“Do not grieve. Misfortunes will happen to the wisest and best of men. Death will come, always out of season. It is the command of the Great Spirit, and all nations and people must obey. What is past and what cannot be prevented should not be grieved for.”
-Big Elk, Omaha Chief-
How different this world might be if the imperialistic Europeans had stopped to absorb Native American spirituality and philosophy before trying to convert and civilize them as well as usurping their land. In Native American culture in almost all tribes across the board, there was a deep reverence for nature and the oneness of all that is. As such much of their culture and way of life was based upon living in the now and embracing the eternal present. Big Elk’s quote illustrates that we must learn to accept and to dwell in the moment. It is time and energy wasted when we linger in the past and worry about the future.