As long as we avoid the creative, we are condemned to reaction.

True shamans live in a world that is alive with what is to rationalist sight unseen, a world pulsing with intelligence.

Idealization of a group is a natural consequence of separation from the group; in other words, it is a by-product of alienation.

... America has amnesia. ... Certainly, there is a passion for memory loss in American thought. ... Americans may be the world champion forgetters.

There are many female gods recognized and honored by the tribes and Nations. Femaleness was highly valued, both respected and feared, and all social institutions reflected this attitude. Even modern sayings, such as the Cheyenne statement that a people is not conquered until the hearts of the women are on the ground, express the Indians understanding that without the power of woman the people will not live, but with it, they will endure and prosper.

In the native world, major gods come in trios, duos, and groups. It is the habit of non-natives to discover the supreme being, the one and only head god, a habit lent to them by monotheism.

We are the land. To the best of my understanding, that is the fundamental idea that permeates American Indian life.