Status Updates From Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions

“Pain to us is not "abstract," but very real. It is when we are fasting on the hilltop, or tearing our flesh at the sun dance, that we experience the sudden insight, come closest to the mind of the Great Spirit. Insight does not come cheaply, and we want no angel or saint to gain it for us and give it to us secondhand.”

“You understand that there are certain things one should not talk about, things that must remain hidden. If all was told, supposing they lived a person who could tell all, there would be no mysteries left, and that would be a very bad. Man cannot live without mystery. He has a great need of it.”

Epilogue

Reading about the life of Richard Erdoes was much more enjoyable then I thought it would be.

Although the entire book reads as if it comes directly from Lame Deer the epilogue really reveals how this work itself was a collaboration between an Indian man and white man.

It was entertaining hearing of the two’s friendship and Erdoes eventful life in Europe before coming to America.

Chapter 16: blood turned into stone

With Lame Deers explanation of the pipe and its origins in detail the crux of his belief system is at last revealed to the reader.

This was easily the best chapter yet.

After reading a chapter like this one you can’t help but feel remorse at how much of American Indian culture has been lost and how screwed up the world currently is.

Chapter 15:

First time I’ve ever heard of a clown being sacred…

Actually really interesting how the Sioux religion deals with shame. If you think about it from a practical perspective an embarrassing dream is probably the result of an ashamed subconscious. By acting out the dream publicly with no shame due to the act being sacred a healthy way to confront whatever feelings the person has is enshrined socially

“You have love for all that has been placed on this earth…. You are just a human being, afraid, weeping under that blanket, but there is a great space within you to be filled with that love. All of nature can fit in there.”

Chapter 14: roll up the world

“Now not only the Indians but everyone has become an endangered species”

13: the trees are our friends

Wasn’t expecting the peyote ceremonies to be such a mashing of Christian and Indian cultures… or maybe it’s just described that way for the audience whom it is assumed is more familiar with Christianity

I don’t know how I’d feel about engaging in such a ceremony with people I don’t know…

Like Lamedeer I think so far I prefer the way of the Sioux

Chapter 12:

The Sundance is brutal… Some of the types of piercings sound so harmful I wonder if ppl were permanently injured

The comparison to Christ is interesting and although the piercing of Christ’s flesh was intended as a punishment you can see the parallels.

Lame deers comment about how white people are okay with it if it happened 2000 years ago to someone else is very astute.

Chapter 11: yuwipi little lights from nowhere

This ceremony is wild…

We need to bring back mystery and wonder im calling it. I hate knowing how practically everything works. It sucks how we no longer believe in monsters or magic.

You have to hand it to lamedeer him and his culture have no claim to be able to understand all like we tend to do today.

Chapter 10: Inipi - grandfathers breath

The story of stone boy was fun

I’m having difficulty picturing exactly what the sweat lodge looks like… I wonder if there are many in use today

Chapter 9: medicine, good and bad

Bro these Indians had a herb for EVERYTHING

Also the different subcategories of medicine man were interesting

Godfrey chips was on another level. Imagine being 16 and a spiritual leader damn…

Chapter 8: 2 in a blanket

Lame deer has jokes…
Recounting the anthropologists asking the Indians “how’s your sex life” only for the Indians to respond “good how’s yours” 😭

Chapter 7: talking to the owls and the butterflies

Loved the stories of the bear vs the bulldog and the buffalo vs the bull

Also the story of the medicine man and the coyote.

While there is lots of appeal to living a lifestyle where we’re more closely connected with nature I can’t say I can get behind lady and the tramping raw buffalo intestine with grass still inside with my homeboy

Chapter: the circle and the square

Super interesting learning about the symbols from lame deer’s culture and how they made sense of their world.

Easily one of the most fascinating cultures out there.

Awesome bit of trivia about how lame deer and friends protested the violations of the treaties by occupying Rushmore and planting a staff there… I never knew that

It’s true that the mountain is an eyesore.

I don’t know how I feel about the afterthought about how korczak was actually a good guy. I’m not convinced.

Surprised the trial was so fair…

Super interesting how lame deer served in ww2 although the dates coincide I guess I never expected these moments of history coinciding in this way…

His perspective of the “green frog skin world” is refreshing. It does feel as if there is no escape.

Very interesting reading about the experience of native Sioux people and the “schools” they were forced to attend.

Books like this make you wonder just how great the cost of our current comfort and progress really was…

Just finished chapter one,

Already so interesting…