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The Five Legends: A Journey to Heal Divided Hearts
Drawing on 30 years of helping families, this profound fable by the Anasazi Foundation illustrates the true anguish of conflict and explains how we can end war within ourselves, within our families, and even between nations.
Created in 1988 by renowned wilderness pioneers Larry D. Olsen and Ezekiel C. Sanchez (a Totonac Indian whose native name is Good Buffalo Eagle), the Anasazi Foundation invites young people, through a primitive living experience, to effect a change of heart. For over thirty years, their teachings have helped families begin anew and walk in harmony in the wilderness of the world.
Inspired by their wisdom, this book tells the story of two brothers whose warring hearts threaten to destroy their lives and their community. Trapped in a canyon, the two brothers are rescued by a mysterious old man who perceives their need for peace. He offers to guide them home -- inviting them to open their hearts toward a New Beginning. When they agree, he teaches them the five legends of peace. And as they walk forward, they learn that we are free to create peace in our own lives--and how to do it. This discovery saves not only the brothers but ultimately their people. This poetic narrative offers us all a hopeful way out of the canyons of war, leaving behind the warring within.
Created in 1988 by renowned wilderness pioneers Larry D. Olsen and Ezekiel C. Sanchez (a Totonac Indian whose native name is Good Buffalo Eagle), the Anasazi Foundation invites young people, through a primitive living experience, to effect a change of heart. For over thirty years, their teachings have helped families begin anew and walk in harmony in the wilderness of the world.
Inspired by their wisdom, this book tells the story of two brothers whose warring hearts threaten to destroy their lives and their community. Trapped in a canyon, the two brothers are rescued by a mysterious old man who perceives their need for peace. He offers to guide them home -- inviting them to open their hearts toward a New Beginning. When they agree, he teaches them the five legends of peace. And as they walk forward, they learn that we are free to create peace in our own lives--and how to do it. This discovery saves not only the brothers but ultimately their people. This poetic narrative offers us all a hopeful way out of the canyons of war, leaving behind the warring within.
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Published January 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 28, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the way it was put together. And the lessons that can be learned from it.
The Five Legends is written kind of in poetry form. I loved the way this made the story easy and quick to read.
The main characters in this one are Thunder Bear and Strong Wolf. Thunder Bear is the one who the reader gets to “see” the story through. He has some very strong ideas about who is to blame for the chasm between the two of them. But he learns and grows throughout the book. And by the ending he realizes that he shares the blame.
I loved the way the two brothers are taught the lessons they need to learn. A wise old man rescues them when they are in peril. And he teaches them through stories and legends.
This book is really a neat one. I loved that I was able to learn from the stories the same way that Thunder Bear and Strong Wolf did. I hope that I can learn the lessons and be a better person because of them.
The Five Legends is written kind of in poetry form. I loved the way this made the story easy and quick to read.
The main characters in this one are Thunder Bear and Strong Wolf. Thunder Bear is the one who the reader gets to “see” the story through. He has some very strong ideas about who is to blame for the chasm between the two of them. But he learns and grows throughout the book. And by the ending he realizes that he shares the blame.
I loved the way the two brothers are taught the lessons they need to learn. A wise old man rescues them when they are in peril. And he teaches them through stories and legends.
This book is really a neat one. I loved that I was able to learn from the stories the same way that Thunder Bear and Strong Wolf did. I hope that I can learn the lessons and be a better person because of them.
March 28, 2019
The Five Legends isn't the type of book that I typically seek out, and it honestly took me awhile to sit down and get started. The foreword had a lot of Navajo words and being unfamiliar with the language I stumbled over the mental pronunciation and it halted my progress. However, when I sat back down a second time to finish the book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
One of the things that stood out to me is how similar the messages from each of the Five Legends were to what I have been taught in my religion. It helped tie two seemingly different groups together and the knowledge that we have similar beliefs brought a peaceful, united feeling. For me that was the main takeaway. We need to look for what we have in common and work together in life.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a quick, clean read with a wonderful message.
One of the things that stood out to me is how similar the messages from each of the Five Legends were to what I have been taught in my religion. It helped tie two seemingly different groups together and the knowledge that we have similar beliefs brought a peaceful, united feeling. For me that was the main takeaway. We need to look for what we have in common and work together in life.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a quick, clean read with a wonderful message.
October 2, 2023
An inspiring tale to teach us the power of "we" over "me". When two brothers quarrel and part ways, their village splits in two. For fifteen years they do not speak or interact people to people. When the older brother seeks the younger brother out when their aging mother is near death, they embark on a path of healing, peace, and forgiveness. This comes about through the teaching of five legends from the native American tradition. These can teach all of us invaluable lessons to bring happiness and inner peace.
May 27, 2020
This little book caught me by surprise. There is so much meaning in each little story within it that it is something that can be read and reread with deeper meaning gained from each reading.
June 18, 2025
A few years ago, I saw this book reviewed online. I remembered that I had read the Seven Paths, also a guidebook for the Anasazi trail walking program. So I added this book on Goodreads, ordered it on Amazon, and fast tracked it in to my stack of books, intending to read it right away.
But as often happens, it got buried and lost and forgotten. From time to time, when I would open up Goodreads, I would see it listed at the top of my ‘to read’ list. Though I scowled at myself, I did nothing.
So anyway, today I saw the book and had nothing to do and so I read it in one sitting. It is very short, not only an easy read, but it was to me a rewarding time, one well spent. I could even share that there were a few surprising tears partway through, causing me to reread a section, and to do a little pondering and reflecting on my walk in the world.
So although this was not my intent today, I will invite anyone honest enough to acknowledge conflicts with others to sit down, and in a couple of hours go through this very simplistic, but to me powerful and rewarding reminder that it’s better to focus on We than on Me.
(Without going in to it too much, I needed a good dose. There’s enough blame to go around in any relationship, but being more determined to work on myself is a good start to healing all the way around.)
But as often happens, it got buried and lost and forgotten. From time to time, when I would open up Goodreads, I would see it listed at the top of my ‘to read’ list. Though I scowled at myself, I did nothing.
So anyway, today I saw the book and had nothing to do and so I read it in one sitting. It is very short, not only an easy read, but it was to me a rewarding time, one well spent. I could even share that there were a few surprising tears partway through, causing me to reread a section, and to do a little pondering and reflecting on my walk in the world.
So although this was not my intent today, I will invite anyone honest enough to acknowledge conflicts with others to sit down, and in a couple of hours go through this very simplistic, but to me powerful and rewarding reminder that it’s better to focus on We than on Me.
(Without going in to it too much, I needed a good dose. There’s enough blame to go around in any relationship, but being more determined to work on myself is a good start to healing all the way around.)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews