Native American Spirituality

The main focus of Native American spirituality is the relationship of man with the land. Native Americans walk softly upon the Earth and have respect for all living things. A recent concert of the Carolina Master Chorale highlighted this. Several selections from Native American Ambiances by Jackson Berkey were performed. The words to one of the selections, The Web of Life, were especially meaningful.

This we know.
The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth.
All things are connected like the blood that unites one family.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth.
We do not weave the web of life; we are only a strand of it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.

The words are attributed to Chief Seattle of the Suquamish tribe and remind us that we need to learn to tread lightly on God's creation.