Returning to the Lakota Way

There is a good deal of interest in indigenous spirituality and what we can learn from native traditions. The subtitle of this book - old values to save a modern world - indicates its content, which is relayed by means of traditional stories applied to contemporary life. The first of these relates to silence through the life story of Slow and especially his relationship with his grandmother Grey Grass. She teaches him that the place of inner silence is an important refuge and can be a key to understanding death and darkness, which modern people also want to avoid. This is not a place to hide from the reality of life but rather a refuge where one faces oneself honestly. Other chapters consider tolerance, faith, patience and wisdom. Towards the end of the book, there is a quotation from a headstone: 'wisdom travels many roads and knows no boundaries. It is a fleeting gift. Grasp it while you can, for it is not yours to keep, but to use and pass on.' Reading this book slows one to a different pace and is a reminder of how all our lives our embedded in stories of one kind or another.