Harley Swiftdeer Reagan & the Path of Beauty

I keep finding out more about Harley Swiftdeer Reagan that I like. Anyone who has dedicated themselves to a path of spirituality that seeks to "fight against ignorance, slavery, bigotry, racism, war, disease, dogma and superstition to seed future generations with beauty, power, knowledge and freedom" impresses me. But I think I have got a bit ahead of myself.

Harley Swiftdeer Reagan began the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society in 1986, and the society has taken up the mantle to encourage humans to look at the Earth and each other in a different light. Too often in modern society we find that people are so engrossed in their lives that they do not truly live, and in fact too often destroy far more than they create. Living without acknowledging how our actions affect others is not a life worth living, in my humble opinion. Sometimes, our actions can even negatively affect our children and their children.

I believe Harley Swiftdeer Reagan deserves kudos for his efforts to teach a spirituality that will awaken the people of this planet before it is too late. We must respect our world, and all the people in it. There are numerous traditions, including those that come out of the Native North American tribes, that teach people a better way to live.

Harley Swiftdeer Reagan: The Spiritual Teachings of a Medicine Man

I came across an old article from the 1980s about Harley Swiftdeer Reagan. In it, he explains about his place as a medicine man, which combines a number of roles that include teacher and spiritual leader. I know a bit about Native American traditions, as I began studying the history of the native peoples of North American back in my time at university. I have never lost interest in Native American history or culture.

I find it interesting that Harley Swiftdeer Reagan apprenticed to the former president of the Navajo Native American Church and now espouses a unique spiritual culture. The Navajo, the common name known for the Diné, are the second largest tribe in North America and occupy an area in the southwestern United States.

As a spiritual teacher, Harley Swiftdeer Reagan is also a spiritual warrior and an accomplished martial artist. As such, he espouses the male, which embodies the power of the sun, and the female, which embodies the power of the earth.

One of the Tribes

I came across the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society and it took me back to my days of traveling around North America, occasionally dropping by various Rainbow Gatherings around the country. It was a carefree couple of years for me as a roaming spiritual warrior at the turn of the millennium, and my life was very much in tune with the vision of the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society, which promotes "Beauty, Power, Knowledge and Freedom for all."

I have left that life for now, though it lingers in my memory and will always be a part of me. I try still to remember the way the Spirit guided me on my various paths. Especially I recall the inner voice that led me to a library in Santa Cruz, California, where I met my wife. At times these days I feel as if I have become spiritually adrift, as my life now revolves around caring for the material needs of my family, and especially for my three children. In this material world in which we live, organizations such as the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society can offer comfort and direction, much as that of my own spiritual journey.