Product Description

Traditional Cherokee teachings passed down by author Michael Garrett's great-grandfather instruct us that all things are connected, have purpose, and are worthy of respect and reverence. Through stories of the Sacred Fire, the Talking Circle, the Giveaway, and Community, these stories counsel us to keep our feet on Mother Earth, our eyes and minds above the tree tops, and our spirit with the Great Universal Spirit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72610 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05-01
• Released on: 1998-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 204 pages

From Publishers Weekly
How does one learn from the wisdom of Native American cultures without adding to the violence that has been done to the sacredness and integrity of those traditions? In this volume, Garrett, an Eastern Band Cherokee who teaches education at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, provides profound and beautiful answers to that question. As he notes, the book has two goals: to honor his people's vision of a balanced life and to share their accumulated wisdom about health and wellness with the larger, contemporary culture. Each chapter features delightful narratives of Cherokee stories and myths?the love of Moon for Sun, how the animals teach humanity to respect the harmony of nature, why possum's tail is bare, why turtle's shell is scarred, as well as recollections from Garrett's childhood. He notes that his father taught him that it was his task "to discover through the stories?the beauty and lessons offered to us through everyday experience." Garrett discusses lessons learned about how to make difficult choices, how to hear our intuitive sense of right and wrong and how to deal with painful experiences. Also included in this wide-ranging book are descriptions of the purposes of Pow-Wow, Iroquois False Face Societies, managing a modern kitchen in ways that respect the balance of nature and brief discussions about acid rain and greenhouse gases. Written in accessible language, Garrett's book is a useful primer on Native American spirituality.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"[Garrett's] blend of the traditional Cherokee stories and ways with that of science and psychology illustrates that both Native and non-Native peoples can learn to thrive together, and that they have a lot to learn from each other for the betterment of humankind."
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Native Peoples magazine

About the Author
Michael Tlanusta Garrett, Ph.D., is both a student and teacher of the Cherokee Way, drawn from the ancient wisdom teachings of the medicine elders on the Cherokee Reservation in the Great Smoky Mountains. He is an assistant professor of counselor education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the coauthor of Medicine of the Cherokee: The Way of Right Relationship.

Customer Reviews

Just incredible!
This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.

I had read Medicine of the Cherokee already when I saw this in a shop and recognized the name of the author.

I was going through a little spiritual crisis when I began to read it and within a few chapters I could feel the good medicine in the book working on me.

If you're trying to find your place in the web this book can help you find it.

Refreshing!
This book is a continuation of the earlier book "Medicine of the Cherokee: The Way of Right Relationship" written by Michael and his father J.T. Garrett.

I would recommend that people also read the earlier work because "Walking on the Wind" fails to discuss the totem animals used in the sacred circle (more commonly called the medicine wheel).

This book is clearly written and a fun read.

Truly Awesome
This is a wonderful book! I fell into it immediately. It's written in a manner that is informal and very easy to understand. It took me from tears of joy on one page to laughing out loud on another. This book has helped me to heal, to face fears, to become more balanced, and to look at things from a different perspective... and for that I am forever grateful. I highly recommend it!!!!