Looking Back and Moving Forward

Sunset on Horses at Standing Rock - Photo by Jason Salgado

2017 was a revealing year.... what will 2018 hold in store?

John playing on the Big Foot Ride in 2013 - photo by David Burnette

Friends and Relatives,
I will always remember 2017 as a year when the voiceless began to shout, the complacent began to stir, and the downtrodden began to rise.  I will remember 2017 as a catalyst that awakened the light of resistance, that humanity might overcome the darkness of hate, abuse and dishonor that is such a threat to our planet and all who dwell upon her.  I have always believed in the basic decency of most people.  Of course, there are always those troubled or disturbed individuals who can and do inflict damage on others.  And as we enter 2018, human beings are still struggling to turn the corner on race, religious fundamentalism and global consciousness.  And yet, as I look back at this past year and forward to the next, I remain very hopeful and enthusiastically optimistic.  When we tap into our capacity for empathy, when we set aside our differences and really listen to each other, and when we make the earnest effort to educate ourselves about the world we live in, we can rise from the place of ignorance and narrow views and see the bigger picture.  For it is only by reaching out and sharing, that we plant the seeds of understanding.  So my sisters and brothers across Mother Earth, as the sun rises on 2018, let us roll up our sleeves and get busy making our world a better place for all.  Let us judge less and communicate more, react less and act more, and let us find ways to make a difference – however small – in our own communities.  As I participated with the Chief Big Foot Memorial Ride last week, I visited and shook hands with many who were not Lakota or even Native.  And yet they were there nonetheless, making a sacrifice, praying and suffering right alongside us in the brutal cold to pay homage to those 420 Lakota people whose lives were snuffed out by hate, and to heal the resultant historical wound which has festered for 127 years and adversely affected not only our Lakota community, but America as a whole.  These good people – and our total acceptance of them – are a beautiful example of how we heal together.  Let us move into 2018 with that same spirit – a spirit of inclusiveness, open mindedness, sacrifice and activism.  Let us rise together to raise our voice for a world with more wisdom, more honor, more empathy and more love.  Divided, we fall and fail my relatives.  But together, we are unstoppable.  For it is together – and only together – that we rise.  Let’s make 2018 a powerful year for a better world!!

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John and Peggy!

JTH Tour and more

We head to Little Rock for a Wisdom and Music event on January 9th, then the Tour picks back up on January 12th at The Hub on Canal in New Smyrna Beach, FL and will travel across Florida till mid-February.  Check the tour schedule for the Florida events!

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The NEW Signature Series Dragonfly Flute

The NEW Signature Series 'Dragonfly' Flute is one of our most beautiful ever!  You can still get one of these collectible, limited edition flutes before they are gone!  Click Here
 
We thank you for your love and friendship.  May you and yours be blessed in 2018....

Sincerely,
John and Peggy
http://www.johntwohawks.com
http://www.nativecircle.com

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