I see a time of seven generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again.

Crazy Horse

One Circle Again

Topic: The Natural World

I see a time of seven generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again. In that day there will be those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come to those of my people and ask for this wisdom. I salute the light within your eyes where the whole universe dwells. For when you are at that center within you and I am at that place within me, we shall be one.

Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse (Thašúŋke Witkó) was a visionary leader of the Oglala Lakota people who sought peace and harmony for his nation. He was born around 1840 in the Black Hills of present-day South Dakota. Crazy Horse was a skilled warrior and a natural leader. He rose through the ranks of the Oglala Lakota and became a war chief in the mid-1860s. Crazy Horse was also a man of great compassion and wisdom. He had a deep understanding of the Lakota culture and traditions, and he was committed to preserving his people's way of life. His vision for the future was one in which the Lakota people could live in peace and harmony with each other, with other peoples, and with the natural world. He believed that the Lakota people should be able to maintain their own culture and traditions. Crazy Horse died prematurely―under tragic circumstances―on September 5, 1877, However, his legacy continues to inspire people around the world with his commitment to peace, harmony, and the preservation of culture.

Crazy Horse's vision was based on the Lakota belief that all people are connected and that we have a responsibility to care for each other and for the Earth. He believed that the Lakota people could achieve peace and harmony by living in accordance with their traditional values and by working together to build a better future for all. Crazy Horse's vision is still relevant today. We live in a world that is divided by conflict and inequality. Crazy Horse's message of peace, unity, and respect for all people is more important than ever.

Crazy Horse's legacy is one of courage, compassion, and vision. He is remembered as a visionary human being who fought for his community's survival and dignity. Crazy Horse's life story teaches us that it is possible to stand up for what we believe in, even when faced with great adversity. He also teaches us that we are all connected and that we have a responsibility to forgive our enemies. We must care for each other and for the Earth.

(1840-1877) Native American Religions

Crazy Horse (Thašúŋke Witkó). Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa). [Black Elk Speaks, John G. Neihardt, (Washington Square Press, NY, 1972)]. Also, Schuon, Frithjof (The Feathered Sun, 1990) P. 31.

Crazy Horse

Theme: Circular Motion

Crazy Horse’s Vision

In 1854 Crazy Horse (Thašúŋke Witkó—Oglala Lakota) had a vision while participating in a vision quest with his father. A contemporary and cousin of Crazy Horse, Black Elk, related the vision in Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, from talks with John G. Neihardt:

“When I was a man, my father told me something about that vision. Of course, he did not know all of it; but he said that Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world. He was on his horse in that world, and the horse and himself on it and the trees and the grass and the stones and everything were made of spirit, and nothing was hard, and everything seemed to float. His horse was standing still there, and yet it danced around like a horse made only of shadow, and that is how he got his name, which does not mean that his horse was crazy or wild, but that in his vision it danced around in that queer way…”

—Black Elk, Nicholas, et al. Black Elk Speaks (1961).

Crazy Horse’s Final Vision and Prophecy

There is a prophecy among Native tribes called “the seventh generation”, which speaks of a time thought to be seven generations after first contact with Europeans when indigenous youth and allies from all races come together to enact a new age of healing and rebirth for Native people and Turtle Island.

Lakota leader Crazy Horse spoke of his vision of that prophecy with the following words:

“I see a time of seven generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again. In that day there will be those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come to those of my people and ask for this wisdom. I salute the light within your eyes where the whole Universe dwells. For when you are that center within you and I am that place within me, we shall be as one.”

—Crazy Horse (Tasunke Witko – Oglala Lakota).

Frithjof Schuon, Speaking with Ben Black Elk about Indian Names

“We arrived in Keystone, high in the Black Hills, and here we found Ben Black Elk [son of the famous medicine man Hehaka Sapa (Black Elk)].

It was an unforgettable evening: Black Elk and One Feather sang incessantly, drumming all the while–Sometimes their wives sang along with them–and finally, the Sacred Pipe was placed on the ground and the Pipe Song was sung; for this, all the lights were put out, as in a session of yuwipi. Then the lights were lit again and the Pipe was passed round; prayers were said. Ben explained, among other things, that the distinctive sign of the Indian religion was the circle with the cross within it.

We spoke of Indian names. Tatanka Iyotake, said Ben, did not mean “Sitting Bull” but “The Buffalo that takes possession,” that is, that protects the cows and calves; Tashunka Witko did not mean “Crazy Horse” but “Spirit Horse”–The horse, filled with the spirit, that leaps around like a colt.”

—Frithjof Schuon [The Feathered Sun: Plains Indians in Art and Philosophy] p. 120.

One Circle Again

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