James Red Cloud (d. 1961) was a grandson of the great Sioux chief known to history. At Pine Ridge in 1959 the old chief adopted Schuon as his brother, giving him the name “Brave Eagle” (Wambali Ohítika). Schuon later wrote the poem below (here translated from the original German) about his encounter with the venerable Lakota leader:
Red Cloud
He was the grandson of Chief Red Cloud
Of the Ogalalla band. We met —
The noble old man and I — and had a long talk
In Pine Ridge, beneath the shade of a tree.
He talked first about old times; then there was
Silence, until I began to speak, and said:
The world is but dream-stuff —
The dream knows not reality.
The Chief adopted me into his clan,
Gave me many good words, and then he died.
Let the winds blow over the wide land —
The heart will live forever in the Great Spirit.
