Compiled and Edited by Kent Nerburn
“All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth.” This is a quote from Chief Seattle in Kent Nerburn’s book, The Wisdom of the Native Americans. This book is a refreshing read, with its simple words and teachings. Nerburn gives an overview of the understanding of the indigenous peoples of our country, along with the call to rethink how we live and treat the earth and the life upon it. It brings home the awareness that the oneness spoken of in our teaching includes all beings, all life, including our resources, forests, waters, and the land and air itself. The wisdom of the indigenous peoples drives home that we are a part of creation, and not in charge of it, and reminds us that in a oneness of life we must embrace and respect all life. It can seem by our senses and individual awareness that we are somehow living in life and not woven into the very thread of creation. This book serves as a deeper understanding and invitation to be aware of our way of participating in all that we are and all that we do.
Review by Rev. Ruth Barnhart, a staff minister at Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.
