Each indigenous culture is distinct and unique. While many peoples may express similar worldviews and a common indigenous identity, their cultures are nonetheless based on different histories, environments, and creative spirits.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the inherent dignity, equality, and inalienable rights of all members of the human family. The rights of all members of indigenous populations are included in this declaration. However, Indigenous Peoples also have rights as distinct cultural groups or nations.

Indigenous people are people defined in international or national legislation as having a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory, and their cultural or historical distinctiveness from other populations that are often politically dominant.[1] The concept of indigenous people defines these groups as particularly vulnerable to exploitation, marginalization and oppression by nation states that may still be formed from the colonising populations, or by politically dominant ethnic groups. As a result, a special set of political rights in accordance with international law have been set forth by international organizations such as the United Nations, the International Labour Organization and the World Bank. The United Nations (link to mobile app) has issued a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to guide member-state national policies to collective rights of indigenous people—such as culture, identity, language, and access toemployment, health, education, and natural resources. Although no definitive definition of "indigenous peoples" exists, estimates put the total population of post-colonial indigenous peoples who seek human rights and discrimination redress from 220 million to 350 million.

"Mankind must be a steward of the Earth - Caretakers for all that dwells upon it."

"Whenever we walk on the Earth, we should pay attention to what is going on. Too often our minds are somewhere else, thinking about the past or thinking about the future. When we do this, we are missing important lessons. The Earth is a constant flow of lessons and learnings which also include a constant flow of positive feelings. If we are aware as we walk, we will gather words for our lives, the lessons to help our children; we will gather feelings of interconnectedness and calmness. When we experience this, we should say or think thoughts of gratitude. When we do this, the next person to walk on the sacred path will benefit even more."

In this spiritual culture of the Sun, God as Father is wisdom and He lives in the throne within us between the two physical eyes known as the third eye. That is the eternal spiritual Father, who never leaves us. God as Mother is love and she lives in the Temple of the love. Our Father and Mother are one. They never separate and they never divorce, because they are conscious.

In any religion all the great masters always spoke about their Father, but they were not speaking about their physical father. Humanity only knows their physical, biological father. They don't know their spiritual Father and Mother, eternal Father and Mother, who was always there from the beginning of every lifetime, residing in the inner temple.

Each day we give thanks to the Creator and Mother Earth for our maize (corn) and for the work of the nature spirits. Pachamama is our paradise, our glory, and our final place of rest.

It is estimated that there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries worldwide. Practicing unique traditions, they retain social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Spread across the world from the Arctic to the South Pacific. They are the descendants - according to a common definition - of those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived. The new arrivals later became dominant through conquest, occupation, settlement or other means.

"Treat this earth well: it is not a present from your parents, it is on loan to your children. The people who enrich their minds are those who keep their history on the leaves of memory. Not to be aware of the past is to be eternally a child, but for those of us who forget the past will be condemned to repeat it."

NATURE (plants and animals) represents the principle of ongoing evolution, growth and change—responding to the current situation. Modern growth and change is unbalanced and cancerous when left unchecked. Nature people are the holders of knowledge and teachings about TRANSFORMATION.

EARTH gives life constant and reliable bounty and belonging. The fear of scarcity is a rejection of the “earthly realm,” and has been a defining motivation in “civilized” history. Those who work with Earth knowledge are the ones who exemplify the welcoming of RELATEDNESS.

Sustainability depends upon Mobility

FIRE inherently teaches moderation and respect. The modern world has gone “fire-crazy.” The burning of fossil fuels and forests now threatens an even larger burning from the sun itself through ozone damage. Members of the fire clan will have a special care for the moderation taught appropriately by TRADITION.

Understanding about the indigenous world is still evolving. Different interest groups have differing vocabulary, frames of reference and biases. The view that says there are common principles in all indigenous cultures is called pan-indigenousity. This view is helpful insofar as it can provide a framework for beginning to understand and apply some potentially life saving information that is contained within the human heritage. Here are five broad principles observable worldwide in indigenous cultures, and are also seen in the “indigenous soul” of modern people.

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." - Chief Seattle
  

Today I will share the Seven Directions as I was taught
when I was young. Though some tribes use different colors to mark the cardinal points and different herbs to cleanse A good example is the Cherokee who use blue to designate the West instead of Black. Probably because they were the only tribe I know of that owned slaves and thus see black as a danger be it skin color or what ever.

I will start in the North. I was taught that North represents both beginning and endings. It is the direction of all things material. The direction where anything found in the material. In fact Grandmother told me of a Seneca tale that in the far north is a place of power. It is a swirling field of power in which all things found on Earth come from. It is interesting that Seneca women when I was young wove baskets to sell
to the tourist, which depicted this place as a cornucopia. This is where the human spirit enters the world from. The color representing North is White and it's herb is Sweetgrass, which has a delightful odor and is used when calling for any material change in life.

In the East is the child and the future. the direction of the Sunrise. This is the direction of the Eagle or hawk who carry our prayers into the sky. It is the direction we face and the spirit we call upon when we are beginning anything new. That our actions will be best for all. Thus the burning of tobacco when beginning a council, which carries our prayers skyward. That the desired results will benefit all. anytime I am
about to start something new I go to the East and seek guidance that what I am about to do will be good for all.

>In the South is the adult, both men and women and all creatures who reproduce them self. It is also the place of the Wolf spirit which signifies love and respect for all. I use burning cedar to overcome negativity in any home, office or any dwelling which people congregate in. I also burn Cedar to help bring people closer and in marriage ceremonies. It was used when me and others had our coming of age ceremony.

In the west is the home of the elders, it is the home also of wisdom and strength. It's color is black. It's Spirit is either the bear or the Ant. It's herb is Sage. Burnt to cleanse the spirit prior to all ceremony. It is also used in healing and before any telling of the old ways. It is also the place we call on the ancestors to intervene on our behalf.

The next direction is the below. Our mother the Earth. The direction of being connected. The place where all foods and all medicine come from. It's spirit is the corn mother and such is used in some ceremonies including the beginning of healing for anything or any body.

The next direction is above. This is the direction of all energy and all growth for it was grandfather sun who made mother earth pregnant that we her children might have life.

The final direction is within. the place where all the other directions meet and manifest. the place of meditation and renewal of body, mind and spirit.