Rating: 
Summary: Teaching Humanity
Review: A profound, gentle teaching. Like a wise grandfather you wish you had. Like life, the more you read it and come back to it, the more you see and learn. Try not to get hung up on the symbolism by literal interpretation. Try reading it like a child would read a story. Over time the wisdom and serenity will sink in after you work through the emotions, feelings and judgements it will evoke. Learning can be fun, inspirational and powerful... this is such a teaching.
Rating:
Summary: Controversy? Still a great book!
Review: Al Carroll's review is not the first encounter I've had with criticism of "the white man" continuing to abuse indians, now by "stealing" their religion. I am sympathetic with this point of view, but I also think that "the white man" desperately needs all the help he can get toward becoming more respectful of other life forms and more "spiritual" in the sense of being less materialistic. Surely, the religion and spirituality can be shared by all who need it.The beautiful artwork in Seven Arrows is criticized for "getting the colors wrong." This strikes me as a foolish criticism, as though the only valid interpretation of a traditional theme must have the traditional colors as well. This is reactionary thinking; for a tradition to be of the greatest value to the living, I think that change is sometimes necessary. If the artwork in Seven Arrows is valid as art, I think that's enough to justify its existence, regardless of its lack of "reverence to tradition." Not every crucifix needs to have a bleeding Christ on it. I don't recall what Storm says about the art in the book, but I don't think it's presented as "views of traditional Cheyenne art." It seems pretty clear that these are modern interpretations of traditional themes. In any case, if he "got the religion wrong" and "got the artwork wrong," it's still a dazzling book and I recommend it highly. You can read the "story of Jumping Mouse" from the book on Storm's web site, www.hyemeyohstsstorm.com. The following is the review I had on my web site before reading this current controversy: Hyemeyohsts Storm's Seven Arrows is a most unusual book, and reading it has been a profoundly interesting and moving experience for me. Seven Arrows is in the form of a novel with a lengthy nonfiction introduction and loads of artwork and photographs. However, as novels go, it simply fails to follow the convention, in two basic ways: most of the main characters are violently killed in the story, and the book contains half-a-dozen lengthy allegorical tales that dramatically slow the action. Overall the picture presented is that of the ending of a way of life and the introduction of a new way. The narrative mostly consists of characters riding or walking from place to place, meeting other indians (I believe there are no non-indian characters), talking about the latest doings of the crazy white man, telling stories, and killing or being killed. The death of the main characters is quite disconcerting at first. The novel begins by presenting the doings of a character, who is then killed. Another character becomes central to the story, and sooner or later he also is killed. Eventually one learns not to expect the current main character to survive; this expectation leads to abandonment of the usual "naive identification" that engages the reader to most novels and to take instead a more Olympian view. One begins to think of the human characters being as symbolic and allegorical as the mice, wolves, and buffalo that are prominent in the "teaching tales." Embedded in the narrative are about half-a-dozen lengthy allegorical tales that often seem to bear little relation to the actions of the human characters who tell the stories. In addition to these "teaching tales" themselves, interpretations of the events of the tales are presented. These interpretations, in conjunction with the introduction, lead one to think of the symbolism, "looking beneath" and reinterpreting everything that happens in the story. As is the case with any allegory worth reading, these tales and the book as a whole defy simple and unambiguous interpretation. There are multiple layers here, and each tale, and the entire book, should be thought of as flowers which can be opened a petal at a time. This approach to the tales is explicitly encouraged in the narrative. The artwork and photographs alone are worth the price of the book. The photographs are mostly of indians and their artifacts and various native animals and birds, and almost all of them are striking or thought-provoking. There are also about a dozen exquisite color plates of indian figures and shield designs incorporating symbols that occur in the narrative. Many line drawings decorate and illustrate the text. All these elements work well with the text, though regrettably some of the photographs are marred by the two-page spread treatment they receive. Seven Arrows presents a point of view and way of life which I found alien, yet attractive. The gentleness of these indians and their good will towards each other, the slow pace of indian life, and the symbolic and puzzling stories the characters tell each other, all contribute to the inducing of a state of peaceful contemplation and a longing for a quieter way of life. This is a book I intend to reread often. It strikes me as a very profound book, but this is the profundity of obscure poetry, of a flawed quartz crystal, or of a human eye or mind: the deeper you look, the more you will see, but the dull or hurried eye may discern little of interest. If you're looking for something different and potentially life-changing, give Seven Arrows a try.
Rating:
Summary: Controversy? Still a great book!
Review: Al Carroll's review is not the first encounter I've had with criticism of "the white man" continuing to abuse indians, now by "stealing" their religion. I am sympathetic with this point of view, but I also think that "the white man" desperately needs all the help he can get toward becoming more respectful of other life forms and more "spiritual" in the sense of being less materialistic. Surely, the religion and spirituality can be shared by all who need it. The beautiful artwork in Seven Arrows is criticized for "getting the colors wrong." This strikes me as a foolish criticism, as though the only valid interpretation of a traditional theme must have the traditional colors as well. This is reactionary thinking; for a tradition to be of the greatest value to the living, I think that change is sometimes necessary. If the artwork in Seven Arrows is valid as art, I think that's enough to justify its existence, regardless of its lack of "reverence to tradition." Not every crucifix needs to have a bleeding Christ on it. I don't recall what Storm says about the art in the book, but I don't think it's presented as "views of traditional Cheyenne art." It seems pretty clear that these are modern interpretations of traditional themes. In any case, if he "got the religion wrong" and "got the artwork wrong," it's still a dazzling book and I recommend it highly. You can read the "story of Jumping Mouse" from the book on Storm's web site, www.hyemeyohstsstorm.com. The following is the review I had on my web site before reading this current controversy: Hyemeyohsts Storm's Seven Arrows is a most unusual book, and reading it has been a profoundly interesting and moving experience for me. Seven Arrows is in the form of a novel with a lengthy nonfiction introduction and loads of artwork and photographs. However, as novels go, it simply fails to follow the convention, in two basic ways: most of the main characters are violently killed in the story, and the book contains half-a-dozen lengthy allegorical tales that dramatically slow the action. Overall the picture presented is that of the ending of a way of life and the introduction of a new way. The narrative mostly consists of characters riding or walking from place to place, meeting other indians (I believe there are no non-indian characters), talking about the latest doings of the crazy white man, telling stories, and killing or being killed. The death of the main characters is quite disconcerting at first. The novel begins by presenting the doings of a character, who is then killed. Another character becomes central to the story, and sooner or later he also is killed. Eventually one learns not to expect the current main character to survive; this expectation leads to abandonment of the usual "naive identification" that engages the reader to most novels and to take instead a more Olympian view. One begins to think of the human characters being as symbolic and allegorical as the mice, wolves, and buffalo that are prominent in the "teaching tales." Embedded in the narrative are about half-a-dozen lengthy allegorical tales that often seem to bear little relation to the actions of the human characters who tell the stories. In addition to these "teaching tales" themselves, interpretations of the events of the tales are presented. These interpretations, in conjunction with the introduction, lead one to think of the symbolism, "looking beneath" and reinterpreting everything that happens in the story. As is the case with any allegory worth reading, these tales and the book as a whole defy simple and unambiguous interpretation. There are multiple layers here, and each tale, and the entire book, should be thought of as flowers which can be opened a petal at a time. This approach to the tales is explicitly encouraged in the narrative. The artwork and photographs alone are worth the price of the book. The photographs are mostly of indians and their artifacts and various native animals and birds, and almost all of them are striking or thought-provoking. There are also about a dozen exquisite color plates of indian figures and shield designs incorporating symbols that occur in the narrative. Many line drawings decorate and illustrate the text. All these elements work well with the text, though regrettably some of the photographs are marred by the two-page spread treatment they receive. Seven Arrows presents a point of view and way of life which I found alien, yet attractive. The gentleness of these indians and their good will towards each other, the slow pace of indian life, and the symbolic and puzzling stories the characters tell each other, all contribute to the inducing of a state of peaceful contemplation and a longing for a quieter way of life. This is a book I intend to reread often. It strikes me as a very profound book, but this is the profundity of obscure poetry, of a flawed quartz crystal, or of a human eye or mind: the deeper you look, the more you will see, but the dull or hurried eye may discern little of interest. If you're looking for something different and potentially life-changing, give Seven Arrows a try.
Rating:
Summary: native description of genocide
Review: Besides the folk tales in this book, readers should also know that this book is a narrative of the "white" man's genocide as it was experienced by the Plains Indians. The narrative uses Native aesthetics rather than standard Western narrative techniques. In this way, the folk tales compliment the narrative not only with content but also with aesthetics: how a tale is told.
Rating:
Summary: native description of genocide
Review: Besides the folk tales in this book, readers should also know that this book is a narrative of the "white" man's genocide as it was experienced by the Plains Indians. The narrative uses Native aesthetics rather than standard Western narrative techniques. In this way, the folk tales compliment the narrative not only with content but also with aesthetics: how a tale is told.
Rating:
Summary: native description of genocide
Review: Besides the folk tales in this book, readers should also know that this book is a narrative of the "white" man's genocide as it was experienced by the Plains Indians. The narrative uses Native aesthetics rather than standard Western narrative techniques. In this way, the folk tales compliment the narrative not only with content but also with aesthetics: how a tale is told.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheyenne Call This Book Desecration & Blasphemy
Review: HYEMHOYOSTS STORM DESECRATES CHEYENNE BELIEFS
By Rupert Costo, President of the American Indian Historical Society and Publisher of The Indian Historian Seven Arrows brings disgrace to its publisher, Harper and
Row. It falsifies and desecrates the traditions of the Northern
Cheyenne, which it purports to describe. This reviewer withholds judgment as to whether Mr. Storm is a
Cheyenne as he claims to be.* He certainly shows little or no
understanding of the Cheyenne Way. The publisher circulated a letter giving Storm's enrollment number. But an enrollment number does not an Indian make! Quite a few Anglos and some blacks were adopted into Indian tribes. Sometimes the Indians were forced by the US government to accept them. In other cases whites were deceitful enrolled. If indeed he is an Indian, the tribal chairman states "I
don't know how he got on the tribal rolls." Shame on him for making a blasphemous travesty of the Cheyenne Way in Seven Arrows. This is a book put together with considerable pretensions.
The first thing that strikes the eye is the illustrative work: 1) The color plates are a solid disaster, in extremely poor taste, and the end result desecrates the Cheyenne religion. The Cheyenne do not use such garish colors. Theirs were the colors of the earth. 2) The designs are actually blasphemous to Cheyenne religion,
portraying their religious motifs in the worst possible manner,
making a mockery of the religious beliefs and the theological system of the people. There are so many irreligious and irreverent inaccuracies in
this book that a committee of the Northern Cheyenne is now examining it in detail.** The reaction of Cheyenne people at Lame Deer was disbelief and anger: "Bunk!" 1) His description of the Sun dance is WRONG. 2) His drawing of the Sun Dance Lodge is NOT Cheyenne. 3) The Four Sacred Directions are INACCURATELY described as north-south-east-west. They are in fact the northeast-northwest-southeast-southwest. 4) The sacred number given is WRONG. 5) The Cheyenne shield colors are WRONG. They are red, black, white, and yellow, not the monstrosity of color shown in the plates. 6) The shield designs are WRONG and actually BLASPHEME the Cheyenne religion. The publisher has boasted this will be a best seller. Not
surprising. This is a White Man's interpretation of the Cheyenne. A reader searching for a true interpretation of the Cheyenne people will not find it in this book. It is most unfortunate that this author, who has no religious
or secular status in the tribe, is so presumptuous as to
bestow "Indian" names upon his White benefactor, Douglas Latimer, a vice president of Harper and Row. Only the tribe and religious leaders can do this. In performing such an irreligious act, Storm has outraged and insulted the Cheyenne, their tribal traditions, and religion. On the other hand, it is inconceivable any self respecting individual would accept a pseudo-Indian name given by one who is not authorized to do so. No self respecting Indian would do it either. It is ump quah, as we say. This reviewer wonders whether Storm is attempting to create a
new theology for the Cheyenne.*** If so he has failed, and succeeded only in vulgarizing one of the most beautiful but least known religions of man.
------------- This review originally appeared in The Indian Historian, Vol. 5, No. 2, Summer 1972. The emphases and numbering were added. *Subsequent research has turned up two possibilities not known at the time Costo wrote his review. Storm's real first name is Charles or Chuck. At other times he has also taken the pseudonyms "Wolf Storm" or "General Storm." He is, in fact, German-American, and is blue-eyed, blond-haired, and fair-skinned. A few Native people have come forward claiming to be relatives of his, and it's possible he may have a small amount of Crow ancestry. These distant Crow relatives in turn have Cheyenne relatives, which may account for how he was
deceitfullyenrolled. ** Storm's publisher Harper and Row escaped a lawsuit by publishing the book as fiction. (They also paid what the Cheyenne openly called "reparations" for the damage done by Storm's book.) At the same time, Storm and the inner circle of his cult followers maintain his books are absolutely and literally true. ***Storm remains a pariah to the Cheyenne. There is no sign of any Cheyenne accepting his blasphemous take on Cheyenne belief. Storm himself has never lived among the Cheyenne, and today lives near the Crow reservation on the profits from his books. His appearances to promote his blasphemy of Cheyenne beliefs are always heavily protested.
Rating:
Summary: Visually Dazzling
Review: I agree with the readers from California and Arizona and commend them on ther fine reviews. I would only like to add that the illustrations, photographs and art work is superb. The paintings by Karen Harris are excellent. They compliment the text in such a way that the experience is even more meaningful. The historical black and white photographs are treasured reminders of a bygone era. The knowledge of the elders is available for those who seek it, add this book to your Native American collection.
Rating:
Summary: Jumping Mouse
Review: I do not want to use the maximun of 1,000. In a few words I would like to say that I can not put this book down. I will not be satisfied until I am able to tell this story out loud. If anyone has any suggestions on how to do this in a creative way without taking from it contents I welcome your ideas. I wish a Native American would reply that would awesome.
Rating:
Summary: Jumping Mouse
Review: I do not want to use the maximun of 1,000. In a few words I would like to say that I can not put this book down. I will not be satisfied until I am able to tell this story out loud. If anyone has any suggestions on how to do this in a creative way without taking from it contents I welcome your ideas. I wish a Native American would reply that would awesome.
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