Apprentice Warriors
Who walk the path of the Seven Sacred Feathers*
THOUSANDS OF YEARS BEFORE JESUS was born, a small group of men knew how to summon the courage of a bear, achieve the mental alertness of a fox, show the compassion of a dove, teach their sons the wisdom of their forefathers, and savor every stress-free moment of their lives following the path of the Seven Sacred Feathers, the natural laws of Tushka-homma. They were (Achafa-Tushka) the 1st Warriors.
Confusion was unknown; the feeling of alienation and detachment from the rest of humanity was unheard of, depression and stress where never given a chance to take hold. To these men, every thought was an action, every action was an event, and every event had its purpose in All That Is. Past, present, and future were no different than ice, water, and steam – just different shapes of the same substance. As a man progressed through years, his destiny was shaped by progressive revelation of the true nature of things, represented by Seven Sacred Feathers…
These men shared the thrill of the hunt, the strength of the fight, and the contentment that only knowledge of their place in the universe could bring. They slept a sound sleep of good dreams, and woke to days of victory and plenty. They stood at the Center with family and it was peaceful. Life was strong, joyous, and filled with purpose. It was a Song of Strength.
It was lived for countless generations, filling the past with pride, and promising illumination to men of the present and sons of the future. It filled the body with health, the bones with strength, and the heart with song.
From the bounty of nature and the ways passed down to them from their fathers and grandfathers, they built weapons to feed themselves and their families, and to defend against attack. Knives, spears, axes, and clubs became extensions of the man himself, each extending his reach and power, giving him the strength and teeth of the greatest animals. They developed techniques that kept the body strong and safe, while re-enforcing the cycles of nature and the directions of the universe in the mind. The techniques were the Movements of Men on the earth.
The Movements were simultaneously a tool, a prayer, and a language that expressed infinity as motion in the shape of man. The Knowledge of the Movement connected man to earth, earth to sky, and sky to All. It was passion, strength, adaptability, and wisdom. The knowledge of the Movement made him “Tuska-homma”: Warrior.
Tuska-homma’s movements were based on the seven sacred directions of the world:
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Above North
West The Center East Below |
In the cycle of things small and large, in the falling of the brown leaf and the rising of the yellow sun, Tushka-homma echoed life: The Warrior both performing and being part of the movements of life for the cycles of time and creation.
Years passed. Seasons progressed. Centuries walked along. Millenniums came and went. The Knowledge of the Movement became distant, but not forgotten. Its echoes were fading, but not gone. The Power was still there, like a river turned to ice, waiting for Spring to release it again. Strong, but hidden, its shape frozen in the ancient memories of the sons of those Tushka-homma Warriors who originally saw the river deep and strong, and swam in its waters.
We find ourselves in 21st century America, standing on the very land where Tushka-homma was born. This is where Tushka-homma Warrior’s hunted and fought and thrived for thousands of years, connected to All That Is. Tushka-homma is the Movement, Tushka-homma is the Man – there is no division, there is no difference. This is the land of the seven directions. This is the land where past, present, and future all meet, where all Apprentice Warriors began learning the Movements of Life
You feel there is more to the frozen river than just ice. You can feel the past becoming the present as ice melts into water… Sometimes, very faintly and almost drowned out by the sounds of the city and daily cares, you have heard the distant rushing of the water. You have never seen it, but you can feel it, beginning to rumble beneath your feet. The thaw is coming, and the first of the ice is melting. The Knowledge of Movement is starting to flow. You have asked the question before, “why am I here and what is to be my destiny”? Tushka-homma calls to the bravest fathers and sons of the land to immerse themselves in the learning river, to be the New Tushka-homma, to become the Apprentice Warriors of the new century… (read on)
* Chief Adrian Roman, Choctaw Nation
How to become a Tushka-homma Warrior
