lead ourselves

in everlasting life or total destruction. We believe that human beings'

spiritual power through prayer is so strong that it decides life on earth.

So many people have come to Hopiland to meet with us. Many times people have

asked how they can help us. 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. Tell them what you have seen here, what you have heard us say;

what you have seen with your own eyes. In this way, if we do fall, let it be

said that we tried, right up to the end, to hold fast to the path of peace as

we were originally instructed to do by the Great Spirit.

Should you really succeed, we will all realize our mistakes of the past and

return to the true path -- living in harmony as brothers and sisters, sharing

our Mother, the Earth with all other living creatures. In this way we could

bring about a new world, a world which would be led by the Great Spirit, and

our Mother will provide plenty and happiness for all.

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, and freedom. 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.

We, the Hopi, hold the sacred stone tablets and now await the coming of our

True White Brother and others seriously ready to work for the Creator's 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 substance for our table, do they not? We are one after

all."

The United Nations Mission

In 1959, a delegation of six traditional Hopi leaders, led by the late

spiritual leader, Dan Katchongva, traveled to the United Nations Building in

New York to fulfill a sacred mission in accordance with ancient Hopi

instructions. Because of their prophetic knowledge, the Hopi leaders felt it

was time to go east, where "a house of mica" [The United Nations building]

would stand at this time, where Great Leaders from many lands would be

gathered to help any people who are in trouble. They were to go when the

lands of the Hopi and other Indians were about to be taken away from them and

their way of life was in danger of being completely.

Mr. Thomas Banyacya sprinkled corn meal next to the podium of the General

Assembly and made a brief remark in Hopi that translates as follows:

Hopi spiritual leaders had an ancient prophecy that some day world leaders

would gather in a Great House of Mica with rules and regulations to solve the

world problems without war. I am amazed to see the prophecy has come true and

you are here today! But only a handful of United Nations Delegates are

present to hear the Motee Sinom (Hopi for First People) from around the world

who spoke here today.

My name is Banyacya of the Wolf, Fox and Coyote Clan and I am a member of the

Hopi sovereign nation. Hopi in our language means a peaceful, kind, gentle,

truthful people. The traditional Hopi follows the spiritual path that was

given to us by Massau'u the Great Spirit. We made a sacred covenant to follow

his life plan at all times, which includes the responsibility of taking care

of this land and life for his divine purpose. We have never made treaties

with any foreign nation, including the United States, but for many centuries

we have honored this sacred agreement. Our goals are not to gain political

control, monetary wealth nor military power, but rather to pray and to

promote the welfare of all living beings and to preserve the world in a

natural way. We still have our ancient sacred stone tablets and spiritual

religious societies which are the foundations of the Hopi way of life. Our

history says our white brother should have retained those same sacred objects

and spiritual foundations.

In 1948, all traditional Hopi spiritual leaders met and spoke of things I

felt strongly were of great importance to all people. They selected four

interpreters to carry their message of which I am the only one still living

today. I made a commitment to carry the Hopi message of peace and deliver

warnings from prophecies known since the time the previous world was

destroyed by flood and our ancestors came to this land.

My mission was to open the doors of this Great House of Mica to native

peoples. The Elders said to knock four times, and this commitment was

fulfilled when I delivered a letter and the sacred prayer feather I had been

given to John Washburn in the Secretary General's office in October, 1991. I

am bringing part of the Hopi message to you here today. We have only ten

minutes to speak, and time is late, so I am making my statement short.

At the meeting in 1948, Hopi leaders 80, 90 and even 100 years old explained

that the creator made the first world in perfect balance where humans spoke

one language, but humans turned away from moral and spiritual principles.

They misused their spiritual powers for selfish purposes. They did not follow

nature's rules. Eventually the world was destroyed by sinking of land and

separation of land by what you would call major earthquakes. Only a handful

survived.

Then this handful of peaceful people came into the second world. They

repeated their mistakes, and the world was destroyed by freezing, which you

call the great Ice Age.

The few survivors entered the third world. That world lasted a long time, and

as in previous worlds, the people spoke one language. The people invented

many machines and conveniences of high technology, some of which have not yet

been seen in this age. They even had spiritual powers that they used for

good. They gradually turned away from natural laws and pursued only material

things and finally only gambled while they ridiculed spiritual principles. No

one stopped them from this course, and the world was destroyed by the great

flood that many nations still recall in their ancient history or in their

religions.

The Elders said again only small groups escaped and came to this fourth world

where we now live. Our world is in terrible shape again even though the Great

Spirit gave us different languages and sent us to four corners of the world

and told us to take care the Earth and all that is in it.

This Hopi ceremonial rattle represents Mother Earth. The line running around

it is a time line and indicates that we are in the final days of the

prophecy. What have you, as individuals, as nations and as the world body

been doing to take care of this Earth? In the Earth today, humans poison

their own food, water and air with pollution. Many of us, including children,

are left to starve. Many wars are still being fought. Greed and concern for

material things is a common disease. In this western hemisphere, our

homeland, many original native people are landless, homeless, starving and

have no medical help.

The Hopi knew humans would develop many powerful technologies that would be

abused. In this century, we have seen the First World War and the Second

World War in which the predicted gourd of ashes, which you call the atomic

bomb, fell from the sky with great destruction. Many thousands of people were

destroyed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

For many years there has been great fear and danger of World War Three. The

Hopi believe the Persian Gulf War was the beginning of World War Three, but

it was stopped, and the worst weapons of destruction were not used. This is

now a time to weigh the choices for our future. We do have a choice. If you,

the nations of this Earth, create another great war, the Hopi believe we

humans will burn ourselves to death with ashes. That's why the spiritual

Elders stress strongly that the United Nations fully open the door for native

spiritual leaders as soon as possible.

Nature itself does not speak with a voice that we can easily understand.

Neither can the animals and birds we are threatening with extinction talk to

us. Who in this world can speak for nature and the spiritual energy that

creates and flows through all life? In every continent are human beings who

are like you but who have not separated themselves from the land and from

nature. It is through their voice that Nature can speak to us. You have heard

those voices and many messages from the four corners of the world today. I

have studied comparative religion, and I think in your own nations and

cultures you have knowledge of the consequences of living out of balance with

nature and spirit. The native peoples of the world have seen and spoken to

you about the destruction of their lives and homelands, the ruination of

nature and the desecration of their sacred sites. It is time the United

Nations used its rules to investigate these occurrences and stop them now.

The Four Corners area is bordered by four sacred mountains. The spiritual

center within is a sacred site. Our prophecies say it will have special

purpose in the future for mankind to survive and now should be left in its

natural state. All nations must protect this spiritual center.

The Hopi and all original native people hold the land in balance by prayer,

fasting and performing ceremonies. Our spiritual Elders still hold the land

in the Western Hemisphere in balance for all living beings, including humans.

No one should be relocated from their sacred homelands in this Western

Hemisphere or anywhere in the world. Acts of forced relocation, such as

Public Law 93-531 in the United States, must be repealed.

The United Nations stands on our native homeland. The United Nations talks

about human rights, equality and justice and yet the native people have never

had a real opportunity to speak to this assembly since its establishment

until today. It should be the mission of your nations and this assembly to

use your power and rules to examine and work to cure the damage people have

done to this Earth and to each other. Hopi Elders know that was your mission

and they wait to see whether you will act on it now.

Nature, the First People and the spirit of our ancestors are giving you loud

warnings. Today, December 10, 1992, you see increasing floods, more damaging

hurricanes, hail storms, climate changes and earthquakes as our prophecies

said would come. Even animals and birds are warning us with strange change in

their behavior such as the beaching of whales. Why do animals act like they

know about the earth's problems and most humans act like they know nothing?

If we humans do not wake up to the warnings, the great purification will come

to destroy this world just as the previous worlds were destroyed.

(Thomas and Oren Lyons held up a picture of a large rock drawing in Hopiland)

This rock drawing shows part of the Hopi prophecy. There are two paths. The

first with technology but separate from natural and spiritual law leads to

these jagged lines representing chaos. The lower path is one that remains in

harmony with natural law. Here we see a line that represents a choice like a

bridge joining the paths. If we return to spiritual harmony and live from our

hearts, we can experience a paradise in this world. If we continue only on

this upper path, we will come to destruction.

It's up to all of us, as children of Mother Earth, to clean up this mess

before it's too late.

The Elders request that during this International Year for the World's

Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations keep that door open for spiritual

leaders from the four corners of the world to come to speak to you for more

than a few minutes as soon as possible.

If any of you leaders want to learn more about the spiritual vision and power

of the Elders, I invite you to come out to Hopiland and sit down with our

real spiritual leaders in their sacred Kivas where they will reveal the

ancient secrets of survival and balance.

I hope that all members of this assembly that know the spiritual way will not

just talk about it, but in order to have real peace and harmony, will follow

what it says across the United Nations wall: "They will beat their swords

into plowshares and study war no more."

Let's, together, do that now!

Delivered and Submitted by Martin Gashweseoma,