The Soul of the Indian

The book is about Native American spirituality. They had an established spiritual system which was strongly attacked by missionaries who believed that their way was the only correct way to believe.

Sometimes nothing changes.

The book talks about the "Great Mystery," which includes no preaching, no persecutions, no concentration on possessions, sharing skill and success and that every creature has a soul.

They did not have organized ways of worship, no priests, no bishops and no group saying that there was only one way to believe.

There are also major differences as in the maternal line is dominant. At around 8 years old boys go for spartan training while girls begin to learn about things from their grandmother.

The book goes into which groups damaged Native American worship, things like the Sun Dance, Totems, the Medicine Lodge and other topics. These groups include the fur traders, Black Robes, Protestant missionaries and the Americna mililtary.

One really interesting thing to me was how they were finding arrowheads which they did not make and were not made like theirs at all, indicating t here were some groups living in their area that were not gone from memory.

There is also a transition period where their spirituality changed from the one they orignally had to the new form which was heavily influenced by whites and which had some very negative effects on the tribes.

Some topics the book goes into include the Grand Medicine Dance, totems, the ceremonial pipe, the value of silence, fasting, the importance of exercise, the maiden's fire ceremony, no lying and how orphans the aged are cared for.

The book goes into how Native Americans view Death, how they grieve and various prophets.

Another really intersting thing is that about fifty years before the coming of the white man a Native American prophet predicted their coming and even described their clothing and weapons.

A lot of really good information.