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Summary: Oglala ceremonies and insights
Review: I may never be pierced in a Sioux Sun Dance Ceremony, but I would like to be cleansed by a Sweat Lodge Ceremony. If nothing else I will look for my Wotai stone, and hold it up to the rising dawn. Perhaps I will beseech the four directions and Mother Earth, Father Sky, and Wakan Tanka. This book can give anyone a greater appreciation of the stewardship of the Oglala Sioux, and greater respect for Mother Earth.This book provides information on Indian ceremonies and the contribution of Indians to this democracy. There are highly personal and remarkable accounts of Eagle Man's own quest; such as the Yuwipi Spirit-calling ceremony to find a downed airplane, and the finding of his personal tipi canyon agate.
Rating:
Summary: Brave and successful work to reach mutual understanding
Review: I remember first reading this book years ago in a hotel in Boston after work. It had a profound effect on me. Eagle Man has stepped forward in the spirit of White Buffalo Calf Woman to bring the teachings of the earth to all people. Many enrolled Indians are unconfortable with their cultures being shared. While we respect their culture and tradition, not being born into a certain tradition does not mean you are not meant to be affected by it in a positive way. And that is what this book does. To bring forward the beauty of the earth path as seen from the Lakota traditions.
If you are interested in Lakota spirituality (i.e. the gifts of White Buffalo Calf Woman) then be sure to also check out Black Elk Speaks and The Gift of the Sacred Pipe. Black Elk was a Lakota holy man who saw that the traditions of his people were under threat. So he communicated the information about the Lakota rituals/rites to white men he made friends with.
In this book you really get a sense of the spirit of friendship and sacredness. You can realize that the gifts of spirit and earth, that are found in many traditions, are for the healing of all beings and the peaceful friendship of all peoples. This book does a great job in conveying that spirit.
Rating: 
Summary: Most Natives don't agree with McGaa's views on Spirituality
Review: I've met Ed McGaa, read his book and almost published my language studies under his publishing company. He's a fairly decent guy but his views are not the majority view of the Native population. His book is more geared toward the Non-Native.
Most of my people would never agree with Ed's writings - and many of my relatives would call Ed a "sell-out." While I would never say this about him because I don't know what compells him to write what he does. I can tell you, the writings in this book are not a good example of the way 98% of the Native population think and believe. If you are looking for a "romantic" view on Native beliefs - this is the book for you! Personally, myself and many of my relations feel you should study your own nationality and not someone else's. But if you really want a glimpse at the life and beliefs of another culture like our own... read Fool's Crow or watch, "Smoke Signals." And then get on with your life - don't wrap yourself up in the genes and thought processes of another heritage and lifestyle when there are so many unique and special points of your own life that you could discover. Look in the mirror and be proud of who YOU are. Don't try to be someone else to escape the blood that flows through your own veins. That is the greatest teaching you could ever hear from any of my people - and 98% of us, feel that way.
Toksa,
(Enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe)
Rating:
Summary: Mother Earth Spirituality is a great and generous gift
Review: In Mother Earth Spirituality, Ed McGaa (Eagle Man) writes: "For Indians, four-legged and winged ones, stones, and trees are regarded as holy, in that they harmoniously live upon this earth, following exactly the plan of the Great Spirit." Reading this book was itself a spiritual experience, a revelation of the Great Spirit. I was informed, inspired, moved, and also brought to grief over what had been missing from my own life: the closeness to Mother Earth that the author so clearly and powerfully feels. By describing Oglala Sioux spirituality and philosophy from the inside, Ed McGaa has given us a great and generous gift. I owe him a debt of gratitude for reminding me of what I must recover. If humanity is to have a future, it will have to learn the lessons and absorb the wisdom of this important book.
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