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The metaphysics of modern existence

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Metaphysics of Modern Existence was informing for me at the time I read it at Portland State Univ. in Portland,Oregon in 1979. This author has been the most prolific American Indian attorney in all modern times. His mind-set in Metaphysics of Modern Existence provides the readers without any knowledge of issues surrounding American Indian issues, with openmindedness & improved awareness. The readers also learn the history of broken dreams of the American Indian through a series of historianic scenarios provided by the author, with his goal of educating the reader ignorant of the critical socio-political, economic and even more so the spiritual/religious issues for the unborn seven generations into the future. This is a book also for the professor interested in the truth about corruption in bureaucratic Indian agencies at least since the late 1800's up to the current times of tribal governization.The length of the book wasn't too long so as to discourage the reader just when the subjectmatter is so good for them to learn about important Indian issues. Mr. Deloria is a poigniant writer who shares his own family history of the Oglala/Hunkpapa Sioux from the late 1800's to the present day Sioux. There was a large amount of language on the legal and domestic issues related to tribes who are interested in protecting their lands & artifacts from corrupt people who only want these items for their own greedy self-promotion. Mr. Deloria Jr. has made his point on stopping the proliferation of government agencies who inhibit tribes or the individual tribal members from expressing their beliefs and conducting their ceremonies. One of the main efforts of the author was to make public the need to have reform in the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Dept. of Interior's paternalistic approach to governing the tribal budget's and land transfers through the Indian Claims Commission and Government Accounting Office. The approach of public lands being off limits to any American Indian who wants to enjoy freedom of expression of religious and spiritual matters that pertain to protection and preservation of sacred spatial and archeaological sites. The only drawback about this book was that the Public Laws allowing tribal self-sufficiency and individual Indian self-expressions had not fully made an impact on the public agencies assisting tribal governments in repatriation or preservation issues. Mr. Deloria Jr. needed to have more support from his colleages at the time in the late 1960's and early 1970's when he was formulating his materials on land protection and artifact repatriation. Mr. Deloria experienced a lack of political cohesiveness in the literature arena's and geo-political arena's of a time in our modern existence when conflict seemed to be the only way to converse with each other. Also, he was able to set the pace in reform in the legal and correctional relms that was normally obtuse and overindulgent in plenary power when Indian convicts wanted to practice religious and spiritual rituals within walls of incarceration. Now that time has elapsed since the issues of this book have become more complex and appear to be more confrontational than everbefore. example the "Kennewick Man"(9,000 years old). Paternalism is alive and well in our Modern Existence. Now a reader who completes the book without knowing the past of socio-political conflicts like "Wounded Knee" in 1973 and Peltier's imprisonment in 1976, will not appreciate the true nature of the books intent to enlighten the reader. My cultural growth along with spiritual growth has become more enhanced by this book and its worthwhile political reform to an unbalanced and modern existence related to any and all issues about cultural preservation and land based sacred site preservation and even restoration. Mr. Deloria made an excellent impact on popular misnomers or ideas that promoted a cultural breakdown during the development of needed boundaries and guides for people interested in learning more about the struggle's of the many nations within a Nation, who couldn't even practice their religious beliefs in a country founded on expression of self beliefs and or revolution from tyranny. The book has become mandatory reading in classes of a literary or political nature or the study of religious values of the indigenous people's right to grow as a group of people with a future.

Vine Deloria should be a required stop in all our educations. His perspective is Indian and human at a scale to which we should aspire. He is scholar and explorer, undaunted by cultural boundaries and assumptions. And a wit to boot.