Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

December 10, 2013

Seneca Hawk Elder Grandma Gordon passes to Spirit World


By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
Dutch translation NAIS

Our dear friend Grandma Edna Gordon, Seneca Hawk Elder, 93, has passed to the Spirit World. In recent years, Grandma Gordon shared her loving words with our readers at Censored News, and supported the Longest Walk and Native American rights with her good words. She mailed Censored News her hand-written words on long yellow sheets of paper to share here. Her inspiration will be missed. Sincere condolences are extended to her family and friends. Below are her own words, and tributes written by two of her friends, Karen Wright and Harvey Arden.


Harvey Arden said, "Friends, our beloved Wisdomkeeper, Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon, 93, has walked the Strawberry Path, and on Friday she was reverently planted by her People in her Beloved Mother Earth.
"Her Spirit will not die, but forever fires the hearts of her Haudenoshaunee (Iroquois) Peoples and of all justice-seeking human beings.
"Weep and smile with me as Edna joins hands with her loving husband Hannibal, both young again, romping playfully among the Stars as she once did along the banks of the O-hee-oh."

To Censored News, by Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon
Sept. 2012


Survival on the Pathway to Peace 
The Fundamental Roots of Peace is to abide by our Naturalistic Way of Life to fulfill the Creation Law for Peace and Survival. 
Spiritual Earth Connection
Our Ancestors possessed the greatest insight for survival. They looked to the Great Spirit, source of All Life, and to the Earth as their Mother, dependant on Nature to Survive.
We Honor our Homeland Heritage by Birthright and our Naturalistic Way of Life for Peace and Survival.
Crossroads of Peace
Today, in this Progressive Era, we are still striving to maintain our Naturalistic Way of Life, yet, moving along with the Law of Changes.
Sacred Fires of Peace
Since the Equality of Life is the Basic root of Freedom, we need to revive the old, ancient trails that paved the Wilderness for Democracy.
Freedom of Life’s Choices
Sovereignty is our Freedom to Live in Harmony with Nature and the Laws of Creation are the Guidelines to Honor the Unity of One Body, One Heart, One Mind and One Spirit.

I speak to all people to read the Censored News, to become alert to the events affecting our people of all Nations.
--Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon

Grandma Edna Gordon by Karen Doris Wright

"Edna (Kenjockety) Gordon of Cattaraugus Indian Reservation, died Dec. 3." http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/area-deaths-list/area-deaths-20131206

Grandma Edna fought for Indigenous causes and Mother Earth issues across America, Canada and beyond, and even had a following in Scandinavia and Europe.
In California, Grandma Edna supported:
(1) the fight to save Glen Cove located Vallejo, California (see Grandma Edna Gordon's compelling humor delivering her support and important messages to save Glencove:
http://protectglencove.org/2011/grandma-edna-gordon-seneca-wisdomkeeper-90-years-old-protests-the-pending-desecration-of-indian-lands-at-glen-cove/
.
(2) Grandma Edna Gordon supported the Longest Walkers on their walks across of America in 2008 (see Edna's message to the walkers under the forums tab of http://www.longestwalk.org/ and she also published a book about the 2008 Longest Walk, including both the Northern and Southern route walkers) and supported the 2011 Longest Walk Reversing Diabetes 2011, speaking by phone to a number of the Walkers.
Copies of her book "Voice of the Hawk Elder" have been shared with walkers on the Longest Walk 2, and with Glen Cove supporters including the drum group



MORE ABOUT GRANDMA EDNA GORDON


When I spoke with Grandma one time, she had just finished an hour or two interview. She told me of a Texas radio station where she answered questions from the listening audience.
And she frequently said she had just gotten off the phone with someone in Washington DC fighting for this or that issue.
She held regular gatherings at her home at which these issues were discussed. These included tribal members from Canada. She shared information about indigenous issues across America, Canada and beyond.
Grandma Edna fought to get Leonard Peltier out of prison and corresponded with him for many many years. Her words about the Broomstick Revolution include sweeping out injustice and getting Leonard Peltier out of prison.
Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon's news spread across the America, Canada, and beyond on Brenda Norrell's Censored News website, http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com which publishes news that is not reported in mainstream media nor in some native news.


Some Examples:
Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon
THE NATURAL LAWS OF CREATION
Sep 22, 2012 - Hawk Elder Edna Gordon on Survival and Sovereignty, in Censored News
Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon: Surviving in Truth - Censored News
Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon
SURVIVING IN TRUTH
Jun 11, 2012 - http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/06/seneca-hawk-elder-edna-gordon- surviving.html
Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon: Words for non ... - Censored News
Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon
WORDS FOR NON COLUMBUS DAY
Oct 6, 2012 - Grandma Edna Gordon, Seneca Hawk Elder, 90 years old ...
TRIBUTE TO GRANDMA EDNA GORDON
I'm thinking that in her memory we could get one or more copies of her book, "Voice of the Hawk Elder," and pass the books on to youth and others so people may know of her teachings and how to live under Nature's Laws. We can also share her "Broomstick Revolution" book, as we all need to be a part in the work toward living under Nature's Laws.
Harvey Arden of Washington DC, of the National Geographic magazine, helped Edna write her books Voice of the Hawk Elder and her Broomstick Revolution book. He included Grandma Edna Gordon, Seneca Wisdomkeeper voice and and teachings, listing two of her books, poems (complete text), videos and more.
--Karen Doris Wright

By Harvey Arden
Edna and Harvey
Friends--Our beloved Wisdomkeeper, Seneca Hawk Elder Edna Gordon, 93, has walked the Strawberry Path, and on Friday she was reverently planted by her People in her Beloved Mother Earth.
Her Spirit will not die, but forever fires the hearts of her Haudenoshaunee (Iroquois) Peoples and
of all justice-seeking human beings.
Weep and smile with me as Edna joins hands with her loving husband Hannibal,
both young again, romping playfully among the Stars
as she once did along the banks of the O-hee-oh.
Her words live forever in her two wondrous books:
VOICE OF THE HAWK ELDER   –  www.haveyouthought.com
A BROOMSTICK REVOLUTION – www.wisdomkeepersproject.com
All of Edna’s royalties go to her family

And please, for your own soul’s sake, watch this free 50-minute interview with Edna, as wonderfully video’d by Perry Finkelstein -www.wisdomkeepersproject.com

Poems by Edna Gordon
*
A Trail of Healing Thoughts
A Heavenly rooftop
of moon and stars
reveals a mystical Presence
above us and within us.
We are One
with the Mystery,
One with the Presence
of Universal Being.
Let your sacred Prayers
be heard above
the Spirit of the Winds.
*
If you cannot feel
the Spiritual fire within,
it is because
you cannot sense or see
that you are sitting too close
within the Circle of Yourself.
Ancient Firekeepers
left a Trail of Thoughts for us,
a Legacy to walk in
Unity, Equality and Spirituality
on the Pathway of Peace.
*
Keep a Smile in Back of Your Mind
When the World turns dark
Light it with a Smile
Smile with your Heart
As well as your lips.
Creator smiles on a Smiler
so smile with Creator.
Who better to smile with?
*
If I Had Never Been Born
If I had never been born,
what would there be
instead of me?
A young girl?  A yellow rose?
A hawk?
Oh, yes, a hawk!
A hawk there’d be
instead of me.
*
Do You Taste the Salt?
CREATOR MADE A BIT O’ A MISTAKE
when She created human beings.
She made it so one of us can hurt or kill another,
and the one who done the killin’
doesn’t feel NOTHIN’AT ALL!  
Nothin!
That’s too bad.
Imagine that, if you stabbed someone with a knife,
YOU YOURSELF would at least feel that stab-wound as you inflicted it.
Bet you wouldn’t go around stabbin’ people
if you yourself FELT that stab-wound, or even a little bit of it.
Even if you felt only a bit o’ that pain,
but still enough to hurt,
I bet you’d pretty soon stop stabbin’ folks
and try to get along for a change!
Hey, Friend, IT WORKS FOR PLEASURE, TOO!
SAME AS FOR PAIN!
You do somethin’ good for someone,
and you FEEL THAT GOODNESS.
Ain’t no better feelin’
than helpin’ a fellow human being!
So I’m hopin’
even if we humans do destroy ourselves,
like we sure seem to be doin’,
that Creator’s next try
will include this one difference:
THAT WE OURSELVES ACTUALLY FEEL IT WHEN WE HURT SOMEBODY!
That alone’ld make this world a better place.
And imagine the pleasures we’d each of us feel
when we’re actually GOOD TO EACH OTHER!
I already feel that GOOD FEELIN’ now, today, every day,
with everything I do and folks I see.
(I really like this quote by a “M Buxbaum” that someone saw hangin’ on  a diner wall.)
“One Day
there shall be
such a closeness
in the world
that when one
cries
the other
shall taste the salt”
*
Well, people, we each of us got to start
TASTIN’ THE SALT OF EACH OTHERS’ PAIN.
Just imagine if all  humans did that.
Remember: We’re all one Family.
What happens to one happens to all.
Did YOU hear like I did from Chief Arvol Looking Horse about
the Sacred Eagles out in his Lakota country
havin’ to EAT OUTA THE GARBAGE DUMP?
Do YOU yourSELF taste  ANY o’ the pain
of our Haudenoshaunee Peoples—
and ALL indigenous PeopleS around the World--
for over five hundred years of atrocities and more?
And it’s still goin’ on NOW in this twenty-first century!
Yep, even NOW THIS VERY SECOND!
Ain’t NEVER stopped!
Do YOU YOURSELF TASTE it?
CAN YOU?
Until YOU YOURSELF open your heart to TASTE that pain,
it won’t NEVER be stopped.
You thought you killed all us Indians?
Hey, YOU din’t!
Nope, we ain’t dead!
And I’m tellin’ ya: We ain’t even started yet!
We’re the First People and we’ll be the Last People.
You kill us and you’ll kill yourselves,
Kill the Eagle and you kill ALL of us!
Kill our Mother the Earth
And you kill ALL LIVING THINGS
And Creator’ll just start over again.
She’s got plenty o’ time.
Do YOU?
You tastin’ that?
WHEN WILL EACH OF US  AND ALL OF US
TASTE THE SALT OF EACH OTHERS’ PAIN?
Can we each taste the pain and  hunger and misery of people just like us,
people just as human as you or me,
millions and millions and still more millions of us
across the whole face of this wide wide world.
Ask yourSELf;
“Do I feel the pain?  Do I taste the salt?
When WE ALL taste it collectively,
then that’s when humankind’ll give ourselves a chance,
a hope of survivin’ in this God-given World
that we seem so bent on destroyin’!
Yep, TASTE THE SALT, that’s what I tell you.
Tastin’ the Salt is the Way to Save the World.
*
                                                              --Edna Gordon
Harvey reads a poem by Edna Gordon, with amazing music by virtuoso electronic keyboardist Don Slepian at
Inquiries invited for further venues of WISDOMKEEPERS THEATER –www.wisdomkeeperstheater.com
Or contact don.slepian@gmail.com

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