The basis for the pathway that we practice in the Rainbow Bridge Ceremonial Society (RBCS) is Hyemeyohsts Storm’s teachings on the 20 Count that names and describes the powers of life that we strive to reconnect with.

Hyemeyohsts Storm was from mixed ancestry and raised on a reservation. He learned from Estcheemah, a Zero Chief trained within a long spiritual lineage that carried this medicine forward through the generations. Zero Chiefs held the highest level of training and accomplishment possible within the ancient discipline of the Flower Soldiers.

Zero Chiefs and Flower Soldiers come from the Olmecs in what is now Central Mexico. The ceremonial centre, Xochitécatl (developed around 800BCE), means “Place of the Flower.” The Zero Chiefs and Flower Soldiers travelled throughout North, South, and Central America exchanging Sacred Knowledges with others.

Estcheemah was the last Zero Chief. Estcheemah’s sacred duty was to ensure that the ancient knowledge of the Zero Chiefs could be taught and shared, so the ways of the circle and medicine wheel and the basic medicine wheels could be preserved. The basic wheels had within them the memories of these ancient teachings and the memories of the Zero Chiefs. From these wheels come the gift and the challenge of re-dreaming, re-membering re-creating, and reassembling the knowledge from ancient times of what it is to live in balance and interconnection.