Core Mythos of the Americas: Legend of the Rainbow Warriors

Here is one way of expressing America’s ancient teachings in a soundbite suitable for the digital age: ‘There will come a time when the Earth grows sick. When it does a tribe will gather from all the cultures of the world who believe in peaceful deeds and not words. They will work to heal the land…they will be known as the Warriors of the Rainbow.’

Over the centuries many of the elders of the Americas have dreamed that people of all colors and faiths would come together on the land and heal the earth.

In contemplating these legends while working in the agrarian realm, I’ve always felt that these mythic notions are in many ways what the good-food, community-food movement is about. It’s not just providing clean food so people might have strong bodies and minds, but also about right relations, and about directly involving people in healing the earth — or otherwise inspiring them to empower ambassadors (farmers and gardeners) to touch and heal the earth on their behalf.

In the way I have learned from the elders, we do not speak of these stories as prophecies, but rather we refer to them as understandings or teachings. The stories originate from many sources, arising from a great number visionary elders of the Americas, figures such as Black Elk, Weetucks, White Buffalo Calf Woman, Quetzalcoatl, Crazy Horse, White Shell Woman, and Eyes of Fire. The understandings have been passed on through the generations to the present with meticulous care, and they continue to inspire hope, vision, and positive action among the people.

Thus, it seemed to me auspicious when earlier this week The Harlem Writers Guild announced the release of a new ebook version of one of my early works that weaves together a great many of these teachings, Legend of the Rainbow Warriors.

Legend of the Rainbow Warriors is a true, carefully researched nonfiction account of these key pluralistic myths and mysteries of the Americas. As critics have noted it’s also an electrifying exploration of how those archetypal teachings are resounding through real time upon the land as we approach the signal date of December 21, 2012.

I’m pleased to add my words in echo to the publisher’s announcement: Legend of the Rainbow Warriors is now available for immediate download in an array of ebook formats — and print editions — from iUniverse.com or Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com