Dear qpet,
"Walking the red road" is basically a mental and spiritual concept. It
relates to a spiritual journey, in the good, right, way. "Red", as in
the colour of God. However, choosing the red way to walk in implies
also a behavioural change.
This behavioural change is the understanding of the place of nature in
our lives, and the need to be in harmony with the nature. Therefore,
the concept also refers to achieving "mother earth" spirituality,
going in the nature way.
For example, a user named Jason writes in alt.freemasonary, that "The
Lakota Sioux principle of "Walking the good north-south red road",
walking the holy way of life (...). The Lakota see the most
fundamental step to walking the red road is giving yourself over to
Great Spirit." (Source: Jason, "Essay on ancient Freemasonry,
critiques welcome!" alt.freemasonary
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V2CB32913).
Some reservations must be expressed, or so it seems. This expression
and concept is referred to "Indians", and might stem, at least
partially, from the view of the Indians as a homogeneous mass, not as
different groups with different traditions. Therefore, the concept
might not be spread as "non-Indians" seem to think. Native American
religious traditions have gone, since the 1960s, in a process of
reshape according to some expectations of believers of New Religious
Movements, who consisted mostly of white, suburban, middle classed,
followers. That means, identification of "wholeness" in indigenous
religions (in contrast to Judeo-Christian institutionalised ones) and
a sort of unification of different traditions (of different groups)
along the way, as they are all "indigenous" (You could find more about
this interesting realm of the Religious Studies and the Sociology of
Religion in the University of Virginia site
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/home.html
Another Jason (presumably not the former one) writes about it in the
alt.native discussion group: "Every since Dances With Wolves the new
age part of society came crawling out of (nowhere)... most of them
were rejects from the 60s that couldn't find their place in the
nineties... I remember two years after Dances you I all these people
say "I've walked the red road for two years." Today I'm hearing a lot
of the same people saying "I was there at wounded knee in 1973 walking
the red road." It just bothers me to see people trying to be something
that (they're) not." (Source: Jason, "Re: Wierd White Indians "
alt.native, http://makeashorterlink.com/?K16C12913 ).
Tony Marino treats it all with a pinch of salt: "BONUS! For those who
order early, you will receive a phrase book that includes the proper
way to say, "Ayyyy!" with the appropriate head movements and some
slang from the Nation of your choice. The book also includes fail-safe
vague references to the "rez" and some handy-dandy pan-Indian sayings
such as, "walking the red road," "circle of life," "seven generations"
and "all my relations" -at no extra cost!" (Source: Toni Marino, "Re:
Way tooo funny, (Sorry here's the msg)" alt.native
http://makeashorterlink.com/?D5AC55913). The rest of the post,
regarding Indian wannabes, is also very funny.
Further Reading
===============
"RECOVERY MEDICINE WHEEL" in _Wolves of the Aspen_, by Milton Lewis,
University of
Rainbow Tribe, Ed (Eagle Man) McGaa _Ordinary People Journeying on the
Red Road_
POWWOW: IMAGES ALONG THE RED ROAD, photographs by Ben Marra. Harry
N. Abrams, Inc., 100 Fifth Ave., N.Y., NY 10011, (800) 345-1359,
FAX: (212) 645-8437.
http://www.powersource.com/cocinc/red/default.htm
http://www.orgsites.com/fl/drumming/_pgg5.php3
I hope that answered your question. I have searched Google for
"walking the red way", and also used my knowledge in the Sociology of
Religion. If you need any clarifications on this answer, please let me
know. I'd be pleased to clarify the answer before you rate it. |
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