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Names
(From:
‘Earth
People’
Volume
1
Number
6)
Now
Playing:
'Cherokee
Morning
Song'
By:
Robbie
Robertson
and
The
Red
Road
Ensemble
Many
people
have
asked
me
how
I
got
my
name.
On
this
subject
I
will
say
that
a
spirit
name
is
most
commonly
given
by
spirit
during
a
Vision
Quest
or
Sweat
Lodge,
and
it
is
usually
given
when
there
is
no
“Desire”
for
a
name
but
the
ceremony
is
done
“For
All
Our
Relations”.
Most
often
a
Medicine
Person,
master,
or
teacher
gives
a
spirit
name
when
the
time
is
right.
A
spirit
name,
unlike
most
other
given
names,
expresses
how
a
person
is,
how
they
relate
to
the
world
and
to
Great
Spirit.
Also
there
is
no
reason
why
someone
who
is
desperate
to
let
go
of
a
name
and
past
experience
that
they
have
out
grown
can’t
spend
a
number
of
meditative
days
or
weeks
considering
a
name.
But
it
must
be
a
name
that
represents
not
only
their
past,
which
is
still
part
of
them,
but
also
the
new
characteristics,
energies
or
aspects
of
their
being.
A
name
should
also
embrace
a
person’s
new
understanding
of
their
spiritual
path.
When
the
true
name
comes
into
consciousness,
either
from
your
inner
self
or
from
another
person,
there
will
be
an
“AHAH!”
feeling.
But
remember
a
true
spiritual
name
will
only
come
if
it
is
your
BLISS,
not
just
to
be
trendy
or
hastily
rushed
into.
As
the
Great
Spirit
gives
us
everything
we
need,
if
we
need
a
spirit
name
it
will
come,
usually
when
you
least
expect
it.
Brooke
Medicine
Eagle
says:
“Names
can
be
profoundly
useful
in
calling
forth
aspects
of
ourselves
from
the
left
side,
out
of
the
realm
of
Spirit
and
mystery.
Many
people
I
am
in
contact
with
–
whether
they
were
San
Francisco
flower
children,
ardent
vision
questers,
or
people
building
new
lives
for
themselves
after
divorce
or
major
life
changes
–
are
looking
for
a
name
that
speaks
of
who
they
truly
are.
They
want
to
be
called
something
that
is
meaningful
to
them
now
and
expressive
of
their
uniqueness
and
their
special
gifts,
not
of
their
father’s
name
or
what
thousands
of
mothers
thought
sounded
cute
when
they
were
born.
Sometimes
this
name-seeking
actually
takes
the
form
of
reclaiming
their
given
name
and
its
meaning,
when
they
have
been
called
a
diminutive
of
it
as
a
nick
name
for
all
their
lives.”
Regarding
my
own
name,
I
would
firstly
like
to
make
the
point
that
my
given
name
is
just
as
important
to
me
as
my
spirit
name.
This
is
because
the
name
“David”
comes
from
the
Hebrew
root
word
‘Dovid’
meaning
lover,
in
its
true
spiritual
sense,
not
as
a
physical
stud
(although
I
could
be
this
also).
As
I
found
out
from
Fred
Alan
Wolf
in
his
book
‘The
Eagles
Quest’,
the
spiritual
meaning
or
vibration
of
the
word
“Dovid”
is
“From
resonance
to
resonance”
or
“From
resistance
to
resistance”.
So
this
name
has
great
meaning
for
me
as
the
compassionate
resistance
or
resonance,
depending
on
how
you
resonate
or
resist
me.
There
is
no
limit
to
my
resonance
or
resistance
and
it
usually
has
no
bearing
on
my
conscious
or
unconscious
choices,
but
on
whom
I'm
communing
with.
My
other
official
and
legal
names
come
from
my
father
with
whom
I
am
honoured
beyond
comprehension
to
be
connected
and
associated.
While
he
could
not
be
considered
a
religious
man,
he
is
certainly
a
very
spiritual
and
moral
human
being
who
taught
me
through
example.
He
taught
me
to
be
flexible,
caring
for
others,
to
be
grounded,
not
to
waste
anything
(including
time),
how
to
improvise
or
do
without,
and
most
importantly
and
missing
in
much
of
today’s
society,
common
sense.
I
received
my
spirit
name
after
a
Stone-people
(Sweat)
Lodge
in
which
my
major
spirit
guide
‘Owl’
was
clearly
seen
by
more
that
one
participant.
While
driving
home
Running
Horse
(my
step-son)
said
to
me:
“See,
I
told
you,
you
where
owl.
You’re
‘Sitting
Owl’,
sitting
on
all
the
knowledge
and
wisdom
you
have
gathered.
But
the
sitting
part
is
also
to
remind
you
to
sit
and
listen
to
others
also.”
Running
Horse’s
own
name
was
given
to
him
in
a
very
vivid
dream
vision
by
a
group
of
Cherokee
tribesman,
around
a
fire
where
the
only
words
he
could
understand
where:
“You
are
Cherokee
Indian
Running
Horse.”
And
I
can
vouch
that
this
name
suites
him
perfectly.
The
name
Sitting
Owl
is
bigger,
deeper
and
more
difficult
to
explain,
but
I
will
attempt
to
capture
some
of
its
essence
here:
I
am
one
sitting
on
the
universal
wisdom
of
the
shamans,
living
for
all
the
beings
who
have
gone
before
me;
sitting,
listening
and
observing
everything
and
everyone
around
me;
waiting
patiently,
and
sometimes
not
so
patiently,
to
share
it
all
for
the
growth
and
awakening
of
humanity
to
those
willing
to
wake
up
and
see
the
blinding
brilliance
of
the
light
of
Spirit
as
only
can
be
seen
by
an
awakened
and
enlightened
manifest
being.
I
am
one
who
sees
clearly
into
the
darkness
and
wounds
of
others.
If
I
am
to
help
any
individual
or
group,
my
way
is
to
dig
into
those
wounds
and
extract
that
darkness,
the
splinters
of
painful
experiences,
the
causes
of
the
wounds,
so
that
a
permanent
health
and
healing
through
Great
Spirit
can
happen.
I
have
seen
how
the
mainstream
just
scratches
at
the
surface
and
applies
a
bandaid.
I
have
seen
how
other
spiritual
groups
and
healing
modalities
have
looked
into
the
wounds
and
opened
slightly
to
Great
Spirit,
but
sometimes
those
splinters
and
shards
need
to
be
dug
out,
examined
for
their
cause
and
only
then
be
unconditionally
given
to
Great
Spirit;
let
go
of.
Maynard,
the
Alaskan
Elder
and
Medicine
Man,
expressed
this
better
when
he
said
that
when
dealing
with
a
problem
you
have
found,
you
must
look
at
it
carefully,
understand
it
fully,
and
only
after
all
that
work
should
you
let
it
go. And
Joseph
Campbell
has
quoted
a
famous
philosopher
who
said
that
be
careful
in
casting
out
your
demons,
that
you
are
not
casting
out
the
best
part
of
you;
or
something
like
that.
This
means
that
sometimes
those
splinters
are
spiritual
gifts
that
are
not
being
used
properly
and
are
therefore
in
the
wrong
place
or
just
rotting
instead
of
living
and
thriving.
When
all
are
open
and
awake,
when
the
light
of
Great
Spirit
comes
to
heal
all,
I
can
sit
in
the
universal
tree
of
life
and
snooze,
knowing
that
I
have
done
my
part
and
shared
my
natural
talents
to
the
betterment
of
all,
as
nature
and
Great
Spirit
intends.
It
took
me
a
long
time
to
accept
and
fully
comprehend
the
implications
of
the
name
Sitting
Owl
and
only
then
did
I
understand
the
implications
of
my
other
names.
I
have
had
one
person
give
me
a
name
that
reflects
my
stubborn
and
persistent
nature
that
can’t
be
budged
from
the
deep
knowing
of
the
ultimate
truth
of
life.
I
say
that
because
that
name
is
shared
by
a
well
known
man
who
had
the
same
name
for
other
reasons
and
I
will
not
share
that
with
you
as
I
only
use
it
along
with
Sitting
Owl
to
commune
with
Spirit
in
ceremony.
Some
very
sacred
names
may
sound
a
bit
silly,
but
I
can
assure
you
that
all
names
given
from
Spirit
are
very
meaningful.
For
example
I
know
someone
named
'Quantum
Gravity'
and
I
assure
you
that
that
name
is
very
sacred
and
expressive
of
that
person's
spirit.
You
are
more
than
welcome
to
ask
me
more
about
the
details
of
the
more
complex
associations
and
meanings
of
these
names.
And
maybe
I
can
shed
some
light
on
a
name
you
may
have
been
given
so
that
you
may
more
fully
understand
your
spirit.
Who
knows,
maybe
if
you
come
and
do
some
ceremony
with
me
Great
Spit
might
even
give
you
a
name
through
me.
Donations
If
you
would
like
to
make
a
donation
to
Sitting
Owl
please
use
this
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