The first thing to say about this stirring collection of spiritual quotations by Native Americans is how much these observations are enriched by the accompanying photographs of great chiefs born before 1904. In their faces we can see the sturdiness of character that resonates with their belief in the guiding force of the Great Spirit. Thanks to these strong and vivid images, it is not hard to imagine in our mind's eye these individuals engaging in a spiritual practice described by Ohiyesa, a Wahpeton Dakota:
"In the life of the Indian there was only one inevitable duty — the duty of prayer — the daily recognition of the Unseen and Eternal. His daily devotions were more necessary to him than daily food. He wakes at daybreak, puts on his moccasins and steps down to the water's edge. Here he throws handfuls of clear, cold water into his face, or plunges in bodily. After the bath, he stands erect before the advancing dawn, facing the sun as it dances upon the horizon, and offers his unspoken orison. His mate may precede or follow him in his devotions, but never accompanies him. Each soul must meet the morning sun, the new sweet earth, and the Great Silence alone."
People from other world religions could easily identify with this dawn devotional.
In fact, many quotes here connect Native Americans to other traditions. For instance, Crowfoot of the Blackfeet nation, sounds Buddhist when he says "What is life? It is a flash of a firefly in the night. It is a breath of a buffalo in the winter time. It is as the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." The spiritual practice of hospitality evident in the words of Wabasha and Red Jacket is very much in line with the interfaith gestures of our times: "Trouble no man about his religion — respect him in his view of the Great Spirit, and demand of him that he respect yours. Treat with respect such things as he holds sacred. Do not force your religion on anyone."
Reading this book, it struck us again how much the spiritual practice of mystery animated the lives of Native Americans and provided the foundation for their respect for silence, gratitude, and hospitality.
