Short Story of American Indian Boy on His Vision Quest?

I read a short story about 50-55 years ago (in what I believe to be a sixth or eighth grade reader or cultural studies book) about an Indian boy who was on a vision quest (or something of that nature) wherein he was out in the forest by himself in order to become a man, or to find himself or his future. Perhaps to return to his tribe when he discovered his path in life. At the end of his quest he would be renamed in accordance with what he discovered about himself or the world he encountered.

He was told not to go into the forbidden area (all of the people in his tribe were so instructed) but when he was out in the forest alone, he believed a bird (perhaps an eagle) was the spirit he should follow and it led him into the forbidden area.

When he entered the forbidden area the description of the forbidden area in the story was of a great city with wide paved roads, tall buildings, strange objects (like modern day appliances?) etc., all of which had been damaged and abandoned hundreds or thousands of years before.

As I recall, the description of this ghost city was similar to what someone may have described after a nuclear bomb went off, and I remember my teacher stating that the author had written this story prior to the world ever knowing what a nuclear bomb was or what a nuclear blast could do.

I contacted my teacher, and many students in my class, many years ago but to no avail. No one but me seems to remember reading the story and no one recalls the name of the book or reader the story was in.

I don't know if this is the right group to be asking, but if someone could direct me to the right group or make a suggestion as to how I would go about finding out more about this story, I would be indebted to you. Thank you very much. Happy Mothers' day.

Just guessing here, since I haven't read it, but could this be Hiero's Journey?

No, the story I am thinking of, I read in the early 60's, and was supposed to have been written before the atom bomb was built and dropped on Hiroshima.

Perhaps "By the Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benet....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_the_Waters_of_Babylon

I just read the story "By the Waters of Babylon"and it is definitely the story I was looking for. Although the story does not read exactly as I remembered it (I thought there was punishment for traveling to the forbidden area, and that the boy changed his name upon his return to the tribe) as I read further and further into it, there is no doubt in my mind that this was it. I think the passing of 50 years or more since I read it left me a little vague on some of the details, but, it is exactly the story I was looking for. Thank you very much for your help in finding this for me. As I indicated, I have been trying to recall the name and author for about ten years. Thank you. Thank you. Thanky you.

So glad I could help!

touchstone fairy: By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benet

Definitely not Lanier's Hiero books. They're very different, involving an adult priest-type in a post-apocalyptic Canada on his personal quests.