An important thesis I took from your book is that our cultural image of a warrior does not line up with what a warrior actually does in your tradition.

“What I learned in tribal traditions and in traditional ceremony from my elders was that your role in tradition was very different. We call a warrior a warrior and that term has nothing to do with what we see on TV and movies, it was somebody who basically used their creator given talent and ability that they develop over a lifetime, so they could be an asset or benefit to the tribe that they served.”

And Warriors don’t do this alone.

“One of the things that we are taught by our elders is that the outdoors - our greatest classroom, nature, would teach us about everything. And one of the things that nature teaches us is we're a lot more like bees as human beings, than we are like eagles. We need each other, we're better when we're with each other - well, let me caveat that once more with the right people, we're stronger, we're more effective, we're sharper, we're more resilient.”

This is so important to hear right now when the world seems so noisy and we’re so disconnected from our fellow human beings.

“If you want to be brave, surround yourself with bravery. If you want to be strong, surround yourself with strength. We get to choose the tribe we surround ourselves with, and we need to do it. But also, on purpose and with purpose, because it matters. We live in a tough world, and if we are doing it alone, I'm here to tell you - you're doing it wrong. And you're violating the laws of nature, like I said before, we're a lot like nature. We were social creatures by design, we were made that way.”

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For more on DJ: ttps://nativediscovery.com/

Photo Credit: Jason de Alba

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