The World We Used to Live In: Remembering the Powers of the Medicine Men [Paperback]

Vine Deloria Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2006

Deloria looks at medicine men, their powers, and the Earth's relation to the cosmos.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An epic and compelling work! Highly recommended reading!" -- USABookNews.com, October 16, 2006

"An epic and compelling work! Highly recommended reading!" -- USABookNews.com

"Well researched, lucidly written, and full of passion, this insightful compilation is an outstanding resource on Native American thought." -- Library Journal, March 15, 2006

About the Author

Vine Deloria Jr., was a leading Native American scholar, whose research, writings, and teaching have encompassed history, law, religious studies, and political science. He is the former executive director of the National Congress of American Indians.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing (March 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555915647
• ISBN-13: 978-1555915643
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Contribution to Spiritual Tradition, July 26, 2006

By 

M. Lange (Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The World We Used to Live In: Remembering the Powers of the Medicine Men (Paperback)

This book is a compilation of the accounts of disinterested and often hostile observers of the amazing and often inexplicable workings of Native American medicine men and shamans. Most of the stories are drawn from 19th century books, while some predate that era.

Vine Deloria Jr., a wise and intriguing writer whose recent passing is a great loss, categorizes these accounts and discusses their credibility, based on the perspectives of the correspondents, and his own common sense and analytical ability. The stories range from the simple doing of medicine to heal sick and wounded people, whether Native or not, self-healing, protection from attackers, summoning of storms and rain, manifesting the growth of plants before one's eyes, communicating with spirits through animals and even stones, prophecy and clairvoyance, and general mystical topics including manifestation of the spirits of the dead, and accounts of the afterlife.

This book also has a good set of end notes for further study of these anecdotes, and a good bibliography. Deloria places the medicine man and shaman traditions in the context of wider spirituality and quantum physics.

Any serious student of spirituality and mysticism should become acquainted with the powerful Native American traditions, which were, and in many places still are, practiced all over North America. These stories compare favorably with the stories of yogis in India, and occidental accounts of ancient and medieval Europe, not to mention classical Greece, with the Delphic tradition.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Secret Powers, January 20, 2007

By 

Nicholas Noble Wolf (Durango, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World We Used to Live In: Remembering the Powers of the Medicine Men (Paperback)

Grandma once said, "I don't know how you boys are doing it, but you are bringing back ways that were lost--ways that I only heard about as a child." This book tells about ways that were lost, be they the making of little clay Indians and buffalo that the medicine man then animates to run around the lodge, or fantastic healings, this book is an in-depth look into what our ancestors use to be able to do. Tons of examples and references are included in typical Deloria fashion.

This book is not an instruction manual, but Deloria does offer his understanding as to how these things were done, calling upon his research into quantum physics to back him up. Reading this book will offer insight into some of those things that the boys are bringing back much to Grandma's delight.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirituality....Not Just for Sunday Morning, February 8, 2008

By 

Carol L. Navarrete (Glendale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The World We Used to Live In: Remembering the Powers of the Medicine Men (Paperback)

Anyone with an iota of knowledge about Vine Deloria Jr.'s scholarly background could accuse him of being a sentimental crack pot fallen prey to tall tales and rural legends. Finally someone who is not afraid to be taken for such has written about paranormal encounters with powers that actually exist beyond special effects studios. However, those who like to imagine that only THEIR cultural/ethnic group has been chosen will find it disconcerting that Native Americans have had an on-going relationship with God and spiritual forces for thousands of years. This is an unapologetic as well as unsensationalized account of personal experiences with the real powers of the world.