Book Description

For me, certain aspects of the world hold awesome, mysterious, and unfathomable essences and powers. American Indians of California, the Far West and Southwest, for uncountable generations sought ways to order, and learn, almost through a process of osmosis, the myriad of powers surrounding them in animate and inanimate forms. Through the disciplined practice of ritual, songs, and conjuring, they believed they were able to ride the whirlwinds and soar in magical flight! They epitomized the Native American ability to relate to the life-giving land in ways completely beyond a Western way of thinking. Though the old shamans have passed along through the ages, their legacy can still to be found in written form of the tales they have to tell which are age-old and ageless and can also be seen in varied shapes and colors that dot the land. Since the late 1960s, Native Americans are now beginning to reclaim at least some of lands and traditions lost through genocidal theft, racism, and the totally unfair court system, which gave no protection to American Indian rights and did not even legally recognize Indian people as citizens until [1924]. My goal is to raise awareness of the need to protect sacred Native American archaeological sites and to assist the non-Native American people gain a greater understanding of complex cultures and societies. Come along and dream with me as I try to recreate some of these ancient ways of life.