Boys Initiation

Reviving the Warrior Traditions:

What does it mean to be a traditional warrior?
Men have a role of providing and protecting.
They follow the rules of: no harm to the women and children.

Seven generations ago with their community under attack and their ways of life at peril, Indian warriors laid down their arms, these brave warriors surrendered, and went to reservations instead of further fighting.

These great warriors for decades held off the US Army. Why then did they surrender? They had reached the heart breaking realization they could not win this war by fighting, they chose to preserve their people and to keep their children from dying in a war that would eventually be lost. These warriors knew there would be hardship and pain but they did what they could to protect their people with wise actions and sacrifices so that their children and their Ways would continue. The US on the other hand felt that there would be no need anymore for the BIA in the seventh generations. Their hopes were that either Native American Indians would die on reservations or be assimilated, but today we have survived. We are two million strong, with the youngest and the fastest growing population of any ethnic group.

We all owe these warriors a debt of gratitude. Their sacrifices have made it possible for our people to survive. These warriors knew the mark of a WARRIOR was dedicated to a cause greater than oneself, and they paid the price for our survival.

Seven generations later the time has come to rediscover and reinstate the Warrior Tradition among our people.

Children dance with the spirit of the past while keeping an eye on the future.

The Warrior Code is a tradition of dedication to a cause greater than oneself, assuring the safety and welfare of the women and our children. We need clear-eyed warriors, men and women, young and old, working together to stop the abuse on our children by whatever means necessary.

The seventh generation walks among us now, and now is the time for our new warriors to prepare this precious generation, so they can teach the next seven generations. Now is the time to rekindle the true warrior spirit. It starts by helping one child or woman at a time, toward self-reliance and self respect.

This life, this world and the universe are a web of relationships

Our wisdom-keepers tell us that nothing happens outside that doesn’t happen inside: we are thrashing the environment because we are thrashing inside. We look to the cleaning of this not only for ourselves but for those that follow us, our children and the next seven generations.

The Bows and Arrows

Indigenous peoples all over the world have known the power of gathering together in sacred ceremony, honoring the natural world, and the importance of maintaining the tradition of Rites of Passage for their young people as they move from the world of childhood into wearing the robe of an adult. In this modern society, it is easy to see the disconnection between many people and the natural world around them and the confusion and pain of our adolescents as they grow beyond the realm of childhood, too often having to create their own rites of passage by mimicking what they see in mass media portrayals of what it means to be an adult.

For these and many other reasons, the work and vision of Four Winds Foundation to preserve and teach Native Ways is necessary, perhaps now more than ever, to help to restore balance and remind us of the indigenosity within ourselves. No matter the color of our skin, we are all indigenous at the root of our family tree. We are blessed to have Sweet Medicine Nation as our teacher and our guide back to the truth that awaits within our own souls.

For those who are blessed with a boy in their family who is balancing on the edge of the worlds between being a child and an adult, Four Winds Foundation has exciting news. This fall, Deer Haven will be host to a Boy's Rites of Passage. Sweet Medicine Nation will be guiding this three day experience for boys from the age of 8 years old and up.

Boys must be accompanied by their father or other significant male.

Dates are: May (Friday thru Sunday). Boys and their sponsors are asked to be in camp by 4:30PM. Cost is $125.

You will need to bring:
Tents
Sleeping bags
Pads
Plate, cup, silverware
Clothes for the weather
Flashlights
water bottles
backpacks for day hiking.
Hats and sun screen
Jackets as Oct is a bit cooler at night.

Friday
Welcome to camp at 4:30pm
Tent setup at 5pm
Lodge at 5:30
Dinner at 7pm

Saturday
Introduction to the Days activities
Demonstrations of Bows and arrows ~ What roles did they play
Sack lunch and hike
Afternoon working on project. Primitive skills we can use today
Boys that are doing the night out will go out at 6pm
Others will be in camp and have a program

Sunday
Breakfast
The next morning go get the boy(s)
Welcome home the Warriors ceremony
What does this all mean now ~ Homecoming
(Mothers and community welcome to attend this part of the event, if they can.)
Noon Feast
Honorings
Pack up and depart around 2pm
Clean up

If you are interested in signing up for this beautiful and powerful ceremony, please respond by email or call 541-306-0383. We are requesting a $50 deposit to hold your place in camp. Please pass this information on to anyone you think would be interested or would benefit from this event.