Profiles in Wisdom: Native Elders Speak About the Earth

 

Taking inspiration from John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize winning Profiles in Courage, Steven McFadden presents the stories and thinking of 17 Native American spiritual elders in this widely acclaimed book.

As our existing culture shifts, what to the ancient ones who have been trained in the sacred Traditions of Turtle Island (North America) have to say to us? With this question and others, journalist McFadden begins his quest to speak with contemporary Native American elders. The elders offer penetrating and poetic insight on a host of crucial matters.

This bestselling book has recently been updated, to tell the stories and share the observations of the elders 10 years after the original date of publication.

Here’s a brief excerpt from Profiles in Wisdom:

In 1983, after three days and nights of praying and fasting on a mountaintop, I snapped a twig with my fingers and had a revelation. I saw that my simple action had changed the world, and that it would never be the same again. I could never put that twig back together the way it had been. This was a small change, but an important change nonetheless.

As the sound of the snap reverberated within my mind, I understood how everything I said and did changed the world. What came with the snapping twig was not an abstract idea or a philosophical insight, but a living experience of how all my actions influence creation. Since then, the lesson of this experience has guided my life in a world where, until recently, it seemed as if most people were oblivious to the way their lives inflict deep wounds upon the Earth, the air, and the water…

Praise for Profiles in Wisdom:

“Profiles in Wisdom does a fine job not only of presenting the dignity, complexity, and wit of important Indian philosophers and religious leaders, but also of issuing cautions agains easy uplift and wisdom injections…There are some stirring and unexpected powers unleashed in this book.” – New York Times Book Review

“This wise and provocative collection is highly recommended.”  – Library Journal

“Our leaders should sit and listen to the counsel Steven McFadden has gathered in this book.”  – John Elvin, The Washington Times