Legend of the Talking Stick
The Talking Stick, a powerful tool used by the Native Americans as a means of communication and has been used by many tribes of different nations for many years. Its origins lie within the start of the Native American people. Old and wise Chiefs have used it in conferences, war parties and even when negotiating with the United States Government.
The Talking Stick is used to give the speaker an attentive audience. During the conference loud voices, yelling and grandstanding did not allow the Chief to make an informed decision about the future of his tribe. It was then decided that the Talking Stick would be implemented. The rules were simple, whoever had the Talking Stick could talk and nobody else could. The speaker could speak freely and without repercussions afterwards, in fact what was said with the Talking Stick could not be repeated outside of the circle. What happened was astonishing; the Talking Stick became a symbol of power, for even the lowest brave could be heard and his opinion given. What the chiefs discovered was that the power laid not within the speaker, for there are powerful speakers and weak ones, but rather the power lay in the silence of the audience listening. Thus was born the tradition of the Talking Stick, A symbol of power, of honor and integrity among the Native American people.