A poem known variously as the "Indian Wedding Blessing", "Apache Blessing", "Apache Wedding Prayer", "Benediction of the Apaches", "Cherokee Wedding Blessing",Cherokee Wedding Blessing
on

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and with various forms, is commonly recited at weddings in the United States. The poem is of modern non-Native origin, and is fake folklore ( fakelore). The poem was originally written in 1947 by the non-Native author

Elliott Arnold Elliott Arnold (September 13, 1912 – May 13, 1980) was an American newspaper feature writer, novelist, and screenwriter. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he became a feature writer with the ''New York World-Telegram'' and authored dozens of novels ...

in his

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

novel ''Blood Brother''. The novel features

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

culture, but the poem itself is an invention of the author's, and is not based on any traditions of the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

or any other Native American culture. The poem was popularized by the 1950 film adaptation of the novel, '' Broken Arrow'', scripted by

Albert Maltz Albert Maltz (; October 28, 1908 – April 26, 1985) was an American playwright, fiction writer and screenwriter. He was one of the Hollywood Ten who were jailed in 1950 for their 1947 refusal to testify before the US Congress about their invo ...

, and the depiction of the marriage is criticized as a "Hollywood fantasy" ( Hollywood Indian stereotype).

Poem

The poem, in its original form in the 1947 novel, begins "Now for you there is no rain / For one is shelter to the other" and ends "Now there is no loneliness. / Now, forever, forever, there is no loneliness". The poem is not associated with any particular

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

(aside from being misrepresented as Native American) and does not mention a

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

or include a petition, only a wish. The 1950 film text begins "Now you will feel no rain" and ends "Go now. Ride the white horses to your secret place." There are now numerous variations of the poem, generally based on the film, rather than the novel. One modern form ends with "May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth."

Criticism

The ''

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,'' citing Rebecca Mead's book on American weddings, characterized it as "'traditionalesque', commerce disguised as tradition"."American weddings: Beware the bridezilla monster", ''The Economist.'' May 26, 2007. Vol. 383, Issue 8530, p. 99. (A review of the book ''One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding.'' By Rebecca Mead. Penguin Press.
full text
(available to subscribers only) The poem has gained even wider exposure as a series of

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, often accompanied by stereotypical depictions of Native Americans depicted as

Noble savage A noble savage is a literary stock character who embodies the concept of the indigene, outsider, wild human, an " other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. Besides appearing in m ...

s. That it is continually misrepresented as Apache, Cherokee, or generic "Native American" is an example of both

cultural misappropriation Cultural appropriation is the inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity. This can be controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from ...

and modern fakelore.

Notes

{{wedding Prayer Wedding traditions Cultural appropriation Fakelore