Reuben Snake: Your Humble Serpent

by Jay Courtney Fikes

Activist, educator, political and spiritual leader, Reuben Snake will be remembered as an important force in his own Winnebego community, the American Indian Movement (AIM), and the Native American Church at a period when Indian America was beset with challenges from all sides. His life story is at once a moving personal memoir and a retelling of the most significant events and conditions affecting Native Americans in modern times. He experienced what many young Indians have suffered -- schools that punished children for speaking their native language, unemployment resulting from discrimination, and alcohol abuse. Snake overcame these obstacles to become one of the most effective and inspirational leaders of his time. This remarkable autobiography was transmitted to Jay Fikes in tape-recorded interviews during the final month of Snake's life.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

About the author

My latest book, Beyond Peyote: Kieri and the Huichol Deer Shaman is the biography of a Huichol shaman and more. This book is endorsed by five people, three of whom are prominent anthropologists (see my website: www.jayfikes.com to read these five endorsements & get more information about Beyond Peyote. Unknown Huichol: Shamans and Immortals, Allies Against Chaos, summarized what I learned from four Huichol shamans; by making many pilgrimages with them to sacred sites, observing their rituals and translating many of their songs and myths. Unknown Huichol, published in 2011, has not reached the popular audience that my new book, Beyond Peyote, is intended to reach. Readers who like Beyond Peyote may follow up with Unknown Huichol, which discloses little known truths about Huichol peyote rituals and shamans. Both these books provide accurate and insightful understanding of an esoteric oral tradition which is still rare in today's world, still dominated by sensational, superficial & self-aggrandizing stories about "shamanic" practices. For more about me see Who's Who: https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/pres...

As an undergraduate I was inspired by the books of Carlos Castaneda. After completing my doctorate in anthropology at the University of Michigan I published an expose in 1993: Carlos Castaneda, Academic Opportunism & the Psychedelic Sixties. During my research for that book two professors threatened me with lawsuits. My first publisher, Madison Books, abandoned publication of my Castaneda expose because of threats of litigation made by Peter Furst. I sued Peter Furst but my case was dismissed by New Mexico's Supreme Court. The 2007 BBC film documentary called Tales from the Jungle, Carlos Castaneda complements my 1993 expose. Since then Freedom of Information requests we made suggest that Castaneda, Furst and Myerhoff were intelligence agents, a topic I have discussed on Gnostic Media podcasts.

Reviews

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommed this eye opening book, it gives a very personal, sometimes raw look into the life of Reuben Snake.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read about the life of Reuben Snake. He is a member of my tribe and my relative.

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

great bio of a Indian civil rights activist. If i remember right his projects were land and hunting/fishing rights, prison reform, and religious freedom. Very informative and entertaining.