The Way It Is: One Water, One Air, One Mother Earth

by Corbin Harney

A Western Shoshone medicine man from Nevada, Corbin Harney carries an urgent message for all people to return to a natural way of life. "The Native way," Corbin explains, "is to pray for everything." The first part of the book is "how to see" from the Native way of being in nature, and the second part chronicles Corbin's effort to stop nuclear testing internationally.

If you read only one book by a Native American, this should be it!

Endorsements

"Corbin's words are not polished or eloquent; they are simply the truth ... and come directly from Corbin's heart to the reader." Napra ReView

"This book will touch the spirit of anyone who is concerned for the Earth." Community Endeavor

"Corbin Harney stands as no one else at the moment for that new alliance between indigenous peoples and environmental groups.... His voice could be described as the conscience of our planet." Stephan Dompke, Director, Society for a Nuclear-Free Future, Berlin

"What Corbin talks about is so basic and so real ... when he calls it Mother Earth and he talks about the land - it's so basic. It's just the way it is. It's not any high-tech anything; it's just basic living and life. He puts everything in perspective and gives everybody a sense of why they're here, and, like the burning in the heart, he gives you a renewed feeling that maybe you can make a difference." Claudia Peterson

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1994

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Way It is: One Water...One Air...One Mother Earth... is a book written by Corbin Harney, a native american healer and spiritual leader, about the dangers of the path humanity is currently on. I found it fascinating to learn about the consequences of pollution and nuclear testing from the perspective of a native american that still practices the traditions and beliefs of the Shoshone. Corbin excels at expressing his beliefs about nature and how all things have spirits, yet humans harm nature and its spirits by experimenting with corruptive materials that we don't fully understand. Although Corbin effectively gets his point across about the negative effects of radiation and how it harms the water and native americans it does seem to become a little repetitive after a while. Overall while this book does have an important message from a new perspective it does somewhat fail at providing as much substance to the subject as one might expect from a book about the dangers of radiation, so I would have to give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

[Morgan Shank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads as an interview of Corbin Harney, the spiritual leader of the Western Shoshone Nation. He speaks about many topics, but of primary importance is his stance against the nuclear testing sites in Nevada. These sites infringe on Shoshone territory, and they poison the groundwater, animals, and people within a radial area.

I hadn't heard of this dilemma before this book, and I thought Corbin's insight was invaluable because of how much his perspective reveals of the American Indians. This isn't just a book highlighting the dangers of nuclear testing, it's a book highlighting the dangers of forgetting those who share my same country.

Corbin explains that historically, his people stand behind the bush and are reluctant to take stands on matters of importance because it gains them little. He says the government has routinely ignored its own treaties and legislation regarding the tribes, the people have told the tribes their practices are evil, and today, Corbin sees members of many tribes walking from their old ways.

However, he urges readers to band together, to speak for change. When enough people from enough nations march for a topic, change is still possible. His vulnerability, practicality, and wisdom shone throughout the book. Ultimately, "The Way It Is" offered a welcome glimpse into a people I know too little about.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

i didn’t love the format of the book. it was written like an interview so a lot of the content was overly repetitive and a ton of filler words so i found it hard to get into it. format was distracting. as for the actual content, it was really good.

[Gossamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you cannot have a Shoshone elder's full time presence in your life, books like this can definitely help keep you on track or bring you back to the old ways when you stray. Corbin signed my copy. I'll have it forever and reread it multiple times.