Walking with Grandfather: The Wisdom of Lakota Elders

A beautifully written story by a man sharing his Grandfather’s wisdom. He tells tales of their walks together when he was just a young boy and reminds us that we must always remember where it is that we come from. So easily we stay within the present time, forgetting the triumphs that have been overcome throughout the journey. Looking back on it we must ask ourselves, what did our own ancestors start with, what do we have now because of them?In the beginning of the book he talks about wisdom and what exactly wisdom is and how it is regarded. You must live a long life to gain wisdom. It is not something you can selfishly hang onto, your duty is to give it back to life. The definition of wisdom that is given in the book, speaks loudly. “Just as knowledge is derived from information, wisdom begins with knowledge, grows with experience, and is empowered by discernment.”As you read the book you can’t help but to reflect over your own years. He shares that his grandfather would have him turn to look back on their walks from time to time.“Remember the trail,” he would say, “because one of these times I will send you back alone. If you don’t remember the way you have come, you will be lost.”That rings true with my soul, we didn’t get here today unaffected by what happened in our yesterdays.He goes on to share the importance of knowing who we are and where we come from at our cores. Despite the changes we face in life and our hardships. If we choose to forget, we create a distorted image of who we are. Others will view and see then only that image. This could cause us to become angry, frightful, and confused, with our identities.“The tracks we leave on the land will disappear over time. The tracks we leave in the hearts and minds of others will never fade.”One of my favorite stories in the book is that of the greyhound dog. The dog enters the boy and grandparents lives for a period of time, touching all of them in different ways. The dog seemed in need of the family when it showed up on their property hungry. As the days pass they realize maybe they needed him as much. He shares in the book that the dog taught him to be strong to not give up, to never waver in the goal or the purpose.Animals and people come into our lives for periods of time to help us grow, teaching us, or nurturing us. I have been lucky enough to experience some of these instances in my own life. His story reminds me of the time I was working in my office at my desk; I turned around to find a black cat laying on the back of my office sofa. The cat lay there watching me, as if I should be so surprised of his presence. I had never seen this cat before in my life with no one else home, I was puzzled. He must have entered through our doggy door in the back of the house. He would have scaled our fence, come onto our back porch, and into our home. He looked at me as if I new exactly who he was, like he belonged, and like I had been expecting him. I seen something so spiritual in his eyes. I recognized that somehow we must of been needing of one another. So when my family came home they met my visitor and they quickly fell in love. We started to call the cat, ‘Blaze of Glory’. We couldn’t explain it but we just new that he needed us. I don’t think any one of us thought he would stay forever, though we cared for him with open hearts. It was just a few weeks that he stayed with us; as quickly as he had once come into our lives, he left just the same. I look back on it all now, seeing the spiritual parallels of his visit, the projects I was working on, and the things happening within my life, it was divine timing. Blaze of Glory, I don’t doubt was on a very special mission. I will always be forever grateful for our time together.Like the greyhound dog in the story our paths were meant to cross, it is not something I have to question. As the Grandfather’s wisdom is shared with us, he puts it in the book as follows...“He pointed out to me that there are many trails on the land, some that are so old we can no longer see them or remember exactly where they were. But that they are there, he said. He also reminded me that there are trails in our memories; the trails we have walked and the trails left by those who have crossed our paths.”“Each and every trail is a story of a journey, he said.”One of the most profound parts of the book in my opinion was in the chapter 'The Circle of Life.' He talks about the beliefs of many native cultures accepting that all forms of life are created equally. No one thing or person is either higher or lower in the circle of life. Nor is one either first or last. Humans tend to see themselves as a greater value then the earth itself or the animals that we share it with. He goes on to share with us about our humanistic fears of death."We have not yet evolved spiritually to realize that we do not need to be saved from death. From diseases, discomfort, and host of other ills, yes. Bun not from death."I have really enjoyed this book and the authors way of story telling. I feel blessed with the wisdom that was shared within the book. A great story that touches our heartstrings and carries on with us as we go. - Cathleen"Wisdom is a journey that begins the moment we are born. But as every wise person knows, there will never be a moment when we can say, "There, I am now as wise as I will ever be." Wisdom is a never-ending journey.""Wisdom doesn't come from the lowest depths we may descent to or the darkest moments we have and will now; it comes from the fall."

Everyone should read this book. We could learn so much from the Native American people and their beliefs. What the white man did to these people only hurt us as a civilization.

I decided on this rating because this book deserves it. Indigenous cultures are more advanced than Western culture. That's my heart's conviction. Technology, democracy, nation states, education, science, and all that civilization touts as "progress" seem to me a cunning seductive lie. Humans have forgotten the wisdom of nature's plan, place and mastery over and beyond modern humanity's arrogance, insanity and the Wetiko ( native American word literally meaning "insane cannibal" ) mindset that's epitomized by Western Civilization. Humanity is on a crash course to extinction. Brion Gysin ( Google the name because you've no idea who he was ) called modern man "the bad animal" because our species has become a menace to itself while threatening all life and the planet aand nature itself we have near totally fallen into the prevalent mass delusion of thinking that humans are somehowand in someway being separate from and superior to. This is Wetiko. The wisdom offered in this book comes from a sane, indigenous human culture American culture at large cannibalized, leaving only a disenfranchised remnant of extant. If you're interested in the wisdom borne of Lakota culture's basic sanity, listen to these stories told by Elders from a more advanced, yet endangered culture.

Joseph Marshall has become one of my favorite authors, and I especially love the audio versions of his books. Many of them are available on CD or through Audible. Marshall narrates them himself. The hardcover copy of this book came with an audio CD narrated by Marshall that provides supplemental material and the background to the book. I could listen to him all day, and I have done so on several occasions. His wisdom is priceless and timeless. It is also rather unique in that it comes from a Native American who speaks Lakota fluently. I recommend all of Marshall's books that I have read, but "Walking with Grandfather" and "The Journey of Crazy Horse" are my favorites. Here is the link to his author page: Joseph Marshall

An easy read, comfortable and story-like. There were a few choice quotes I'm going to have to go back and highlight in the ebook. Things like the metaphor of the bow and arrow for a husband and wife or like his words about what wisdom is.

everything great

This book is about respect, of our elders and of the Lakota people and traditions. I chose it because of my feelings about indigenous people, their love of Mother Earth, and the deep kindness shown to living things.

In this book, Mr. Marshall takes the reader into a world of wisdom and insight, a world in which he passes along the lessons learned from Lakota elders, including his own grandparents. These stories and lessons are especially important in today's society, where "honor" and "respect" are becoming words with no meaning, and things are considered better just because they are new. Mr. Marshall writes in a way that makes you feel like he's talking to you, maybe around a campfire at the end of a summer day, and the stories he is telling should be taken to heart by every thinking person.

I loved this book it tells many stories of a old man with his grandson, and the teaching the Grandfather gives the boy all the way through the book, the teaching about the Bow and Arrow and what they represent, about the Lakota tribe, iv ordered other books by Joseph Marshall 111, if you want more insight into the Lakota ways then this book is a good starter.

Wieder einmal Philosophie vom Feinsten! Wie nur wenige andere Autoren der heutigen Zeit, vermag es Joseph M. Marshall perfekt, das Interesse des Lesers auf die wirklich wichtigen Fragen des Lebens zu richten.Ausgehend von seiner eigenen Kindheit, seinen eigenen Erfahrungen und Begegnungen im Leben, werden die Fragen, die das Leben stellt, beantwortet.Dies geschieht durch überlieferte Geschichten seines Volkes( der Lakota) ebenso, wie durch Begebenheiten aus seinem Leben. Und immer wieder sind da die Antworten, die ihm seine Großeltern gegeben haben, als er selbst auf der Suche war.Bemerkenswert in diesem Zusammenhang ist, dass die indianischen Völker Nordamerikas, dem Alter die Weisheit zugeordnet haben. Und, dass der "Rat der Ältesten", den man in jedem Dorf fand, sich immer in der "Mitte" des Kreises ( die Form eines Dorfes der Lakota war ein Kreis!)befand. Und dies nicht nur symbolisch! Vielleicht sollten wir uns darauf, auch in unserer Gesellschaft, wieder einmal besinnen!"Wisdom is life`s gift!"Ein tolles Buch, immer wieder lesenswert, auch sprachlich wundervoll. Als Beigabe gibt es dann noch eine CD, mit einigen Episoden. Rundum gelungen, das perfekte Geschenk für alle die, die auf der Suche sind!

…rher is no greater fool then the one who refuses to listen, see and learn…bu it has to be with the heart! The Wisdom of the Elders is there…but we won't listen or care…! We would live in a better world if we listened!

I enjoyed very much the authors way of telling those stories, the meaning behind them and the teaching they are for all of us. Native or not, the wisdom of those who lived before us can't be appreciated enough. A fine book to read even for those (like me) who are not so drawn to publications that deal with religion or spiritual worldviews. This was just a book with much advise for practical life in and told by a very authentic author . I'm going to read more of his works.

Es erinnert mich schmerzlich daran, dass uns im Westen eine wirkliche ältere und weisere Generation fehlt, die nicht mehr in den Dummheiten der Teenager-Zeit schwelgt (siehe Ukraine-Krise).