Joseph Marshall III was born on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and was raised by his maternal grandparents. He is an author, historian, educator, motivational speaker, Lakota craftsman, and has been both technical advisor and actor in television movies, including Return to Lonesome Dove. A recipient of the Wyoming Humanities Award, he is the author of four collections of essays and short stories. In this book that is brimming with wisdom, Marshall shares stories, talks about the bow and arrow, the role of elders, the perseverance and resilience need for surviving difficulties, and the pride he takes in his tribe and tradition.
Through stories, history, and examples from his own life, the author explores five teachings on transformation, simplicity, purpose, strength, and resiliency. Along the way, Marshall shares the riches of Native American spirituality. Here are a few examples:
• "Silence is difficult to ignore."
• "By 1890, the circumstances for all native people in the West could be summed up in one word: overwhelmed."
• "The most profound difference is the diminished role of elders in our families and communities, and most notably their absence in the leadership hierarchies."
• "I wonder sometimes if we modern humans are past the salvation of simplicity."
• "People kept track of their age by how many winters they had lived, because winter was the toughest season of the year."
• "My grandparents taught me a lot through stories. Family history, events, situations, dilemmas — all had a lesson."
• "Our purposes form from or rise out of the kind of people we are, what our values are, and where and how those purposes can fit into the world around us."
• "Nothing ever stays the same, but paradoxically, very few things change completely. There is always something remaining of the original."
• "Emotional, mental, and spiritual strength is the first line of defense against hardship and difficulty."
• "Wisdom is the basis for strength in any society, culture, or nation. And the source of wisdom is in our elders. It is the epitome of stupidity and arrogance to ignore that reality."
