Bøger af Charles Alexander Eastman

"We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us their children. It teaches us to be thankful, to be united, and to love one another! We never quarrel about religion." Thus spoke the great Seneca orator, Red Jacket, in his superb reply to Missionary Cram more than a century ago, and I have often heard the same thought expressed by my countrymen. I have attempted to paint the religious life of the typical American Indian as it was before he knew the white man. I have long wished to do this, because I cannot find that it has ever been seriously, adequately, and sincerely done. The religion of the Indian is the last thing about him that the man of another race will ever understand. First, the Indian does not speak of these deep matters so long as he believes in them, and when he has ceased to believe he speaks inaccurately and slightingly.

Upon a hanging precipice atop of the Eagle Scout Butte there appeared a motionless and solitary figure-almost eagle-like he perched! The people in the camp below saw him, but none looked at him long. They turned their heads quickly away with a nervous tingling, for the height above the plains was great. Almost spirit-like among the upper clouds the young warrior sat immovable. It was Antelope. He was fasting and seeking a sign from the "Great Mystery," for such was the first step of the young and ambitious Sioux [who wished to be a noted warrior among his people]. He is a princely youth, among the wild Sioux, who hunts for his tribe and not for himself! His voice is soft and low at the campfire of his nation, but terror-giving in the field of battle. Such was Antelope's reputation. The more he sought the "Great Mystery" in solitude, the more gentle and retiring he became, and in the same proportion his courage and manliness grew. None could say that he was not a kind son and a good hunter, for he had already passed the "two-arrow-to-kill," his buffalo examination.

EVERY age, every race, has its leaders and heroes. There were over sixty distinct tribes of Indians on this continent, each of which boasted its notable men. The names and deeds of some of these men will live in American history, yet in the true sense they are unknown, because misunderstood. I should like to present some of the greatest chiefs of modern times in the light of the native character and ideals, believing that the American people will gladly do them tardy justice. It is matter of history that the Sioux nation, to which I belong, was originally friendly to the Caucasian peoples which it met in succession-first, to the south the Spaniards; then the French, on the Mississippi River and along the Great Lakes; later the English, and finally the Americans. This powerful tribe then roamed over the whole extent of the Mississippi valley, between that river and the Rockies. Their usages and government united the various bands more closely than was the case with many of the neighboring tribes.

No people have a better use of their five senses than the children of the wilderness. We could smell as well as hear and see. We could feel and taste as well as we could see and hear. Nowhere has the memory been more fully developed than in the wild life, and I can still see wherein I owe much to my early training. Of course I myself do not remember when I first saw the day, but my brothers have often recalled the event with much mirth; for it was a custom of the Sioux that when a boy was born his brother must plunge into the water, or roll in the snow naked if it was winter time; and if he was not big enough to do either of these himself, water was thrown on him. If the new-born had a sister, she must be immersed. The idea was that a warrior had come to camp, and the other children must display some act of hardihood.

WHAT boy would not be an Indian for a while when he thinks of the freest life in the world? This life was mine. Every day there was a real hunt. There was real game. Occasionally there was a medicine dance away off in the woods where no one could disturb us, in which the boys impersonated their elders, Brave Bull, Standing Elk, High Hawk, Medicine Bear, and the rest. They painted and imitated their fathers and grandfathers to the minutest detail, and accurately too, because they had seen the real thing all their lives. We were not only good mimics but we were close students of nature. We studied the habits of animals just as you study your books. We watched the men of our people and represented them in our play; then learned to emulate them in our lives. No people have a better use of their five senses than the children of the wilderness. We could smell as well as hear and see. We could feel and taste as well as we could see and hear. Nowhere has the memory been more fully developed than in the wild life, and I can still see wherein I owe much to my early training.

The author of this book was born in a teepee of buffalo hide near Redwood Falls, Minn., during the winter of 1858. His father was a full-blooded Sioux called "Many Lightnings," (Tawakanhdeota). His mother, the granddaughter of Chief "Cloud Man" of the Sioux and daughter of a well-known army officer, died shortly after his birth. He was named Ohiyesa (The Winner).

Indian Child Life By Charles Alexander Eastman

"And who is the grandfather of these silent people? Is it not the Great Mystery? For they know the laws of their life so well! They must have for their Maker our Maker. Then they are our brothers!" Thus spoke one of the philosophers and orators of the Red men. It is no wonder that the Indian held the animals to be his brothers. In his simple mind he regards the killing of certain of them for his sustenance to be an institution of the "Great Mystery."

To be in harmony with nature, one must be true in thought, free in action, and clean in body, mind, and spirit. This is the solid granite foundation of character. Have you ever wondered why most great men were born in humble homes and passed their early youth in the open country? There a boy is accustomed to see the sun rise and set every day; there rocks and trees are personal friends, and his geography is born with him, for he carries a map of the region in his head. In civilization there are many deaf ears and blind eyes. Because the average boy in the town has been deprived of close contact and intimacy with nature, what he has learned from books he soon forgets, or is unable to apply. All learning is a dead language to him who gets it at second hand.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

In The Soul of the Indian, Eastman brings to life the rich spirituality and morality of the Native Americans as they existed before contact with missionaries and other whites. This is a rare firsthand expression of native religion, without the filters imposed by translators or anthropologists. Rather than a scientific treatise, Eastman has written a book, "as true as I can make it to my childhood teaching and ancestral ideals, but from the human, not the ethnological standpoint." His discussions of the forms of ceremonial and symbolic worship, the unwritten scriptures, and the spirit world emphasize the universal quality and personal appeal of Native American religion. Charles Alexander Eastman (born Hakadah and later named Ohíye S'a; February 19, 1858 - January 8, 1939) was a Santee Dakota physician educated at Boston University, writer, national lecturer, and reformer. In the early 20th century, he was "one of the most prolific authors and speakers on Sioux ethnohistory and American Indian affairs."[1] Eastman was of Santee Dakota, English and French ancestry. After working as a physician on reservations in South Dakota, he became increasingly active in politics and issues on Native American rights, he worked to improve the lives of youths, and founded thirty-two Native American chapters of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). He also helped found the Boy Scouts of America. He is considered the first Native American author to write American history from the Native American point of view.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1916 Edition.

Imagine a childhood full of adventure. Where riding horses, playing in the woods, and hunting for food was part of everyday life; where a grizzly bear, a raccoon, or a squirrel was your favorite pet. But imagine, too, being an orphan at the age of six, being forced off your land by U.S. soldiers, and often going hungry. Such was the childhood of the first great American Indian author, Charles Eastman, or Ohiyesa (1858-1939).Carefully edited for a younger audience by multiple award-winning author and editor, Michael Oren Fitzgerald, Indian Boyhood recalls Eastman¿s earliest childhood memories. He was born in a buffalo hide tipi in western Minnesota, and raised in the traditional Dakota Sioux manner until he was fifteen years old. He was then transplanted into the ¿white man¿s¿ world. Educated at Dartmouth College, he went on to become a medical doctor, renowned author, field secretary for the YMCA, and a spokesman for American Indians. Eastman was at Pine Ridge during the ¿Ghost Dance¿ rebellion of 1890-91, and he cared for the wounded Indians after the massacre at Wounded Knee. In 1910 he began his long association with the Boy Scouts of America, helping Ernest Thompson Seton establish the organization. A 2007 HBO film, entitled Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, features American Indian actor Adam Beach as Eastman.

"In the 1860s and 1870s, the boy who would become known as Charles Eastman was growing up in a Dakota community in Canada. On long winter evenings, he listened to elder Smoky Day tell the twelve legends of the Dakota creation cycle. They include stories of the marriage of the Sun and the Moon, the parents of all living things; the animal tribes and their councils; the misdeeds of the trickster Unktomi; the education of the first human, Waceheska; the war that Unktomi fomented between Waceheska and the animals; and much more. These stories told of how humans won the right to use the bodies of animals for their needs, but only if they respect the animals' spirits and do not destroy them wantonly. In the 1880s, as a young man at college, Eastman wrote down the twelve stories. Shortly before his death in 1939, he revised the text for publication, but no book was ever released. For more than 80 years, this manuscript-written by one of the best-known and most prolific Native American writers of the early twentieth century-remained unpublished. In this new publication, descendants of Charles and his brothers John and David Eastman have come together to present this remarkable work, more than eight decades after its completion. Five Eastman descendants contribute essays that offer new and personal perspectives on Charles Eastman's life and family, his work as an Indigenous artist and writer, and the impact of these stories on today's Dakota communities."--Publisher's description.

"Den nordamerikanske indianer frembød den højeste type på det hedenske og uciviliserede menneske. Han var ikke alene fortræffeligt udstyret i legemlig henseende, men besad tillige mærkelige sjælsevner. Men indianerne eksisterer ikke længere i sin naturlige, frie tilstand. Den rest af dem, der nu opholder sig på de dertil anviste landstrækninger (reservations), giver kun et tarveligt billede – en uægte kopi af en forsvunden tid."Charles Alexander Eastman fortæller om sine egne erindringer fra sin barndom blandt siouxindianerne. Allerede da han i starten af 1900-tallet udgav sin erindringsbog dedikeret til sin lille søn, var den verden og de mennesker, han var vokset op blandt blot en skygge af dem selv.Charles Alexander Eastman (1858-1939) var en af det 19. århundredes mest indflydelsesrige mennesker inden for kampen for de indfødte amerikaneres rettigheder. Han havde rødder i sioux-stammen samt i England og Frankrig og anses for at være den første forfatter, der skrev om amerikansk historie fra en indfødt amerikaners synspunkt. rnrnCharles Alexander Eastman var uddannet læge og anvendte både traditionel naturmedicin, som han havde lært af sin sioux-bedstemor, og vestlig medicin, som han studerede på Darthmouth College i Boston. Han var medstifter af en lang række velgørenhedsorganisationer og tiltag for at forbedre unge indfødte amerikaneres vilkår. Som forfatter blev han blandt andet kendt for historierne om sin egen opvækst under indianernavnet Ohiyesa.

Charles Alexander Eastman med indianernavnet Ohiyesa fortæller om sin stamme, siouxindianerne, og deres helt særlige bånd med naturen og dyrene. En af de helt store forskelle på de indfødte amerikanere og de europæere, der koloniserede deres kontinent, var indianernes enorme respekt for og kærlighed til naturen. "Indianerne og dyrefolket" består af en lang række små historier om indianernes liv i naturen. Til sammen tegner fortællingerne et spændende billede af indianernes kultur og forhold til dyrene.Charles Alexander Eastman (1858-1939) var en af det 19. århundredes mest indflydelsesrige mennesker inden for kampen for de indfødte amerikaneres rettigheder. Han havde rødder i sioux-stammen samt i England og Frankrig og anses for at være den første forfatter, der skrev om amerikansk historie fra en indfødt amerikaners synspunkt. rnrnCharles Alexander Eastman var uddannet læge og anvendte både traditionel naturmedicin, som han havde lært af sin sioux-bedstemor, og vestlig medicin, som han studerede på Darthmouth College i Boston. Han var medstifter af en lang række velgørenhedsorganisationer og tiltag for at forbedre unge indfødte amerikaneres vilkår. Som forfatter blev han blandt andet kendt for historierne om sin egen opvækst under indianernavnet Ohiyesa.