First Flute

A tribal elder sits in a circle telling the following story.  A young brave, named Wandering Bear, after many days on a long hunt had become tired and lost.  Weary from his hunt he laid down to rest under the branches of a tall red cedar tree.  The tree had been struck by lightning.  The lightning had caused one branch on the tree to die.  Lying there, he cried out to Creator for help.  Soon a soft wind blew through the branches of the tall cedar.  As the wind started to howl through the tree, Wandering Bear heard the most beautiful sound, almost like that of a Turtle Dove.   He noticed the sound was coming from the lightning struck branch blowing in the breeze.  Wandering Bear climbed the tree and cut off the branch.  The branch had six holes that had been made by a Woodpecker. Insects that the woodpecker had eaten had hollowed out the center of the branch. 

Mimicking the wind, Wandering Bear blew through the end of the branch making a melodious tone on this first Native flute.  The sound of the flute warmed his heart and he was filled with renewed hope and strength.  Wandering Bear continued playing his flute as he walked through the forest.  The songs he played were songs of praise to the Creator for this wonderful instrument that could bring such hope, joy, and renewed strength to his heart.  It was not long before a hunting party, from Wandering Bear’s own tribe, heard the beautiful sound of this amazing instrument and came to investigate.  Wandering Bear was lost no more, and was soon reunited with his family and tribe.

Later Wandering Bear realized that the Creator caused the lightning that had struck the tree, killing the branch so the insects the Creator had made would have a home.  The insects became saving nourishment for the woodpecker, which Creator had also made.  The woodpecker had made six holes in the limb.   These holes made the beautiful sound Wandering Bear had heard and saved his life.  It was then that Wandering Bear realized what the tribal elders had been teaching, that all things made by the Creator are connected in the circle of life with One Heart in a Spirit of love.  Wandering Bear also realized that the flute was not his to posses, but a gift from the Creator, which must be used to heal and save.  From that day forward, Wandering Bear used his flute, in the Spirit of One Heart and Love, to heal and protect the tired and weary hearts of all he met.   

~Mark Barger

“Everything an Indian does is done in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round…The Sky is round, and I have heard the earth is round like a ball, and so are the stars.  The wind in its greatest power, whirls.  Birds make their nests in circles; for theirs is the same Religion as ours…Even the Seasons form a circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were.  The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is with everything where power moves.”
--Black Elk, Ogala

One Heart

Not too long ago, on a hillside in the Willamette Valley, a Kalapuya Native stood with Cedar, Lavender and Sage in his hands…

“Creator, I pray to you with humility………….thank you for the sacred circle, mother earth, the water, the sky, the fire, and all my relations.
I pray that our people can walk with ONE HEART together………… Help us, we are pitiful…………………… help us live in ONE HEART with the earth, all of creation, and each other.”

Our ancestors asked for ONE HEART, with the wisdom that all our minds could never completely agree. But they knew if we put our hearts together, great things could be accomplished.

Over the years, the quest for ONE HEART is still sought after by many. With the truth that we are all equal regardless of color, nationality, gender, ethnicity, language we speak, where we live, what jobs or how much money we have, how we look, etc…

In Native American Traditions circles are found, and in ceremonies people often gather in a circle. It represents creation, mother earth, that all things are related, and that we are equal…all sides of a circle are the same.

Equity is the foundation for ONE HEART. By recognizing that all people are equal is agreeing that our hearts have the same significance. True Equity does not discount the beauty of Diversity, but supports individual cultures and ideas.

Only through Equity and Diversity can Unity be achieved. The goal of ONE HEART is not to change who we are or our heritage but to enjoy the richness of one’s personal culture/beliefs and respect all others the same. This is the opposite of “putting our differences aside”, which is tolerance. Rather, ONE HEART is a process of understanding and respecting the differences.

With Equity comes Healing, both personally and with others.
Through Healing there can be Unity (or Oneness)
Unity provides an opportunity for Hope.
Without Hope there cannot be Peace.

Over the past 100 years, the Native American Flute has migrated throughout the world. There are players in most countries, found virtually on every continent.

The ancient voice of the flute and its ability to provide personal expression contributed to the instrument crossing cultural and social boundaries globally.

This multi-cultural use of the Native American Flute has resulted in a broadened evolution of the instrument, both musically and its significance culturally.

It is common to find flute circles throughout the world today. Often, these circles include people of different ethnicities who sit together and share songs of the flute.

No one can deny that the Native American Flute represents a very important part of Native American heritage and life. Now to literally hundreds of thousands of people it also represents ONE HEART for all of mankind.

At any point in time, there is a song being played on the Native American Flute, somewhere in the world…Melodies of hope, peace, and unity.

~Jan Michael Looking Wolf