Skennen Kowen

Through the centuries, the ravages of war, disease, murder, cultural genocide, and incarceration in residential schools and other forms of prison have killed millions of First Nations individuals and cultures in Canada, on Turtle Island and all over Mother Earth. However, the Spirits of the Ancestors, great Peace Chiefs, Warriors, Visionaries and Leaders are stronger now than ever.

At this time of the Seventh Generation Fire, the Spirits of the Great Ones have indeed returned to bring us back to The Way of Peace, the Kayenerehkowen. Tashunke Witko (Crazy Horse) proclaimed "We shall return, we shall return again, all over the Earth; my people, we shall return again to bring harmony and peace to All Our Relations."

These poems honour the native soul of each and all of us, along with All Our Relations, and particularly the great Native Spirit Masters such as Hinmaton Yalatkit (Chief Joseph), Tashunke Witko, Tatanka Yotanka (Sitting Bull), Goklayeh (Geronimo), Hehaka Sapa (Black Elk)), Deganawideh The Peacemaker, Dendreah the White Buffalo Woman - Earth Mother, Tecumthe (Tecumseh), Tenskwatawa (The Open Door), Poundmaker, Louis Riel and Crowfoot.

Despite certain advancements in music, arts, and theatre in various First Nations in Canada, these poems were written in response to the on-going cultural, linguistic, and educational losses and barricades to the Spirit, hopes and dreams of the First Nations peoples. Everyone has red blood and each person born is "native to the Earth." These poems inspire us to reconsider skin colour and heritage, along with our bigotries and prejudices, in order to build a Canadian identity and society worthy of ourselves and all our ancestors.

Skennen Kowen, The Peace is Great!

Founder and Director of the Academy of World Psychology and Creative Arts, psychotherapist and medical-psychological anthropologist, Joseph Barry Martin has researched and trained thousands of clients in a vast network of complementary ancient and modern quantum healing modalities for over 37 years. He taught Native Studies at the University of Toronto, and has been affiliated with the Mohawk village of Kanehsatake in Oka Quebec since 1974. Joseph is a composer, artist and writer living in Victoria BC.