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Gathering
Of
Circles |
Four
wheel drive was the only way down and out of the canyon. We had two four wheel
drive cars. It took two trips to ferry everyone and all the gear down and two
trips to get out. Two questors came flew in from the Houston area, one from
Odessa and two from Lubbock. Bear Heart and Regina from Albuquerque. This
was a one-of-a-kind event as Bear Heart is in his eighties. My thanks to Larry
Walker for causing this to happen and to Roy Johnson for providing these
wonderful photos. The black and white photos are especially nice lending the
feeling of an ancient ritual. I have included a letter from Roy at the end to
the questors.
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Vision
Quest: June 7,
2000, Wednesday, Opening Ceremony Sweat Lodge
June 10, 2000, Saturday, Closing Ceremony Sweat Lodge
Leader: Bearheart
Questors: Larry Walker, C.A. Riser, George Comiskey, Rick Wallace, Roy Johnson.
Support: Cliff Buchanan, Charles Conatser
Letter from Roy Johnson:
Greetings All:
Sunrise. Sunset. Sunrise. Sunset. Quickly go the days since I had the honor and pleasure of your company. For me this was a most exhilarating experience. Enclosed you will find some photos of the adventure, I hope you enjoy them.
Bearheart, thanks for taking the time to provide the opportunity for me and the other men to participate in the Native American ritual, Vision Quest. For me it has helped to affirm my place in the world among men. It has shored-up weaknesses in my self-confidence and I feel much better about myself I think about my relationship with God more often than I did before, but I have not resolved my reluctance to attend church on a regular basis. Thanks for you insight, guiding words, life experiences, accepting ways and of course, your jokes.
Cliff, thanks for bringing the sweat lodge and fruit. As a novice everyone seemed to have a better sense of what was going on than I, but you and some of the other guys helped by sharing their experiences and knowledge about questing. The photos that I have enclosed you may use on your web-site. You have my permission to display my photo likeness, but I can not speak for the other fellas. I do not know about the legality of putting someone else’s picture on the internet, you might need to clear it with the others. I would appreciate it if you credit me as the photographer. Thanks for being a support person.
Rick, thanks for bring all that camping equipment. It sure made traveling by air a hell of a lot easier for Larry, C.A. and I.
George, although we did not have much time to share and get to know each other, I am glad that you were able to make it. I hope the experience was as good for you as it was for me.
Charles, thanks for your support through-out the quest. Your ice cold water, that cold watermelon, and your great drums, all enriched the experience for me. Thanks.
Larry, thanks for extending the invitation to participate. You were a window of opportunity. I enjoyed the planning, the thinking, the anticipation, and all the literature that you sent my way. I look forward to future sojourns.
C.A., the more the merrier as they say, and I’am glad that you participated. I enjoyed the hike and mid-afternoon dip in the water tank.
We should all thank Regina for doing all the cooking and dish washing.
Signing off,
Roy Johnson otherwise known as “I yote E mah Hi yiss” or “Hawk teaches him”.