Jack Zaikos’s Reviews > Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions > Status Update

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

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