Rainbow Tribe:
As with many things, this book came into my life at a time when I needed it. I wasn't looking for it - it came to me. I don't know if I feel comfortable with the label "Rainbow Tribe", any more than I would call myself a feminist (although I do espouse women's causes) or a New Ager (although I do have many New Age interests).
From the introduction to Part One of The Rainbow Tribe: "These Two-legged will be called the Rainbow Tribe, for they are the product of thousands of years of melding among the five original races. These Children of Earth have been called together to open their hearts and to move beyond the barriers of disconnection. The medicine they carry is the Whirling Rainbow of Peace, which will mark the union of the five races as one." Taken from "Other Council Fires Were Here Before Ours" by Jamie Sams.
Ed McGaa (Eagle Man) studied with Frank Fool's Crow and Bill Eagle Feather, Sioux holy men, and is a student of the wisdom of Black Elk, a Sioux visionary . He was born on the Pine Ridge reservation in North Dakota, is a registered Sioux tribal member and was amongst the first to bring back the Sun Dance - a ritual dance that had been prohibited for many years . He holds a law degree from North Dakota University, and was a pilot in the Marines, flying 110 missions in Viet Nam during the Viet Nam war (I use the term war - it was much more than a conflict!).
In this, the second book of wisdom from Eagle Man, we look at why he feels that it is so very important that Native American spirituality be shared with the whole fo the human race. He believes, as many of us do, that to heal the earth we need to heal ourselves.
From Part 1: Reconnecting with the Natural Way: "The function of vision, ritual and perceiving intellect is to allow us to experience our spirituality here and now. We are a manifestation of the six powers physically. Three of the powers make up our very life form, our visible being. These are earth (sixth power), water (west power) and energy (the fifth power - the energy from the sun). The other three powers make up our inner being and are more fully explained subsequently. These six powers are clearly visible, today and every day. They are a direct manifestation of Great Mystery and are contained within the great circle wherein we reach our manifestation."
Eagle Man discusses the role of women in ritual and ceremony - a role that he believes is equal to that of the man. He discusses the wisdom shared by White Buffalo Calf Woman in regards to the red peace pipe that she carried to the Sioux from Great Spirit. She taught the people the use of the pipe in seven sacred ceremonies: the Sweat Lodge, the Vision Quest, the Sun Dance, the Making of Relatives, the Keeping of the Soul, the Womanhood Ceremony and the Throwing of the Ball. (The Sun Dance and the Keeping of the Soul ceremonies were subsequently banned by the federal government.)
Eagle Man discusses the Sweat ceremonies that he has attended, and some that he has conducted. His writing is such strong medicine that at one point when reading his description of what appeared during one of his ceremonies I became part of the experience. He is a traditional Sioux, and at all times emphasizes the Sacred in daily life.
One of the most emotional parts of the book for me was his sharing of the ceremony that his tribe held for tribal members before they left for the war, and the ceremonies that the tribe held upon their return. They were honored as warriors - something that no non-Native American ever experienced.
When in Washington D.C. to attend and lecture at a conference, he visited the Viet Nam Memorial Wall. He ended up holding ceremony there two days later with two women and one veteran from the conference, and other veterans that he had met at the wall on the first day that he visited there. He gave them resolution - something most Viet Nam Veterens never got.
If you have an interest in Native American history, if you want to know anything about Sweat Lodge Ceremony, if you want to see why sharing of knowledge about Mother Earth is so very important - read this book.
Eagle Man is a lecturer and writer with credentials, a caring attitude and a marvelous sense of humor and proportion about life. In regards to the Sacred Pipe and it's use by non-Native Americans, he has a wonderful suggestion - the use of Wotai stones (personal ceremonial stones) in their place.
And he has a very common sense response to those who want to bring a give-away to a holy person - leave the tobacco home and bring .... If you seriously want to know - read the book!
In honor of Ed McGaa (Eagle Man) for all that I learned through his being willing to share his life and knowledge -
Mitakuye oyasin!
Ordinary People Journeying On The Red Road
by Ed McGaa, Eagle Man
Harper/San Francisco
1992
ISBN # 0-06-250611-0
August 2000
