| Legend of the Rainbow Warriors | |
|---|---|
| Folk tale | |
| Name | Legend of the Rainbow Warriors |
| Mythology | Hippie / New Age Fakelore (Usually alleged by adherents to be Cree or Hopi mythology) |
| Country | United States |
| Origin Date | 1962 |
| Published in | Warriors of the Rainbow |
Since the early 1970s, a legend of Rainbow Warriors has inspired some environmentalists and hippies with a belief that their movement is the fulfillment of a Native American prophecy. Usually the "prophecy" is claimed to be Hopi or Cree. However, this "prophecy" is not Native American at all, but rather from a 1962 Evangelical Christian religious tract, titled Warriors of the Rainbow by William Willoya and Vinson Brown from Naturegraph Publishers.[1] Brown is also the founder and owner of Naturegraph Publishers.[2] Discussing the legend, scholar Michael Niman said, "If anything, it was an attack on Native culture. It was an attempt to evangelize within the Native American community."[1]
The roots of that myth go back to a book called Warriors of the Rainbow. It was basically an evangelical Christian tract which was published in 1962. If anything, it was an attack on Native culture. It was an attempt to evangelize within the Native American community.