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September/October 2005 Spirituality
The Sand Way

by Bettina Anter

In 1990 I had just completed the course load for a master in Social and Cultural Anthropology, and moved to Seattle, Washington to work on my thesis. I met Travis Chacon through a mutual acquaintance. At the time, he was a soft-spoken young man who had just spent two years traveling throughout the country. He kept his vast knowledge under wraps. It took several years for me to learn about his unconventional upbringing and training.

At age nine he had an intense vision, which incapacitated him for four days. His mother contacted her grandparents, who traveled back and forth between Arizona, California and the state of Sonora, in Mexico. Even though they were often involved in their grandchildren’s lives, this event marked the point when they undertook his education in earnest.

Miguel and Domitila Carranza Chacon were Yaqui Indians, or as they called themselves, Yoeme. They had been raised in Sonora, Mexico, and had married when very young. The Yaqui had been in contact with missionaries since the 17^th century; however instead of completely abandoning their ancient traditions, they melded together elements of both beliefs, creating a blending which is still obvious today in their ceremonial activities. A band of the Yaqui refused to accept Catholicism with its priests and its alien beliefs; instead it decided to maintain its ancient ways. A society was formed to face the challenges brought about by European contact. The Sand Way emerged as the combined knowledge of this original band of Yaqui: a carefully guarded system of philosophy, physical skills, and curing ceremonies that had been practiced for thousands of years.

Travis Chacon’s great grandparents belonged to this society. Travis Chacon himself was inducted into it at age nine. Throughout their lives, and despite the hardships brought about by the policies of the Mexican government towards the Yaqui people, Miguel and Domitila succeeded in retaining their rich traditions: they were also able somehow to bridge both worlds without disturbing not only their ancient spiritual ways but also their deep knowledge of Nature, and were able to transmit this unadulterated knowledge to their grandson Travis.

Growing up, Travis spent months at a time with his great-grandparents, as they traveled throughout the Southwest. Domitila was a third generation herbalist and passed her considerable wisdom about the plant world to her grandson. Travis also learned a variety of physical skills, including the ways of the animals and of the land. Year after year, he was also trained in the many different ceremonies which are necessary for the safe passing of the seasons and the rites of passage essential for human development. Other aspects of his training included a variety of purification ceremonies to bring about balance and clarity. Because of the nature of his original vision, Travis was also rigorously trained in all the aspects of traditional curing.

After the death of his great-grandfather, Travis traveled throughout the United States and Canada. These travels enriched his spiritual development as he came in contact with different people and traditions. He was able to meet many spiritual teachers with whom he spent time and shared information. He came to see the threads which connect all of humanity, just as his grandparents had taught him.

Travis’s exceptional knowledge of The Sand Way was formed and molded by a deep understanding of the connectedness of all that exists, where the spiritual and physical aspect of the world which surrounds us is indivisible and exists in harmony. This ancient knowledge allows one to bridge the divide by tearing down the walls of separation which exist among people. One of the greatest lessons Travis learned from his great-grandparents is the fact that the knowledge passed down to him is dynamic and not static. It needs to be shared with others in its complete form. Nothing needs to be held back, as we all travel the same roadway towards spiritual understanding and development. It is on this road that development and growth take place, and it is here that we are presented with our greatest opportunity: the ability to reach out and help one another to be unrestricted by the elemental forces of society. As with all things in Nature, growth is inevitable but it does require the proper amount of nutrition to flourish, and this is what Travis’s goal is in sharing The Sand Way with others: the assurance that all who seek can find the tools and skills necessary to truly bring about fulfillment, and peace in their lives.

© 2005 Bettina Anter. All Rights Reserved

For more information about The Sand Way® and Travis Chacon go to home.earthlink.net/~thesandwayschool. Bettina Anter has been a student of The Sand Way for many years and is currently completing a book about The Sand Way.