Know the Power that is Peace

Black Elk was a holy man of the Lakota Sioux Nation (click on the title of this post to learn more about Black Elk).

Black Elk's Prayer, as translated by John G. Neihardt, is as follows:

Grandfather, Great Mysterious One,

You have been always,

and before you nothing has been.

There is nothing to pray to but you.

The star nations all over the universe are yours,

and yours are the grasses of the earth.

Day in, day out, you are the life of things...

You are older than all need, older than all pain and prayer.

Grandfather, all over the world the faces

of living ones are alike.

In tenderness they have come up

out of the ground.

Look upon your children

with children in their arms,

that they may face the winds and 

walk the Good Road to the Day of Quiet.

Teach me to walk the soft earth.

a relative to all that live.

Sweeten my heart,

and fill me with light.

Give me the strength to understand and

the eyes to see.

Help me, for without you,

I am nothing.

Hetchetu aloh!

I captured this picture of one of Black Elk's phrases on the outside wall of the visitor's center at the Little Bighorn National Battlefield. The first part of the dialogue is in his own language and the second part translated into English.

When I went inside the visitor's center I was immediately overwhelmed by the massive loss of life on both sides at the Battle of Little Bighorn and my emotions overcame me. When one of the admission representatives approached me I could not stop shaking and my heart raced. In that state, I was unable to purchase a ticket. She suggested that I sit on a bench for a few minutes. 

Once I thought I was able to control my emotions, I purchased a ticket and attended a short film on the battle. Sadness again engulfed me and my eyes welled up with tears as I listened to the story of how the US Government and Native American Nations each both foolish and strong-headed, descended toward an unavoidable confrontation.

Outside, the battlefield itself causes one to reflect on the magnitude of suffering. Here are random pictures that I captured. I believe they speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lives taken unnecessarily because of man's inability to sit and speak with one another. Pride, ambition, stubbornness, revenge, all get in the way when what we really need is love, empathy, and understanding. If we could for once just let our minds listen to our hearts.

Along The Tracks

During my Amtrak trip out west in 2011, I saw many simple but beautiful sights of our country right along the tracks from my window seat. These pictures are from Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana and are but a few of many that I captured.

 

 

 

The Crazy Mountains

The Crazy Mountains near Big Timber, Montana are believed to be a spiritual place according to Native American legend. I traveled there in October, 2011 hiking in the Gallatin National Forest along Big Timber Creek Falls where I saw mule deer along with fascinating sites and breathtaking vistas. In a state where remote is a relative word, the Gallatin National Forest is about as remote as one can get and still be within a half-hour drive of civilization. The Gallatin National Forest has served as a backdrop to many western movies, most notably Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer.

Upon leaving for the day I shot a short panoramic video of the Crazy Mountains from the approach road to the forest.

Short video of the Crazy Mountains

Glacier National Park

One of many photos that I took while in Glacier National Park. Click on the title of this post to learn more about the park.

Virginia City, Montana

A picture of the Wells Fargo Office in Virginia City, Montana (JP, this one's for you). 

In the fall of 2011, one of the places that I visited in Montana was Virginia City which is a working ghost town. That means the buildings are preserved as they once were over one hundred years ago when the town was bustling but the town still has an active government. In fact, it is the county seat of Madison County, Montana. 

As I walked the streets, I marveled at the richness and diversity of the town buildings. Although the purpose of some buildings has changed, such as the Wells Fargo & Co. Overland Mail and Express Office is now a restaurant, most, if not all of Virginia City's buildings are in a historic district and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

To learn more about Virginia City, click on the following link:

 Virginia City

Please take the time to view the video, Virginia City...Where History Lives. As I watched it, I saw historic photos taken over one-hundred years ago of people standing in front of the exact same buildings I walked past during my visit. It's a breath of Americana that you won't regret witnessing.

Here are a few more of my Virginia City photos:

In Honor of Shep

When I visited Fort Benton, Montana in October, 2011 on the banks of the Missouri River, I stumbled upon a memorial that brought tears to my eyes. We sometimes marvel at the loyalty and intelligence that our four-legged friends exhibit. They are truly in-tune with the world in a way that we can only imagine.

Barbed wire, golden grass, and snow-capped mountains in Big Sky Country!

This is a picture near the entrance to Gallatin National Forest in Big Timber, Montana. The Crazy Mountains are in the background.

Sasquatch

Sasquatch

Mighty creature sent from Creator,

you are lord and master of the wood.

The stars are your tipi, the sun is your fire,

for thousands of years, your legend has stood.

 Keeper of Mother Earth, that is your task,

your bond with her is deep and without end.

Hidden in the wild, you live a life of peace.

a silent sentinel, a Native’s eternal friend.

Powerful as the trees are tall,

you walk unbowed among the bear,

Gentle like the ladyslipper,

you smile at the woodland hare.

Oft misunderstood across this land,

the white man saw you and ran.

Wise in the ways of Mother Earth,

Sasquatch, you teach us how to be human.

© 2007, Felix Giordano

Editor's Note: This photo is a cropping of a larger picture which was taken in September, 2011 at Ross Creek Cedars in the Kootenai National Forest in Northwest Montana just outside of Troy and Libby, Montana. After I returned home my son spotted an anomaly in the picture which is unexplained and could be an image of a creature covered with dark brown or black hair.

Creator’s Gift of Life

Creator’s Gift of Life

When trees have shed their leaves, and the days are short and cold, watch the bare limbs reach to the sky in praise of Creator! 

When the winter winds arrive, the branches, freed of their leafy bonds, sway in the breeze, like a dance of submission to the powers of Mother Earth.

Breathe deep the crisp air and rejoice for the trees lead us in a new and profound way to honor the wondrous gift of life!       

     

© 2013, Felix Giordano

Sacrifice Cliff

Sacrifice Cliff

Oh, sandstone cliffs so high,

what secrets do you hold?

Like an amphitheater for the prairie wind,

you watch the town stretched out below.

The Rimrocks are cold and silent, blessed to no living man,

only to the courageous, eternal souls who linger in time.

Oh, brave warriors, who rode blind ponies over the edge,

and sacrificed their lives so that others may live.

While we sleep, your cries fill the thick night air,

as you ride your ghost horses on the wind.

Never to touch the ground again,

only to kiss the Creator’s sky.

© 2006, Felix Giordano