Indigenous Spirituality

The indigenous peoples of the Americas have widespread beliefs related to personal guardian spirits. Natives believe that for any success in life there must be protection by a supernatural power. And, in this, they are absolutely correct. The Natives deified guardian spirits since ancient times; and, as it turned out, not in vain because they are directly related to people, to their psyche. All the guardian spirits of the ancient Natives were part of nature.

What is truth in the eyes of Native Americans? What does it mean to be Indian? Do American Indians have a sense of humor? How does their religion differ from other spiritualities? Listen to what Tecumseh, Red Jacket and other chiefs have to say, as well as contemporary elders like Two White Feathers and Donald Panther-Yates. Enjoy the humor of American Indian Movement leaders like Russell Means and Dennis Banks in this miscellany published on the anniversary of a groundbreaking website from the 90s. You will never think of American Indian writers and activists the same way.

Legends that endured for centuries, endure for a reason. In the wilderness of Southeastern Alaska, the Kushtaka is one such legend. Known as the Land-Otter Man among the Tlingit Indians, the Kushtaka are shape-shifting, time bending, mythical creatures capable of taking your deepest fears and turning them into a nightmarish reality.

Eagle Voice Remembers is John Neihardt's mature and reflective interpretation of the old Sioux way of life. He served as a translator of the Sioux past, whose audience has proved not to be limited by space or time. Through his writings, Black Elk, Eagle Elk, and other old men who were of that last generation of Sioux to have participated in the old buffalo-hunting life and the disorienting period of strife with the U.S. Army found a literary voice.

Remember when you thought you could change the world? You were right! Some people's response to the world's unreached billions is to think that they are unreachable. Nothing could be further form the truth! When you know they are reachable, the next question is, how? Reachable answers that question with inspiring stories of the lives and ministries of indigenous missionaries and a heartfelt call to be their partner.

Physician, activist, and author Charles Alexander Eastman was the first Native American certified in Western medicine and one of the first authors of any background to emphasize the Native American perspective. In The Soul of the Indian, he shares the customs, rituals, celebrations, and beliefs of Native American spirituality, and in so doing provides a powerful account of the “Great Mystery” at their core.

The Origins of Shintoism is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history and culture of Japan, as well as for those interested in the development and evolution of religions around the world.