The "Hopi Prophecy," the "Warriors of The Rainbow," and the
"Rainbow Uprising Campaign"

There is a 1962 book entitled Warriors of The Rainbow written
by two Baha'i Faith authors, biologist Vinson Brown and Eskimo William Willoya (Naturegraph Publishing), which offers an analysis of many different world religions and indigenous spiritual teachings with a focus on their "prophecies" as expressed in scriptures and the prophetic dreams and visions (in the sense that a "vision" is "something that you see with your eyes open but you know is not really there," eg, the native American spiritual practice of the "vision quest") Reading that book, by "coincidence" on their maiden protest voyage, is what inspired Greenpeace to name their ship the Rainbow Warrior.

As someone with a degree in chemistry and a "science mind-set" limited to thinking in terms of linear cause and effect, it was a big revelation to me when I read this book in 1975, the theme of the book supported by charts etc, that so many recent events in human history seem to have been predicted in common by so
many different of these ancient sources from various time periods and cultures and languages around the world, that it is therefore not unreasonable to expect that things they predict in common that have not yet come to pass will also "happen," and that the "source" of this information coming through these different "prophecies" is the same source (whatever to call it).

The "bottom line" of the thesis of this book is the coming of a
"new Way" and (p.74) "...that new Way shows the path for all
the religions, even the ancient religions of the Indian and Eskimo
peoples, to understand how to love one another, and to put the
great puzzle that is religion into one complete and wonderful whole without fanaticism." Those who have an understanding of this "new Way" and who teach it to others are called "The Warriors of The Rainbow," teaching "...unity, love and understanding among all peoples" working towards fulfilling the common prediction of these prophecy interpretations, "...the formation of a New World of justice and peace..." (p.77).

The Eskimo author in writing this book was motivated by a dream of his own that he saw the meaning of when he met the Hopi and received their message after he learned that the word in his language and the Hopi language, Kiva, had the same meaning. I thought both authors were also surprised that the name for the "True One," predicted by the Hopi to come to help change the course of human history off of its present pathway towards total destruction of life on Earth and onto the pathway towards peace and harmony among all life, Pahana or Bahana, was similar in sound to the name of the founder of the Baha'i Faith, ie, Bahullah. In fact the chapter in that book about the Hopi (p.53 "Hopi Prophetic Visions") seemed to be a central chapter due its specificity of "signs and portents" predicted since ancient times and apparently fulfilled in recent history, although not discussed there perhaps due the "filter" of the particular eyes and views of these authors. In 1976 I obtained a copy of a 1961 three page letter written by Hopi interpreter Thomas Banyacya upon which that chapter was based, and subsequently had a working relationship with him until his passing on Feb.6 1999 after fulfilling his mission assigned him in 1948 by his elders whose message that letter contained, ie, his delivery of the Hopi message for peace in 1992 to the United Nations - the
predicted "house of mica".

Many people have been inspired and uplifted by the life
work of Banyacya in sharing the Hopi message of steadfast
faith in nonviolence and spiritual practice ("prayer, meditation,
fasting, and ceremony") and fascinated by how the ancient
Hopi elders' visions and dreams actually predicted the first
and second World Wars, the symbols used by Japan and
Germany, the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
and even the coming of the United Nations where the leaders
of the nations of world would come together to collaborate for
peace. It was apparently these atomic bombings that indicated
to the various elders there that these teachings should be
brought to the outside world which they did in their first ever
comparison of their secret societies' knowledge in 1948 when
Banyacya was designated to do this as their interpreter.

From Banyacya I learned that the Hopi language word usually
translated as "prophecy" also has the meaning in English of
"Life Plan". Many languages do not translate precisely between
one another, similarly with Arabic as per testimony of the head
of the Palestinian Center for Nonviolence in Jerusalem who in
1989 came to Santa Barbara and explained that the Arabic
word "intifada" is usually translated into English as "uprising"
but has a deeper meaning in Arabic as a spiritual practice of
"self purification to uprise one's consciousness to a higher
level from which the solutions to problems can be seen". He
explained then that the Palestinian people were so frustrated
that the most his organization was able to do was to limit the
violence to throwing rocks.

This above is the essence of why the name "Rainbow Uprising
Campaign" was coined in 1990 when it was initiated in Santa
Barbara with a week of events, including Banyacya's participation on his way to the Global Forum that January in the USSR with other indigenous spiritual spokespeople, global religious and national leaders et al. I organized and coordinated the SB events to initiate this Rainbow Uprising Campaign based on my understanding of Islam which I embraced in 1963, and my understanding and "strange experiences" visiting the Hopi land 1976-1977 as explained in my poorly written writeup including "why I dyed my lab coat red" (June 14, 1976, "fire sign") at www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/history.html

Among the many many others inspired by this Hopi (meaning
"peaceful people" according to Banyacya and applying to all
who believe this way irrespective of "race" per his "Hopi
Declaration of Peace" classic document posted at
www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/tbhopi.html) Message,
which includes the prediction of the "coming of many new
inventions," was the leadership of the former Sunburst Community in Santa Barbara who had Banyacya and other Hopi leaders come to their place several times in the 1970's and which Banyacya told me he greatly respected. Perhaps "by coincidence" that was the community which sponsored the historic scientific work of Bruce DePalma in Santa Barbara 1979-80 on their S-machine (or as DePalma called it the n-Machine) as one of now many new energy technologies portending the replacement of nuclear and fossil fuel power. That and earlier keystone experiments by DePalma and his colleague and assistant Ed Delvers are posted at www.depalma.pair.com and more about the teachings
of the founder of that Sunburst community, now Solar Logos,
is at www.solarlogosfoundation.org  .

It's all still a part of the "Great Mystery" and an "ongoing experiment" to "figure out" the meanings and dynamics of all this "prophecy stuff," but it is clear that there are many different interpretations of such -- and that only those who have the understanding and interest will pursue it.

During the first week of July 1977, I was brought to my first annual "Rainbow Gathering" by a Buddhist Monk of the Nipponzan Myohoji Order founded by the late most venerable Nichidatsu Fujii who was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and became a strong supporter of the revival of the indigenous American spiritual cultures after meeting some of their leaders when he was 92 years old and participated in the American Indian Movement's Longest Walk of 1978 www.peacepagoda.org  I had fasted for a week in the Hopi land ending on the Summer Solstice that year when I went to Banyacya's house and delivered the printed invitation information to that gathering I had received, and gave him a book about Sathya Sai Baba saying that I thought somehow he would be involved in the fulfillment of the Hopi prophecy about the "return of the sacred stone tablet." www.sathyasai.org and
www.saibabamiracles.com

At that gathering in New Mexico, at close to 100 years of age, the widely known Hopi Grandfather David Monongye spoke to the circle about how he saw these annual gatherings and their example (for humanity living together as one family of humankind in peace via selfless service as the highest expression of love) as consistent with the above Hopi message, this theme of the Warriors of The Rainbow. My arrival at that circle was delayed because I was transfixed for half an hour by a double rainbow forming gradually across the misty canyon as literally thousands of people kept on chanted "rainbow, rainbow,
rainbow...."

In 1984 this annual gathering was held in California as it will be this year.

These annual World Family Gatherings, held in the wilderness in
different States each year surrounding the main week of July 1-7, with the main event a silent circle of hands ceremony with thousands of people praying for the future of America and the world on July 4, began somewhat "unintentionally" after attendees "got the spirit" and spontaneously kept them going annually after the inspiration of the "peace and love" 60's counterculture movement activists holding the "Vortex Gathering" in 1970 on the river outside Eugene Oregon
successfully defusing what was otherwise feared to be a violent protest over a planned pro-Vietnam-war rally at the Veterans Hall there. Most uniquely, these gatherings draw folks together without any organization or "group" sponsoring them, ie, purely individuals gathering as humans, with the philosophy of "all volunteer, everything free, everyone welcome, all donations accepted" - a practice of the fundamental spiritual teaching
of "offering" as the alternative to the materialistic world societies based on money. www.welcomehome.org 

At this moment scouts are locating the best site for this year and where the preceding Spring Council will be held. Latest updates and directions are coming via this yahoogroup.

For many years these gatherings have been like an episode of the "Keystone Cops" with the Forest Service and other authorities hassling the gatherers, but after years of a few people standing up to take citations and fighting them in court etc, this year there is a more cooperative attitude from the authorities after the recent direct order from President Bush's Secretary of the Department of Agriculture that the authorities should cooperate in good faith, with this gathering as a free expression of religious belief by these individuals of various ways of believing united by the common commitment to service as
love and the goal of uniting in love all of humanity as one family.

After the hectic first week of July when tens of thousands of people come and go for their own reasons and with their own varying levels of understanding and commitment to this effort (many just come to experience the atmosphere summarized in the familiar greeting on arrival of "Welcome Home"), the volunteer "clean up crew" stays for weeks longer to make sure all trash is cleaned up and the land re-seeded and returned as close as possible to its original state. In order to enable the cleanup crew to do their work and encourage others to leave after July 7, often there has been "an action" promoted
by someone or another, that interested folks can join and caravan out to conduct after July 7. In 1978 such was the movement that sent a few dozen people to join the last days of The Longest Walk to DC.

In 1982 it was the Peace Walk from Idaho to Seattle. In 1980 it was a circle of hands ceremony trying to surround the Pentagon in Washington DC with this kind of prayer ceremony. In 1984 it was the Peace Caravan to the Democratic and Republican national conventions in San Francisco and then Dallas.

This year it is the Rainbow Uprising Campaign 2004, being offered to convey the circle of hands ceremony as a wonderful interfaith prayer ceremony that can help bring together people of diverse beliefs to offer their prayers and messages for peace and by such combined focus of mind bring about "miraculous results". To help "focus the mind" on the goal and "prayer target" of global peace, in 1978 the Peace Pole concept was introduced to these gatherings to "center the energy" for such circle of hands ceremony. This idea was taken up in subsequent years and "adapted" to the "dynamic" of this particular kind of celebratory gathering of folks in the woods, but as in many cases many folks perceived the Peace Pole as some
kind of icon or "object of worship" instead of just a "place marker" and "imaginary lens" to focus the prayers by its purpose on global peace. www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/peacepole.html

At many of these annual gatherings since 1980 a particular peace pole has been used in ceremony, one created that year with the prayer of someday centering a circle of hands ceremony in the lawn of the White House with the President of the United States participating. That inspiration seems to have been overshadowed by the above misunderstanding of the "image" of the peace pole itself and that pole has not been to recent gatherings I understand from some who have attended. In 1994 in Santa Barbara was created another Peace Pole with the goal of someday centering a circle of hands ceremony in Jerusalem to help unite the three faiths of Jerusalem in Peace. If there is support, this peace pole will participate at this year's World Family Gathering in order to send it on its way
towards such ceremony in Jerusalem so desperately needed now.

Here is the proposed schedule, entirely subject to its acceptance and support in coming days and weeks by those who get this message. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been requested in a letter earlier this month to participate towards this goal in a circle of hands ceremony in the State Capitol lawn on or about July 9. His scheduling office has not responded as yet nor has anyone else in support of this idea. It has been suggested by email that such a circle of hands ceremony, to send this Peace Pole for Jerusalem on this mission, could take place on the June 21st Summer Solstice at the Cesar Chavez La Paz Community in Keene California in respect of his role as California's well known champion of the teachings of nonviolence, that day coincident with the annual World Peace and Prayer Day Ceremony conducted by
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th generation keeper of the sacred Buffalo Calf Pipe, which he is conducting this year near Mt. Fuji in Japan. So far no response from there either.

If folks take this seriously and there is interest and support to
do this schedule, after the Sacramento ceremony could come
the circle at the White House with President Bush to help send
this ceremony to Jerusalem asap. What would anyone have to
lose by this? What could be gained by such interfaith prayer
ceremony format and power of mind?

Since the last of these annual gatherings I attended, in 1997 in
Arizona, I have been increasingly held "close to home" here in
Tehachapi at my mother's house taking care of her due to her
age and poor health. Recently one of my brothers has offered
to move in here and take over this responsibility. So now, due to the extreme seriousness of the world situation and my frustration due lack of effectiveness, I am making plans to put all my stuff in storage and hit the road again to offer my life to fulfill this mission.

If you understand and want to help, phone me to discuss. Soon
I will be off the internet entirely for an indefinite period, likely without much if any notice and within the next couple weeks or so.

Here is a new list for this project where updates, links, and more info will be posted as possible.

Rainbow Uprising Campaign 2004 (the "K" stands for...")
Since most people can more easily identify with a sports analogy than even religion or spirituality, keep in mind that in Rugby the "ruck" is when the players scramble for a loose ball using only their feet while forming the "scrum" pushing the other team members involved to try and access the ball by foot until it clears the scrum. In this analogy the ball symbolizes the public attention needed to bring out The Message of Peace and implement it with proper leadership and "gamesmanship". Folks haven't responded too well to my call for the American Peace March so now have to ruck for the ball.

David Crockett Williams
661-822-3309
May 25, 2004 6:31pm
Tehachapi, California
gear2000@lightspeed.net
Global Emergency Alert Response