Nourish the Word

I’ve noticed a common theme in the traditions I’ve been studying. Many explain how the different First Nations people were created on this land with the help of some greater being, or led here, again by some wise or supernatural being. I think the message is clear, these people are here because God put them here. In other words God gave this land to them. The Covenant of Christ agrees with this, “...no one will come to this land unless they’re brought by the Lord’s power. So this land is consecrated to those He’ll bring here.” ( 2 Nephi 1, paragraph1 ) But if I look more closely at these traditions, I see another pattern that brings light to this continent’s current state. Prior to this people being given this land, there is also the tradition of previous peoples who, in the words of a few native authors’: “…did not continue to give each other the respect needed to keep the Sacred Hoop of marriage strong. Families began quarreling with each other. Finally villages began arguing...

I have gathered here some examples of various tribes’ traditions that involve a promise from their respective culture hero to return. Micmac The first example comes from the last chapter of On the Trail of Elder Brother: Glous’gap Stories of the Micmac Indians , by Michael B. Running Wolf & Patricia Clark Smith. Below are selected quotes from the prophecy I find particularly relevant to us today. The full prophecy can be read in the book and is worth a read. “‘By now, I have taught you all you need to know in order to live well in this world,’ he replied. ‘You may fear that this is not the case, but it is so. And when the time comes, I promise you I will return. Only one thing remains to be given to you, and that is a knowledge of things that will come to pass before I come back to walk among you once more. I’m going to give you that knowledge now.’” “‘Far off is another invasion,’ Glous’gap continued. ‘In enormous canoes bearded men are coming from a...