Touch the Earth

Rating:
Summary: An uplifting glimpse into the Native American heart & mind.
Review: I purchased this precious compendium of wisdom expecting to find some interesting Native American quotations to add to my 400+ collection of quotation books. I discovered an inspirationial book which deftly interweaves philosophy, ecology, history, anthropology and spirituality. Actually, it is a first hand account of the eradication of the American Indian culture and extermination of their peoples spoken by the tribal leaders. Yet it is uplifting and inspiring, not desolating. Page after page I found my heart glowing, or chills running up my back, as I was touched by the pure, noble, plain yet profound talk of these great yet simple men-- Seattle, Tecumseh, Black Hawk, Geronimo and lesser known chiefs of Choctaw, Nez Perce, Yuma, Hopi, Chickasaw, Sioux, and Cree nations. They, with great nobility and anguish, speak the case for their simple way of life, embracing nature and sharing its bounties with all their equal partners-- the buffalo, eagle, bear, trees, wind, earth and sky, all part of the great spirit. The archive photos alone are worth the bargain price of this treasure.

Rating:
Summary: An uplifting glimpse into the Native American heart & mind.
Review: I purchased this precious compendium of wisdom expecting to find some interesting Native American quotations to add to my 400+ collection of quotation books. I discovered an inspirationial book which deftly interweaves philosophy, ecology, history, anthropology and spirituality. Actually, it is a first hand account of the eradication of the American Indian culture and extermination of their peoples spoken by the tribal leaders. Yet it is uplifting and inspiring, not desolating. Page after page I found my heart glowing, or chills running up my back, as I was touched by the pure, noble, plain yet profound talk of these great yet simple men-- Seattle, Tecumseh, Black Hawk, Geronimo and lesser known chiefs of Choctaw, Nez Perce, Yuma, Hopi, Chickasaw, Sioux, and Cree nations. They, with great nobility and anguish, speak the case for their simple way of life, embracing nature and sharing its bounties with all their equal partners-- the buffalo, eagle, bear, trees, wind, earth and sky, all part of the great spirit.The archive photos alone are worth the bargain price of this treasure.

Rating:
Summary: Native American philosophy has much to teach us
Review: The letter from Chief Seattle to the US President.. "How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? ..." and the vision of Black Elk ..."The sacred hoop of his people was only one of many hoops, all joined together to make one great circle, the great hoop of all peoples.." brought home to me the fact that the Native American philosophy of living has so much to teach us. They were closely connected to the earth, loved and respected it, while we treat it with violence; they were closely connected to our universal Mother and seemed to truly understand humankind's place in the universe while we trust in our technology and the wealth it brings us. The Native Americans appeared to have lived their lives with their two natures - materialistic and spiritual - in harmony while we have over emphasized the material and neglected the spiritual. While we cannot turn the clock back and ride horses and live in tents - nor would we want to - but surely there must be some principles that they incorporated into their lives which we can discover and build into our lives to help redress the balance of our two natures. So I turned to this book to see if there is some Native American wisdom which would enrich my life. I was certainly encouraged by the Book of-the-Month Club comment on the back cover "Simply but eloquently, the selections tell of the Indians' relationship with the earth, their kinship with all of nature's creatures, and their unity with the elements. They speak of the harmony that existed between the Indian and the land, a harmony that was disrupted as 'the hairy man from the east' encroached still further into their territory." and ".. one cannot help but be struck anew by their wisdom and their prophetic vision..."

I read this passage in the introduction: "In this book, the Indians speak for themselves, of the quality of their life. The passages that make up the book have been taken from speeches of Indians living in all parts of the North American continent, between the 16th and 20th centuries. They speak with courtesy and respect of the land, of animals, of the objects which made up the territory in which they lived. They saw no virtue in imposing their will over their environment: private acquisition, almost without exception, was to them a way to poverty, not to riches. The meaning of their life was identified through their relationships with each other and their homelands - all of which was given depth and resonance by memory" and understood that here in this volume I would find what I was looking for. Many of the passages reflect attempts by the Indians to offer their ideas to the whiteman but we responded by destroying their way of life and with it much of the wisdom we need today. We are indeed fortunate to have this collection to refer to. We cannot turn the clock back; we cannot undo the deeds of prior generations. But perhaps we can at least take the trouble to reflect on what these wise people were trying to teach our forebears and perhaps we will find some words of wisdom that will help us to live our lives with our two natures - materialistic and spiritual - more closely in balance.

If we fail to do this I fear that the prophecy in the introduction will come true. "It is well understood that the only decent future for us who live in America now is through a rediscovery of our environment. We need to establish a right relationship with the land and its resources; otherwise, the destruction of the Indian will be followed by the destruction of nature; and in the destruction of nature will follow the destruction of ourselves."

Rating:
Summary: Native American philosophy has much to teach us
Review: The letter from Chief Seattle to the US President.. "How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? ..." and the vision of Black Elk ..."The sacred hoop of his people was only one of many hoops, all joined together to make one great circle, the great hoop of all peoples.." brought home to me the fact that the Native American philosophy of living has so much to teach us. They were closely connected to the earth, loved and respected it, while we treat it with violence; they were closely connected to our universal Mother and seemed to truly understand humankind's place in the universe while we trust in our technology and the wealth it brings us. The Native Americans appeared to have lived their lives with their two natures - materialistic and spiritual - in harmony while we have over emphasized the material and neglected the spiritual. While we cannot turn the clock back and ride horses and live in tents - nor would we want to - but surely there must be some principles that they incorporated into their lives which we can discover and build into our lives to help redress the balance of our two natures. So I turned to this book to see if there is some Native American wisdom which would enrich my life. I was certainly encouraged by the Book of-the-Month Club comment on the back cover "Simply but eloquently, the selections tell of the Indians' relationship with the earth, their kinship with all of nature's creatures, and their unity with the elements. They speak of the harmony that existed between the Indian and the land, a harmony that was disrupted as 'the hairy man from the east' encroached still further into their territory." and ".. one cannot help but be struck anew by their wisdom and their prophetic vision..."

I read this passage in the introduction: "In this book, the Indians speak for themselves, of the quality of their life. The passages that make up the book have been taken from speeches of Indians living in all parts of the North American continent, between the 16th and 20th centuries. They speak with courtesy and respect of the land, of animals, of the objects which made up the territory in which they lived. They saw no virtue in imposing their will over their environment: private acquisition, almost without exception, was to them a way to poverty, not to riches. The meaning of their life was identified through their relationships with each other and their homelands - all of which was given depth and resonance by memory" and understood that here in this volume I would find what I was looking for. Many of the passages reflect attempts by the Indians to offer their ideas to the whiteman but we responded by destroying their way of life and with it much of the wisdom we need today. We are indeed fortunate to have this collection to refer to. We cannot turn the clock back; we cannot undo the deeds of prior generations. But perhaps we can at least take the trouble to reflect on what these wise people were trying to teach our forebears and perhaps we will find some words of wisdom that will help us to live our lives with our two natures - materialistic and spiritual - more closely in balance.

If we fail to do this I fear that the prophecy in the introduction will come true. "It is well understood that the only decent future for us who live in America now is through a rediscovery of our environment. We need to establish a right relationship with the land and its resources; otherwise, the destruction of the Indian will be followed by the destruction of nature; and in the destruction of nature will follow the destruction of ourselves."