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Black Elk of the Sioux has been recognized as one of the truly remarkable men of his time in the matter of religious belief and practice. Shortly before his death in August, 1950, when he was the 'keeper of the scared pipe,' he said, 'It is my prayer that, through our sacred pipe, and through this book in which I shall explain what our pipe really is, peace may come to those peoples who can understand, and understanding which must be of the heart and not of the head alone. Then they will realize that we Indians know the One true God, and that we pray to Him continually.'

Black Elk was the only qualified priest of the older Oglala Sioux still living when The Sacred Pipe was written. This is his book: he gave it orally to Joseph Epes Brown during the latter s either month s residence on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where Black Elk lived. Beginning with the story of White Buffalo Cow Woman s first visit to the Sioux to give them the sacred pipe, Black Elk describes and discusses the details and meanings of the seven rites, which were disclosed, one by one, to the Sioux through visions. He takes the reader through the sun dance, the purification rite, the keeping of the soul, and other rites, showing how the Sioux have come to terms with God and nature and their fellow men through a rare spirit of sacrifice and determination.

The wakan Mysteries of the Siouan peoples have been a subject of interest and study by explorers and scholars from the period of earliest contact between whites and Indians in North America, but Black Elk s account is without doubt the most highly developed on this religion and cosmography. The Scared Pipe, published as volume 36 in the Civilization of the American Indian Series, will be greeted enthusiastically by students of comparative religion, ethnologists, historians, philosophers, and everyone interested in American Indian life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

One Pipe Tradition
I like the detail in this book and it is easy to read.Readers should keep in mind that this is just one account of one type of Sacred Pipe.This is not a tell-all on the Sacred Pipe, as such a thing does not exist (at least not on paper).

Pipe of Hope
"The Sacred Pipe," Black Elk's account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux

Perhaps the most inhuman, cruelest and nonspiritual chapter in human history has been the assault of organized religion on earth religions aka paganism, animism. Sadly, Christianity in its attempt to evangelize the world has become the poster child for how not to spread the gospel; for instead of contextualizing itself in the cultures and religions it hoped to influence, it declared war (holy jihad) and tried to wipe earth religions out.

Luckily remnants of the earth traditions have survived and have influenced the modern day earth/feminist movements. Many of which are eclectic manifestations of what we call the New Age. The book "The Sacred Pipe," is neither about Christianity's assault on paganism nor the new age movement rather it was written more like an Apologetic to show those who have misunderstood the Red Religion that the "Indians know the One true God, and that they pray to him continually," XX.

While the book explains the Seven Sacred Rites of the Oglala Sioux, its focal point seems to be the gift of the Sacred Pipe (peace Pipe) which was given by the Buffalo Calf Woman. Her coming meant salvation for the Sioux in both the physical and spiritual, and her promise to return in every generation provided an ongoing revelation and evolving ritual for the tribe.

In the bowl of sacred Pipe the entire created order of beings are gathered together and send their prayers to Wakan Tanka (the Great Mystery). This vision of connectedness and unity (based upon the pipe) gave Black Elk a more optimistic hope, than he had for the Christian religion. The following is from the Foreword of the book:

"Most people call it a "peace pipe," yet now there is no peace on earth or even between neighbors, and I have been told that it has been a long time since there has been peace in the world. There is much talk of peace among Christians, yet this is just talk. Perhaps it may be, and this is my prayer that, through our sacred pipe, and through this book in which I shall explain what our pipe really is, peace may come to those peoples who can understand, and understanding which must be of the heart and not of the head alone. Then they will realize that we Indians know the One true God, and that we pray to Him continually.

I have wished to make this book through no other desire than to help my people in understanding the greatness and truth of our own tradition, and also to help in bringing peace upon the earth, not only among men, but within men and between the whole of creation.

We should understand well that all things are the works of the Great Spirit. We should know that He is within all things: the trees, the grasses, the rivers, the mountains, and all the four legged animals, and the winged peoples; and even more important, we should understand that He is also above all these things and peoples. When we do understand all this deeply in our hearts, we will be and act and live as He intends."

I highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks Indians are pagan devil worshipers. This book brought joy to my heart and a renewed appreciation for the legacy of the original occupants of Mother Earth!

The Sacred Pipe
Black Elk is and was sacred Elder. Through his life we are given this knowledge. He has helped many to understand the way of the Lakota; following the natural law. While not all Lakota follow the traditional ways as closely as they did before the arrival of the white man, they are still connected to these rites and inhierently understand these teachings. It's only to outside world that these things become suprising moments of clarity. Joseph Epes Brown took time before it was too late, to record these teachings, which is a blessing and a gift of knowledge to all who would read, understand and heed these words. If you wish to learn what dwells is in the hearts of Native American people, you would do well to open this book and your minds.

Profound and deeply rewarding.
I haven't actually finished this book yet but I'm looking forward to doing so. This spirituality is deeply sophisticated and elevated. I think the whole world is greatly indebted to the American Indian Nation. Furthermore, thank you for wonderful service.

Gain an understanding of the Sioux way of thinking
A beautiful book.You can learn about Siuox religious practie and beliefs.The reader will come away with a sense of how similar religios faiths can be.The Sioux it turns out are not so different from Christians, Hindus or any other group that uses faith to guide people through what is both difficult and beautiful in life. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful reference guide!
This is a wonderful book to pick if you are looking for a great selection of symbols, from a variety of tribes and regions.The pictures are intricate and rich in detail.Included next to each symbol are an explanation, a story, or legend for a more informative reading.There is also a section on totem animals with a brief explanation on how to find your own totems.And in case you don't know which particular region a tribe is from, the author has included a rough map in the back for this purpose.I would also recommend "Authentic Indian Designs", edited by Maria Naylor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

review of sacred language by wm powers
I found this book to be excellent.It was informing and inspiring.It provided a lot of clarity about past experiences of participation in American Indian ceremony.I was especially amazed at the information about chanting, rattles, and drums.Although less interested in the subject, I was impressed by the clarity of differientiating between shaman and priest. Much of the information is very useful, in practical application for anyone who even marginally participates in the American Indian spiritual path.I am deeply grateful for this book.

Sacred LanguageThe Nature of Discourse in Lakota
As a student of Natural Spirituality I had acquired many books on Native Traditions which were lost (stolen) to me. This text was the first on my list to be replaced. Powers, himself calls his work a beginers lexicon ofthe Lakota language which makes it worthy in itself. His work extendsbeyond that with excellent insight into the song (music) which is a vitalingredient to the sacred traditions of the Lakota. He has an academic'spassion for varification with other sourses which will provide a viablelist of sources for future studies for those who appitite is only wettedwith this volume. He is more of an academic than student,so be aware thatit isn't light reading nor is it a 'how to guide to indian religion'. It isa well documented guide to basic belief system of the Lakota through hiscomprehension. While not complete, he has a sound basic understanding of 'the Sacred'to share with his readers

A scholarly discourse on Lakota Sacred Language.
This is not for someone just trying to get a grasp of the general ideas of Lakota spirituality.This is a very detailed scholarly work about Lakota language as is it used by spiritual leaders and the meanings implied.Ifyou are looking for something spiritual or emotional this probably isn'tit, if you're looking for something more cerebral and you are a seriousstudent of the Lakota then this is a must read.

An indepth study of the Lakota Spiritual World View.
This excellent discourse was produced by a man who lived with and learned from the old learned men of the Lakota, the "wicasa wakan", the "spiritual men".

Not for the casual reader, this book is great scholarly reading for those who strive to understand the very essense of religious thought. ... Read more

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For the Warao of the Venezuelan Orinoco Delta, survival under the extreme ecological conditions of the deltaic marshland requires exceptional adaptive agility. Johannes Wilbert presents the Warao's response to the climatological challenge of their homeland, deftly weaving the strands of geographic, atmospheric, biological, and cultural lore and learning into a rich tapestry of environmental wisdom.

This volume, in the Religions of the World series, is distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions. ... Read more

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This study of the 1870 and 1890 Ghost Dance movements among North American Indians offers an innovative theory about why these movements arose when they did. Emphasizing the demographic situation of American Indians prior to the movements, Professor Thornton argues that the Ghost Dances were deliberate efforts to accomplish a demographic revitalization of American Indians following their virtual collapse. By joining the movements, he contends, tribes sought to assure survival by increasing their numbers through returning the dead to life. Thornton supports this thesis empirically by closely examining the historical context of the two movements and by assessing tribal participation in them, revealing particularly how population size and decline influenced participation among and within American Indian tribes. He also considers American Indian population change after the Ghost Dance periods and shows that participation in the movements actually did lead the way to a demographic recovery for certain tribes. This occurred, Thornton argues, not, of course, by returning dead American Indians to life, but by creating enhanced tribal solidarity. This solidarity enabled participating tribes to maintain their membership at a historical point when American Indians were socially and biologically 'migrating' away from tribal populations. As well as being of intrinsic interest, Thornton's findings have broad implications for the study of revitalization and other social movements. They are particularly important with regard to the circumstances fostering social movements and the rational basis of social movement participation. ... Read more

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Anthropologists--as well as the Yaquis and many of the other indigenous peoples of Mexico and of Latin America in general--have recognized the intense and penetrating symbolism which is ritualized in the Easter dramas. This book is about the role of the Easter rituals in the Yaqui way of life in both Arizona and Sonora. It contains detailed ethnographic descriptions of these ceremonies. Contents: Preface; PART I: Introduction; Lent and Semana Santa in Northwestern Mexico and Southwestern United States; Semana Santa; PART II: Variations in Holy Week Ceremonies; Holy Week in Potam; Yaqui Holy Week: Potam, Rio Yaqui, and Pascua, Arizona, Compared; Some Notes on European Liturgical Drama and the Cahitan Semanas Santas; The Chapayeka Complex: Change and Persistence of Forms; Waehma: Space, Time, Identity, and Theater at New Pascula, Arizona; Easter, Keruk, and Wigita; The Jupare Mayo Easter Ceremonial; Lenten Ceremonials in Two Villages of the Mayo Valley; An Opata Holy Week Ceremonial Complex; Semana Santa Rituals and Modernization: Cultural Continuity and Change in Meresichic (Marobavi) Sonora, Mexico, 1955-1985; Tohono O'Odham (Papago) Easter in the Baboquivari District; Raramuri Easter; Tarahumara Easter Ceremonialism and the Mesoamerican Civil Religious Hierarchy; The Holy Days Among the Coras of Jesus Maria; Bivak: Semana Santa Among the Huichol of San Andres Cohamiata; PART III: Conclusions. ... Read more

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A comprehensive overview of Native American spiritual principles and their application for personal spirit-healing.*Includes traditional sacred exercises, teaching tales, case studies, and suggested rituals for individual and group healing.*Outlines the core principals of Native American traditional values and teaches how to apply them to the contemporary path of wellness and healing.

Publication to coincide with annual Full Circle gathering in September 2002The Four Directions, the four seasons, and the four elements that make up the sacred hoop of the full circle must be in right relationship with one another or disharmony will result. Native American ritual has always emphasized the restoration of balance through ceremonies that provide a forum for learning, transition, and expressions of personal growth. Now Cherokee authors J. T. and Michael Garrett share Native American traditions to explore interrelationships as a tool for growth and transformation.

The Cherokee Full Circle gathers techniques representing Native American cultures from across America-stories, exercises, and individual and group rituals-to teach the inherent dynamics of right relationship and apply them to the healing path. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of Native American spiritual principles and traditions and demonstrate how these ideas and methods can be applied universally to deal with life's situations-from depression and grieving to finding purpose and establishing positive relationships. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Recommendation
I highly recommend this book as the best self-help book I have ever read, an exquisite textbook of Cherokee culture and spirituality and an amazing connection to the Circle of Life.Whether I'm looking for a link to my Cherokee heritage or a story and exercise to share with a client in crisis, I can always find either.This book has had a positive and profound impact on my life.My sincere graditude to the authors for sharing this gift.

Full Circle: A bridge between worlds
The Cherokee Full Circle provides a framework for understanding how to bridge one's inner and outer worlds, how to use the old teachings in new ways to promote deeper insight and respect for oneself and others. Dr. JT Garrett and son, Dr. Michael Garrett describe ceremony as "an esential way of connecting with that which is sacred, always remembering our place in the greater Universal Circle." The Cherokee Full Circle book is truly one to experience whether you attend a Full Circle gathering or find a way to put the principles and activites into practice in your own way, in your own circles. Having participated in Full Circle for many years, I have found that the traditional stories and wisdom teachings have become a way of life. In this book, the Garretts illuminate many aspects of the Full Circle experience, which for me has been transformative and healing. I am grateful to have all their books as companions on my journey. Although what I am most grateful for is the greater sense of clarity and sacred connection that flow from the lived experience of these Cherokee teachings and traditions.

Precious Gifts for Wellbeing
Drs. J.T. Garrett and Michael Tlanusta Garrett offer precious gifts in this book.The Full Circle approach for wellbeing in a circle or group is generously shared out of ancient tradition in modern terms.After benefiting from the book and attending Cherokee Full Circle the last few years, I experience firsthand the respect for Dr. J.T. Garrett and his son, Dr. Michael T. Garrett, in traditional Native American circles, academic circles, health care circles, and more.The ripple effects from the teachings in "The Cherokee Full Circle:A Practical Guide to Ceremonies and Traditions" are tremendous.The Cherokee authors tell the old stories in ways which still inspire today's mind and heart.By including the voices of many Elders, a sense of belonging is created for the reader.As in life, benefits come from revisiting sacred ceremonies and traditions.One does not have to wait for an actual Full Circle gathering with this book handy.Dip into the wisdom, inclusiveness, healing thoughts, and exercises as often as rebalancing is required.Read it to study Native American traditions, stories, specific ceremonies, perspectives on wellbeing, group exercises, and to ask the great inquiry questions whenever the time is right for a visit with the Elders.

Ceremonies are not normally shared
I would strongely suggest not attendingCherokee Full Circle.
Words are one thing power is all together a different matter.

The Cherokee Full Circle
The book was very insightful and educational, everything I had hoped for. I intend to purchase more books from the same author. ... Read more

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Kay Parker Schweinfurth's "Prayer on Top of the Earth: The Spiritual Universe of the Plains Apaches," offers numerous stories recounted by seven self-appointed tribal historians, the last surviving primary repositories of Apache history, born between 1876 and 1903. The Plains Apaches' mystical kinship with the land and the natural environment that the tribes perceived and nurtured is embodied in their four sacred medicine bundles-the no bikagseli, or "prayer on top of the earth." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Oklahoma Apache Nation, or Plains Apache's Spirituality
Miss Kay's book is so filled with information that I'll be re-reading it for times into the future. The people spoke a language of Athalpascan or Athabascan which has a variety of spellings, and it's language offspring are many children. The ethnic strain extended sometimes from Alaska down into Mexico, with many tribal names. They are the people whose stories appear in this book. The topics discussed by the author focus on the oral traditions of seven historians of the Oklahoma group. And some of their photos are eerily familiar.

I had originally found this through 'Good Minds' [dot etc.] which is a site for the Canadian Iroquois Nations specializing in Native American literature which is culturally sensitive to objectively include the Indian perspective on their own cultures. I wish they were an Amazon marketplace affiliate, since purchases are transacted through bank transfers and [with fees] converted to Canadian currency. Still, Amazon was able to sell me the book I wanted and at a very discount rate.

There's so much to learn in this book, I'd be remiss to focus on just the origins of Peyote religion for the Apache, or the Missionary influence on their culture. Though it's there for anyone who's interested in that. This book is the greatest collection of cultural legends for this tribe that I have ever seen. Their wisdom is intact, though speaking to and from aboriginal times.

Aboriginal tales:

One story of origins speaks of a continent full of ice storms which had not yet known the sun. The large animals hunted by the grand fathers had to be dug out of the ice and brought back to (geo-thermally) heated caves. There were large cracks in the earth with smoke coming out, and the people lived in caves. Another tale recounts, when man was first in the world, there were plants and animals but there was no sun. The sky was dark except for `very bright stars'. Those bright stars were lighting everything, like a cloudy day hiding the sun now'days.

I didn't recognize post-contact Biblical influence in Apache narratives. But they do put me in mind of a Biblical narrative which I consider to be pre-Edenic. Where Job chap. 38 says how the 'Sons of God' saw the stars created and shouted for joy. Other translations have them being, 'the Morning Stars' all sang together, [at the dawn of creation]. And that's just one more account which seems to focus on a time before the Eden legend.

The Native American mind among the very most remotely separate cultures has remembrance of twin boys who were influential upon the forming/ordering of the created world. I've seen variations on this theme from Agua Caliente Indians of California, from Tuscarora Iroquois of North Carolina, and now this plains group of Apache from Oklahoma, who called them 'Fire-boy' & 'Water-boy'.

Dr. K.P. Schweinfurth cites other sources who suggest it may be the most important theme in American Aboriginal Epochs.

When I read about Fire-boy & Water-boy here, I understood some imputed teachings which are connected to the spirituality in all things. a.) believe in your friend. b.) be contrary to any & everyone who tells you something is impossible. c.) educate yourself & collaborate with your fellow man as a team. d.) and finally, never underestimate the force of nature.

The number four is identified as a spiritual number for various reasons you can find in the book, but one associated teaching is how parents would forego disciplining their children for three times when they disobeyed, but the fourth time punishment came.

One more aspect of 'this' First-Nation's spirituality is their dance. It is a sort of community spirit.One dance society discussed in this work is called the `Manatidie'. Allusions to it's being a unifying instrument of their culture are numerous. 'Manatidie' means the 'black feet' dance. Although the dance was adapted from the Pawnee, and said to receive it's name from the Blackfoot tribe (proud feet), this is one of the dance societies perpetuated among the Oklahoma Apache. Someday I hope to witness Manatidie.
... Read more

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The Tohono O'odham of southern Arizona, formerly known as the Papago, have made a life in a place that many would consider uninhabitable.These desert people were converted to Catholicism by early Spanish missionaries, yet they retain much of their earlier lifeway as a means of continuing adaptation to their desert environment.This book is a restudy of speeches and ritual information collected by anthropologist Underhill beginning in 1931 and published in her book Papago Indian Religion (1946).It describes the Native--as opposed to the Christian--side of the yearly ritual cycle of the Tohono O'odham, showing how seven rites form a system of meanings that grew from the relation between these people and their desert homeland.The rites presented focus on the summer wine feast, salt pilgrimage, hunting, war, and flood. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Native American History Book
This is one of the best, if not THE best, book about what led to the Great Sioux uprising that ultimately caused the destruction of the Great Sioux Nation, the U.S. government banishment to current abysmal reservations and their descent into depression and humiliation, widespread alcoholism and drug addiction and ultimately near genocide. Well documented, well written and comprehensive details of Wavoka's vision and subsequent dissemination of the Ghost Dance, adopted by many Native American tribes, which caused great fear in official Washington as well as the general western white population.

interesting, though not clearly objective
Mooney's study is often fascinating, although one has to wonder how objective and disinterested someone can be who refers to his subject as"this pathetic cult." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The First Written History of the Kiowa Indians
Because the present generation of Kiowa Indians did not know the difficult Kiowa tribal language,the Elders asked Dr. Maurice Boyd to assist them in writing their history as handed down to them by their fathers and forefathers. At that time, the Kiowa Language had not been translated into English.Dr. Boyd spent ten years working with them to make certain it was their story and not a White Man's Interpretation.
Sarah J.Boyd
(Mrs. Maurice Boyd) ... Read more

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Arriving in Mexico less than a decade after the Spanish conquest of 1521, the Franciscan missionary Bernardino de Sahagún not only labored to supplant native religion with Christianity, he also gathered voluminous information on virtually every aspect of Aztec (Nahua) life in contact-period Mexico. His pioneering ethnographic work relied on interviews with Nahua elders and the assistance of a younger generation of bicultural, missionary-trained Nahuas. Sahagún’s remarkably detailed descriptions of Aztec ceremonial life offer the most extensive account of a non-Western ritual system recorded before modern times.

Representing Aztec Ritual: Performance, Text, and Image in the Work of Sahagún uses Sahagún’s corpus as a starting point to focus on ritual performance, a key element in the functioning of the Aztec world. With topics ranging from the ritual use of sand and paper to the sacrifice of women, contributors explore how Aztec rites were represented in the images and texts of documents compiled under colonial rule and the implications of this European filter for our understanding of these ceremonies. Incorporating diverse disciplinary perspectives, contributors include Davíd Carrasco, Philip P. Arnold, Kay Read, H. B. Nicholson, Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, Guilhem Olivier, Doris Heyden, and Eloise Quiñones Keber. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

medicine wheel
Exhausted by the constant news driven by spoiled Hollywood types and D.C. politicians, I was looking for some connection with the Earth and my Native American heritage. I remember the feeling of visiting years ago the medicine wheel in Wyoming, and wanted to learn more.
In "Medicine Wheels" by Roy I Wilson, I found even more: a connection between the Native American beliefs and thos of both Jewish and Christian beliefs. Using the directions of the wheel, Wilson also brings in the fours colors of race (yellow, white, black and red), bringing them into concert.
The book did not cover completely my original desire to build a medicine wheel in my yard, but did give me insight into more of the meaning and much more than I expected of the philosophical point of view of those who turned to medicine wheels over time.
While I looked to the wheel as a place to find peace and connection with the earth,reading the book made me see the continuity of that desire - one which transcends location, race and religion, and ties us all together.
For those wishing to create a modern version as landscape, I also recomment "The Medicine Wheel Garden" by E. Barrie Kavasch. Conbining what I learned from both books, I have been able to create a wheel which seems to bring a sense of peacefulness to all who visit.

Not bad for comparisons
The author uses the book to note the similarities between Native American Medicine Wheel usage and the Hebrew and New Testaments. Comparisons are sometimes strained. Nonetheless, interesting food for thought.

A Great Book
This book is an enlightening book on the subject of Native American medicine wheels. The text includes in-depth discussion of the physical wheel itself as well as symbolic teachings associated with each part. Grandfather Wilson also relates the wheel to other similiar meditative representations in other spiritual traditions. A workbook to be used in creating and using a medicine wheel has also been written by Grandfather Wilson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This book opens our eyes to new horizons of Native religion.
It is very rare to find an author who immerses you in the culture and religion of Native people as this one has. As a reader of Native American culture and religion I find this book to be a gem.With a focus on nativearchetypes, this author transports the reader to the reservation and opensthe Native and non-Native to a spirituality built on ancient indigenoussymbols.

Archetypal Theology?
Seldom have I viewed my culture as an archetype, and I am interested inreading this book.As a doctoral student who is a Cree pipe carrier, Ihave much weaving to do of my own.Theology and a classroom full ofpriests was where I first began my doctorate.It was a Bio-ethics course. I was amazed at the meeting of our two worlds, and as I pray about mystudies, I know that the weaving of these two worlds is a part of it.Achallenge that the author has undertaken is an unusual feat, and from thepast work of this author, I would certainly say that it is worth reading. ... Read more

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