By Myriah Krista Walker

The great Nez Perce chief, Hin Mah Too Yah Lat Kekt (Thunder Rolling in the Mountains), is known historically as Chief Joseph. He lived from about 1840 to September 21, 1904. During the 1877 Nez Perce War and until his death, Joseph was one of the tribe's most prominent leaders. As an eloquent speaker and statesman, he was a strong advocate of Native American rights and the brotherhood/sisterhood of all people.

John Cali is an author and publisher, and has been channeling Chief Joseph since 1992. Joseph has asked John to join him in working with people who may be drawn to his energy. Joseph said his purpose in doing this is to remind us of three things we already know, but may have forgotten: firstly, that we are all one. Secondly, we are all part of the Great Spirit - we ARE the Great Spirit and, thirdly, that we all have divine potential - we all have unique talents to be used in the service of humanity and the planet.

Recently Myriah conducted an interview with John.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

As strange as it may seem now, I wanted to be a cowboy - actually, a rancher. I even started out my college career with that as my goal. But one thing led to another, and it never happened. What attracted me to that lifestyle was living in the West. I've always been attracted to Western America, especially the mountains. It's an odd twist, but my brother, who was never particularly drawn to the West when we were younger, is now a rancher in Wyoming.

WHAT CHILDHOOD STORIES AND/OR BOOKS REALLY AFFECTED WHO YOU ARE TODAY?

I've always been attracted to the outdoor life, even as a young child. Most of the books I read back then had to do with nature and the outdoors, so it was early in my life that I developed a reverence for the earth and a fascination with everything on it, plant and animal.

DID YOU HAVE A VERY SPIRITUAL UPBRINGING?

In a conventional sense, yes. I was born and raised a Roman Catholic. I even signed up to go into the seminary in my late teens. But I always had nagging doubts. I suspected that wasn't what I was supposed to do with my life, so I never entered the seminary. Then around 1980 I became fascinated with the Seth material channeled by Jane Roberts. Soon afterwards I left the Catholic Church and never turned back. That was the real beginning of the spiritual journey I'm on now.

HOW DID YOU BEGIN CHANNELING? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW DID CHIEF JOSEPH COME INTO YOUR LIFE?

I became interested in channeling in the mid-1980s. I read the book, "Opening to Channel" by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer, and their guides, Orin and DaBen. Then I went out to California to take one of their channeling classes. My first spirit guide appeared to me as a young Native American woman. Her name was Tamarra, and I channeled her from about 1988 to 1992.

As to how Joseph and I came together, here's that story (as I have it on our website):

On May 24, 1992, as the sun broke through the misty silvery stillness of the California mountains, a familiar figure appeared to me. He identified himself as Chief Joseph. He was familiar because he'd been lingering on the periphery of my awareness for six years. But I never knew who he was. Now I did.

In May 1992, I was experiencing some pretty hefty challenges in my personal and spiritual life. (Or to use Joseph's definition of challenges - opportunities for remembering who I am.) He offered to help me. I said, "Sure, I can use all the help I can get!" And so it began. Joseph and I continued like that, one-on-one, for several years. We dealt mostly with my personal issues.

Then, toward the end of 1995, Joseph asked if I'd consider channeling for others, especially since it had been so helpful to me. I said, "No, I don't think so." A few months later, I met some folks who soon became close friends. They asked me if I'd channel for them. I said, "Well, no, I don't do that sort of thing." But one thing led to another, and ultimately Joseph and my friends prevailed.

I can't say it was an easy journey in the beginning, but it was fun and fulfilling, and it still is. More importantly, though, this journey has brought many people (including me) closer to Home, closer to remembering who we really are.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHIEF JOSEPH LIKE?

I guess I'd describe it as a combination of a father-son relationship and a peer relationship. When we first started working together in 1992, I was caught up in my own personal challenges. And so Joseph was cast into the role of a father figure, helping me sort through my own life. But then when we started working with other people, his and my relationship became more like one of equal partners. Today, it sometimes shifts back and forth, depending on whether I'm going to him for personal guidance or we're doing a reading for someone else. Overall, Joseph and I have an easy-flowing, comfortable relationship, often bantering with each other the way you might with an old friend you've known all your life.

WORKING WITH SPIRIT HAS A WAY OF CHANGING THE CHANNELER VIBRATIONALLY. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WORKING WITH DIVINE LOVE HAVE BROUGHT UPON YOU?

Yes, working with spirit definitely does change you vibrationally. I can sum up the changes working with Joseph has made in my life by simply saying I've become more aware of the power of love. Joseph defines love as a choice to recognize the divinity in all beings. When we love unconditionally, we can never deceive, manipulate, abuse or misuse any creatures, even those we consider inanimate objects. Learning a deeper reverence for all beings and all life is one of the most valuable changes I've experienced since working with spirit.

YOU RECENTLY MADE THE DECISION TO QUIT REAL ESTATE IN ORDER TO WORK FULL TIME WITH SPIRIT. WHAT DO YOU WISH TO SHARE ABOUT THIS, AND HOW IS THAT TRANSITION DEVELOPING?

Well, it's been so recent - just several weeks - that I haven't yet seen the full effect of that decision. But I have felt a deep sense of freedom and joy. The business world no longer brought me fulfillment. It had become a restrictive and joy-less environment for me. I was allowing it to drain my energy. I finally realized if I continued like that much longer, I wouldn't be effective in either realm - the world of business or my work with Joseph. I remember something Seth once said (I'm paraphrasing here), "If it isn't fun, don't do it." Everything in our lives should be fun. I've heard that many times, from many sources. Joseph often says it in readings. I guess I had to get to the point of emotional exhaustion before that message sank in, but I did finally get it. I have no regrets, and I'm not looking back. I'm just having a lot of fun.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE...

MOVIE

Well, until recently, I'd seen only a couple of movies in the past 15 years or so. I'm not familiar with all that's available today, but of the movies I've seen lately, my favorite is "Field of Dreams." I saw it just after I quit the real estate business, so the baseball field became a metaphor for my work with Joseph. There was a deeply powerful message there for me.

PLACE ON EARTH

My favorite place on earth is the mountains. I particularly love the northern Rockies and the Sierras of California and Nevada. I've lived in the West on and off over the years. Before I came to Virginia a few years ago, I'd lived in northwestern Wyoming not far from Yellowstone National Park. I loved it there and might return to that general area within the next year or two. The intense energies of the mountains inspire and uplift me. I feel so much at home and at peace when I'm in those high sacred places.

BOOKS

Back in the early 1980s, when I started in earnest on my spiritual path, I read all the Seth books several times over. Since then I've read just about all the new age books I could get my hands on. Today my favorites are the Orin and DaBen books channeled by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer, and the Emmanuel books channeled by Pat Rodegast. I also love the books written by Dan Millman and Richard Bach.

RELAXATION ACTIVITY

For relaxation, I enjoy being out in nature - walking, horseback riding, mountain climbing. I jog regularly and enjoy it mostly because it gets me outside even when I'm busy with my work. I meditate every day and find that deeply relaxing. And, of course, when I channel Chief Joseph, that also is deeply relaxing and energizing for me.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU NEED INSPIRATION?

If I'm feeling down or blue, I've found talking to those close to me usually boosts my spirits (no pun intended!). And that includes Chief Joseph. But, just as importantly, it includes my human friends and family. Most of my life I've been a lone wolf. I'm only now fully realizing the wonderful benefits of just simply being with someone who deeply cares for you when you need to be inspired. I seem to be discovering a few things a bit late in life that should have been obvious to me earlier on!

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS/FAMILY/CHILDREN?

PETS

I grew up in a rural area of western New York State and have always loved animals. I especially love dogs, particularly miniature schnauzers. I've had dogs most of my life, though I don't have one at the moment.

FAMILY

I have a large family, most of whom are still in western New York State. There were three children in my immediate family. My sister is a nurse and lives with her husband and teenage son in Rochester, New York. My brother, as I mentioned earlier, is a rancher and lives in Cody, Wyoming. He and his wife have two grown sons.

CHILDREN

I have a 24-year-old son in Brooklyn. He graduated from New York University last year and is now a financial analyst with a large Manhattan publishing company.

WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY THINK OF THE WORK YOU DO?

Most of my family is on a much different spiritual path than I'm on. They accept and love me, as I do them. However, I don't think most of them understand my brand of spirituality. As I mentioned earlier, I was born and raised a Roman Catholic, but left the church about 20 years ago. Most of my family that's still alive has clung to the religious values of our parents and grandparents. It's a large and close-knit family, and I think that transcends the differences among us. Both sides of the family were Sicilian immigrants, and I grew up in a warm, nurturing and loving environment.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE TO FOLKS OF ALL AGES OPENING UP TO SPIRIT?

I'd tell them to follow their inner guidance. As I see it, many people (including me) were too easily swayed by others when they started in earnest on their spiritual paths. Those others often include sincere, well-meaning friends and family. Our society, in my opinion, does not teach us to listen to the voice of God within. Instead, it tells us to look outside ourselves for wisdom and guidance. I think it's fine to listen to others, for we can learn much from one another. But ultimately, we must follow our own inner wisdom. And that's sometimes a tough challenge for many, even in this era of greater spiritual awareness. As Joseph often says, we are our own highest and best authority.

WE ARE ALL SPIRITUAL BEINGS HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE. HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR SPIRITUAL WORK WITH THE MUNDANE TASKS OF LIFE?

I don't always do a good job of balancing my spirituality with my routine daily life. However, I'm getting better at it. For me, part of the answer lies in recognizing what you just said - we are all spiritual beings having a human experience. Everything we do is spiritual - all our thoughts, beliefs, words and actions are part of our spiritual path. For me, the challenge is to remember our spiritual nature in the midst of what Emmanuel calls the illusion of our third-dimensional lives - and to stay consciously connected to my higher self even while doing mundane chores.

WHAT IS THE MOST HUMOROUS EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE HAD WITH CHIEF JOSEPH?

Believe it or not, Joseph does have a sense of humor, although it's usually subtle. He often reminds me (and others) his only purpose is to help us pierce the veil of forgetfulness between our human selves and the Gods and Goddesses we truly are. Or, as he humorously put it once, his goal is to put the Joseph-and-John team out of business. Once everyone remembers who they are, we won't have anything left to do. (Hopefully, not too soon!)

IF YOU ONLY HAD THIS PRESENT 'NOW' MOMENT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE UPON THE PLANET, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY OR DO?

I'd tell everyone I meet to live simply - and to simply live - in the moment. I love what Joseph once told a dear friend of mine - his words say it so beautifully: Your Soul - your higher self is always in a state of perfect bliss' perfect joy' perfect peace. It is a state somewhat like a deep meditative state, but with total awareness of your reality and existence IN THE MOMENT. If you are fully present in the moment with love, there can be no pain, no sorrow; there can be nothing but total peace'the peace, as your bible says, that surpasses all understanding.