This is Robert Roskind's new book about Native Americans and One Love. (click image above to read reviews & purchase on Amazon.com) It is one of the finest books I've ever read. Roskind did his research, which included not only visiting the tribal elders (Hopi, Havasupai and others), but producing One Love concerts on reservations and receiving the hidden secrets of the elders. The message he conveys from the original inhabitants of America is that of saving our species and planet from unconscious self-destruction. The Hopi have long prophesied these days of turmoil, when the weather becomes extreme, and most of humanity has lost its way. Roskind reminds us of the Beauty Path that is there for us to take, leading us to a restoration of values that we've lost. Central to the theme of these Hopi prophesies is the coming of the Rainbow People. Roskind has taken the One Love theme that Bob Marley started in Jamaica and which Roskind wrote about in his other book, Rasta Heart: A Journey into One Love, onto the impoverished landscape of the Native Americans. He shows that while some tribes have traded in their spiritual traditions for greedy casinos, some have kept these beliefs alive, handed down for so many generations. Now facing the death of their elders, who have kept the tribal secrets, they have decided to reveal these to the world because now is the time according to the prophesies. Roskind's activities with these tribes, Reggae concerts on the reservations, inspiring speeches by well respected members of their communities and discussions with tribal leaders and elders, have begun to restore the sense of community and purpose to the native american tribes, especially the young people, who would otherwise leave the tribe for work in the casinos and cities. Roskind has revitalized the One Love movement Marley started, and taken it a step further, onto the sacred lands of America. Now this movement is ready to explode. And that is why COOL is here. I hope you get a chance to read this book. I'd say it's as close to required reading as we can get. If you want to purchase the book or others in this forum, please use one of our links. Income from these books sales goes to support the HipForums, which is providing these forums to the COOL community.
Definitely sounds like required reading to me! I plan to purchase this one when I get a bit more cash together (it's been a very tough year so far) Thanks for sharing. I guess it may go without saying, but the Rainbow Family?......
The Rainbow people does not mean the Rainbow family. It means people of different color, different races, black, white, yellow, brown. Greenpeace has a number of ships named "Rainbow Warrior" however. Greenpeace is a movement to protect the earth's resources and ecology.
Cool, good to know. Personally, I have mostly Scots-Irish and Welsh blood, but I also have some Cherokee. I am proud of all of these races as they all have in common being subsumed by the English, among other European destroyers of peace and well being. Which is not to say that all English or other Europeans are essentially bad, but that there were elements in the ruling class of these other communities that felt the need for conquest of other communities. And it is not the fact of them being defeated, but that they did resist being overtaken. In this sense they have stuck by their heritage to the degree that they were able. My personaly quest began after attending a Pow wow and the next day having surgery. Somehow the combination of the Pow wow and then later being taken under by anesthesia seemed to awaken a thirst for guidance and knowledge of a spiritual nature. For years I have pointed out the foolishness of racism simply because though different races have apparent differences, we all have much more in common that we have that is different. We are all much more alike than we are different. Carried far enough, beyond the scope of the planet perhaps, we are all One. One Love symbolises this for me. I would like to live in line with this concept of being a Rainbow Warrior. Namaste'
There's a fascinating chapter in the book about how Native Americans had the FIRST DEMOCRACY in America, and the first TRUE democracy in the world, ever. The Iriqouis was a confederation of six nations, all joined together in peace. It was the model that the founders of our country used to frame their own democracy. The big ommision in the copy and paste that America's founders did with the Iriquois concept, was not giving women equal power and allowing slavery. The Iriquois could not understand that, as women were equal in their society. There were no slaves, and everyone was free! Here's a site with some info, but the book puts it all in perspective. http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=173
Looks like a good read - I will check it out - A few other books I've read about Native Americans which I've found very good: 'The Book of the Hopi' by Frank Waters. 'Black Elk Speaks' by John G.Neihart 'The Lance and the Shield - life and times of Sitting Bull' by Robert M. Uteley.
I loved the story of the "peacemaker", an outsider who convinced the Iriquois to lay down their weapons and make peace. Turns out MOST native American societies were also contacted by someone (a long time ago) who urged them to make peace and showed them how to unite warring tribes and create a democratic system. Some people believe that this person was Jesus, and that he taught the native americans MORE than he did the people in the holy lands because they didn't crucify him before he finished his message! Great book!
