ICE WILLOW'S CHILDREN PRESENTS
"THE CHILDREN SPEAK OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"
The first story from, "Teachings of the Children"
A splash of sparks lifted into the night sky drifting quickly across a blanket of stars. Tiny against the black of the night a single firefly broke from its place among the sparks and stars overhead and floated down, another and another following behind. Little Owl sat with the others around the early evening camp fire, his mind was filled with the wonders of his companions, these seven children. He did not stare into the burning, flames as was his habit, his attention was riveted on the children who shared this circle of light with him. Looking at them his tongue was tied and his mind without its usual easy going ability to chatter to itself, the only word he knew to describe them was beautiful.
Little Owl was staring first at one child then another around the flickering light of the campfire. The red child, Young Blood, even in the light of day was not of a single flesh color. His skin kept changing to the many different shades of red, never totally the same in one place. Little Owl had seen this shift and change of color before, somewhere.
"Northern lights!" he thought, "That is how the color shifts, moving. There... then gone... changing and returning, never the same again, floating like curtains, flowing as a river!"
Little Owl saw Snow, the white child, Night Wind, the black child and Little Sun, the yellow child, he saw the same shifting of hue the same dancing of color play through their features. "They do not reflect the light, they are the light.", he thought.
His attention turned to the other three
children, Breeds, Belongs, and Future where he saw a display of colors so radiant,
he knew that they could only be viewed in a vision. Feeling an intense wonder,
he knew in this heart, that every shade of the people on Mother Earth, was here,
every color vibrating before him in honor and belonging. 
Then Little Sun spoke to Little Owl, " Look to the moon, see the owl, how it glides on high currents. Let your spirit soar with the owl and learn a lesson from the children of Mother Earth."
Little Owl looked to the moon, across her face he saw the silent bird turn with wings outspread and Little Owl felt his spirit leave his own body. He felt very light in his shoulders, yet strong and sure. His breath exploded from his chest as he rose and he knew the freedom of flight! He was one with the heart of brother owl, feeling the freedom of gliding on the warm wind currents. Drifting higher and higher until in the next moment he was looking down on the campfire below.
There were the seven children standing around
it. Each child displaying the many shades of their colors until all the colors
blended into a kaleidoscope of light circling the campfire. He shut his eyes,
brother owl took him even higher. When he opened them, he saw the children from
a long distance, a distance so great that Mother Earth was the size of the moon
he had only a few moments ago looked up at from the campfire. Now the children
stood in a circle around Mother Earth, each holding hands to make a completed
hoop ringing the great blue and green orb.
Through the great distance Little Owl heard Night Wind speak as a child, "Long ago the children stood alone on Mother Earth, each had their place, as they grew, they touched each other. At first, that touch was different and strange, bringing about emotions that the children didn't fully understand."
Night Wind continued now in the voice of a teacher, "Then as only humans can, they quested for the knowledge the others had to give. This created emotions that all humans feel, an attraction, that let unity became a thing of the present. Now, Little Owl, you see the mixture of colors throughout the human race, not with each standing alone but together, all united."
Little Owl watched the scene before him. The children turned around Mother Earth, slow at first. Then their speed increased until their color blended each with the others. The red child and white, the black with the yellow and on and on and on until they formed a great circle of color like a rainbow around Mother Earth. Then the rainbow broke its pattern and became an arrow of the four colors speeding towards Mother Earth.
Little Owl watched the arrow as it pierced Mother Earth in what is known as the United States of America. He watched, the arrow began to shimmer and to change. Now standing in its place was the child called Future.
She said, " Little Owl in the past we have each stood alone, now in the present we are united. Never can any race claim to stand alone and hope to move into the future as humans. Look at Turtle Island, the home of your people, now called the United States."
Little Owl turned his gaze through a great arc in space looking down before him and he was amazed to see that he was looking at a map of the United States, but unlike any he had ever seen. This map had the many shades of the colors of the children flowing though it gently without pattern or repetition.
Then he heard Future say, "Little Owl, I am the future, in time the children of Mother Earth will be as I am before you. I stand before you in only one place on Mother Earth, the United States. The children of the future must grow in the womb of Mother Earth. The womb is known as the United States."
Future's voice raised in tone and began to float musically, "The United States must give the caring and love of a mother for a child. If we are to live in peace and harmony then the human must look at me and say;
Watch the Children dance.
They dance in the circle of life.
Each of the four directions
coming together, with honor, pride and knowledge,
each growing in the womb of Turtle Island
Future's musical tone broke with emotion, "Oh, Little Owl, all human children must be loved and cared for as themselves and not only for parts of themselves!"
The words pressed into Little Owl, his head bowing and eyes suddenly feeling very heavy. He was again, in three short breaths, seated on the earth before the campfire. The seven children shimmering before him. Little Owl's eyes moved across their features while the children rose to their feet. They moved to stand once more in a circle. This time, Little Sun, Young Blood, Night Wind and Snow, the four children who were the colors of the Medicine Wheel made the circle. Inside that circle two children, Breeds and Belongs standing, each glowing with two colors of the Medicine Wheel, at the center stood Future, the last child who contained all four colors.
Little Owl watched the four children and Breeds with Belongs inside the circle of the four rise to a height just topping the heads of the first four. Breeds with Belongs begin to turn also. Future, from the center, the last child, rose above the rest, to the top and began to turn with all the children.
Little Owl's mind returned to the word he had known when he first began this vision and it floated in a wave behind his eyes, "Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful ". He watched the human cone of children turn, giving a show of colors, then they changed.
In their place now stood a teepee. A teepee with the colors of all the children on it. The colors were flowing and crossing becoming the essence of life. His mind was racing, his eyes were full and he smelled the scent of wet earth after the rain while his heart beat a strong fast rhythm.
He thought of the owl and his mind was light again, his heart soared. In his mind he rose and wheeled, soaring with the great birds of the sky, owl and eagle. His spirit sang out at what he was witnessing, he said, "I know from where I have come, I see my home and know my heart caring, with that caring I can see the future."
Little Owl sat down again. He was watching his teepee of old. He knew he had found home, a home from which the future would be built. He was comfortable and began to relax again and his mind being made of the stuff of the earth began to return to its usual rhythm. He began to feel tired.
No sooner had the thoughts of his journey left his mind, when Future stepped from the teepee, she stood for a moment looking at him, then she raised her arms appealing to the Great Spirit. He watched her as a pipe appeared in her small hands. She said, "Hear me Great Spirit, I am only a child and do not know the path home, but I have felt the heart of Little Owl. I know his path will lead home to you, for his heart is of his people, his people are of the spirits, and the spirits are of you."
Snow continued, "My path has already started, it has lead me to Little Owl, Father. With him, I will grow, and learn of my people, my spirits, and of you". With that she walked to Little Owl handed him the pipe which he cradled in his arms, and she was gone.
Little Owl cried, the tight lump in his throat forced warm tears down across his smiling cheeks. What he had seen and heard, filled his heart with honor, pride, caring and yes, even shame. He let the tears flow.
After awhile he heard Snow say, "Let the tears fall like spring rain in which all things can grow". He looked down for the pipe that was cradled in his arms, but in its place was Future. She was smiling up at him.
RETURN TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CHILDREN
"The Path to Manhood Lives Within the Vision"
copyright by Matthew Richter1997