Kent Nerburn - Native American Wisdom

There is a dignity about the social intercourse of old Indians which reminds me of a stroll through a winter forest.

Life is an endless cycle of change. We and our world will never remain the same.

Every generation has difficulty relating to the previous generation; even the language changes. The child speaks a different language than the parent does.

It seems almost miraculous, then, that certain voices, certain books, are able to speak not only to one, but to many generations beyond them. The plays and poems of William Shakespeare are still relevant todaystill capable of giving us goose bumps, still entertaining, disturbing, and profound. Shakespeare is the writer who, in the English language, defines the word classic.

There are many other writers and thinkers who, for a great many reasons, can be considered classic, for they withstand the test of time. We want to present the best of them to you in the New World Library Classic Wisdom Collection. Even though these writers and thinkers lived many years ago, they are still relevant and important in todays world for the enduring words of wisdom they created, words that should forever be kept in print.

Native American Wisdom is a very special book in this collection. It is profound, enlightened, touching, poetic, and inspired. Every citizen of the planet Earth can gain value from the words and insights of the native Americans.

We pray that their traditions will be remembered, and will grow and prosper; we hope that this book will, in its own way, contribute to increased awareness of and respect for the wisdom of the native American people.

A significant percentage of the profits of this book will be contributed to worthwhile organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life of native Americans and preserving their traditions and wisdom.

Shakti Gawain

Marc Allen

New World Library

In 1492 Columbus and his crew, lost, battered, and stricken with dysentery, were helped ashore by a people he described as neither black nor white... fairly tall, good looking and well proportioned. Believing he had landed in the East Indies, he called these people Indians. In fact, they were part of a great population that had made its home on this continent for centuries.

The inhabitants of this land were not one people. Their customs differed. Their languages differed. Some tilled the earth; others hunted and picked the abundance of the land around them. They lived in different kinds of housing and governed themselves according to differing rules.

But they shared in common a belief that the earth is a spiritual presence that must be honored, not mastered. Unfortunately, western Europeans who came to these shores had a contrary belief. To them, the entire American continent was a beautiful but savage land that it was not only their right, but their duty, to tame and use as they saw fit.

As the twentieth century draws to a close, Western civilization is confronting the inevitable results of this European-American philosophy of dominance. We have gotten out of balance with our earth, and the very future of our planet depends on our capacity to restore that balance.

We are crying out for help, for a grounding in the truth of nature, for words of wisdom. That wisdom is here, contained in the words of the native peoples of the Americas. But these people speak quietly. Their words are simple and their voices soft. We have not heard them because we have not taken the time to listen. Perhaps now the time is right for us to open our ears and hearts to the words they have to say.

Unlike many traditions, the spiritual wisdom of the native American is not found in a set of scriptural materials. It is, and always has been, a part of the fabric of daily life and experience. One of the most poignant reflections of this spiritual message is found in their tradition of oratory.

Traditionally, Indians did not carry on dialogues when discussing important matters. Rather, each person listened attentively until his or her turn came to speak, and then he or she rose and spoke without interruption about the heart of the matter under consideration. This tradition produced a measured eloquence of speech and thought that is almost unmatched for its clarity and simplicity.