Wisdom's Daughters: Conversations With Women Elders of Native America [Paperback]

Steve Wall (Author), Harvey Arden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1994

This is the first book in which spiritual leaders among Native American women portray in their own words their ancestral knowledge, philosophies, and traditions. Steve Wall traveled across North America, visiting the Mohawk and the Hoh, the Chumash and the Seminole, the Tewa and the Ojibway, the Oneida and the Seneca, the Cowichan and the Northern Cheyenne. He talked at length with the women elders and their families as well as with the members of their nations. And he photographed them as he did for his previous book, Wisdomkeepers. Completely open and direct, the elders talk about their role as owners of the moon, as carriers of life and protectors of the life force, about the sacredness of menstruation, and about children, medicine, men, sex, and ceremony. There is an urgency to their words because, according to the ancient prophecies, "This is the time of the women." These daughters of wisdom speak for the first time in print of the necessity for unity and harmony with Mother Earth and all living things, and of their sense that for humankind and the earth time is running out. Wisdom's Daughters allows the reader to experience the daily transforming events of these women's lives in their homes and among their people.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wall, who with Harvey Arden coauthored Wisdomkeepers , continues to explore Native American spirituality, this time focusing on women. First-person testimonies by 13 female spiritual leaders from various nations combine with photographs under Wall's breathless endorsement: "I realized I was at the deepest level of human discourse," he declares. Some interviewees are well-spoken and discuss specific aspects of ceremonial life. Others, however, make platitudinous or even glib remarks: "The reason AIDS is here is to show us how to love," a woman utters in one of many statements emphasized in outsized type. While these female elders are identified by nation and by locale, Wall provides so little biographical information and historical context that his subjects mainly seem to serve as New Age totems, expressing love for the land, decrying white influence and--in another large-type profundity--announcing that "we are not to judge." Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Perennial; First Edition edition (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060925612
• ISBN-13: 978-0060925611
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom's Daughters : Conversations With Women Elders of Nati, March 16, 2000

By 

Gina Hinds - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wisdom's Daughters: Conversations With Women Elders of Native America (Paperback)

This is a very well written book, one that you will not want to put down. It tells honestly real stories of what it is truly like to be an native american woman. It is hard to comprehend the discrimination for the people that were first in the United States. One writer makes a reference that the ballots are written in vietnamese, spanish, and many other languages but not in the language of the people that were first to settle in the United States

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Authentic conversations and native womens' philososphy, June 18, 2007

By 

Teacher Jan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wisdom's Daughters: Conversations With Women Elders of Native America (Paperback)

Wisdom's Daughters: A Philosophy of Women Elders

Steve Wall has a thirty year career of photography and writing. Wall has worked for National Geographic. He has authored many books, among them, Wisdomkeepers: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders; To Become a Human Being: The Message of Tadodaho Chief Leon Shenandoah: Travels in a Stone Canoe: the Return to the Wisdomkeepers; and Shadowcatchers: A Journey in Search of the Teachings of Native American Healers. While it has been difficult to find record of awards and honors in the establishment press, Terri Windling, (1997) founder of the Endicott Studio, in "Turtle Island: the Mythology of North America" cited Wall's Wisdom's Daughters as "a terrific book." Wisdom's Daughters, written and photographed by Steve Wall, records conversations and philosophies of thirteen women elders from ten Indian nations. They are Tewa Tesuque Peublo, Chumash, North Cheyenne, Seminole, Ojibway, Oneida, Seneca, Hoh, Cowichan and Mohawk. I have chosen two chapters to discuss: Tewa Tesuque Puebelo with Vickie Downey and Ojibway with Betty Laverdure.

TEWA TESUQUE PUEBLO with Vickie Downey

Downey begins by explaining the "Instructions." They are somewhat like a combination of the Golden rule and the ten Commandments. "We were told if the Instructions were lost, then harm would come to the people." (Wall, 1993, p.3). Downey believed that live is the answer to everything and that all people are related. "When we stop loving others, problems begin, she said. "We can fight prejudice, injustice, and hat with live and respect. These are our weapons." Downey stated that it is the time of the women. Indian women identify more with Mother Earth than non-natives and neither are content about life. "It's the time of the feminine. With a

woman it's what we feel. When I look around at different women, I see sadness and a heaviness in themselves. What they"re experiencing is what the earth is experiencing--her sadness and heaviness because of the way her children are living today" (Wall, 1993, p. 12). Downey is referring to the environmental damage that has been done to the earth that must be repaired and also that a return to the "Instructions" is needed. Downey was optimistic that women Elders could help non-whites remember that the spiritual is a very important part of our lives. We need to love and become aware of our surroundings and our relationships with everyone. I think this chapter was a very positive one to begin Wisdom's Daughters since it was hopeful that the damage to earth and relationships between cultures could be healed.



OJIBWAY with Betty Laverdure

Wall, the author, began the chapter with a visit to LacCourt Oreilles Reservation in Wisconsin before he visited Betty Laverdure. Wall was invited to the Midewiwin lodge for a Ghost Feast. This is a four day feast to honor the dead. First the longhouse is built. Birch and canvas are used to make a half-moon shape fifty feet long with a fire pit in the middle and doors on the East and West. East equals birth and West equals death. A prayer is said and tobacco is burnt. Crying is not permitted. "Don't shake hands with the spirit world by crying." This would make the deceased cry , too, and "attach to the mourner." People would stand and call out names of those who had walked on. Then the feast began. (Wall, 1993, p. 96). On the fourth day, the people had a healing rite. An eagle whistle was blown and a bald eagle who represented the Creator was brought in. Later in the chapter, Betty Laverdure was introduced. She is a judge from the Bear Clan and Ojibway member. Her society is matriarchal. The ceremonies of her tribe were outlawed and the religion of Europeans was imposed on them. The Ojibway culture was never studied by the Europeans in a manner that it could be accepted as it was. Instead, the Europeans viewed the tribes ceremonies as pagan and dangerous. Laverdure made the point that with Catholics, people go to the priest, receive absolution and go out and do the same sinful act again. Indians go to the person they have wronged first, then to the Creator and don't repeat the sin.

In Ojibway culture the sexes are equal. This is an example of natives being ahead of the times.

I liked this collection of conversations with Elders. They are extremely honest. Some share outlines of ceremonies. While others state that non-tribal people who are curious should not be allowed to attend ceremonies. Laverdure described many ceremonies. One that particularly touched me was called Keeping the Soul. "For a year you keep the person's things that he liked, like rings, things he wore all the time. At the end of the year, you give these things to people in remembrance. That's at the giveaways. You give one the watch, one the jacket, one the shoes. You think of that person, pray for them while you're wearing or using these things. Giveaway. Everything someone gets; everything in the house is given away." (Wall, 1993, p. 127).

I would recommend this book because it is authentic conversations with elders and gives a bird's eye view into their culture. I appreciated the innate spirituality witnessed to in the book. Wall's book would be a good text for a person interested in native culture, spirituality and women's roles and contributions. One flaw I find with the book is that although it is presented as conversations with elders, we are not provided with his impressions Wall's editing and selection of conversations provides a writer's view which is not defined for the reader.

References

Wall, S.(1993) Wisdom's Daughters, New York: Harper Collins

Windling, T. (1997) Turtle Island: the Mythology of North America, in Realms of Fantasy,

www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/rrMyth_Folklore index html - 10k