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Shaman's Daughter
SHAMAN'S DAUGHTER--At twelve, Supaya climbed the mountain and had a vision, not knowing that it was the beginning of the end...that she was the last of her people to be thus blessed.
SHAMAN'S DAUGHTER--Three times a bride, Supaya's men came from three different worlds. But only one man could bring her the happiness she longed for.
SHAMAN'S DAUGHTER--Supaya watched her children abandon their sacred heritage. But she survived, returning to the old ways...seeking the one who could inherit her priceless gift of knowledge.
SHAMAN'S DAUGHTER--Three times a bride, Supaya's men came from three different worlds. But only one man could bring her the happiness she longed for.
SHAMAN'S DAUGHTER--Supaya watched her children abandon their sacred heritage. But she survived, returning to the old ways...seeking the one who could inherit her priceless gift of knowledge.
542 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 30, 2012
Although the paperback's cover would lead you to think otherwise, Shaman's Daughter is richly detailed & sensitive account of a young Ojibwa woman just before the turn of the 20th century. In spite of expectations & demands made of her by both Native and White societies, Supaya manages to live out a life of honor, respect, and even power.
July 18, 2015
I’ve always had a soft spot for stories about First Nations people, though there’s a very thin line between respect for the cultures and an idolization that sublimates the humanity of the cultures. Shaman’s Daughter, a collaboration between an anthropologist and a professor of literature, manages to present a suitably real picture of life at the turn of the last century.
The story follows Supaya (called Sophie by the whites) as she grows into adulthood, raises a family, and grows old. Through her life, we get to see the friction between the Church and the practitioners of the traditional faith and healing, the loss of identity of the residential schools and, later, the struggle to integrate and earn a living as an Indian, and the impact of World Wars 1&2 on the First Nations people.
The historical span is broad enough to show the changes as they were happening and, to some extent, their resolution.
The writing is also quite decent, and the book kept me engaged from start to finish.
The story follows Supaya (called Sophie by the whites) as she grows into adulthood, raises a family, and grows old. Through her life, we get to see the friction between the Church and the practitioners of the traditional faith and healing, the loss of identity of the residential schools and, later, the struggle to integrate and earn a living as an Indian, and the impact of World Wars 1&2 on the First Nations people.
The historical span is broad enough to show the changes as they were happening and, to some extent, their resolution.
The writing is also quite decent, and the book kept me engaged from start to finish.
December 7, 2012
I think i can quite safely say this is one of the most incredibly beautiful books i've ever read. It will be nigh impossible to surpass such an extreme work of art. Words can't even describe how this book will bind itself to you and make you feel. It is like a breath of fresh air. Im sorry to see the book finished. It was like having a constant best friend. Someone to turn to. Supaya will stay with me for the rest of my life and i would have it no other way.
July 7, 2014
Very good perspective on an Indian woman trying to make it in both her native culture yet get along with the whites to the point of being good friends with them. Good explanations of treatments on the reservations and the troubles that were happening between the two cultures. The shaman ways were explained as being more helpful than as a witch doctor as something to fear. Liked how she treated and respected the men interested in her yet followed the expectations of her family's beliefs. Felt sorry that her children were not following her ways of thinking and maintaining their Indian ways.
September 5, 2012
This was a really interesting read. Set on a reserve in northern Ontario during the years 1897 - 1967 the novel follows the story of a girl growing up during drastically changing times and how she changes and grows to meet those challenges. Written with sensitivity and very enjoyable.
August 14, 2025
3.5 stars
Shaman's Daughter is an interesting look at how difficult life was for the Indigenous of Canada in the early 1900s, living on reservations and being torn between their traditional culture and a forced English, Christian culture.
What if, in the 1930 or '40s, one of your Indigenous children reviled the white man's school and church while your other child took well to English culture and wished to become a lawyer? What if you were Indigenous, lived entirely among Indigenous people who despised the white man's government, yet fell in love with a white person? What if your Indigenous mother was dying, you did not believe in European medicines, yet your traditional healing methods were not working? What if an Indigenous couple, in love, had wedded in their traditional manner but the Indian agent and government did not recognize the marriage?
These are the sorts of situations tackled in Salerno's thought-provoking novel. The writing is decent, the pace extremely fast. My main criticism of the story is that every single male adult is in love with the same woman. Even the woman's father-in-law wants her.
Shaman's Daughter is an interesting look at how difficult life was for the Indigenous of Canada in the early 1900s, living on reservations and being torn between their traditional culture and a forced English, Christian culture.
What if, in the 1930 or '40s, one of your Indigenous children reviled the white man's school and church while your other child took well to English culture and wished to become a lawyer? What if you were Indigenous, lived entirely among Indigenous people who despised the white man's government, yet fell in love with a white person? What if your Indigenous mother was dying, you did not believe in European medicines, yet your traditional healing methods were not working? What if an Indigenous couple, in love, had wedded in their traditional manner but the Indian agent and government did not recognize the marriage?
These are the sorts of situations tackled in Salerno's thought-provoking novel. The writing is decent, the pace extremely fast. My main criticism of the story is that every single male adult is in love with the same woman. Even the woman's father-in-law wants her.
November 4, 2017
LOVE this book. Amazing story and you fall in love with every character. Great feminist boost on how to conquer life and all its challenges.
Check out my full review on my blog: kateyreads.wordpress.com
Check out my full review on my blog: kateyreads.wordpress.com
June 30, 2021
Virkelig smuk bog, der har lært mig noget vigtigt.
March 26, 2013
Skide god bog! Spændende og underholdende, men samtidig også lærende på det kulturhistoriske plan. Bogen giver læseren et indblik i indianernes verden og hvordan denne blev væltet under pioneerenes dominans. Personligt nyder jeg selv den fiktive fremstilling, der skaber surspense til en ellers lærerig bog. (Thumps up fra mig)
January 5, 2014
Very good. Takes place in Ontario. I was pleasantly surprised it was not cheesy romance. Told the whole story without feeling rushed.
February 12, 2019
I loved it. What a saga. Smart.
June 12, 2021
Read this back in 1987/8 when my psych teacher (Nan Salerno's nephew) offered it to me to read. I was fascinated by the story and struggles the main character faced over the course of her life.
June 12, 2023
This is the life story of an Indian woman--Supaya Cedar from 1897-1967. The tribe she belonged to was west of Toronto in Canada. The Indian way of life slowly dies and is absorbed into the western world. Supaya will not forsake her heritage, even through two world wars. She is a true medicine woman. An informative tale.
September 16, 2023
Clearly worth to read, but to follow a person through most of their life isn’t for everyone.
I loved the details and the story about a woman living her truths in a more and more modern reality.
Where more and more people left the nature reality behind.
I loved the details and the story about a woman living her truths in a more and more modern reality.
Where more and more people left the nature reality behind.
January 23, 2024
min engelsk lærer fik mig til at læse den i 6. klasse og jeg var så bevæget af den holy.
August 6, 2024
4.5/5 stjerner | så god!! Man bliver taget med på en livslang rejse gennem tiden og kulturen, der ændre sig for de indfødte amerikanske kvinder.
Det var bare en virkelig smuk og fængende fortælling om at give traditioner og viden om naturen, livet og fælleshistorier videre.
Det var bare en virkelig smuk og fængende fortælling om at give traditioner og viden om naturen, livet og fælleshistorier videre.
November 17, 2011
very good
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews