A camp at the recent Rainbow Gathering in South Dakota. Photo by Richie Richards / Native Sun News
Scottie Addison, a longtime devotee of the Rainbow Gathering, responds to criticism of the event from Lakota and Dakota scholars in South Dakota:
It is surely true that the Rainbow Gatherings have been inspired and instructed by Native traditions, and arose mindfully in the long legacy of tribal gatherings on this continent. Yes, at the first Gathering in 1972 a mountainside glacier formed a perfect profile of a White Buffalo overlooking the Main Meadow, and this ancient story was told at the beginning... Rainbows adopted the 'Circle Council' from tribal customs, as a model of participatory democracy among equals... Grandfather David came to the 1977 Gathering with affirmations, and many people have walked in his path... and they have performed the old spiral Rain Dances in times of need, and it has rained. And it is fair to learn from the ways of others, as has always occurred in the meeting of different cultures throughout human history, apart from the conflicts of their warriors -- and this is all the more meaningful and crucial in these evolutionary times. Rainbows have always engaged Native people and observed their practices, sometimes naively but always respectfully. But this is only one dimension of the Gatherings... there's a lot more to it: Understand that the Rainbow Gathering is a spiritual pilgrimage open to all, welcoming many beliefs and inclusive of many cultures, and a refuge for some wild young spirits and weary older souls in these hard times. We all DO need "rebalance", and may come to this healing space. Those who attend freely bring diverse ideas and customs to expression, not "exploitation"... Native American traditions are just a part of this rich mix, shared in this unique way like nowhere else.Get the Story:
Scottie Addison: Rainbow Gathering Is Spiritual Pilgrimage, Not Exploitation (Indian Country Today 8/16)
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