The Red Road

Here's what I found on The Red Road..I'm still looking for a clean cut explanation or description of this part of Native American lore...

The Red Road is a way of being and living in the world where we are connected to all things in creation. On this path we live with integrity, honor, confidence, compassion and respect. Walking the Red Road is a life long journey …ever learning…ever growing…ever evolving. The quest: to live in balance with all that is.
Sandy Range, (SC Cherokee). www.redroadcoach.com

According to Native American tradition, walking the Red Road is a metaphor for living within the Creator’s rules—a life of truth, friendship, respect, spirituality, and humanitarianism. For centuries, Native American elders, parents, teachers, and spiritual leaders have handed down their wisdom and values from generation to generation, leading others down the path of self-discovery and enlightenment.
Terri Jean “365 Days of Walking the Red Road.”

"One may be of any race or of almost any religion and walk the Red Road… Its full meaning is the way one acts, the methods one uses, and what directs one's doing. It is behavior, attitude, a way of living, a way of "doing" with reverence - of walking strong yet softly, so as not to harm or disturb other life." --
John Redtail Freesoul (Cheyenne-Arapahoe), http://www.proaxis.com/~bakerb/path.html

When I worked for Walkabout, now called Outback Therapeutic Expeditions, I had a little bit of exposure to the legend of The Red Road. It was one of the most memorable and cherished weeks I spent hiking and living with teenage boys, counseling them every day, putting my blood, sweat, and tears into their personal progression and emotional growth. Just thinking about that week right now almost brings me to tears.

Our group consisted of about 9 boys and 3 staff, including me. We had spent an entire day hiking only 10 miles to our campsite. The multiple "break-throughs" the boys were experiencing during the hike made for a very long day. It was early in the morning when we finally arrived at the site.

The next day, the Field Director came out to visit our group. We had decided we wanted to build a sweat lodge and have that experience with these boys. Before any construction began, the Field Director gathered us together and held a brief ceremony. He talked about the Red Road.

He shared with us what it meant to walk on the Red Road...to walk with honor and integrity, even with your enemies...honoring yourelf and your family and heritage through honoring all things that surround you... While he shared this with us, captivating every single boy in the story of being a man, warrior, and peacemaker on the Red Road, he pulled out a bowl made from a gourd and a small wooden vile. He gently poured red ochre into the bowl and put a few drops of water on top of the powder. As he finished the story, he mixed the powder and the water with his finger and one at a time asked each boy if they would walk the Red Road. As they answered a confident yes, he painted a red strip over their right eye, forehead to cheek.

The boys were absolutely captivated by the experience. I have never seen a group work together so productively to reach a group goal...building the sweat lodge, gathering the right rocks, and gathering a TON of wood. It was remarkable.

That night the boys and the male staff had a sweat that I'm sure they all still remember to this day. I love those boys...I still think about them and wonder what fabulous accomplishments and profound growth they have experienced in their young lives. I wish them the very best...