VERNON HARPER - A CREE OF THE 8TH FIRE

THE CREE NATION HAS 180,000 UNREGISTERED MEMBERS AND 30,000 REGISTERED MEMBERS.
VERNON IS A NORTHERN CREE AND HIS GRANDFATHER WAS A WAR CHIEF. HE HAS FOUGHT HIS BATTLE AGAINST DRUGS AND ALCOHOL LIKE SO MANY INDIANS. HE WON THAT BATTLE AND IS NOW A HIGHLY RESPECTFUL MEDICINE MAN AND SPIRITUAL LEADER.

HE RUNS SWEAT LODGE CEREMONIES INSIDE CANADIAN PRISONS. HIS MESSAGE - CLEAN UP THE POLLUTION OF YOUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL, THEN CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT. THE CREE TRADITION TEACHES THAT LISTENING MEANS MORE THAN ANYTHING. LISTEN TO NATURE, LISTEN TO THE WIND, LISTEN TO THE ROCKS, LISTEN TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

SOME ELDERS SAY THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO GET BACK TO LISTENING. THIS IS WHY I TALK TO THE GROUP YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR BOOK. SO THEY CAN GET A GUIDE BACK TO THIS WAY OF BEING. OUR YOUNG HAVE FORGOTTEN THERE IS NO RESPECT UNLESS WE LEARN HOW TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER. THE CREE PHILOSOPHY IS ABOUT SOBRIETY. TODAY OUR INDIAN NATION IS SO LOST SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM SOBRIETY. WHEN THEY'RE ALCOHOLICS THEY ARE SLAVES.

OUR PURPOSE IS TO BE CARETAKERS OF MOTHER EARTH. THIS INCLUDES THE ANIMALS AND THE MOUNTAINS. BEAR IS MEDICINE OF THE NORTH HE'S SPIRITUALLY STRONG. THE CREES HAVE A MAJIC NUMBER - 4. FOUR DIRECTIONS, FOUR SEASONS, FOUR COLORS, FOUR RACES OF THE SACRED HOOP. WHEN A CHILD IS FOUR THEY TAKE ON OUR KARMA.

HE AND HIS BROTHER AT AGE 4 WERE HELD BY THEIR MOTHER WHEN SHE DIED. SHE GAVE THEM HER LAST BREATH. THEY WERE SENT TO FOSTER HOMES. THEY BOTH BECAME DRUG ADDICTS. HE FELT HER LAST BREATH WHEN HE WAS READY TO GIVE UP. THEN TOLD HIS AUNT I MADE IT THROUGH. SHE TOLD HIM ALL THAT HEALING HE HAD TO DO WAS NOT A WASTE OF TIME, IT WAS TRAINING FOR THE WORK YOU ARE GOING TO DO . HE SAYS HE WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF THE UNIVERSE WHERE EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS CONNECTED.

I DON'T INSULT PEOPLE - I LISTEN TO THEM AND I WALK MY TALK. TALK IS CHEAP DOING IS THE LEARNING AND BLESSING. HUMOR IS IMPORTANT TO OUR HEALING. THE CREE LOVE TO TEASE AND AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT - IT IS OUR WAY OF COPING. THEY CALL IT DEVIL CRAZY. THEY ARE TAUGHT THAT WOMEN ARE COMPLETE AND MEN ARE NOT. WOMEN HAVE THEIR FIRE OF LIFE IN THEM AND MEN DON'T. THEY SEE THE WOMEN AS SUPERIOR. SHE IS THE CALLER OF LIFE.

BEFORE MAKING A DECISION THEY ASK HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT OUR NEXT GENERATION. WE ARE NEVER IN 8TH FIRE - IT IS NOW WHEN MOTHER EARTH IS REBALANCING. THEY BELIEVE MOTHER EARTH WILL CLEANSE HERSELF FROM ALL THE POISON. ALL OF LIFE IS A CEREMONY COMING OUT OF DREAM WORLD IS A CEREMONY. EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE HERE FOR. YOU MUST MEDITATE AND PRAY - IT TOOK ME 40 YEARS TO FIND THIS OUT. CREE MEN CANNOT DO COMMUNITY WORK UNTIL THEY WERE OVER 50. THEY BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION - YOU GET FLASHES OF THE OLD AND NEW SOULS HERE.

MANY YOUNG COMMIT SUICIDE FROM A SENSE OF LOSS OF CULTURE AND LOSS OF IDENTITY. WE COME HERE FOR THE LESSONS OF LIFE. VERN SUFFERED ALL HIS LIFE BECAUSE HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIMSELF. WHEN HE GOES INTO THE SWEAT LODGE HE THINKS ABOUT HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND HE SUFFERS AND PRAYS IN THERE. WE MUST ALL PREPARE OURSELVES SO WHEN OUR TIME COMES OUR SPIRIT JOURNEY IS GOOD. HE'S HERE TO TEACH THE CHILDREN AND IT'S SIMPLE BUT NOT. IT'S A GOOD TIME TO BE ALIVE.