| My
name is Marie Eriacho I'm from Tseyatoh (New Mexico), and I'm
here with my Dad and my Brother and Sister. My Mother left for
Spirit World 27 years ago which tomorrow is going to be 27 years,
so 27 years I was with out my Mom, just my Dad and he talks to
me about different things. I learn a lot from my Dad and he makes
medicine and he goes out to the mountain and I go with him, make
medicines with him. He is a great Medicine Man, after that my
Brother and my Sister, they all become Medicine Man and Medicine
Woman. For me I'm just trying my best to learn after my Dad, some
songs, sacred songs. Well, being a Mother I take care of the home,
the kids, food and prayers. Gotta have prayers while your being
a Mother and teach your children. I have a son, he's 32 years
old, his name is Arigon Eriacho. I did my best to teach him, the
best way I know how. Teach him how to pray, some sacred songs
and how to be a good person. We took part in pow wow, we dance.
I dance, that's why I am wearing my Eagle feather and when you
want to talk about pow wow, Indian dance you gotta have Eagle
feather, that's why I'm wearing my Eagle feather. Also it represents
my family, my husband, myself and my baby, that's why I'm wearing
three Eagle feathers. My son is a Northern Traditional Dancer
and my husband is a Southern Straight Dancer and I am a Women's
Southern Buckskin Dancer. We go to pow wows, different places,
attending pow wow meet people, meet new friends and be with the
people. It makes us happy too. When we go way out in the country
attending pow wows we see our friends over there and it makes
us feel good, that's the main reason why we go out dancing at
pow wows, it's what we do. It's gonna be 27 years tomorrow, it's
when I started the Annual here. I was the one who started the
whole thing, I never thought it was going to become this big,
but I'm happy about it too. I really tried so hard, I struggled,
especially the first Annual Pow Wow. The reason why I started
this is because that my Mom left us and we don't know who to turn
to, who to talk to, who to make us happy again so I really think
hard for my Brother and my Sister and our Grand kids so that's
why I started the Pow Wow. A lot of different Indian Tribes all
over the country, they come to this Pow Wow and help us pray and
they make us feel good so I don't want to just forget about it
or leave it, I just want to continue every year, even that I don't
have money, I don't have that kind of food, but what I'm looking
at is prayer, that's what I want, prayers. For my Brother and
mainly for my Dad, my Dad is 90 years old, very old person so
I need lot of prayers for my Dad. That's why I started this Pow
Wow. I make a lot of friends and some of them different tribe
they belong to Bear Clan too. I'm a Bear Clan and we're all brothers
and sisters all over the country I have brothers and sisters,
which I like about this Pow Wow. And then just 2 years ago we
added the Spiritual Gathering. My beloved Brother, he was the
only one who was very close to me , he raised me. He left for
Spirit World again and we had grief . All my Brothers and my Sister,
they are still angry. We need help. Our Brothers and Sister that
are here with us today, we needed prayer so they can be happy
again like it used to be, that's what I'm looking forward to.
I have a hard feeling everyday, I miss him everyday, he was very
close to me, we shared everything together, but I know he's listening
now, he's watching me and I still miss him. I always do prayers
for him every morning, every afternoon, every evening I pray for
my Brother and I feel that he's around me everyday all the birds,
sacred bird Eagle. I'm trying for my family to be in good health
and to be happy all the time. My Brothers and my Sister, we're
very close and we all live here together. There's a lot of people,
our Brothers and Sisters that are suffering so they come over
here and ask us to do ceremony and we are always willing to help,
we are always willing to do ceremony for them and make them feel
good, happy. That's the way I feel, I always like to help in any
other way, I like to do that especially for the young ones. I
like to teach them. I don't know much but just what I've learned
I like to share it with the youngsters. We make moccasin, we make
dancing outfit, costume, regalia, we do beadwork, we do pottery,
we weave and we make medicine. So I like to help the young ones
come out here and teach them. All of my Brothers and Sisters are
like that. I'm really proud that I am an Indian, I always give
thanks to my Great Spirit that I'm an Indian. I'm still learning,
this is what I've learned from my Elders and from my Dad. If all
the Medicine Men and Women come together and pray for it , it
will work (speaking about achieving World Peace). If we do it
right, do ceremony right that way it will work. Us Dine'h People
we have a lot of respect for our Mother Earth because she takes
care of us and we shouldn't be abusing Mother Earth... We shouldn't
be digging for gold, coal, stuff like that. We are hurting Mother
Earth. I wish everybody could feel that way...Us Dine'h People
we have a lot of respect for Mother Earth and Father Sky...We
have a lot of respect for animals too, we have sacred songs for
animals... I want these people to know where they come from, who
they are and respect one another. We all have 5 fingers, we are
supposed to all be Brothers and Sisters.... The Great Spirit put
us on the Earth that we are supposed to help one another as Sisters
and Brothers. |
