Walking with Grandfather
Joseph M. Marshall III
(Reviewer - Rebecca Brown)
2005 Sounds True Inc.
ISBN: 1591793521

The Wisdom of Lakota Elders.

Since the tide of interest created by Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, over 70 years ago, Native American lineage holders have been cautious about sharing their spiritual truths to the reading public because the essence of this wisdom has been so often misunderstood. In Walking with Grandfather, authentic Lakota lineage holder & award-winning storyteller Joseph M. Marshall breaks this silence with the very best from a lifetime of lessons passed on to him by his grandfather.

Come walk awhile with this grandfather as he recounts the timeless teachings of his people — part of an unbroken series of narratives dating back countless generations in such legendary stories as:
“The Way of Wolves” — lessons about parenting & family
“The Shadow Man” — a story about war & the warrior within us all
“Follow Me” — reflections on leaders & leadership
“The Wisdom Within” — the passage of truly becoming an elder
— plus many more & listen to the author's voice on the accompanying audio CD.

“We believe that life’s gift to us is wisdom,” explains Joseph Marshall, “and that it is the one gift that must be given back.” Join this master of traditional storytelling as he takes us through the rich oral history of the Lakota, & shows us how we can rediscover the invaluable wisdom of our elders.

Walking with Grandfather cracked open my heart in a gentle yet firm way, just as when I walked with Poppa. Having no grandfather as a child &, having left the land of my childhood, no Elders as an adult, I am particularly drawn to books by Elders about Eldership.

Perhaps because I've been a traveler all my life — war orphan, adopted child, immigrant — the story of “The Greyhound” spoke the most vividly to me — it's about how those who walk, however briefly, with us along our path in life, remain forever in our hearts.

The motif of walking, observing, thinking & telling stories, as opposed to sitting static in one place, is long known to me — during my years in a domestic violence prevention agency I found taking young boys for walks — far from the distractions of a tiny office & the tensions of other people's stresses — allowed them to tell the stories of their stepfathers' violence & to talk with them about strategies to weather their families' storms. Along with their circulation getting a good flushing, their minds & hearts would eagerly open up. This has been true with my own children, as well as my beloved — we've always had deep talks as we walked.

So, it is with great pleasure that I highly recommend you add Walking with Grandfather to your library of wisdom, & that you read the stories to your children & then take them for walks to talk about what they mean in your lives. I also hope Joseph Marshall's stories help you to look at your own Elders with different eyes & listen with different ears, to allow them to tell their stories while gleaning wisdom for your own aging.

Joseph M. Marshall III is a teacher, historian, Lakota craftsman, & writer. He has authored several screenplays as well as five books, including the highly acclaimed The Lakota Way. He also played the role of Loved by the Buffalo in TNT/Dreamworks' epic mini-series Into the West. He is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, & recipient of the Wyoming Humanities Award.

More from Joseph M. Marshall: How Not to Catch Fish: And Other Adventures of Iktomi — for children.
(04/23/06)

Rebecca