The Soul of the Indian: An Interpretation Book

As I began to read "The Soul of the Indian" it was like taking a deep breath of relief, because it was as I've been taught and observed. In many ways, it is one of the most accurate accounts in the style and manner of the speaking of elders.

The point about reading books such as these is to put aside one's own beliefs and religious ideas based on one's own culture, and fully step outside to try to understand another people in a new way. Not many people seem to be able to do that, as they limit themselves into forcing an idea into terms or dogma they can more easily accept or understand.

The book is approximately 170 pages in a chapbook style. The edition I have is by Bison, 1980, typeset in an antiquated manner. It is very thought-provoking and contemplative but for all the supposed "complexities" some try to misinterpret from this work, for it us there is one simple premise: "It is as it is".

Quoting a Lakota elder I had the privilege of listening to October 2010, which is described in essays at my blog :

"We people have mysteries. Things we cannot explain. Things we don't know how they came to be or how they stay alive but it's all part of life. For some things we have legends and tales passed down from our ancestors, and they're enough though now we have science and all kinds of stuff which explain how things work inside. Or they try to anyway. There are still mysteries and will always be. There are some things you don't need answers to in order to have a happy life or just get by even.

That's the way it's always been with the People but when the black robes came (the European settlers with their Christian religion. The Catholics are directly referred to first as "black robes" but that term came to include all Christians) they saw something they didn't understand. Well, they thought they understood it and put their own words to it, words like "evil", "wrong" and "sin". But there is no evil among the People. Things happen. People are certain ways. That's just life. We don't try to force our own thoughts or beliefs on anybody else, but that's what the black robes did to us.

Then you had some of the People converting to the black robe religion and they too tried to say certain things were "evil" and "sin", but it's not our way to judge others. It's the white man's God's way. Every body should just be how they are and be allowed to. I can be happy with very little because their definition does not apply to me. They might be unhappy with what I had. I think that's why they are so unhappy and so far from the earth. They're always looking at someone else and trying to change them when they don't really know themselves in the first place."

Refreshing simplicity.