Credited to: Fred Shaw -a Native American that Bobby got a lot of this from.

 Here's the story of a piece of the sky, and what Bobby told the kids!

 Shawandawse Nobeay
 It is good to be with you my brothers and sisters, in this place, where men and women may sing together, that they will be sent by God.  For all of us are people, who are sent by God.  It is theunderstanding of my people, the Shawandawse nobeay the true south wind people-Whom you call  "Shawnee" that all of us are sent from God to be a blessing to the world.  Each of us is a gift of life, and so I honor a very special group of people among us today, the elders of our people, for they are the great gift of the creator.  The most awesome of the awesome.  The One who creates by thinking about it.  And has thought about men,  who will live life and share it with one another.  In honor of those old ones, I am dressed as I am today, in clothing traditional of 200 and more years, when you have a good style you don’t have to change it.   The paint that I wear upon my face, tells you who I am, that I am a teacher of life, a storyteller, that I am a peace man , and that I am also a gifter of life.

  We find the gifts of life, in our stories.  They teach us how we may live.  And so I would share, some stories with you.  As I do so, please remember one thing. You have already heard that I speak english fluently .  The stories do not.  They are not english stories, they are stories of people, who are very old upon this land.  They resist english .  AH  KATOPEE

Listen I will tell you a story,…..The Grandfathers tell us that long ago, there were great monsters that walked on the earth.  We know  this is true, because sometimes we find their big bones sticking from the stream banks.  During this time, people were afraid, for you never knew, when you stepped from your "Wigawah"- your home, if there might not be a monster standing right outside the door, just waiting to ( clap ) gobble you up!!   So people were afraid ,  Until one day a Shawandawsea man stood up and he said…  "Creator, give me strength, I will go out (clap, clap, clap,) fight all the monsters, kill them all".  So, the great Creator gave the man strength, and he went out (clap, clap, clap) fought all the monsters, killed them all…… except one… the great bear "Maghwa".   They came together, and they fought for many, many,  days, but their strength was the same.  The mountains they trembled, the trees fell, the streams ran backward, but their strength was the same… Until the bear slipped, the man wounded him, but as the man drew back the bear reached out, and he wounded him… and they stood there, and they looked at each other…

 AAHH (gasp ) The bear spoke……( clap ) "Brother, it is enough, you bleed, I bleed, you are strong, I am strong.  Together we could be very strong , Huh!..   From that day the Shawandawsea and the bear have been brothers.  Each one gives life to the other.  And he gave us a gift, the scar.   When ever I see you are painted I know who I am , a Shawandawsea , slayer of  monsters , giver of  life,  to the people ,  and I  know how I must live,  If my ancestor had, hid  in his wigawah  protecting his own  skin, monsters would still be outside our doors, just waiting to (clap) gobble us up.  But because he knew a person cannot live just for self, but must live for the people, that you can not take more than you can give to life, the monsters died.  There are no more.  And the one who did not die, became a friend, a brother and a strength.  It is the way life is.

 Life must always give to life.  Where there is only fear, only death.  Life, must give to life.  So the wound, is not red for blood.  It is green for the forest, THE METECHEA,the life givers.  It says we men, are all meant to be gifters of life.  And so life is meant to be.  And the Grandfathers have taught me that each man must learn the way to give his gift, and it comes through every day giving.

Listen, I will tell you of this… The Grandfathers have taught me that if I go out to hunt the deer and my belly it is full, so I think I can take more than I can give to life…. The deer will put his tail over his back, run away, laugh at me!!!   But if I hunt the deer and my belly is empty, my little ones cry because they are hungry, then deer will come to me and he will gift me with his life, for he knows my need, so when I kill him, I know what must be done.  I take his head into my hands and I speak to him, and I say:

"MACHWICH NASASA, Thank you my brother for this gift, because of it my children will grow big and strong, my wife will be so beautiful, she will make a soft dress from your skin.  From the sinew of your body, thread to sew the traders cloth shirt.  From your antlers, new handles for my knives.   Brother, you gift us with music and laughter.  For my son will take your leg bone, hollow it out, and make a flute, he plays very well.  And from your toe bones, I will make a rattle for my baby girl, she laughs very well.  Brother, I will not waste you, and I promise you brother, that some day, I will lie down in the ground, I will die, and my children will plant an acorn on my grave which will grow up to be a great tree, many, many acorns.  And then brother, I will gift the deer children, as they feast from my tree".   Life must always give to life.  May you have the wisdom to know what is you, that is to be given to other life, may you have the courage to then give it.   The Great Spirit is a friend of all the people.  So, let us always do good to each other. And thus be strong ourselves.  A very ancient prayer of my people 2000 years old, ends with these words:  "Love one another, as you give your lives to one another, understand this, you also will be
 free.  It is the way life is …
    HO!
 

At this point Bobby would talk about how life gives unto life, and how we are all created for a reason and a purpose.  He would remind us that every one of us is a gift.  He would say, "when my people come together, they bring gifts to share with one another", and he would hand out pieces of the sky.  He would tell us to put the piece of sky on a windowsill, and every time the light shines on it to remember that "as long as the grass grows and the wind blows, and the sky is blue", you are a gift, and you were created for a special purpose.