The Book of Elders: The Life Stories of Great American Indians [Paperback]

Sandy Johnson (Author, Editor), Dan Budnik (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With graceful and sure prose, Johnson relays 31 extremely moving Native American stories she collected during a three-year cross-country journey and personal odyssey that began in 1989 after she had a "vision" in her New York City home. Johnson is a perfect conduit for the voices of the elders she interviews, giving her work immense credibility and spiritual resonance. An elder is defined not by age or gender, but as "one who carries the knowledge of the tradition and wisdom of the heart, one who walks in truth and dignity no matter how poor, in humility no matter how revered." The varied tribal voices telling these stories, which span the history of relations with the federal government as well as Native American spiritual and cultural practices, are essentially the voices of the past, present and future brought together. These people clearly touched Johnson's life. She beautifully records in words the same nobility that Budnik captures so well in his candid portraits.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Alienated by the depersonalization of our technological society, many people in the United States are drawn to the teachings of the first Americans. Johnson traveled the country, interviewing revered elders among today's Native American groups; the resulting book is a compilation of what they felt was important to share with the world at large. Their compelling stories encourage the reader to reflect upon personal priorities and marvel that lives so materially poor are so spiritually rich. Some of the elders, such as Hopi spokesman Thomas Banyacya, are known outside their communities. Others are local treasures, accorded the respect elders earn in Native American societies. All have a message we need to hear. For general and Native American collections.
Mary B. Davis, Huntington Free Lib., N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harper San Francisco (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062508377
• ISBN-13: 978-0062508379
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Although Sandy Johnson has been researching and writing about indigenous cultures and shamanistic healing for over 20 years, when she herself was given a drastic diagnosis, she was suddenly faced with hard decisions.

In "The Thirteenth Moon: a Journey into the Heart of Healing," acclaimed author Sandy Johnson takes you on a journey beginning with her rare, "incurable" cancer diagnosis to the beautiful land she finds through her writing; a place where she finds solace and a pathway back to health and discovers the source of her true healing and creativity. It is a story of survival, compassion, love and finding that special place that resides within each of...that Thirteenth Moon, the place that is "the time of dreaming, of magic: it is the sacred time."

Sandy Johnson lives in Los Angeles and is cancer free.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elder Wisdom is good for the heart, May 5, 2008

By 

A. Taurel "Blue Hawk" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Elders: The Life Stories of Great American Indians (Paperback)

Do not miss this book if you are interested in wisdom that one seldom, gets in any world that is not Indigenous. Indigenous wisdom gives us lessons for life lived from the heart and lived in tune with our Mother Earth, particularly from elders; be they natives of Turtle Island (North America), Australia, New Zealand, South America or the African continent.
I loved this book and I love the wisdom imparted by the authors of each story. It is good to learn and it is best to learn from those who have lived long lives and learned their wisdom, not only from their own lives but also from the teachings of their ancestors.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom of Native American Elders, June 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Elders: The Life Stories of Great American Indians (Paperback)

This is a WONDERFUL collection of the real life stories of thirty elders from nineteen North American tribes. They are inspirations for us all. It has my HIGHEST recommendation--read this book, it will touch your heart and soul!