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Wisdomkeepers: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders
In their own words elders from the Sioux, Iroquois, Seminole, Ojibwe, Hopi, Ute, Pawnee, and other tribes explain who they are, how they live, and what they believe.
Wisdomkeepers takes you on an extraordinary spirit-journey into the lives, minds, and natural-world philosophy of Native American spiritual Elders. In magnificent photographs and the powerful words of the Wisdomkeepers, you share their inmost thoughts and feelings, their dreams and visions, their jokes and laughter, their healing remedies and apocalyptic prophecies. Above all you share their humanity -which shines through every page of Wisdomkeepers. This is their book. They are the Elders, the Old Ones, the fragile repositories of sacred ways and natural wisdom going back millenniums- yet never more relevant than today.
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 8, 2018
A gift from a friend like this book is truly a gift to be cherished. It contains interviews from many wisdomkeepers, and one piece of wisdom that I wish to share here touched me most, mainly because I don't think of thanking the Creator like this, but this teaching is really a life changing one if you think about its meaning:
"Our religion is about thanking the Creator. That's what we do when we pray. We don't ask Him for things. We thank Him. We thank Him for the world and every animal and plant in it. We thank him for everything that exists. We don't take it for granted that a tree's just there. We thank the Creator for that tree. If we don't thank Him, maybe the Creator will take that tree away. That's what our ceremonies are about, that's why they're important--even for you, the White Man. We pray for the harmony of the whole world. We believe if we didn't do our ceremonies in the Longhouse the world would come to an end. It's our ceremonies that hold the world together. Some people may not believe that, they may laugh at it, but it is true. The Creator wants to be thanked. When we go in the Longhouse and thank Him for His Creation he kneels down and listens to us. He puts His ear to the Longhouse window. He hears his own children, so he hold off destroying the world for a while longer."
~~Leon Shenandoah, Leader Of the Iroquois Confederacy, died July 23, 1996 at the age of 81.
"Our religion is about thanking the Creator. That's what we do when we pray. We don't ask Him for things. We thank Him. We thank Him for the world and every animal and plant in it. We thank him for everything that exists. We don't take it for granted that a tree's just there. We thank the Creator for that tree. If we don't thank Him, maybe the Creator will take that tree away. That's what our ceremonies are about, that's why they're important--even for you, the White Man. We pray for the harmony of the whole world. We believe if we didn't do our ceremonies in the Longhouse the world would come to an end. It's our ceremonies that hold the world together. Some people may not believe that, they may laugh at it, but it is true. The Creator wants to be thanked. When we go in the Longhouse and thank Him for His Creation he kneels down and listens to us. He puts His ear to the Longhouse window. He hears his own children, so he hold off destroying the world for a while longer."
~~Leon Shenandoah, Leader Of the Iroquois Confederacy, died July 23, 1996 at the age of 81.
September 1, 2018
I grew up surrounded by many of those in this book from the time I was a little girl. The knowledge I gained being with them personally was more than any book could ever teach in school. I learned to respect all things big or small and never take the Mother Earth for granted.
These men and women are to be respected as is their heritage. They have far more 'wisdom' than others give them credit for. They have endured thousands of years of suffering yet survived to continue their story. That's powerful. And I am truly grateful to have had the chance to learn from them and call them our friends.
These men and women are to be respected as is their heritage. They have far more 'wisdom' than others give them credit for. They have endured thousands of years of suffering yet survived to continue their story. That's powerful. And I am truly grateful to have had the chance to learn from them and call them our friends.
December 8, 2012
Personally I preferred Steve Walls's other book: Wisdom's Daughters, as I felt it had more content and 'feeling' to it. This didn't stir me as much. But that is not to say it isn't worth a read, as the words of the elders - of any culture - should always be listened to.
June 16, 2021
A rich, informative, beautiful book full of testimonials and reflections on the world and all in it, including humans, Wisdommakers is also a thoughtful and demanding wisdom book about leadership from the perspectives of several different tribal Elders, Grandfathers, and Grandmothers of many of the people groups of the First Persons of North America. These great women and men (many now passed on) live and teach truth of a way of life we could all embrace and, thereby, perhaps save the world and ourselves.
An excerpt from one Grandmother: A comment told by Leila Fisher, an elder of the Hoh people who live on reservation on the Olympic Peninsula at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. She says, referring to children outside her house, “…I love hearing the children’s voices sing those songs. I helped teach them, you know. They’re my children. All children are my children. I teach them the songs and whatever else I can. That’s what Grandmothers are for—to teach songs and tell stories and show them the right berries to pick and roots to dig. And also to give them all the love they can stand. No better job in the world than being a Grandmother!”
An excerpt from one Grandmother: A comment told by Leila Fisher, an elder of the Hoh people who live on reservation on the Olympic Peninsula at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. She says, referring to children outside her house, “…I love hearing the children’s voices sing those songs. I helped teach them, you know. They’re my children. All children are my children. I teach them the songs and whatever else I can. That’s what Grandmothers are for—to teach songs and tell stories and show them the right berries to pick and roots to dig. And also to give them all the love they can stand. No better job in the world than being a Grandmother!”
May 19, 2025
I’d quote the whole book in here if I could.
“All life on Mother Earth depends on the pure water, yet we spill every kind of dirt and filth and poison into it. That makes no common sense at all. Your legislature can pass a law saying it’s OK, but it’s not OK. Natural law doesn’t care about your Man’s law. Natural law’s going to hit you. You can’t get out of the way. You don’t fool around with Natural law and get away with it. If you kill the water, you kill the life that depends on it, your own included…Man sometimes thinks he’s been elevated to be the controller, the ruler. But he’s not. He’s only a part of the whole. Man’s job is not to exploit but to oversee, to be a steward. Man has responsibility, not power.”
- Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation and spokesman for the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy
“All life on Mother Earth depends on the pure water, yet we spill every kind of dirt and filth and poison into it. That makes no common sense at all. Your legislature can pass a law saying it’s OK, but it’s not OK. Natural law doesn’t care about your Man’s law. Natural law’s going to hit you. You can’t get out of the way. You don’t fool around with Natural law and get away with it. If you kill the water, you kill the life that depends on it, your own included…Man sometimes thinks he’s been elevated to be the controller, the ruler. But he’s not. He’s only a part of the whole. Man’s job is not to exploit but to oversee, to be a steward. Man has responsibility, not power.”
- Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation and spokesman for the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy
January 21, 2019
The editors let the elders speak in their own voices, on whatever subject they felt was important. The result is much less polished than other books on Native wisdom, but much more authentic. The editors also provide profiles and photographs of the elders, so each voice is conveyed in its uniqueness. Some powerful quotations from these elders were included in my book, Gods of the Flesh.
January 5, 2019
A unique compilation of common sense and ancient wisdom but not as much as I hoped to discover. For me it was a good reminder to live in a way that will help bless and benefit the Seventh Generation but also a painful reminder of this nation’s history and how we live.
April 15, 2022
This book is meant to be read by people on a spiritual path, who are looking to understand the 'why' of where we are today. This book leads you to pause and to meditate over sections you just read. I plan to keep this book forever as a reference to remember the circle in everything.
May 20, 2024
Native American tribal elders and spiritual leaders share their knowledge of culture, traditions, practices, customs, and beliefs. A spiritual uplifting and insightful book.
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July 31, 2025they work for national geographic but i think they did a good job on this! thank you philly aids i luv ya
September 13, 2009
This book was given to me by my brother and his wife. Because of my passion for the desert and for the philosophies of Native Americans, they saw this as a way to validate it. I think it was a wonderful gift.
Written in the words of the native American spiritual elders themselves, this book has prophesies and wisdom, never before written but verbally passed down through countless generations. There is a bit of a language barrier because of its authenticity. It seems simple and almost illiterate but when you put it into the proper context of an entire nation of people trying to cross over into our culture, there is a great deal of respect as the reader moves through the various quotes and stories within.
There are historical interview with those who knew those slaughtered at Wounded Knees and blessings that reach 7 generations into the future.
Of course, as a person who has more liberal views on politics and humanity, as someone who came of age during a younger generation quest for "natural" I feel compelled to validate the truth of what the Wisdomkeepers say, particularly on how we are raping the planet and the gross disrespect our culture has, not just toward others but the entire planet.
Written in the words of the native American spiritual elders themselves, this book has prophesies and wisdom, never before written but verbally passed down through countless generations. There is a bit of a language barrier because of its authenticity. It seems simple and almost illiterate but when you put it into the proper context of an entire nation of people trying to cross over into our culture, there is a great deal of respect as the reader moves through the various quotes and stories within.
There are historical interview with those who knew those slaughtered at Wounded Knees and blessings that reach 7 generations into the future.
Of course, as a person who has more liberal views on politics and humanity, as someone who came of age during a younger generation quest for "natural" I feel compelled to validate the truth of what the Wisdomkeepers say, particularly on how we are raping the planet and the gross disrespect our culture has, not just toward others but the entire planet.
June 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this compilation; it presents several aspects of native american culture including time, relationship to nature, love, leadership, and death, and it contrasts them against the assumptions of western culture. My only complaint is that it encompasses so many themes that it tends to generalize certain ideas; however, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in studying some of the basics of Native American spirituality.
July 11, 2012
One dollar bookstore! Medicine men tell ol' whitey to get truckin'! Good authentic-seeming stuff.
January 25, 2013
A treasure.....
April 24, 2013
A wonderful book regarding the spiritual belief systems of different tribes. It's more than that. With each different interview comes personal and moving stories. Definitely worth buying.
February 10, 2016
Must read
Wonderful, powerful
Wonderful, powerful
January 15, 2023
Beautiful - one of the most gorgeous books in word and pictures. Simply Beautiful
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews