Osiyo Members, Council and friends,
I know it has been over 210 years since our people lost their homeland and we took great pride in who we are. We showed great respect to our Clan Chiefs and Mothers of our Roundhouse. In showing a very special regard and respect to the Principal Chief, in the old days the Headmen, Mothers and Clan Chiefs always walked a step or two behind the Principal Chief of the Nation. We always asked a member of the Principal Chiefs Council if we could speak to the Principal Chief even then we waited until we were told we could speak before we talked. We never told the Principal Chief he was wrong to his face, this was showing disrespect and dishonor to him. If we had something we wished to pass along to him we would tell the Headmother of the Roundhouse or the Headman of the Sun Lodge and they in turn carried and passed it along to the Principal Chief.
When the people from the old world came in 1492 to the Creek Nation, all the
Chiefs were called Micco at the end of their names. The Creek word “Micco” in
English means king. To be
a Vice Clan Chief, Clan Chief, or a Principal Chief your mother must be
the Daughter of a Chief and that means that you belong in the Lodges of Micco,
but if your Mother was the Daughter of a Warrior then you belong to the Lodges
of the Warriors and could not be a Chief. This changed after the Creek and
Cherokee went to
Our tribe has always tried to keep the old ways and to honor Mother Earth and the ways of our people, for if we lose that then we are no longer who we were, but have become someone else. Always walk with Yowa.
Wado
Principal Chief James Billy Chance
THE PRINCIPAL CHIEF
WE PAY HONOR TO HIM
The History of the Native Americans or any tribal people goes back for thousands of years into the history of Mother Earth; the Principal Chief was appointed to his seat as head of the nation by all of the people in that tribal Nation.
In addition to his good name and his outward respect the Principal Chief is a person of superior rank and position. He has earned the respect and integrity of his people and he is regarded with honor and respect by all.
He may not do what everyone thinks he should, but he follows the traditional wampums for the betterment of the tribe and its people. There have been times that some Principal Chief’s go against what all the people request, because it is the best and the right thing to do. No matter what the reason, tribal people over our history have placed him where he is seated, to be the leader of this nation and its people, and has been given the right to speak for and act for his tribal nation.
We made our Constitution to live by in the early 1800's, we later revised it in the year 2000. Following history, we still place the Principal Chief with the respect and honor as the head of our tribal nation. We made our By-laws to aid us, to live and work by. From the early 1600's we have lived, worked by and showed honor by the Wampum Laws that tell us how to respect each other and our Chiefs, Mothers, Headmen, Elders, and all others in our nation.
This is what makes a Native American, a history of showing honor and respect, following a way of life that has been set down for hundreds and thousands of years; first we show honor and respect to the Creator (Yowa ), then Honor and Respect to the Principal Chief, the Clan Chiefs, Clan Mothers, and respect to all the people that make up our nations and Mother Earth.
Honor and Respect this is what the Creator placed into all the Native People, and this is what sets us aside from all others on Mother Earth. It is not the color of our skin, eyes, hair, or what part of Mother Earth we came from, but what he placed in our hearts, in our souls, and our love for Mother Earth. The honor and respect that he placed into us is what a Native American’s honor and respect of all things on Mother Earth is about. Always walk with Yowa.
Wado,
Principal Chief James Billy Chance
