Witchetaw have a very high code of ethics and rules of good behavior.  Our ancestors did not imprison each other or lock up valuables and depended on one another to be honest.  All contracts and agreements were verbal promises and they depended on one another to keep promises.  They also had to count on one another to be fair; to not take more from the earth than was needed to survive, and to care for one another.  

The Witchetaw Oath, Creed and Code are the essence of the standards our honored ancestors lived by.  They are based on honesty, integrity, helping one another in work and play,    making the best of things, being friendly and kind, respecting elders, and taking care of Mother Earth that gives us food and shelter needed to survive.  


 

                                                          

CREED

As A National And Enrollee of Witchetaw, we exercise our creed  three times every day. Our Creed Is Comprehension Of All Subject Matters That involves Ourselves And Being The Essence Of What We Determine To Be, and honor all laws.  We love and keep Mother Earth and all things on her.  We respect and honor our ancestors, the Elders and each other.  We learn  ancient traditions and pass our wisdom to our children and others. Our Creed Is Science And The Comprehension Of Life.

 


LOYALTY TO ONESELF

CODE OF CONDUCT 

“I am one with Witchetaw and walk the Indigenous Path and the seven steps of our sacred Fire Circle.  As a Enrollee/ National I keep the creed, oath and code of conduct of Witchetaw sacred and inviolate.  I love and respect all things.  I am truthful, honest and fair.  I am a teacher of sacred wisdom and beauty.  Material possessions are not mine for avarice and gluttony are without honor.   I tread lightly on our Mother Earth and comprehend her plants, creatures and elements. I am a giving and caring person who respects all races, religions and people without judgment.  I am a  Wise One  and I come to spread our love, light, peace and joy amongst all our relations.”   


LOYALTY TO THE NATION – ORGANIZATION

WITCHETAW OATH 

“I, _______________ hereby swear to uphold and support the Articles of the Witchetaw, the Articles of the United States of America.  I swear to do everything within my sovereign power to promote the laws, traditions and goals of the Witchetaw Nation. I swear to advance Treaty  Indian cultural, heritage and traditions.  I swear to represent this Nation with fidelity, truth, and honor.”

A Witchetaw Enrollee should be able to:
*    Recite the Witchetaw Oath and Creed.
*    Explain the meaning of the Oath and Creed.
*    Explain the meaning of the Code of Conduct.
*    Be a role model for other Enrollees, peers, and community  through    

     deeds,  words, and actions.


CODE OF ETHICS   

Respect: Respect means “To feel or show honor or esteem for someone or something; to consider the well being of, or to treat someone or something with deference or courtesy”.  Showing respect is a basic law of life.

 

Relationships:

Always treat every person from the tiniest child to the oldest elder with respect.

Give special respect to elders, parents, teachers, and community leaders.

Avoid hurting others physically, mentally and emotionally by words and actions.

Respect the privacy of others. 

 

Never intrude on a person’s quiet moment or personal space.  Never walk between or interrupt people who are talking.

Speak in a soft voice, especially when you are in the presence of elders, strangers or others to whom special respect is due.

Never speak about others in a negative way, whether they are present or not.

Gossip is a possum in the Society of our Indigenous Tradition – comprehend the nature of the animal totem and put in perspective.

Treat the earth and all her aspects as your mother. Show respect for animals, stone people and plant world. Do not pollute Mother Earth, rise up in wisdom and defend her.

Respect all life – especially the Circle Dominion.  The Comprehension of all relations and value for humans, and animals, but rrather all are teachers and guides for humans. 

 

Show deep respect for the beliefs and religion of others.

Touch nothing that belongs to someone else without permission.

 

Life 

Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give of your best food, best blankets, best part of your house, and the best service to your guests.

Receive strangers and outsiders with a loving heart and as members of the human family.  All the races and tribes are different colored flowers of one meadow.  All are beautiful.  Respect all of your relations.

Humans are created to serve others, to their family, community, nation and the world.  Do not fill yourself with your own affairs.  True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.

Know those things good for your well-being and those things that lead to your destruction. Listen to and follow the guidance given to your heart.

Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in times of quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise elders and friends.

Observe moderation and balance in all things.

Eat well but not excessively.  Eat ‘natural’ foods given by Mother Earth – for it is what you are made from. Experiment and Comprehend the  manufactured chemicals and unnatural elements.

 

During Meetings and Gatherings

Listen with your heart in courtesy to what others say.  Respect the wisdom of the Wise One in the Nation.  Once you give an idea in council, it no longer belongs to you.  It belongs to the sovereign Body.  Listen intently to the ideas of  others in council and that you do not insist that your idea prevail. Indeed, expressly support the ideas of others if they are true and good, even if they are quite different from yours.  The clash of ideas brings forth the spark of truth.

Once a council has decided an issue in unity, do not speak secretly against what has been decided.  If the council has erred, the error will be apparent to everyone in its own time.

Be truthful at all times, under all conditions.

The hurt of one is the hurt of all, the honor of one is the honor of all.

 

Bring problems with others to the Elder Council.  Do not circulate these problems among the Enrollees And Nationals.  Harsh words against others only serve to inflame a problem.

 

If you plan to speak with an Elder or honored guest, it is suggested you offer a small gift as a sign of respect.   When the blanket is laid on the ground near the entry into the circle, please lay down a gift