[2] The poem was originally written in 1947 by the non-Native author Elliott Arnold in his Western novel Blood Brother.
[5][6] The poem is not associated with any particular religion (aside from being misrepresented as Native American) and does not mention a deity or include a petition, only a wish.
[8] One modern form ends with "May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.
"[2] The Economist, citing Rebecca Mead's book on American weddings,[9] characterized it as "'traditionalesque', commerce disguised as tradition".
That it is continually misrepresented as Apache, Cherokee, or generic "Native American" is an example of both cultural misappropriation and modern fakelore.