Profiles in Wisdom: Native Elders Speak About the Earth [Paperback]

Steven McFadden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1991

As our existing culture shifts, what do the ancient ones who have been trained in the sacred traditions of this land have to say to us? With this question, McFadden begins his quest to interview Native American elders, who counsel that we must reestablish a deep and lasting connection with the planet in order to ensure its preservation.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Taking the lead from John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize winning Profiles in Courage, Steven McFadden presents the stories and thinking of 17 Native American spiritual teachers. The Iroquois shieldmaker, the Inca Gnostic, the Apache Theosophist, the Wampanoag storyteller, the Huichol shaman, the Maya prophet, the Penobscot Ph.D., the Cherokee Buddhist--this is a fascinating and eclectic group of men and women each with a passionate vision of spirituality based on the concepts of respect, balance, and harmony found in Native American traditions. Their intelligent and compassionate ideas will surprise and enlighten.

From Library Journal

This is a collection of interviews with Native American elders modeled after John F. Kennedy's famous Profiles in Courage . McFadden, a senior correspondent for Planet Earth Magazine , talked to a group of elders about their personal experiences and asked them to reveal the knowledge they have accumulated over the years about living in harmony with the Earth and its creatures. Some elders broke a traditional taboo by speaking of sacred things to non-Native Americans. The 14 profiles reflect a diversity of backgrounds, educations, and heritages. The thread that runs through each interview is that humanity is on the edge of a new world, and the need to have a new political outlook, ecology, sociology, or spirituality is imperative. Other elders profiled combine their native heritage with society's knowledge. This wise and provocative collection is highly recommended for many collections.
- Gail Wood, Montgomery Coll. Lib., Germantown, Md.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Bear & Co (June 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939680718
• ISBN-13: 978-0939680719
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,624,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Journalist Steven McFadden is the author of 10 nonfiction books, including The Call of the Land: An Agrarian Primer for the 21st Century. As of April, 2011, a much expanded 2nd edition is now available.

Steven is also the author of the compelling and true ebook - "Tales of the Whirling Rainbow: Authentic Myths & Mysteries for 2012."

An experienced speaker and group leader, he has led conferences and workshops across North and Central America, and he has spoken with success at banks, coops, farms, schools, insurance companies, high-tech corporations, colleges and universities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge to be shared for our collective benefit, March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Profiles in Wisdom: Native Elders Speak About the Earth (Paperback)

This is one of those books ... once you've read it you will wonder what you had been thinking of the world before that time. It is informative, inspirational, wise and genuinely important ... the voices which you will hear from will guide your life into areas you never dreamed were even there. Do yourself a favour and explore the realms of other cultures, and the lessons they provide for us ... they are invaluable. From the One Heart which is Planet Earth.

5.0 out of 5 stars Doorway to the Elders, August 30, 2011

By 

Domingo Hernandez (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Profiles in Wisdom: Native Elders Speak about the Earth (Paperback)

I read this book many years ago. I was studying with Dyhani Ywahoo at the time. I found it again at Amazon after losing my first copy. The book is really a set of interviews of these Elders. Little did I know that I would end up meeting or working with a number of the 'Elders mentioned in this book. I learned that some of these persons were not supported by their tribal communities and others were. In general I would say that the Elders I met were loving kind people sincere in their belief and sense of mission. That in spite of any supernatural claims they are just as human as the rest of us and that was an important teaching. The supernatural is actually natural we don't have to be Saints to experience it. This book allows us to touch the minds and hearts of some very wonderful human beings.