"The spirit of the Native people, the first people, has never died. It lives in the rocks and the forests, the rivers and the mountains. It murmurs in the brooks and whispers in the trees. The hearts of these people were formed of the earth that we now walk, and their voice can never be silenced," writes Kent Nerburn (A Haunting Reverence: Meditations on a Northern Land).

The material in this excellent collection has been drawn from orations, recorded observations of life and social affairs, and other first-person testimonies. The wisdom of Native Americans shines through their respect for the temple of nature, their reverence for the power of silence, and their honor of the Great Mystery.

Nerburn has a special fondness in his heart for Ohiyesa (also known as Charles Alexander Easman) whom he calls "a man with a warrior's heart, an orator's tongue, and human spirit of such dignity that it transcends boundaries of race and belief." The collection also includes the great speeches of Chief Red Jacket, Chief Joseph, and Chief Seattle. We have much to learn from these spiritual teachers.