Across the Shaman's River


Book Description

The story of one of Alaska’s last Indigenous strongholds, shut off for a century until a fateful encounter between a shaman, a preacher, and a naturalist. Tucked in the corner of Southeast Alaska, the Tlingits had successfully warded off the Anglo influences that had swept into other corners of the territory. This Native American tribe was viewed by European and American outsiders as the last wild tribe and a frustrating impediment to access. Missionaries and prospectors alike had widely failed to bring the Tlingit into their power. Yet, when naturalist John Muir arrived in 1879, accompanied by a fiery preacher, it only took a speech about “brotherhood”—and some encouragement from the revered local shaman Skandoo’o—to finally transform these “hostile heathens.” Using Muir’s original journal entries, as well as historic writings of explorers juxtaposed with insights from contemporary tribal descendants, Across the Shaman’s River reveals how Muir’s famous canoe journey changed the course of history and had profound consequences on the region’s Native Americans. “The product of three decades of thought, research, and attentive listening. . . . Henry shines a bright light on events that have long been shadowy, half-known. . . . Now, thanks to careful scholarship and his access to Tlingit oral history, we are given a different perspective on familiar events: we are inside the Tlingit world, looking out at the changes happening all around them.” —Alaska History




Across the Shaman's River


Book Description

Across the Shaman’s River is the story of one of Alaska’s last Native American strongholds, a Tlingit community closed off for a century until a fateful encounter between a shaman, a preacher, and John Muir. Tucked in the corner of Southeast Alaska, the Tlingits had successfully warded off the Anglo influences that had swept into other corners of the territory. This tribe was viewed by European and American outsiders as the last wild tribe and a frustrating impediment to access. Missionaries and prospectors alike had widely failed to bring the Tlingit into their power. Yet, when John Muir arrived in 1879, accompanied by a fiery preacher, it only took a speech about “brotherhood”—and some encouragement from the revered local shaman Skandoo’o—to finally transform these “hostile heathens.” Using Muir’s original journal entries, as well as historic writings of explorers juxtaposed with insights from contemporary tribal descendants, Across the Shaman’s River reveals how Muir’s famous canoe journey changed the course of history and had profound consequences on the region’s Native Americans.




Shaman's Crossing


Book Description

Nevare Burvelle is the second son of a second son, destined from birth to carry a sword. The wealthy young noble will follow his father—newly made a lord by the King of Gernia—into the cavalry, training in the military arts at the elite King's Cavella Academy in the capital city of Old Thares. Bright and well-educated, an excellent horseman with an advantageous engagement, Nevare's future appears golden. But as his Academy instruction progresses, Nevare begins to realize that the road before him is far from straight. The old aristocracy looks down on him as the son of a "new noble" and, unprepared for the political and social maneuvering of the deeply competitive school and city, the young man finds himself entangled in a web of injustice, discrimination, and foul play. In addition, he is disquieted by his unconventional girl-cousin Epiny—who challenges his heretofore unwavering world view—and by the bizarre dreams that haunt his nights. For twenty years the King's cavalry has pushed across the grasslands, subduing and settling its nomads and claiming the territory in Gernia's name. Now they have driven as far as the Barrier Mountains, home to the Speck people, a quiet, forest-dwelling folk who retain the last vestiges of magic in a world that is rapidly becoming modernized. From childhood Nevare has been taught that the Specks are a primitive people to be pitied for their backward ways—and feared for their indigenous diseases, including the deadly Speck plague, which has ravaged the frontier towns and military outposts. The Dark Evening brings the carnival to Old Thares, and with it an unknown magic, and the first Specks Nevare has ever seen . . .




The Boiling River


Book Description

In this exciting adventure mixed with amazing scientific study, a young, exuberant explorer and geoscientist journeys deep into the Amazon—where rivers boil and legends come to life. When Andrés Ruzo was just a small boy in Peru, his grandfather told him the story of a mysterious legend: There is a river, deep in the Amazon, which boils as if a fire burns below it. Twelve years later, Ruzo—now a geoscientist—hears his aunt mention that she herself had visited this strange river. Determined to discover if the boiling river is real, Ruzo sets out on a journey deep into the Amazon. What he finds astounds him: In this long, wide, and winding river, the waters run so hot that locals brew tea in them; small animals that fall in are instantly cooked. As he studies the river, Ruzo faces challenges more complex than he had ever imaged. The Boiling River follows this young explorer as he navigates a tangle of competing interests—local shamans, illegal cattle farmers and loggers, and oil companies. This true account reads like a modern-day adventure, complete with extraordinary characters, captivating plot twists, and jaw-dropping details—including stunning photographs and a never-before-published account about this incredible natural wonder. Ultimately, though, The Boiling River is about a man trying to understand the moral obligation that comes with scientific discovery —to protect a sacred site from misuse, neglect, and even from his own discovery.




Meditations Across the King’s River


Book Description

Join author and filmmaker James Weeks as he delves into the ancient Ifa spiritual tradition that led his family to healing. Absorb his stories as he travels abroad, tapping into the spirit realm and showing us ways to commune with our ancestors while discovering our purpose on Earth. His story has already touched tens of thousands of lives. Complete with updated chapters, this new edition of Meditations Across the King’s River reaches deep into the soul, urging us to open ourselves to our spirit guides and embrace their gifts.




Amazonian Kichwa of the Curaray River


Book Description

This ethnography explores ways in which Amazonian Kichwa narrative, ritual, and concepts of place link extended kin groups into a regional society within Amazonian Ecuador.




Death Walkers


Book Description

It may be one of the most complex questions ever asked:What really happens to the soul after death?Some discarnate souls may cross over; others may stay in the earthy realm to help or protect family members; and other earthbound souls may need to work through psychospiritual dilemmas before being escorted to the Other Sidewith help from a shaman psychopomp. Dr. David Kowalewski relies on personal experiences and his studies with shamans of many continents to illuminate the mysterious worlds of life, death, and afterlife and share an inside look at the ancient craft of psychopomping. While presenting over ninety cases of psychopomp work, Dr. Kowalewski offers statistics that explain why souls become earthbound; relay how often unfamiliar spirits show up during journeys; and provide reasons why shamanic protocols, practices, and adventures with the dead in daily life can help the task along. Included are other fascinating examples of psychopomp practices of indigenous peoples from around the world. Death Walkersshares compelling stories and evidence for why there are ghosts around us and the important role shamans play in guiding these earthbound souls to their final resting places. Drawing on first-hand accounts and cross-cultural research, David Kowalewski offers us an engaging Western perspective on the art and methods of the psychopomp Bill Plotkin, PhD, author ofSoulcraft This is an important book for the times we live in, for as people die more consciously, the more conscious the earth becomes. Sandra Ingerman, MA, author ofSoul Retrieval




Demystifying Shamans and Their World


Book Description

Shamanism can be described as a group of techniques by which its practitioners enter the “spirit world,” purportedly obtaining information that is used to help and to heal members of their social group. Despite a resurgence of interest in shamanism and shamanic states of consciousness, these phenomena are neither well-defined nor sufficiently understood. This multi-disciplinary study draws on the fields of psychology, philosophy and anthropology with the aim of demystifying shamanism. The authors analyse conflicting perspectives regarding shamanism, the epistemology of shamanic states of consciousness, and the nature of the mental imagery encountered during these states.




Where Rivers and Mountains Sing


Book Description

Theodore Levin takes readers on a journey through the rich sonic world of inner Asia, where the elemental energies of wind, water, and echo; the ubiquitous presence of birds and animals; and the legendary feats of heroes have inspired a remarkable art and technology of sound-making among nomadic pastoralists. As performers from Tuva and other parts of inner Asia have responded to the growing worldwide popularity of their music, Levin follows them to the West, detailing their efforts to nourish global connections while preserving the power and poignancy of their music traditions.




South Texas Shaman


Book Description

This little book has a selected number of truthful anecdotes of some early supernatural experiences I went through beginning in October, ’72, during my graduate work in Social Work at Our Lady Of The Lake University, here in my beautiful hometown San Antone (some good folks call it San Antonio), as part of a pre-Destined, much larger spiritual Training that ended up stretching out some 33 years, and which I feel I am supposed to share with all you good people. But this is not about me: we ALL have Gifts, as Jesus repeatedly taught, and Demonstrated, whether we yet know it or not, and the Training has been HARSH, so I am bold in my Testimony, not being naïve about the dangers inherent in provoking controversy. This is (emboldened, admittedly) Testimony of the Guidance and Power and Love of my best Friend and Buddy since ’72, my beloved Lord Jesus, the coming Messiah and true King of the Mother Earth, Her peoples, and all of Nature (IN OUR LIFETIMES, ACCORDING TO MY TRAINING AND GIFTS, AND THE SIGNS NOW INCREASINGLY OBVIOUS, ALL AROUND US). There is an obvious progression of events that occurred during the Training, according to my Lord Jesus’ far-seeing purposes, so I have attempted to share that in a “scientific” way, if you would, -how one incident led to another, way down the road of linear time (but perfectly connected, in God’s timing). Such is the case with THE STORIES BEHIND THE PICTURE, with 13 of the early supernatural occurrences over a nine year period (’72 to’81) that led up to the picture (The Three Wood Dragons and Power Rock). Briefly, I have been close to my beloved Nature all my life, with both sides of my Family being solid, wonderful, country folk with deep spiritual values, raised in deep wilderness areas in south and east Texas, and all my young days my three cousins and I spent hunting and fishing, running through all those woods and creeks, just sitting, watching, listening to, and appreciating, all manner of wildlife (and the powerful, silent Music of God, out there). As soon as I learned to pray (ironically, through a beautiful 12th century Japanese Buddhist technique, explained in the book: please see A CHRISTIAN ADAPTATION OF THE NICHIREN SHOSHU JAPANESE BUDDHIST PRAYER CONSIDERATIONS), I went before my Lord Jesus on Nature’s behalf, and She has rewarded me (according to the Nagual, Don Juan’s, terminology- see the entire Carlos Castaneda works) in countless, exquisite ways, including the FOUR PHYSICAL OBJECTS GIVEN FROM SUPERNATURAL BEINGS: THE POWER ROCK AND THE THREE WOOD DRAGONS, given by the Astral Shaman and the Serpent Seraphim, as the Bible calls the supernatural Spirit Animals (well known by the Native Americans, before their genocide at the hands of the invading Europeans). I have created this little book (a larger one is still ahead, with more detailed Testimony (about 250 pages, most now handwritten), from a website, and added some special pieces from the larger manuscript. Some is deadly serious, but a lot of the pieces are definitely NOT serious, as you will see. Ya gotta keep a sense of humor all the time, do you not (Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer were my heroes: they made a Party out of everything, just as an aging Hippie is obliged to do). I must stress that the Jesus Whom I have known since 1975 as my Savior, best Buddy, and Confidante, is NOT the Jesus portrayed through the centuries through evil people and organized “religion”, who have given Him a bad name among our Spiritual Families all over this planet. As the Testimony details, Jesus brought me to Himself through a beautiful twelfth-century Japanese “Buddhist” prayer technique (all prayers to the Creator are “techniques”), Nichiren Shoshu, which brought my first answered prayer in 1974, a full year before I learned Jesus was behind my Training. On the contrary, He has taught me since the beginning that ANYONE WHO CALLS