Customer Reviews

Lakota Belief and Ritual

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James Walker went to the Pine Ridge reservation in 1896 (as a Christian) to serve the indians as a Medical Doctor.

18 years later when he left the reservation; he had adopted the Sioux form of Spirituality, and had become a wicasa wakan (holy man). He was trained by George Sword, and other medicine and holy people.

Some of this material is very dry, and dificult reading because a large part of the book (expecially the rituals and myths) were translated into English from the Language of the Sioux. But if you have a sincere wish to understand this form of Spirituality; this book is well worth reading.

I do wish to confirm one statement in this book by wicasa wakan (George Sword). "Any pipe can be used in a sacred manner" I could NOT agree more! I have used a meerschaum pipe, a pipestone (catlinite) pipe, and a briar pipe. The condition of the heart and mind is far more important than the kind of pipe one uses.

I encourage questions and comments about my reviews; Two Bears.

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)

This book is the litmus test for subsequent interpretations of the Lakota religion. Since the true authors felt that their culture was disappearing, they were extremely forthcoming with their information to Dr. Walker. All Lakota expressions of religion that follow this revelation of the Lakota medicine men are in fact derivative of it. Some have questioned the qualifications of the "informants" within Lakota society, but I have seen no contemporary Lakota belief or ritual that deviates from the broad strokes of this book. If you truly want to learn about traditional Lakota religion, start here, and then move on to Raymond J. DeMallie's edited texts under the title The Sixth Grandfather.

Lakota Belief and Ritual is a book rich in oral history. It was recorded at the a time when there were First Nations members who had the personal experiences of a lifetime and whose tradition was an oral tradition. Dr. Walker (a physician and anthropologist) collected and preserved this oral history in the face of the destruction of most First Nation's cultures through the intervention of the European cultures.

The narratives are all excellent and there are 90 + documents containing those first-person narratives along with several photographs.

The Bison Books edition has an extensive (and very valuable) series of appendices, including an extensive (modern) bibliography.

The original Walker papers (or the majority, at any rate) are now part of the Colorado Historical Society collection.

A first rate piece of work by the editors, DeMallie & Jahner, working from the primary materials created and preserved by Dr. Walker and his family.

An invaluable work. This book -or at least excerpts- should be part of any text on U.S. History. The inclusion of First Nations culture in our textbooks is rare, indeed.

I am a serious student of Native American spirituality. I find this to be an excellent resource because it is based in documents actually created by Native Americans. The book is indexed, which I find a definite asset to any serious book I purchase. I also recommend any of the papers written by John G. Neihardt, and in particular The Sixth Grandfather:Black Elk's Teachings Given to John G. Neihardt (1984, a Bison Book)
Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions (Enriched Classics)Between Earth & Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places365 Days of Walking the Red Road: The Native American Path to Leading a Spiritual Life Every Day [365 DAYS OF WALKING THE RED RO]Rainbow Tribe: Ordinary People Journeying on the Red Road

this is a complete coverage of lakota natural spirituality inherited from their holy men, medicine men, and vision quests, preserved by their people orally and ceremonially, handed down from grandfather to father to son, grandmother to mother to daughter.

all seven rites are covered, given to them by white buffalo calf woman, a spirit woman.

the use of the sacred catlinite pipe, vision quest, sweat lodge purification, worship, and adoption rites, the sun dance sacrifice ceremony, initiation of a child/woman, mourning for a lost family member, and purification of ceremonial items are covered.

this book is a must read for all who would try to understand the complex interwoven spirituality that permeates the daily life of a lakota holy man or holy woman. theirs is not a religion that you can put on or take off once a week, but a personal relationship with the creator and all of creation, and the quality of it reflects directly back on them. it is personal because it was intended to be personal and intimate to each person, and they attend the ceremonies with respect shared among all.

This book is not an easy read. It is for the very serious student of the beliefs of the Lakota while they were being forced into the white mainstream. ( which thankfully did not completely occur )The stories and anecdotes are often very interesting but not easy to assimilate.

This book is really to indepth for me, not being a Native American. I will one day complete it as I want to understand more of the Lakota Nation

I recommend it to anyone that is interested in learning more about the life of the original Americans.
Apreciate the fast delivery and the good condition of this book.

great book! buy it!! Everything is wakan. find out why!

I think that the author of this book that I have just started to read is very good at give the outlook of the Lakota and the way of live that thye live and i think that if you have the change to buy or cheak it out from the library in your area that you should