| 1 | This be the Law of the Great Circle of Ceremony: |
| 2 | Ceremony be the sacredness of every intention and action, |
| 3 | Connected through all past, present and future actions, |
| 4 | Of spirit in form to Language and all other Great Circles of Law. |
| 5 | It is how we speak; |
| 6 | It is how we sing; |
| 7 | It is when we ceremony; |
| 8 | It is how a man conducts himself to his skin brothers; |
| 9 | How a woman conducts herself to her skin sisters; |
| 10 | It is the way of the family; |
| 11 | It is the way of country. |
| 12 | All knowledge comes from right ceremony; |
| 13 | All language comes from ceremony. |
| 14 | If a man does not know right ceremony, he cannot know right knowledge. |
| 15 | If a woman does not perform proper ceremony, |
| 16 | Then she damages the country and the dreaming of the people of the tribe. |
| 17 | This was our promise to the spirit ancestors and spirits who protect us, |
| 18 | To the spirits of the land, that we would do right ceremony. |
| 19 | So, a man when he is given his skin name, |
| 20 | He makes an oath to his totem, to his family, to his country, |
| 21 | That he do right ceremony. |
| 22 | When a woman is given her skin name, |
| 23 | She promises to do right ceremony. |
| 24 | This is why the law when ceremony is broken is so clear, |
| 25 | When men or women do bad ceremony why the penalty is so firm. |
| 26 | Without right ceremony, there is no knowledge; |
| 27 | Without right ceremony there is no dreaming; |
| 28 | Without right ceremony there is no right language; |
| 29 | Without right ceremony, there is no living law. |
| 30 | The great circle of ceremony surrounds skin, |
| 31 | The great circle of ceremony surrounds family, |
| 32 | And country because good life is right ceremony. |
| 33 | When a man makes a good fire for his family, that is right ceremony; |
| 34 | When a man, cares for his wife and does not beat her, |
| 35 | That is right ceremony. |
| 36 | When a woman prepares fruits and nuts for the camp and cleans up the camp, |
| 37 | That is right ceremony. |
| 38 | When a woman makes sure the waste of the camp is buried deep so it cannot be stolen, |
| 39 | Or infect the waterhole, that is right ceremony. |
| 40 | When an uncle teaches his skills to his son and an auntie teaches her skills to her daughter, |
| 41 | That is right ceremony. |
| 42 | When the man protects his daughters from rape and incest, that is right ceremony. |
| 43 | When the young men respect the elders and obey their instruction, |
| 44 | That is right ceremony. |
| 45 | When the family follows the law, even if it pains their heart, that is right ceremony. |
| 46 | When the dead are buried and honored, with their name not mentioned to give them leaving time, |
| 47 | That is right ceremony. |
| 48 | When a tribe honors the custom of messengers and truce, that is right ceremony. |
| 49 | When a tribe gives food and good custom to strangers who come in peace, |
| 50 | That is right ceremony. |
| 51 | A man who has no respect for life, does not perform right ceremony. |
| 52 | Such a man must be held account for his transgression against the law. |
| 53 | If he be initiated yet have no knowledge of right ceremony, |
| 54 | Then it is his teacher that must bear the punishment. |
| 55 | But if a man be initiated and he does not perform right ceremony and does not live good life, |
| 56 | Then he must face the punishment of the law. |
| 57 | A tribe that permits bad ceremony, invites illness and death. |
| 58 | Yet, a tribe that does not permit bad ceremony, can never die. |
| 59 | Any law that dishonors such law cannot be law. |
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The Second Age Of Flesh