Spiritual Elder of the I’nabeho (Navajo) of the Canoncito Band of Navajo
Our ancestors and elders instructions and beliefs are that everything in the world – plants, animals, the land – has a spirit. Everything on the land between the rivers and the mountains is sacred. The natural environment is a critical part of our everyday life. This holistic approach to the world implies that all things in life are related to one another and live according to the universal and natural laws. THE ELDERS SAY YOU MUST TAKE CARE OF THE LAND AND YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
The path and instruction of our ancestors must be initiated because it emphasizes this cooperative and sacred relationship that must exist between people, the environment, the animals, and the plants of Mother Earth. It is our responsibility to care take, in trust, for the CREATOR, all the living things, and to pass from generation to generation the wisdom and knowledge that nurtures the way of life since time immemorial. Traditional awareness perceives the delicate balance existing between all living things with respect and honor for the beauty that Mother Earth has continuously provided us in so many ways. In understanding and acknowledging this we not only fulfill the sacred path, but we also become part of the Mother Earth’s beautiful gift.
On this sacred path, Mr. Leon Secatero, spiritual elder, keeper of the sacred grounds, the Headman of the Canoncito Band of Navajo, has worked many years for indigenous causes and sovereignty. In concert with the Maya, Apache, Cherokees, Navajo and other tribal prophecies, he has been sought out and invited by indigenous spiritual leaders in the Western Hemisphere, Australia, Europe and Russia to advance the causes of tribal sovereignty and unification. He has spoken many times at the United Nations where he presented a Resolution for Human Rights.