About Apache Tracker

Apache Tracker is a resource about survival, being a Physical and Spiritual warrior, and oneness with nature or "the spirit that moves in all things." I named this site in honor of the Apache. The Apache was the ultimate, survivor, warrior, guerrilla fighter, and lived in tune with his surroundings, on a spiritual and physical level. However you will find many other topics of interest on this site. Tracking is a mind set and awareness that goes beyond the physical to all levels, including the spiritual.
-Thunderhands


"THUNDER" (wakiya)

"THUNDER" (wakiya)

About the Author

"Wakiya" (Thunder)

About the Author
Roger Thunderhands Gilbert is an accomplished writer, musician, and artist. In his lifetime, he has done many things. These would include aviation, the martial arts, and a life long study of spiritual and tribal ritual. In the martial arts, his study has included three disciplines, Aikido, Kung Fu San Soo, and Tai Chi. He also worked with the Special Forces in a training capacity. In the field of aviation, he obtained his private, commercial, and instrument ratings as a pilot, with multi-engine, and flight instructor qualifications. He learned tracking as a boy and has worked with the sheriff’s search and rescue in that capacity. His spiritual knowledge includes in-depth study, and personal experience, with many shamanistic and esoteric practices. He is a practitioner of Kriya yoga, Kundalini yoga, Tantrika, and Chinese inner alchemy. In addition, he received his certificate in acupressure and uses several modalities for healing. He considers himself an authority on the Biblical teachings of Yeshua or Jesus, but considers himself spiritual, not religious. And last but not least, he has done an exhaustive study and been an activist of North American Native tribes and ritual. His own roots are of Métis descent, and his spirituality is universal.

Sunday

The Scorpian / Surviving in the desert / Spiritual view



Painting by Jessa Huebing-Reitinger

In some Native American societies, the stars we call Scorpius played a significant role in determining annual milestones. The Navajo called the upper body of Scorpius "First Big One." When they saw this group rising, they knew spring would soon be over. They referred to the three stars forming the stinger of the scorpion as "Rabbit Tracks," because they looked like the meandering tracks a rabbit leaves in the snow. The position of the Rabbit Tracks in the sky helped tell the Navajo when it was appropriate to hunt game. When the open end of Rabbit Tracks tips toward Earth, as the tail does when the constellation dips toward the western horizon, it is fall, and hunting season begins. When the open end points upward, as it does upon rising in the spring, hunting season ends.

The Skidi Pawnee referred to the two stars comprising the scorpion's stinger as the "Swimming Ducks." When the ducks first appeared just before dawn in late February, they knew that spring and the "time of thunder" were close at hand. They thought Swimming Ducks represented loons that rose late at night in the spring to tell the water birds to fly north again.

Today, most sky watchers associate the appearance of the scorpion with the onset of warm, fragrant nights and hot days: summertime. Still, there was a time long ago when the first people to inhabit this country depended on these star patterns to help them live. See if you can find First Big One, Rabbit Tracks, and Swimming Ducks tonight!

On a practical level / make friends and live in tune with them.


Crossing the threshold into the Sonoran Desert can be an extreme experience. Tucson and Arizona and its environs have more wildlife habitat than most metropolitan areas: Animals—from tiny bugs to large mammals—thrive there, and coexisting with them can run from awe-inspiring to downright scary. Use common sense, and watch where you step and reach.

BARK SCORPIONS

These straw-colored friends grow to about two inches long and have crablike claws, a flat belly, and a segmented tail with a stinger. Outdoors they live in woodpiles, plant debris, or cracks in masonry. Indoors they like sinks, cabinets, or floor drains. New homes can attract scorpions—fresh concrete and plaster create a tempting, moist environment for them.

Scorpions sting humans in defense, they are not out to get you. All scorpions will hide in clothing, shoes, gloves, or bedding, so it's a good idea to shake out these items before use. Although reactions to the venom vary, a bark scorpion sting is never pleasant. If you get stung, call your doctor or Arizona Poison Control (626-6016) for advice.

No comments:

Post a Comment