1 comments about Black Elk and Flaming Rainbow: Personal Memories of the Lakota Holy Man and John Neihardt.

1. Anyone who has ever read "Black Elk Speaks" should put this book "Black Elk and Flaming Rainbow" on their must read list. Written by a woman who was there during the interviews, this book sheds much light on the arguement of whether "Black Elk Speaks" is fiction or non-fiction. It also explains why "Black Elk Speaks" could not have been written exactly as Black Elk had told his story to Neihardt. The book also touches lightly on interviews leading to the writing of "When the Tree Flowered" also by John Neihardt, as well as "The Sacred Pipe" by Joseph Epes Brown. This book is a must read for anyone interested in Lakota culture.

5 comments about Ojibwa Warrior: Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement.

1. Dennis Banks has much to answer for before he can call himself a "Warrior" ... He needs to disclose his role, and the role of the AIM leadership, in the kidnapping and murder of Anna Mae Aquash, with whom he had an affair while his wife was with child. Anna Mae is a heroine to those who remember her role in the fight for Indian rights -- especially land rights and the restoration of treaty agreements. She was murdered, according to court testimony, because AIM leadership believed she was an FBI informer, a charge later proved false. Who in the AIM leadership ordered this murder? Who knew? Who could have stopped it? Anyone interested in this period of history knows there are troubling, unanswered questions about whom we hold accountable for this crime. Dennis Banks needs to come forward with full disclosure.



2. Dennis Banks has obviously witnessed the personal sacrifice of following a path in a cause larger than his own self-interest. He and Erdoes have done well in their writing and story telling of the hey day of the American Indian Movement. Such a sad chapter in the history of this nation but I was awe-struck at the tone of optimism in Banks as a person. He truly embodies a level of hope and spiritual regeneration despite his many flaws---as we all have. The price one pays as he has in his life for pursuing a dream is truly remarkable. Great piece of work that deserves every consideration. Now, if only justice would finally roll down like the waves of a might water for Leonard Peltier.



3. America is a very, very, very old place. We were not here first and it is time we give back what is not rightfully ours. The American Indian is the original American and he should be able to do whatever he wants to do in America.
   
   Buy this book and let us free brother Leonard!!!!



4. I purchased this book for an anthropology class and I found it to be
   an interesting read, but not an easy read. The book is written as if the author is actually talking to you so it tends not to be very smooth, however the content is very interesting and enlightening. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in what the Native Americans are really like, how they live, and more importantly how they are treated in their own country.



5. Ojibwa Warrior is an autobiography and first hand account of the formation and rise of the American Indian Movement told by one of its founders, Dennis Banks. Banks' book, Ojibwa Warrior, is a multi-dimensional account of the history of racism and empire in the United States which should be of great interest not only to historians but also to anthropologists, philosophers, ecologists and especially social and environmental activists.
   
   Banks begins the book with one of the most important events of the 20th century - the armed takeover and occupation of Wounded Knee by the American Indian Movement in 1973. Throughout the course of interaction between the Federal government of the United States and the remaining Tribal Reservations, the takeover of Wounded Knee was arguably the most important event of the 20th century. The takeover placed the American Indian Movement and the struggle for Native sovereignty into the national and international spotlight. The takeover of Wounded Knee is a fitting beginning for Banks' book, which is filled with various stories and events that combine into a overarching narrative of uncompromising struggle against oppression and determination to better the lives of Native Americans by any and all means necessary.
   
   From Wounded Knee, which is dealt with in detail towards the end of the book, Banks fades back to his childhood years on the Leech Lake Ojibwa Reservation in Northern Minnesota where he was born in 1937. Banks was born into an economically poor yet culturally rich environment where he and his family lived close to the land and relied on natural foods to supplement their scarce and unhealthful government rations. Dennis tells of the close relationship that he had with his Grandparents, who still spoke the Ojibwa language and continued to practice the spiritual and cultural traditions of their ancestors. Throughout the book, Dennis would reflect back on those happy days often. However, the good times did not last. At the age of six, Dennis and his siblings were forcibly removed from the care of their relations to be placed into State run boarding schools. Banks' experience in this "school" was one that can be described as nothing other than a Government sponsored attempt at cultural genocide.
   
   When Dennis returned to the reservation, he found the situation there to be much worse than when he had left as a child. Although the reservation had always been poor and marginalized, the situation was now much worse - increasing numbers of white folks had encroached into the reservation and the state had forced the Ojibwa nation to take out licenses to hunt traditional foods on their own land. The ability to sustain oneself on the reservation had become nearly impossible and Banks did what many youths from poor and marginalized areas often do in a tragic attempt to better their economic situations - he joined the armed forces. Ironically, rather than making Banks into a mindless soldier for America, his time in the Air Force ended up engendering within him a consciousness of the racist and imperialistic nature of the United States:
   "I had been guarding the ramparts of the American Empire, but now I felt like those Crow and Arikara Indians who, after scouting for Custer and fighting on behalf of the whites, were pitted against their own brothers, the Cheyenne and Lakota. My Japanese family members were called gooks, slopes, and slant-eyes by whites, and those who suffered from these names were people just like me. Was I not a slant-eye, as all American Indians are? The American Air Force, which I had thought of as a friend, turned out to be an enemy" (p.55).
   
   Although his antipathy toward the Air Force had already been established, Banks extended his tour of duty two years to remain in Japan with his new Japanese wife and child. When Banks was reassigned to the States shortly after, he went AWOL in order to remain with his family. However, his freedom did not last for long and he was quickly captured, court-marshaled, jailed and shipped back to the States where he received a dishonorable discharge.
   
   By the mid 1960s, Banks was remarried with children and living in the "Indian Ghetto" section of Minneapolis where he had sunken into despair and alcoholism. In 1966, he was arrested, convicted and sent to prison for two years for stealing groceries to feed his family. During his time in prison he wrote that he had become invigorated by the growing resistance to U.S. empire both inside and outside the country and was especially inspired by groups such as the Weather Underground and the Black Panther Party. When he was released from prison in 1968, he returned to Minneapolis, determined to organize the Indian community to join in the struggle against racism and empire. On July 28, 1968, Banks organized a meeting in the "Indian Ghetto," where over 200 people showed up to discuss how to best empower their local community - during this meeting the American Indian Movement (A.I.M.) was formed.
   
   A.I.M. began with the formation of a local cop-watch program to monitor and intervene in police abuses of the Indian community. As A.I.M. began to grow and achieve successes in its various struggles, native communities around the country began to call upon the group to intervene in their local struggles. A.I.M.'s tactics were confrontational and although they did not seek violence, they were not afraid to use it if they deemed it necessary to achieve their goals. Coupled with their militant organization and tactics, Banks also describes a spiritual foundation based on a synthesis of traditional native ceremony/spiritualism that was very important to the cohesion and morale of the organization. Although A.I.M.'s tactics were modeled after groups such as the Panthers and Weathermen, those groups suffered from a reactionary anti-spiritualism and disconnected consciousness. It is very likely that A.I.M's spiritual foundation was the key element that allowed A.I.M. to achieve many great successes in their struggles as well as to remain as an organized movement while other resistance movements dismantled and faded into oblivion when faced with the violent repression of the U.S. government under the cointelpro program.
   
   A.I.M. achieved many great victories in their struggles, but they also suffered many devastating defeats. Banks describes some of the more notable actions that A.I.M. undertook during the 1970s and early 1980s, including the six day long occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters in Washington D.C., the riot in Custer, South Dakota, which ended in the arson of the County Court House, the three month long armed takeover and occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, and the shoot-out between A.I.M. members and F.B.I. agents at the Jumping Bull ranch on the Pine Ridge reservation. Banks also describes he and Leonard Peltier's time together on the run from a massive national manhunt after the Jumping Bull ranch incident and also writes about the time he spent in California during the 1980s while he lived under an asylum granted him by then Governor Jerry Brown.
   
   The importance of Banks' book cannot be understated. As a primary source document, it will remain as an important reference for present and future historians studying the American Indian Movement and the various groups with which it interacted. The book will also be of great importance for present and future resistance groups who find themselves engaged in struggle against the forces of empire and the repressive apparatus of the United State Government - for these people and groups Ojibwa Warrior will provide much needed insight into the strengths and weaknesses of resistance movements in the United States and the strengths and weaknesses of the various repressive agencies of the U.S. government.

5 comments about The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux : Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala.

1. Black Elk is and was sacred Elder. Through his life we are given this knowledge. He has helped many to understand the way of the Lakota; following the natural law. While not all Lakota follow the traditional ways as closely as they did before the arrival of the white man, they are still connected to these rites and inhierently understand these teachings. It's only to outside world that these things become suprising moments of clarity. Joseph Epes Brown took time before it was too late, to record these teachings, which is a blessing and a gift of knowledge to all who would read, understand and heed these words. If you wish to learn what dwells is in the hearts of Native American people, you would do well to open this book and your minds.



2. I haven't actually finished this book yet but I'm looking forward to doing so. This spirituality is deeply sophisticated and elevated. I think the whole world is greatly indebted to the American Indian Nation. Furthermore, thank you for wonderful service.



3. A beautiful book. You can learn about Siuox religious practie and beliefs. The reader will come away with a sense of how similar religios faiths can be. The Sioux it turns out are not so different from Christians, Hindus or any other group that uses faith to guide people through what is both difficult and beautiful in life.



4. I recommend reading this book if you are interested in the rituals and culture of the Lakota. It provides clear and interesting discussions of major rituals that form important components of their way of life. The material is drawn largely from interviews with Black Elk, and the writing really explains significance of important details in the various practices. The book also provides a good basis for understanding how the cultural practices fit into Lakota history. This book is also a fine one to read in relation to "Black Elk Speaks," "The 6th Grandfather," and "When the Tree Flowered."



5. Joseph Epes Brown was fortunate in meeting men who possessed great human and spiritual qualities, especially Black Elk who had a unique quality of power, kindliness and sense of mission. Born in 1862, Black Elk grew up when his people had the freedom of the plains, hunted bison; he fought at Little Bighorn and at Wounded Knee Creek and knew Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and American Horse. He traveled with Buffalo Bill to Italy, France and England. During his youth Black Elk was instructed in the sacred love of his people by Whirlwind Chaser, Black Road and Elk Head from whom he learned the history and deep meanings of his people's spiritual heritage. Through prayer, fasting and deep understanding of his heritage, Black Elk became a wise man, receiving visions and acquiring special powers to be used for the good of his nation. Because of his sense of mission Black Elk wanted this book to be written so that the reader could gain a better understanding of the truths of the Indian traditions.

   In his foreword Black Elk tells us: "There is much talk of peace among the Christians, yet this is just talk. Perhaps it may be, and this is my prayer, through our sacred pipe, and through this book in which I shall explain what our pipe really is, peace may come to those people who can understand, an understanding which must be of the heart and not of the head alone. Then they will realize that we Indians know the One true God, and that we pray to Him continually. I have wished to make this book through no other desire than to help my people in understanding the greatness and truth of our own tradition, and also to help in bringing peace upon the earth, not only among men, but within men and between the whole of creation."

   The wisdom of the Indians is based on such concepts as "The Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that is taken upon her should be as a prayer" and "Every dawn as it comes is a holy event, every day is holy." The Indians developed their own religion based on the gift of the sacred pipe given by a very beautiful woman who approached two Lakota Indians out hunting. One of them had bad intentions and he and the mysterious woman were wrapped in a cloud. When the cloud lifted the sacred woman was standing there and at her feet was the man who was nothing but bones and terrible snakes were eating him. Black Elk interpreted this as an eternal truth: "Any man who is attached to the senses and to the things of this world, is one who lives in ignorance and is being consumed by snakes which represent his own passions." The mysterious woman presented the tribe with a pipe and stone, explaining the significance of the gift. On her departure she said to the Standing Hollow Horn: "Behold this pipe! Always remember how sacred it is, and treat it as such, for it will take you to the end. Remember, in me there are four ages. I am leaving now, but I shall look back upon your people in every age, and at the end I shall return." These four ages find a parallel in the Hindu tradition during which true spirituality becomes increasingly obscured until the cycle closes with catastrophe, after which the primordial spirituality is restored and the cycle begins once again.

   Through the rite of the keeping of the soul, the Indians purified the souls of the dead and increased love for one another. This rite is followed by the rite of purification, known to us as the sacred lodge. The ritual of "Crying for a Vision" was used long before the coming of the sacred pipe. Crazy Horse received most of his power through "lamenting" or crying for a vision for some great event or ordeal such as going on the war path. "But perhaps the most important reason for 'lamenting' is that it helps us to realize our oneness with all things, to know that all things are our relatives; and then in behalf of all things we pray to Wakan-Tanka that He may give to us knowledge of Him who is the source of all things, yet greater than all things." Chapters are devoted to the Sun dance - one of the greatest rites; to "The making of Relatives" reflecting the relationship between man and Wakan-Tanka; preparing a girl for womanhood; and the rite of "The Throwing of the ball." Through these ceremonies we learn how the Sioux have come to terms with God, nature and their fellow man.

   If you question the superiority and validity of the goals of western society; if you are conducting a self-examination; if you are re-evaluating the premises and orientations of our society; if you are concerned about our environmental crisis; if you are concerned about the problems created by highly developed technology; if you are questioning our basic values concerning life, nature and the destiny of man; if you are open to look at the models represented by the American Indians; if you want talk about peace to become action about peace you will find something of value in this book.

5 comments about The Education of Little Tree (G.K. Hall Large Print Book Series).

1. A real treasure. A warm and poignant story, funny, sad and a good reminder of what it is all about.



2. If you've read any of the other reviews before this one, then you know the story behind this book. If you haven't read any other reviews, then don't until you read this book.
   
   I was leading a group of advanced readers in my 3rd grade class and this was one of the books the librarian recommended. Being that I was teaching in a Christian school, I had to read the book first to make sure it was appropriate. I began by simply skimming it which lasted maybe a paragraph before I was totally taken in by the story. I finished the story four hours later in the middle of the night. I could not put it down. The book moved me so intensely that I immediately went to the computer to research the author and find any other works. What I found literally caused me to grieve. I was hurt and felt betrayed. There I go, almost ruining it!
   
   But instead of telling you everything involved in this drama, I recommend that you read the book. I went on to read the book with my ninth grade literature class two years in a row. It was too mature for the third graders and the older kids were reading modern works. It was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever given.
   
   The background and spectacle caused by this book is a perfect example of the ad hominem fallacy. An individual's personal choices do not necessarily make their work null and void. I had my students fall in love with this book before I gave them the background of its author. Most of them came to the same conclusion: this man was changed somewhere along the way. Whatever he was in previous years, he had had an experience that gave him the ability to touch our lives in such a powerful way that he MUST have been changed. But the argument rages on.
   
   I encourage you to read it for yourself and allow it to teach you. Though it is not a Christian book, it has much truth in it that is borrowed from a Christian worldview. Much of it is even prophetic in a very convicting sense for Christians. It helps us look in the mirror to see ourselves anew.
   
   I quoted this book extensively in my podcast, Christian With A Brain. It set the tone for a discussion I did on Understanding the Atheistic Heart. Don't let the drama scare you off, this book is well worth reading.



3. Nutshell review - Not withstanding the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the story and author, there are two ways to read this story; (1) with your mind, or (2) with your heart. The first way will gain you little. The second way will truly touch you.



4. Some of the reviewers here seem unfamiliar with Cherokee History. Forrest Carter was of Cherokee ancestry and was a fiery Southerner with racist views. These facts are not so mutually exclusive as one would assume. The Cherokee nation was allied with the Confederate States during the war. Colonel(later General) Stand Watie led the Cherokee Mounted Rifles. Aside from the Cherokee, there were Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes fighting with the Confederates as well. So you see, Forrest Carter (or Asa if you like) was more than likely a product of his times. Not an evil man, just wrong. But he did write a great book.



5. A 5-year old orphan named Little Tree is raised by his Cherokee Grandma and Grandpa in a small mountain home during the days of the Depression. Little Tree learns about the Cherokee tribe and history. He also learns about the importance of love and respect for the land. His grandparents struggle to survive under difficult conditions however they show incredible compassion and love as they raise Little Tree. There is considerable debate over whether this book is fiction or non-fiction. Whatever it happens to be, this is good heartwarming story that is worth reading and having your children read.

5 comments about Molly Spotted Elk: A Penobscot in Paris.

1. THIS WAS BOUGHT AS A PRESENT. I HAVE READ IS AS IT IS ABOUT MY MOTHER. EVERYONE WHO READ IT HAS THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT. JEAN A MOORE. MAINE



2. The first 30 years of Molly's life are a fascinating story, but this writer was not the one to tell it. The awkward and amateurish quality of the writing detracts from an inherently interesting tale. The prose is particularly cringe-worthy when the writer attempts to summarize history or wax lyrical about complete strangers' guessed-at emotional states. The book needed a good copy editor, too - it has far too many errors.
   Molly deserved a biographer (and perhaps an editor to work with the writer) who could shape a well written account of her life.



3. This is a beautifully-written biography of a young Penobscot woman from Indian Island, Maine. She danced in vaudeville, Wild West shows, and even went topless in New York before dancing before royalty in Europe. She had a passionate but tragic love affair with a French journalist, and fled with her daughter from the Nazis. Molly suffered greatly in her lifetime but shone among her people as a strong matriarch with dazzling basketweaving skills and musical talents. She deserves to have her story told at last.



4. This is a wonderfully lyrical account of the life of a Penobscot woman who against great odds overcomes poverty and illness through her intelligence, love of beauty and dance and her connection to her Native American heritage. Her romance with a French Resistance-member journalist and her escape over the Alps with her infant daughter during World War II is spell-binding. I loved this book!



5. As a middle school librarian in a county with two tribes, I am always looking for books that will model exellence for our young men and women. This is a fascinating read about a native American young woman in the early days of Hollywood. We can't afford this book yet, but it is one of three that top my list for next year's order. We have 180 feet of empty shelves.

5 comments about The Journey of Crazy Horse.

1. The Journey of Crazy Horse is a good story of a man, leader and family man put through his lives struggles. The audio version of this story really brings its contents to life and being read by the author makes a big difference in quality of the words used. It is sure worth the time to enjoy and learn about an interesting Lakota culture through this story.



2. This book is best described as fictionalized biography of Crazy Horse that draws from many oral histories in the Lakota tradition. The use of oral histories make this biography both distinctive and essential, providing a different interpretation of events, people, and societies than you will find in Euro-American histories.
   
   Most important, Marshall is a natural story teller. His prose is simple and forceful, relying on action to develop character. He admires Crazy Horse very much, and that perspective also comes through.
   
   Marshall is himself Lakota, and his many activities (traditional craftsman, actor, media consultant, author) seek both to preserve and to exalt traditional Lakota values. This is not an unbiased story, and it's not meant to be, but its values are out in the open.
   
   Two aspects of the book bothered me. First, Marshall divides it into parts, with a "Reflections" chapter at the end of each part. These repeated much of the previous story, "translated" into the terms of Euro-Americans so that the battle of "Hundred in the Hand" became the "Fetterman Massacre," and so on. These were a completely unnecessary break in the narrative - - except for the very last one at the end of the book, which reflected on differences between his story and Euro-American histories.
   
   Second, Marshall doesn't mark the "written history," "oral history," and "fictional" elements in his story. For example, he tells the story of Crazy Horse's childhood in terms of what a typical Lakota boy would have done at that time - - what games he would have played, when he would have received his first bow, and so forth. That's entirely appropriate in this biography but these passages are "historical fiction." On other occasions, Marshall tells a story of Crazy Horse playing a particular game with a particular friend at a particular time and place. Is this fictionalized? Or is this part of the oral history? For the narrative, it doesn't matter. But if I wanted to use this book as a *source*, I would need to know. Having a "notes" section on each chapter in an appendix would have met this concern.
   
   Those issues aside, the real strength of this book is Marshall's story-telling. I'd love to hear him speak in person. It's a great read.



3. Crazy Horse was the renowned souix chief who slaughtered Custer and his men at the battle of Little Big Horn--this we all learned in grade school. Marshall takes this well known story, and turns it inside out--giving us a biography of Crazy Horse, in which the well known battle plays such a small part, that I almost missed it.
   
   Marshall sets Crazy Horse's life in historical perspective--that is, the Lakota history--not that of the US. The Civil War is barely mentioned, and the great westward migration appears only as a steadily growing trickle of whites through traditional Lakota hunting grounds.
   
   When Crazy Horse is born, whites have been coming through the area for years, but they are only just beginning to set up permanent forts, and the volume is increasing to the point where they are disrupting the ecosystem--and thus having, for the first time, an impact on Lakota life. The big debate among the elders is what to do about it.
   
   Crazy Horse is raised as a warrior, and that is how he approaches the problem. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the white way of war is not the Native American way. Whites fight to the death; Native Americans fight until it is clear who is stronger, thus preserving life. It is clear that the Lakota, led by Crazy Horse, are better fighters, one-on-one. However, the Whites are better armed. Crazy Horse's brilliance (at least for a while) was to develop tactics which forced whites to fight on Native American terms--and he won.
   
   Over the years it became clear that winning battles was not enough. There were always more whites arriving to replace any that were killed. When a delegation traveled east to "negotiate" a treaty, they returned with descriptions of large cities which were populated with more whites than the Lakota could imagine. Clearly, they were not going to win a battle of attrition against the whites.
   
   Some Lakota conceded defeat, and became "fort Indians"--entirely dependant on white beneficence for their existence--in the process, giving up the traditional hunting and warrior way. Others, lead by Crazy Horse, continued to battle. Crazy Horse, however, saw the end, and agonized over what the proper course was--continue to fight a doomed battle on principal, or give up.
   
   In the end, he continued the fight well past the point where it was clear there was no path to victory; only slow defeat. When he finally surrendered--having been betrayed by the fort Indians--he was murdered by the whites.
   
   Quite aside from providing a careful counter-perspective to the traditional "cowboys and Indians" narrative, Marshall tells a compelling story, which makes a good read.



4. Joseph Marshall has done the greatest possible tribute to the legendary Crazy Horse by portraying him as he undoubtedly was--human, troubled, self doubting, and yet a magnetic and inspired leader of men. Marshall's prose is deeply moving, drawing the reader into life as it was then, letting us see the fear of impending disaster from the eyes of the Lakota as their hunting grounds disappeared and they were, bit by bit, stripped of their pride not by military force, but out of compassion for the weak and vulnerable among them.
   
   Marshall demonstrates tremendous insight into the Lakota of the 19th century--he learned well. He described Crazy Horse brilliantly, thus: "He rose to leadership because he actually led. He didn't point to where others should go while he waited. He led." His last moments were a tragedy that should never be forgotten.
   
   There is much more to this book than Crazy Horse. Marshall exhibits what appears to be a Lakota wisdom so needed today. "The fact that we can perform a task more quickly because we've improved on a tool proves that we...have become more efficient, but it doesn't necessarily mean that we've grown wiser."
   
   Amen. One of the finest books I've read.



5. To Joseph Marshall, thank you. You have shared much with us. I am a white of the Dakota plains. I'm glad that some like yourself understand and perhaps your book will help others. Maybe someday another special bow will be given to the people. I hope. Hoka Hey.
   
   And pardon this note. But if some whites say Crazy Horse must have been part white, meaning to explain away his military genius, then I guess Custer must have been part Indian to explain his stupidity. And his terrible cruelty.

5 comments about Mabel McKay: Weaving the Dream (Portraits of American Genius, 1).

1. I read this for my book club. It was pretty good, though let's be honest... i have a very low interest in native american culture. It was pretty cool to learn about the transition from back then to modern times, and how the native american indian culture transformed to adapt. Especially here in the northern california area. Worthwhile read with amazing information.



2. Quyanna Mabel, for your story. You found someone to share your life, and I so appreciate sitting there late at night drinking hot tea, after my husband and daughter are asleep, to spend some time with you.
   
   I will reread the book to feel closer to my elders and to feel closer to you. I am so thankful. What a blessing!



3. Mabel McKay, Weaving the Dream is a profound, poetic, and magical journey. I have read it aloud a number of times to savor its depths. If you have any desire to know Native Californians as human beings rather than museum pieces, you may want to start here. The book, which is steeped in the oral tradition inspired me to write the following poem which was published some years back through U.C. Davis.
   
   Mabel McKay (Weaving Poem) (by Norm Milstein, 7/97)
   
   Plumage of a Pomo basket
   Flame of feathers blue and black
   Strung with glistening abalone
   Rimmed with ivory disks of shell.
   
   Read her book slowly or not at all.
   She believed that stories should be heard many times
   To sink in and merge with the heart of the hearer
   To sink like pebbles in the soul of the listener
   To grow like seeds in the earth of our minds.
   
   Read her book slowly or not at all.
   Better still, read it aloud.
   Taste each word and savor the flavor
   Of willow and redbud and sedge.
   
   "I never knew nothing but the spirit," she said.
   "Only the spirit trained me.
   I only follow my Dream. That's how I learn."
   
   Plumage of a Pomo basket
   Flame of feathers blue and black
   Strung with glistening abalone
   Rimmed with ivory disks of shell.
   
   Read her book slowly or not at all.
   She believed that stories should be heard many times
   To sink in and merge with the heart of the hearer
   To sink like pebbles in the soul of the listener
   To grow like seeds in the earth of our minds.
   
   Read her book slowly or not at all.
   Better still, read it aloud.
   Taste each word and savor the flavor
   Of willow and redbud and sedge.
   
   "I never knew nothing but the spirit," she said.
   "Only the spirit trained me.
   I only follow my Dream. That's how I learn."



4. This is just a wonderful piece of writing, one which keeps resonating with me, even several years after first reading it. This book should have more readers, and seeing so few reviews for it, I want to argue for it as a must read on anybody's list. We all know books or speakers, writers and lecturers who could take any subject and make it worthwhile, just to spend time in their company. Greg Sarris is one of those magical presences we can be lucky enough to get to know through the medium of the page. Saying this is not intended to undercut the amazing person of Mabel Mckay, by the way. The way the past present and future weave in and out of this book, her stories, Greg's life, the future of land use in California... all of this is here, an enticing mix of POV's, passed around like a sacred pipe.
   
   A great read....



5. I read this book for an anthropology class that i am taking, and i found it to be very good. We get a first hand account of what role Mable McKay played for the Pomo Indians as a medicine women and as a basket weaver. Everything that she did was for a purpose, even though at times she had to deal with not everyone accepting her. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in Native American ways of life

5 comments about Mankiller: A Chief and Her People.

1. To me this is an excellent purchase. I can relate to many of the author's passages from the time she resided in California, memories of same have been brought to mind, in a positive sense.



2. For anyone interested in Native American History this is an excellent book. The book chronicles the life of the former Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller during times of political Native American activism and the fight of not only Cherokee people, but Native Americans as a whole during her lifetime. It is candid about the struggles Native Americans faced due to government programs of relocation and the struggle to make it in the white world while maintaining their Indian heritage and culture. In addition to providing a detailed account of Mankiller's life, the book gives a detailed account of the history of the Cherokee Nation and their struggles with removal, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, oppressive legislation, and issues faced on reservations.



3. This book was horrendous. She is an ultra-sensitive cry baby who can't move on with her life. Aside from her life which literally has almost no accomplishments, the history of the Cherokees is just as boring. She rambles on and on about treaties and agreements that were broken by the united states and won't shutup about it the whole book. We get it, america ripped the native americans off. big deal. that's history, might makes right, and many nations in history faired worse off than the indians. countries have attacked each other for land for years, at least we allowed them to continue to exist. then, somehow she compares the trail of tears to the holocaust, which is just ridiculous. theres a difference between a walk that they chose to take by not previously cooperating, and a genocide of 6 millions jews through torture and starvation.
   
   DONT READ THIS BOOK



4. I read this one in four days ~~ it helped that we had some downtime while camping in a small state park. It is a wonderful memoir about a strong woman who, in spite of physical obstacles, managed to lead the second largest Indian Tribe in America. It is not just a memoir about a strong woman, it is also a history of a strong Indian tribe. It is an absolutely wonderful book and one that every serious reader of history should read.
   
   I picked this book up two years ago while traveling in Cherokee, NC, and never found the time to read it till recently, when I knew that we would be outside and camping again. (It seems that I do my best reading when we're traveling ...) I found the subject title fascinating and when I did finally get to the book, I found it even more fascinating and curious. This is a woman in every sense of the word. Wilma Mankiller is a heroine that every woman should look up to ~~ young and old.
   
   Wilma Mankiller grew up in poverty-stricken Oklahoma and while she was still young, her family relocated to California as part of the Native American relocation program that was offered just after WWII. She grew up in California, married young and had two daughters. She became involved with the civil rights movement and at the same time, she has never lost sense of her own heritage. After her marriage fell apart, she moved back home to Oklahoma, went onto working for the Cherokee National Tribe doing various things and eventually became the first Woman Chief. Intermixed with her personal tale are ancient stories from the Cherokee history ~~ of the times before they left their homelands, about the Trail of Tears, and so on. It's history mixed in with personal story-telling and it's a wonderful way to read this book.
   
   Unlike some reviewers, I did not find Mankiller bashing the whites for all their problems ~~ she was very diplomatic in telling the readers about the history ~~ but the history has shown that when the white settlers came to America, they did break treaties and their promises, and there's reason why the Native Americans don't trust them ~~ the government of US and its citizens have not given them reason to. But on the same breath, Mankiller mentions that her tribe has a hard time with change ~~ she doesn't sit there and bemoaned the loss of their ancient lands, she gets out and work on solving the problems that her tribe is facing. She admits that change has occurred and she's very realistic about fixing the problems. I cannot but help admire her for that.
   
   This is an excellent book ~~ it's guaranteed to be a thought-provoker in conversations and discourses ~~ at least it has for my husband and me. It is such an interesting tale about a woman who never learned the words, I can't. She never gave up the fight for her people. This book is just a small testimony to that fight.
   
   8-13-07



5. In "Mankiller: A Chief and Her People," author and former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller recounts her experiences growing up on reservations, government relocation, and her activism in Indian affairs.
   This book is well written and offers, if nothing else, of a peek into the mid 20th century Native American and reservation experience.
   There is no doubt that those of us with Native American heritage, particularly Cherokees, have ancestors who have been dealt less than a fair hand throughout the history of the United States. But I find it unfortunate when such potentially powerful leaders of social movements seeking to rise above past adversities, place generalized blame on the "white" community at-large for current problems. It is regrettable that Mankiller, who is herself half-white, can wholly reject one part of her heritage while fully embracing the other.
   Mankiller speaks with contempt of the "white lady" do-gooders, who tried to reach out to her as a reservation bound child. This is precisely the type of racial bitterness that keeps many fellow modern Native Americans "victims," feeling helpless and reservation bound.
   Cherokee heritage has a long history of acceptance and assimilation, not necessarily just into white culture either. Other cultures (even Europeans) were long accepted into early tribal clans.
   While we must never forget the reprehensible Trail Of Tears or any other federally sanctioned forced relocation of any tribe or peoples. There comes a time however, when all persecuted cultures must move foreword, as the tribe most certainly has. We must begin to embrace the long acknowledged civility and citizenship of the Cherokee people and stop seeking modern scapegoats for our moments of misery.
   Having said this, I commend Mankiller for achievements in both American and Cherokee societies. To have witnessed the transitions of Native American culture at the height and hub of the American Civil Rights Movement grants Mankiller the prerogative to share her story and her perspectives in this book.
   REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ, AUTHORS DESERVE READER'S OPINIONS!

No comments about Haa Kusteeyi, Our Culture: Tlingit Life Stories (Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, Vol 3).

2 comments about Sitting Bull: And the Paradox of Lakota Nationhood.

1. I read the book but it wasn't the version i needed which was my fault. good book.



2. Great book for the class I am taking. Not sure I would have ever read it since I am not a cowboys and indian buff.