🌈 Walking with the Rainbow Tribe: A Personal Reflection on Identity, Unity, and Prophecy

by Chris “Yellow Owl” Albaugh

I was in a conversation with my family recently—one of those rare, beautiful moments where something ancient stirs in the space between words. We were talking about the many tribes, medicine people, and wisdom keepers I’ve had the privilege to walk beside, learn from, and call friends throughout the years. These weren’t academic conversations or checkbox certifications—these were lived moments of sweat, ceremony, silence, and song. My heart is endlessly grateful for these shared spaces.

At one point, my aunt asked me a question that caught me off guard—not because it was confrontational, but because of what it stirred within.

“What tribe are you from?”

My ego immediately sparked to life, reaching for identity, wanting to belong, to claim a place. I felt the urge to give an answer that would satisfy the question… and perhaps validate me. But as I exhaled, I softened into something deeper and more honest.

“I’m not really part of any one particular tribe,” I said. “But if I had to identify with one, I’d say I’m from the Eagle Tribe—I was born in North America, and the eagle has always guided my vision, my flight, and my remembering.”

That answer surprised even me. It came from somewhere beneath thought. A knowing, not a narrative. We wrapped up the conversation, and I went home reflecting on it, sitting with that question not just from my aunt—but from Spirit itself.

That night, a memory surfaced: the prophecy of the Rainbow Tribe. I’d heard it shared in different circles—sometimes distorted, sometimes revered—but I felt called to revisit it. What I discovered once again moved something within me that words barely capture.

🌍 The Rainbow Prophecy: A Tapestry of Many Colors

The Rainbow Warrior prophecy is said to be rooted in various Indigenous oral traditions—from the Hopi, Cree, Lakota, and others—though it has also been distorted through time. At its heart, however, is a powerful truth:

“When the Earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the Earth from many colors, creeds, and classes, and who by their actions and deeds shall make the Earth green again. They will be known as the Warriors of the Rainbow.”
— (attributed to various Indigenous prophecies)

These people would rise not by heritage alone, but by heart. United by love of Earth, Spirit, and community, these Rainbow Warriors would help restore balance—not through control, but through healing, humility, and ceremony. They would carry ancient wisdom across many lineages—Hopi, Mayan, African, Celtic, and beyond—and remember we are all one tribe under Spirit.

🪶 Who Are We Without the Label?

I may not carry a tribal enrollment card. I may not speak a specific language of origin or trace one ancestral line. But I have sat in many circles. I’ve wept in sweat lodges and fasted on mountaintops. I’ve listened to the Earth in stillness and honored sacred songs passed down to me by elders who didn’t care about my bloodline—but about how I listened, how I prayed, and how I lived.

In that sense, I belong to something deeper than blood. I belong to the Tribe of Remembering. I walk with the Rainbow Tribe—not in appropriation, but in reverence. And I know I’m not alone.

Across the Earth, I see these Rainbow Warriors rising. Not with pride or claim—but with prayer, humility, and action. They’re reviving the old ways—not to become tribal, but to restore the sacred relationship between land, soul, and community.

✨ A Living Prophecy, Not a Trend

The Rainbow Tribe prophecy has at times been romanticized, reinterpreted, even misused by those unfamiliar with its depth. Yet the essence remains: to honor Indigenous wisdom, walk gently upon the Earth, and live in remembrance.

This prophecy is not about sameness. It’s about harmony. It’s not about performance. It’s about presence. It’s not about claiming identity. It’s about living with integrity.

🌎 From the Eagle’s View: Our Collective Calling

To fly with the eagle is to hold the wide vision. To see all directions, all peoples, all timelines. Not to dominate, but to understand. To dive with purpose and rise again with clarity. This is the medicine we’re being asked to carry.

• Will we remember who we are beyond the masks?
• Will we honor the ancestors and protect the Earth?
• Will we become bridges for healing and unity?