These words were spoken in the Ceremony on the Aguaje de La Tuna Kumyaii Indian Reservation near Tecate B.C., Mexico, at the Spring Equinox Ceremony in March 2012.

There were about 30 people in the sweat lodge including men, women and children.  The leader of the sweat lodge, Grandfather Bear-Tata Oso, said the following: “There are some that think the word Indio (Indian) is a bad word and that we should call ourselves Native Americans or other words. This is not true,

“A mi la palabra Indio quiere decir “En Dios. To me, the word Indio means “in God.”

There are some in here that are Indios (Indians) and have Red Hearts.  There are some in here that are Indios (Indians) that have White Hearts.  There are some White People in here that have Red Hearts.  There are White people with White Hearts; however, none of them are with us.

What do we mean by that? Creator created 4 colors or races of man.  These are the 4 colors of maiz (corn) : red, white, yellow and black. The color of the skin makes no difference because we are all created equal by Creator.

The Lakota say “Mitakuye Oyasin” (all my relations).  We are all one in the eyes of the Great Mystery, Creator, Wantan Tanka, and Ometeotl. We are all a small part of Creator. The color of the skin is meaningless.  The color of the Heart is a different thing.

The Indio (Indian) with a Red Heart remembers that he or she belongs to the Earth and the Earth does not belong to them.  The Indio remembers that he was placed and on Earth to care for the Earth, her water, air, the skin or surface including the rocks, the mountains and the mineral resources of Earth, the plants, the animals, the birds, the fish and the creepy crawly ones that are all part of Mother Earth and each other.

There are some in here that are Indios (Indians) and have Red Hearts. There are some in here that are Indios (Indians) that have White Hearts. There are some White People in here that have Red Hearts.

Tata Oso with Dr. Arthur Cushman