Messengers of the Wind

Imagine a land where no one owns property, the earth and it's resources are considered sacred to be shared with all, the care of the lands is a community project, people work as teams to provide food, shelter, clothing and nobody steals because everyone owns everything. Money does not exist in this utopian society, because people barter, trading services and goods. In this land, the strong take care of the weak, young people respect the wisdom of the elderly who take care for the children, while the young do the chores they once did. You will hear stories passed down, one generation to the next, about such a society in "Messengers of the Wind".

Edited by Jane Katz, "Messengers of the Wind" is subtitled: "Native American Women Tell Their Life Stories". Ms. Katz began traveling in 1988 to meet and interview ancestors from the many tribes of peoples who lived on the land we now call the United States of America. She continued her quest until 1994 and published the stories of 25 Native American women in 1996. Life for their ancestors, as told to them by their mothers and grandmothers was not as idyllic as I it sounds in that utopian society, but the themes of community, love for the earth and people can be found in all the narratives.

You will read the words Indian and white men a lot in this book. Likewise, savage, civilized and Christian. Surprisingly, there is more sadness than bitterness as the messengers speak. The women exhibit extraordinary strength and joy despite the hardships of growing up on reservations and being outcasts in much of contemporary society. The children they were traveled on dogsleds, carried water from wells and were orphaned when parents died young. They were forced to adapt to uncomfortable clothing and hairstyles when sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools. Separated from their families and culture, they were humiliated, demeaned, beaten and sexually molested by Priests and Nuns. Girls were punished by having their long braids cut off and boys' heads were shaven bare. Yet they endured.

As young adults many went to college; some returning to their reservations to help their people, others traveling outside of the United States to experience other cultures. The messengers of the wind talk about families broken by divorce, depression, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism, self-esteem issues and Barbie dolls. Rose Bluestone explains an acceptance of the fate of Native Americans, saying, "When the U.S. government comes down and steps on you, there's not much you can do." Many fathers served with the U.S. Military, some coming home with brides from other lands. Ingrid Washinawatok quotes her father: "You know, they said I was going overseas to fight for my rights. Then after I came home, I became aware of the gross violations of the human rights of Indian people. I realized I was fighting for somebody else's rights."

Janet McCloud speaks about "...two violent incidents in 1965" when Washington state violated treaties that gave Natives the right to fish on their land. McCloud and her husband were among those arrested attempting to defend their people from police brutalities. She thought "...all we had to do was get the word out to Christians..." and "all those people who were close to God would rise up in indignation that we were being mistreated...". She said it was a "rude awakening" when she realized that those doing the beatings, the judges who had power over them were "deacons in their churches, pillars of their communities." McCloud's message continues with a wisdom about the dangers of labeling people, earth's slow destruction by humans, the sacredness of life and how schools alienate children from nature and destroy creativity.

"Messengers of the Wind" is an excellent book. The life stories of each of the Native American women who were interviewed would make for 25 interesting and educational movies. The book is 317 pages which include the Introduction, Index, Notes and Selected Bibliography. There are black and white photographs of some of the messengers and a map of the U.S. with an Alaska insert that shows the location of Reservations. The eye-catching cover depicts a painting, Sacred Clay Pots by Dorothy May Spirit. Published by Ballantine Books "Messengers of the Wind" isavailable online from Random House, priced at $19.00.

Note: November is Native American Heritage Month. The Long Beach Public Library in California displays a large selection of books written by Native Americans and the many U.S. tribes.