Apache pray for rain as wildfire ravages tribal timber, hunting grounds
“As a flaming orange moon rose in the smoky sky, an Apache medicine man raised his voice in song to pray for rain to save both the Indians’ land and their livelihoods.”
Is this any different than the goofiness of some local ministers who gathered their flocks to pray at a river that was threatening their town (listen to ‘Weather Prayers’ in the RJ Radio Show Demo)? Nope. The medicine man is evidently suffering from the same hubris as the ministers: I can help people when they’re sick or troubled, therefore maybe I have some influence with the weather. Dumb.
And now, ironically, an Apache has been charged with starting the fire (Arizona Fire Scars Apache-White Relations). If found guilty, will that medicine man minister to this guy in jail, the guy’s family, and work at trying to heal the damage done to the relationships in the community of both Apaches and whites?