Wisdom's Daughters: Conversations with Women Elders of Native America

Wisdom's Daughters: A Philosophy of Women Elders Steve Wall has a thirty year career of photography and writing. Wall has worked for National Geographic. He has authored many books, among them, Wisdomkeepers: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders; To Become a Human Being: The Message of Tadodaho Chief Leon Shenandoah: Travels in a Stone Canoe: the Return to the Wisdomkeepers; and Shadowcatchers: A Journey in Search of the Teachings of Native American Healers. While it has been difficult to find record of awards and honors in the establishment press, Terri Windling, (1997) founder of the Endicott Studio, in "Turtle Island: the Mythology of North America" cited Wall's Wisdom's Daughters as "a terrific book." Wisdom's Daughters, written and photographed by Steve Wall, records conversations and philosophies of thirteen women elders from ten Indian nations. They are Tewa Tesuque Peublo, Chumash, North Cheyenne, Seminole, Ojibway, Oneida, Seneca, Hoh, Cowichan and Mohawk. I have chosen two chapters to discuss: Tewa Tesuque Puebelo with Vickie Downey and Ojibway with Betty Laverdure. TEWA TESUQUE PUEBLO with Vickie Downey Downey begins by explaining the "Instructions." They are somewhat like a combination of the Golden rule and the ten Commandments. "We were told if the Instructions were lost, then harm would come to the people." (Wall, 1993, p.3). Downey believed that live is the answer to everything and that all people are related. "When we stop loving others, problems begin, she said. "We can fight prejudice, injustice, and hat with live and respect. These are our weapons." Downey stated that it is the time of the women. Indian women identify more with Mother Earth than non-natives and neither are content about life. "It's the time of the feminine. With a woman it's what we feel. When I look around at different women, I see sadness and a heaviness in themselves. What they"re experiencing is what the earth is experiencing--her sadness and heaviness because of the way her children are living today" (Wall, 1993, p. 12). Downey is referring to the environmental damage that has been done to the earth that must be repaired and also that a return to the "Instructions" is needed. Downey was optimistic that women Elders could help non-whites remember that the spiritual is a very important part of our lives. We need to love and become aware of our surroundings and our relationships with everyone. I think this chapter was a very positive one to begin Wisdom's Daughters since it was hopeful that the damage to earth and relationships between cultures could be healed. OJIBWAY with Betty Laverdure Wall, the author, began the chapter with a visit to LacCourt Oreilles Reservation in Wisconsin before he visited Betty Laverdure. Wall was invited to the Midewiwin lodge for a Ghost Feast. This is a four day feast to honor the dead. First the longhouse is built. Birch and canvas are used to make a half-moon shap