Eagle Chief or Letakos Lesa (Pawnee): In the beginning of all things

Photo: Crow man giving a symbolic oath with a bison meat offering on an arrow by Edward S. Curtis.
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'In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak directly to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beast, and that from them, and from the stars and the sun and moon should man learn.. all things tell of Tirawa. What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.'
(Eagle Chief or Letakos Lesa from the Pawnee nation)
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Recommended reading:
'Land of the Spotted Eagle'
By Luther Standing Bear (Author), Joseph Marshall (Introduction)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
When Standing Bear returned to the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation after sixteen years' absence, his dismay at the condition of his people may well have served as a catalyst for the writing of this book, first published in 1933. In addition to describing the customs, manners, and traditions of the Teton Sioux, Standing Bear also offered general comments about the importance of Native cultures and values and the status of Indian peoples in American society. With the assistance of Melvin R. Gilmore, curator of ethnology at the University of Michigan, and Warcaziwin, Standing Bear's niece and secretary, Standing Bear sought to tell the white man "just how" they "lived as Lakotans." Land of the Spotted Eagle is generously interspersed with personal reminiscences and anecdotes, including chapters on child rearing, social and political organization, family, religion, and manhood. Standing Bear's views on Indian affairs and his suggestions for the improvement of white-Indian relations are presented in the two closing chapters. Luther Standing Bear is the author of Stories of the Sioux, My Indian Boyhood, and My People the Sioux (all available in Bison Books editions). Joseph Marshall (Lakota Sioux) is a historian, educator, speaker, and recipient of the Wyoming Humanities Award. He is the author of several books, including The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History and The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living.
'Land of the Spotted Eagle'
By Luther Standing Bear (Author), Joseph Marshall (Introduction)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
When Standing Bear returned to the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation after sixteen years' absence, his dismay at the condition of his people may well have served as a catalyst for the writing of this book, first published in 1933. In addition to describing the customs, manners, and traditions of the Teton Sioux, Standing Bear also offered general comments about the importance of Native cultures and values and the status of Indian peoples in American society. With the assistance of Melvin R. Gilmore, curator of ethnology at the University of Michigan, and Warcaziwin, Standing Bear's niece and secretary, Standing Bear sought to tell the white man "just how" they "lived as Lakotans." Land of the Spotted Eagle is generously interspersed with personal reminiscences and anecdotes, including chapters on child rearing, social and political organization, family, religion, and manhood. Standing Bear's views on Indian affairs and his suggestions for the improvement of white-Indian relations are presented in the two closing chapters. Luther Standing Bear is the author of Stories of the Sioux, My Indian Boyhood, and My People the Sioux (all available in Bison Books editions). Joseph Marshall (Lakota Sioux) is a historian, educator, speaker, and recipient of the Wyoming Humanities Award. He is the author of several books, including The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History and The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living.
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