Today's guest blogger is Plunker - one of the earlies who has been gathering since 1972. While I don't agree with everything he says, he deserves our respect and I hope you take the time to read his words.
Now, in Montana, 1976, up near Choteau, Montana... and, Montana Chuck and i traveled over to see the Governor, a couple more folks with us... both Montana born, bred, true (as folks say)... it seemed like a good Meeting... then we go to Radio Station... talk about it... radio station were told we got run out of the Capitol by security...
then, gets back home to the Gathering and folks had a Circle, and somehow come to a consensus, in those times, that if I wanted to go to the Border for Hands across the Border for Peace... the Feds, etc... didn't want us to go as Rainbow and, the circle of the Day... agreed... also, agreed to signing a permit -- unofficially OF course... just folks all stood up and agreed People could go, but not wearing Rainbow Colors... across Blackfeet Reservation.... when Chuck and i got Home... I asked for another circle, and, in that circle... said NO to the PERMIT (permit got signed anyway -- more folks in consensus, circle one, than in circle two... dang)...
anyways, Morning of the 4th about 150 folks... including Feather, who spoke about this at the City council... Blackfeet Tribal Council,. (still) Chief Earl Old Person.... sent Thomas Medicine Crow, B.I.A. officer, who said to me, others... "If I had been ordered to, I would have stopped you at the edge of the Reservation, but I have been ordered to escort you across the Reservation." with State Police, sheriffs, Forest Service L.E.O.s (of the time...)
Early on, before the Gathering... Montana Chuck and i traveled to Browning, Montana, knocked on Chief Earl Old Person's door.... at Tribal H.Qs.... We spoke of the Rainbow Gathering, told him all we could in the short time there.... and ASKED... said.... EVEN THOUGH STATE HIGHWAY... to Chief Mountain International Station, from Choteau, Montana... IN RESPECT, we asked as a neighboring crew of people, a small tribe of folks seeking Peace...
wanting to pass through their lands. chuck and i brought Tobacco, sage, cedar, small bundle... gave it to Chief Earl Old Person, for the Blackfeet People, etc.... (unnoticed by chuck and me, the Chief had turned on the speaker system to all the offices and places... so many, many folks heard.
blessings of the Spirit, there was opposition in "official" Browning, until July 1st.. when the Tribal Council changed.... AND, Curley Bear, friends, a young traditional with strong vibes, tad wild like in the days of long ago.. fierce, later with laughter... came, sorta on his own, with with friends and came into the Gathering... his words to the Blackfeet People were, to me, what opened the Way for an escort rather than a blockade... Traveled to the Hands across the Border for Peace, escorted through Browning, through the Blackfeet Lands (only one way... thomas and the cops all left -- no biggie) iffn they hadn't escorted the Rainbow Caravan.. it mite not have been noticed...
There was SWAT team surrounded us at the Border, as Feather said.... Garrick was on that Ride... some great folks... David....
I have always advocated, and acted on the Concept that there are many Tribes and People... it is Respect to communicate with folks before you drop in on their Homes and/or Spiritual Places.... I did that with the Hopi and Dine (Navajo) best i could when i reckoned 1st Gathering would be within a 100 miles. Wyoming 1973, Gathering was not held across the Wind River Tribal lands (reservation) some folks who advocate and acted on their beliefs, got jailed.. Rainbow was in Popo Ashie (sp), Red Canyon area...
There are hundreds of RAINBOW laundromats, in America... the color Rainbow is in the hands of the Great Spirit... there are folks who Gather in one Way, some in another... some folks even fly the Rainbow Gathering "colors" .. amazing.... a number of years ago Zeus took his "No Masturbation" msg, 1992, rolled in Black Hills area, many tribes of Sioux Lands, with a few folks.. flew Rainbow "colors" all the way in and out... still being talked about --
Iffn I was to be wanting to roll into South Dakota, with an assembly of folks i.e. a gathering.... AND, I wasn't riding choppers, heading to Sturgis.... AND, i was reckoning to be bringing in the "kind village" of Rainbow People.... to live and pray for days... to be with the (many tribes) of Sioux, and South Dakotans... etc... why,
(1) i be sure "kind village" Rainbows intended to be there
(2) are you sure a Rainbow Gathering, as is, these days, is a "kind village of folks", for these times, in those lands
(3) act with minimum respect, go there, not with thousands, but a few folks, beforehand, talk to all the different folks, in Tribal offices, in Sweat Lodges.. iffn you get close enuf... people in the streets...
at least, be strong enuf to step up to this level of minimum respect... All kinds of people travel as tourists thru these lands... this is different... iffn this is not understood... wasting my breathe...oh, yeah, take along some Tobacco, sage, cedar... etc...
(4) Gathering in Peace , clean up, please DON'T leave thousands and thousands of hospital bills for the Tribes to have to pay off.. or the small South Dakota towns... (as in Dillon, Montana 2013)... even iffn it ain't the responsibility of Rainbow, per se... understand, in Sioux Country the people is barely surviving
(5) as far as flying Rainbow Colors... anyone can fly whatever they want... lots of folks calling themselves Rainbow Family had done dumb, messed up shit hence the name Rainbow Bozos, LameBows... etc.-- the poll in Missoulian paper, is running 4 in ten against Rainbow, right now... i am amazed it ain't 6 in 10.... it mite be.
I won't be traveling to the Black Hills... or South Dakota... or East, for that matter... for me, there are a very few opportunities for some weakening, older Rainbows i been riding with, for many years, to get together.. to Gather again... most of these are on the West Coast, Northwest, Southwest...
I thought there mite have been a chance in Montana 2013.. oh well -- needed is a LOW elevation, west coast Site, either southern oregon, northern calif, accessible for the handicapped, older bunch..... last couple Gathering automatically cut all these folks OUT --
younger Gatherers.... whether they are Rainbow, or ride as as friends, neighbors, on the common ground.. can roll bout anywhere....
there are some folks who have their visions, dreams, plans and want to fly Rainbow and roll into South Dakota... AND....
there are, blessings, more than one gathering, many circles... you know the song... MAY THE CIRCLES BE UNBROKEN... by and by... so be it...
iffn i am going to put my energy into something, i am wanting to understand to where is the best place... and i don't go where i don't see to go... and where i see to go i go so i will keep on going and be in the west somewhere this year... either in such a (regional) as i describe or, if there is no event... in Montana.
Felipe, ole guy like me, and i talked about rounding up Montana Chuck traveling over to South Dakota, in Sioux lands, meet the folks like i been relating... i know folks there, he knows folks, chuck... iffn i was to go, i'd ask some of younger, now "kitchens" i.e. tribals... to make the journey..
Or, folks want to be heading that way... mite be good iffn you read this long rap, mite mean something....
i know some of the folks who are planning on South Dakota... i can't visualize them folks paying any attention to what i am writing, nor, or care one way or the other about the Sioux people or the people of South Dakota, etc.. ain't any of there concerns (far as i can tell) .... to them, they reckon they got something going and they will.... also, so be it..... each to their own path along this Trail..,
Other folks i know very sincere... mite even want to reach out, etc.. but unlikely to be in the early scouting...
i have gathered in Sioux lands, with Sioux people, and like Felipe, have long time friendships... so i hope, pray .... whoever rides and Gathers in South Dakotas or Sioux country, do so with Respect...
peace with justice,and justice comes with respect... Barry, plunkr, Montana, Rainbow Family Tribe (imagi-creed)
Sunday, February 8, 2015
1 comment:
Please keep your comments to the point. Any comments advocating violence, sexism or racism will not be published. You don't have to agree with me, but you can't cuss me or anyone else out either. As of 6/11/15 I'm not sure how I will be publishing comments. Too many people just submitting the same comment over and over again and I'm overwhelmed by trying to sort this out. So feel free to comment, but understand I may not be approving all comments.
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your assessment of how the family must comport itself in the black hills is quite accurate, though I think you meant to say 'maximum', not 'minimum' respect.
ReplyDeletea number of longtime family members, most notably felipe chavez and david Williams, have responded to the call for gatherings the black hills and four corners for this year and next in a very serious effort to fulfill the native prophesy of a new nation of people arising from the children of people from other continents who would reject the Babylonian society and walk the red road with them.
the rainbow family can never be that because it cannot commit to enforcing the behavioral restrictions that would be necessary to accomplish that. the culture clash has become too great and the people truly committed to manifesting the native prophesies have split off to a new group, the reunion of the condor and the eagle and beyond under the guidance of chief phil lane and others.
although first nations people appreciate the good intentions of the family founders and long time gatherers, they reject the leaderless council process as a valid form of tribal governance and take great offence at sacred ceremonies performed in a haphazard manner. they are eager to teach the medicine way to any who sincerely want to learn. there is a Lakota medicine chief specifically looking for sisters who want to learn the songs and sacred crafting.
since I won't have to travel with everything I own, it should be safe for me to come home to either new England or the great lakes, which it is makes no difference to me , since the great lakes is my home region and new England is my old stomping ground.