Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves

Ed McGaa

Harper Collins, Apr 5, 2011 - Body, Mind & Spirit - 258 pages

"A dear stream of practical knowledge with the mind change we need to save the life of our Mother Earth--and ourselves . . . This is a book for every person who loves this planet. Eagle Man shows us the joyful path home to our universal Mother."

?ynthia Bend, Water Spirit Woman, co-author of Birth of a Modem Shaman

"A rich panorama of our native heritage which allows the seeker access to the heart of the Path of Beauty. Ed McGaa has walked this path so that all people may live in harmony."

Samie Sams, Hancoka Olowanpi, author of Midnight Song: Quest for the Vanished Ones

"Ed McGaa is one of the first persons who can write about 0glala religion in the first person because he has lived it. For years anthropologists have hoped a Native American would portray that society from the inside out. Ed McGaa has. It's about time."

William K. Powers, author of 0glala Religion

"Fascinating as well as inspiring reading. Ed McGaa makes an excellent spiritual guide and intellectual teacher . . . The information stimulates the mind, the drawings delight the eye, and the ideas soothe the spirit."

Jack Weatherford, author of Indian Givers

"Profound and insightful . . . Mother Earth Spirituality will be of great importance to those of us, both 'rainbow' and non-Indian people, who walk over land in search of a deeper spiritual life . . . For us, this book is an invaluable guide showing us how to do it."

Fred Alm Wolf, Ph.D., author of Taking the Quantum Leap

Contents

• The Spiritual Character of the Native American: 1
• The Coming of the Sacred Pipe: 3
• Black Elks Vision: 13
• Pilgrims Founding Fathers and the Indians: 19
• Red White Black and Yellow: 25
• The Significance of Four: 33
• The Seven Mother Earth Ceremonies: 41
• The Natural Way: 43
• The Peace Pipe Ceremony and the Crystal: 51
• The Sweat Lodge Ceremony: 61
• Crying for a Vision: 75
• The Sioux Sun Dance: 85
• The Yuwipi or SpiritCalling Ceremony: 99
• The Making of Relatives: 113
• Bringing Forth Your Own Mother Earth Wisdom: 133
• Building a Sweat Lodge: 149
• Shield Making and Understanding the Sacred Hoop: 157
• Receiving Your Earth Name and Finding Your: 177
• Healing Mother Earth in Your Own Community: 187
• Earth Day Ceremony: 195
• We Are All Related: 203
• Appendix A Lakota Mother Earth Relationship Word List: 211
• Appendix B Prayer to the Six Powers of the Universe: 217
• Sweat Lodge Checklist: 223
• Suggested Readings: 229

About the author

Ed McGaa, J.D., was born on the Oglala Sioux reservation in South Dakota and is a registered tribal member. He served in Korea as a Marine Corporal before earning an undergraduate degree at St. John's University in Minnesota. He then rejoined the Marine Corps to become a Phantom F4 fighter pilot in Vietnam, where he flew in more than a hundred combat missions. Upon his return McGaa danced in six annual Sioux Sun Dances. The Sun Dance led him to the seven Mother Earth ceremonies under the tutelage of Chief Eagle Feather and Chief Fools Crow, two Sioux holy men. Eagle Man holds a law degree from the University of South Dakota and is the author of Red Cloud: Biography of an Indian Chief ; Mother Earth Spirituality: Healing Ourselves and Our World ; Rainbow Tribe: Ordinary People Journeying on the Red Road ; Native Wisdom: Perceptions of the Natural Way ; and the novel Eagle Vision: Return of the Hoop.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Mother Earth Spirituality: Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves
• Author: Ed McGaa
• Edition: unabridged
• Publisher: Harper Collins, 2011
• ISBN: 0062043978, 9780062043979
• Length: 258 pages
• Subjects: Body, Mind & Spirit / Gaia & Earth Energies; Body, Mind & Spirit / General; Literary Criticism / American / General