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People of the Rainbow: A Nomadic Utopia
Since 1972 the Rainbow Family of Living Light, a loosely organized and anarchistic nomadic community, has been holding large gatherings in remote forests to pray for world peace and create a model of a functioning utopian society. Michael I. NimanOCOs "People of the Rainbow," originally published in 1997, was the first comprehensive study of this countercultural group and its eclectic philosophy of environmentalism, feminism, peace activism, group sharing, libertarianism, and consensus government. It is a book yet to be superseded.
This second edition of NimanOCOs compelling and insightful work brings the Rainbow story up to date with a new introduction and two extensive new epilogues. While the big annual Rainbow OC GatheringsOCO have drawn fewer numbers in recent years, Niman notes, the Rainbow ethos has in many ways migrated to the mainstream, as Rainbow notions about alternative medicine and environmental sustainability, for example, have gathered wider acceptance and influenced the national dialogue. Meanwhile, Rainbow movements in other regions, from Eastern Europe and the Middle East to Asia and Australia, are thriving.
In addition to addressing changes within the Rainbow Family and its complex relationship
to OC BabylonOCO (what Rainbows call mainstream culture), the bookOCOs new material explores the growing harassment Rainbows now face from U.S. law enforcement agenciesOCo
especially those associated with the National Forest Service. As Niman contends, this particular saga of a U.S. bureaucracy at war with its own citizens is a subplot in the largerOCoand disturbingOCostory of how the relationship between Americans and their government has changed during the first decade of the twenty-first century.
In its nuanced portrait of an intriguing subculture, its successes, and its limitations, "People of the Rainbow" remains a significant contribution to the study of utopian communities in the United States and their ongoing legacy.
Michael I. Niman is a professor of journalism and media studies in the Communication Department at Buffalo State College in New York.
For additional resources related to this new edition, see http: //buffalostate.edu/peopleoftherainbow.
This second edition of NimanOCOs compelling and insightful work brings the Rainbow story up to date with a new introduction and two extensive new epilogues. While the big annual Rainbow OC GatheringsOCO have drawn fewer numbers in recent years, Niman notes, the Rainbow ethos has in many ways migrated to the mainstream, as Rainbow notions about alternative medicine and environmental sustainability, for example, have gathered wider acceptance and influenced the national dialogue. Meanwhile, Rainbow movements in other regions, from Eastern Europe and the Middle East to Asia and Australia, are thriving.
In addition to addressing changes within the Rainbow Family and its complex relationship
to OC BabylonOCO (what Rainbows call mainstream culture), the bookOCOs new material explores the growing harassment Rainbows now face from U.S. law enforcement agenciesOCo
especially those associated with the National Forest Service. As Niman contends, this particular saga of a U.S. bureaucracy at war with its own citizens is a subplot in the largerOCoand disturbingOCostory of how the relationship between Americans and their government has changed during the first decade of the twenty-first century.
In its nuanced portrait of an intriguing subculture, its successes, and its limitations, "People of the Rainbow" remains a significant contribution to the study of utopian communities in the United States and their ongoing legacy.
Michael I. Niman is a professor of journalism and media studies in the Communication Department at Buffalo State College in New York.
For additional resources related to this new edition, see http: //buffalostate.edu/peopleoftherainbow.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 11, 2012
For several years now I've attended Rainbow Gatherings, month-long intentional communities set up in forests and dedicated to peace and harmony, veganism, ecological living and disconnecting from technology. I share few of the values of most people there, but I love to attend because the events are a remarkable and rather paradoxical spectacle: in spite of no formal organization, thousands of people have managed to convene regularly for four decades in a decided place and set up needed infrastructure; in spite of a ban on commercial activity, thousands are fed; in spite of the wildly different religious and political beliefs of attendants, Rainbow Gatherings are generally harmonious events where everyone is made welcome.
But while I've participated in Gatherings in Europe, Turkey and Israel, I knew little about Gatherings in the place it all began: the United States. Michael I. Niman's People of the Rainbow: A Nomadic Utopia is an ethnographic study of the North American Rainbow phenomenon, based on the author's own involvement in this community. The book was originally published in 1997; this second edition leaves the earlier text unchanged, but adds a new epilogue discussing recent developments.
Niman begins the book in perhaps the best possible way: an account of one typical day at a Rainbow Gathering. Through the eyes of Sunflower, a character based on the author, we follow Rainbow life from waking up in the morning to falling asleep at night. Sunflower passes through the usual places set up at gatherings, such as kitchens, communal fires and music-making circles, he engages in leisure or volunteering for tasks that need to get done (activities which are not necessarily distinct from each other at Rainbow), and he interacts with folks from a diversity of backgrounds.
After this introductory chapter, Niman's study is more formal, citing documentary evidence and interviews carried out in the field. In describing Rainbow traditions and the people involved, he often draws comparisons to other North American utopian communities from the 17th century to the present day. Niman also describes the relationship between Rainbow Gatherings and the world around them. One aspect of this is media reporting, and Niman has exhaustively trawled archives to show how the Rainbow Family is portrayed in the press. The other confrontation between Rainbow and the outside world is with the US Forest Service and law enforcement officers, which has ranged from harmonious to dirty tactics and violence on the part of the government.
While Niman is sympathetic to the Rainbow Family, an active member himself, he nonetheless takes a critical view at times. In spite of an emphasis on tolerance and inclusion, Rainbow Gatherings have taken few steps to attract African-Americans and the disabled. Though decisions are supposed to be made by the consensus of all present, few participate in decision-making sessions and inevitably power hierarchies arise. But perhaps the most serious critique of Rainbow traditions comes in the chapter "Fakelore". Rainbow Gatherings often claim Native American heritage. One tradition, the myth that the Rainbow Family is foretold by a Hopi prophecy, has spread to Rainbow communities all over the world:
"There will come a time when the Earth grows sick and when it does a tribe will gather from all the cultures of the World who believe in deeds and not words. They will work to heal it ... they will be known as the 'Warriors of the Rainbow.'"
Niman debunks this supposed prophecy, showing how it has no basis in authentic Hopi lore (or any other Native American belief) but appeared for the first time in a 1963 tract of Christian evangelism. Furthermore, he notes that Native Americans do not welcome Rainbow appropriation of their culture and identity, and several native groups have called such appropriation a form of genocide. Nonetheless, members of the Rainbow Family continue to claim that they are in tune with Native American spirituality, perhaps even more than actual Native Americans today.
The new epilogue focuses on two relatively recent Rainbow trends. The first is the spread of Rainbow Gatherings all over the world. The first Rainbow Gathering outside the US was held in Switzerland in 1983, and now European Rainbows have their choice of several gatherings a year. The annual World Gatherings have been held on six continents. At any given moment, a Rainbow Gathering is going on somewhere. Unfortunately, this section is much less detailed than I expected. There are some notable differences in culture and logistics between North American Rainbow Gatherings and ones in other countries, but Niman does not describe them.
The second recent trend is the appalling crackdown on Rainbow Gatherings in the United States by government. Niman was present at the 2008 North American Rainbow Gathering when law enforcement, in the pursuit of one man reported to be in possession of marijuana, fired weapons into a children's day care camp. (He was helping to film the documentary We Love You, which has video of this incident.) He charts how law enforcement at Gatherings are becoming militarized, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on strategies that only encourage conflict with these peaceful hippies who cause little trouble (Niman cites arrest figures at Gatherings, which turn out to be quite low, with many charges thrown out in court). It is easy to dismiss a law enforcement crackdown if the people involved are a weird subculture (much like what is happening with Open Wall Street protests as I write this), but Rainbow Gatherings reflect the changing relationship of the American people with their government. As Niman writes in the closing words of the book, "The Rainbow Family, with its persistent insistence on maintaining what it sees as a constitutionally protected right to gather, has become the proverbial canary in the mineshaft of freedom."
I must say that I'm appalled by the print quality of this book. It is on cheap paper that looks like it will yellow or become brittle in short order. Half of the pages have ink stains from the facing page, and the text is set in an unsightly sans serif typeface. There are photographs, but one cannot make out any detail because they are printed on this awful paper instead of plates. But at least the second edition is accompanied by a website where one can download many source documents, including the results of Freedom of Information Act requests from the Forest Service and other government agencies.
But while I've participated in Gatherings in Europe, Turkey and Israel, I knew little about Gatherings in the place it all began: the United States. Michael I. Niman's People of the Rainbow: A Nomadic Utopia is an ethnographic study of the North American Rainbow phenomenon, based on the author's own involvement in this community. The book was originally published in 1997; this second edition leaves the earlier text unchanged, but adds a new epilogue discussing recent developments.
Niman begins the book in perhaps the best possible way: an account of one typical day at a Rainbow Gathering. Through the eyes of Sunflower, a character based on the author, we follow Rainbow life from waking up in the morning to falling asleep at night. Sunflower passes through the usual places set up at gatherings, such as kitchens, communal fires and music-making circles, he engages in leisure or volunteering for tasks that need to get done (activities which are not necessarily distinct from each other at Rainbow), and he interacts with folks from a diversity of backgrounds.
After this introductory chapter, Niman's study is more formal, citing documentary evidence and interviews carried out in the field. In describing Rainbow traditions and the people involved, he often draws comparisons to other North American utopian communities from the 17th century to the present day. Niman also describes the relationship between Rainbow Gatherings and the world around them. One aspect of this is media reporting, and Niman has exhaustively trawled archives to show how the Rainbow Family is portrayed in the press. The other confrontation between Rainbow and the outside world is with the US Forest Service and law enforcement officers, which has ranged from harmonious to dirty tactics and violence on the part of the government.
While Niman is sympathetic to the Rainbow Family, an active member himself, he nonetheless takes a critical view at times. In spite of an emphasis on tolerance and inclusion, Rainbow Gatherings have taken few steps to attract African-Americans and the disabled. Though decisions are supposed to be made by the consensus of all present, few participate in decision-making sessions and inevitably power hierarchies arise. But perhaps the most serious critique of Rainbow traditions comes in the chapter "Fakelore". Rainbow Gatherings often claim Native American heritage. One tradition, the myth that the Rainbow Family is foretold by a Hopi prophecy, has spread to Rainbow communities all over the world:
"There will come a time when the Earth grows sick and when it does a tribe will gather from all the cultures of the World who believe in deeds and not words. They will work to heal it ... they will be known as the 'Warriors of the Rainbow.'"
Niman debunks this supposed prophecy, showing how it has no basis in authentic Hopi lore (or any other Native American belief) but appeared for the first time in a 1963 tract of Christian evangelism. Furthermore, he notes that Native Americans do not welcome Rainbow appropriation of their culture and identity, and several native groups have called such appropriation a form of genocide. Nonetheless, members of the Rainbow Family continue to claim that they are in tune with Native American spirituality, perhaps even more than actual Native Americans today.
The new epilogue focuses on two relatively recent Rainbow trends. The first is the spread of Rainbow Gatherings all over the world. The first Rainbow Gathering outside the US was held in Switzerland in 1983, and now European Rainbows have their choice of several gatherings a year. The annual World Gatherings have been held on six continents. At any given moment, a Rainbow Gathering is going on somewhere. Unfortunately, this section is much less detailed than I expected. There are some notable differences in culture and logistics between North American Rainbow Gatherings and ones in other countries, but Niman does not describe them.
The second recent trend is the appalling crackdown on Rainbow Gatherings in the United States by government. Niman was present at the 2008 North American Rainbow Gathering when law enforcement, in the pursuit of one man reported to be in possession of marijuana, fired weapons into a children's day care camp. (He was helping to film the documentary We Love You, which has video of this incident.) He charts how law enforcement at Gatherings are becoming militarized, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on strategies that only encourage conflict with these peaceful hippies who cause little trouble (Niman cites arrest figures at Gatherings, which turn out to be quite low, with many charges thrown out in court). It is easy to dismiss a law enforcement crackdown if the people involved are a weird subculture (much like what is happening with Open Wall Street protests as I write this), but Rainbow Gatherings reflect the changing relationship of the American people with their government. As Niman writes in the closing words of the book, "The Rainbow Family, with its persistent insistence on maintaining what it sees as a constitutionally protected right to gather, has become the proverbial canary in the mineshaft of freedom."
I must say that I'm appalled by the print quality of this book. It is on cheap paper that looks like it will yellow or become brittle in short order. Half of the pages have ink stains from the facing page, and the text is set in an unsightly sans serif typeface. There are photographs, but one cannot make out any detail because they are printed on this awful paper instead of plates. But at least the second edition is accompanied by a website where one can download many source documents, including the results of Freedom of Information Act requests from the Forest Service and other government agencies.
June 30, 2009
Having been to a Rainbow Homecoming, perhaps back in 1979 at the Gila National Monument out in New Mexico, I'd say this book does a pretty darned good job of describing what they're about. I think Niman came in a bit too long after the fact to catch the real RAP 17, where we learned of the Hopi prophecy that the Earth would soon be covered in a great web. I don't think I was alone to imagine the power grid. I'm pretty sure the Internet was just a twinkle in some love-clueless geek's imagination. Or maybe someone had some insider information about what the Department of Defense was really up to out in Area 57.
In the event, my girlfriend and I witnessed an incredible triple rainbow on the way out from that Paradise Valley. And author Michael I.Niman has a lot of really important things to say about life and the universe more generally, so you should read this bood. I believe he publishes now on Alternet, and used to at artvoice.com. The man's a good old soul who came at this project in a manner to do honor both to traditions of case study and honest scholarship as well as to the true adherents to the cause of the People.
In the event, my girlfriend and I witnessed an incredible triple rainbow on the way out from that Paradise Valley. And author Michael I.Niman has a lot of really important things to say about life and the universe more generally, so you should read this bood. I believe he publishes now on Alternet, and used to at artvoice.com. The man's a good old soul who came at this project in a manner to do honor both to traditions of case study and honest scholarship as well as to the true adherents to the cause of the People.
March 30, 2014
As someone who traveled, built kitchens, started seed camps and cleanups for a little over a year, I can say this is the most definitive work I've read about Rainbow gatherings.
Dr. Niman writes from an anthropological viewpoint and covers every minute detail about the Rainbow. From its beginnings, to the purpose of Shanta Sena (volunteer peace-keepers), the Magic Hat (collecting donations), Rainbow slang and more.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who has been curious about Rainbow gatherings or has experience within this group.
Dr. Niman writes from an anthropological viewpoint and covers every minute detail about the Rainbow. From its beginnings, to the purpose of Shanta Sena (volunteer peace-keepers), the Magic Hat (collecting donations), Rainbow slang and more.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who has been curious about Rainbow gatherings or has experience within this group.
June 12, 2007
The Rainbow Gatherings are periodic autonomous zones of as many as 20,000 or more people that have no organizational hierarchy and no restrictions on membership. As such, they're a very atypical utopian community, and it defies expectations that they’ve managed to thrive and to grow into an international movement since 1972. This book is a scholarly look at the Rainbow Gathering phenomena, describing its history and sociology, and comparing it to other utopian experimental communities.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews