Walking Spirit in a Native Way

Conversation with Woodpecker   Woodpecker Came to Visit!                           By James B. Beard aka Noodin   Most people probably don't talk to animals. Or do they? I guess one turning point from reality is when animals start talking to people. Wasn't that something taken away by Spirit a long time ago because of man's lack of respect for animals? Most Spirit teachings say that. Maybe it is something to be gifted back at some point. I don't know.   I don't know much, and the longer I walk on this Earth it seems, the less I really know. There is a kind of progression in living that leads one to assume that each discovery in life is a contribution to a wider knowledge of all that is. As these discoveries continue, one realizes that the knowledge gained only creates more questions. Wisdom, it seems, is the realization that we really don't know a lot about anything. In th...

  STORY TELLER ~ NOODIN   JAMES BEARD aka Noodin [wind]                                                                     I never would have envisioned myself following Native teachings. Not being Native. I really didn’t understand why I was taking that turn in my life. I was a businessman, successful, family and there was no reason for me to walk away from all of that.  From the Summit - Grand Monadnock As Spirit guided me I came to see that there were answers I was looking for in my life that I wasn’t finding in our modern society. I grew up in the sixties. The fifties and the sixties. I watched the transition of our society of our young people from a people who seemed to be very respectful of their parents and of government and of all th...

  Gwe kwaad ziwin (honesty) Be honest in every action and provide good feelings in the heart. Do not be deceitful or use self-deception. One of the Seven Gifts of the Seven Grandfathers according to the stories of the Anishinaabe people. Wisdom, Respect, Honesty, Humility, Love, Bravery, Truth ~Amik~ Totem Animal ~ [beaver] Beaver demonstrates diligence in protecting the family and helping his brothers and sisters in the forest by demonstrating honesty in his work. WALKING SPIRIT IN A NATIVE WAY by James B Beard Buy this at stores her e! Please share this article

Elder Wisdom! A teaching given to me by Ojibwe Elder Larry Matrious First: Draw a circle on paper. Second: put a dot in the center of the circle. Third: put a mark at the top of the circle. You can indicate that mark to represent North. Then put a mark on each side of the circle and the bottom. Mark those as East, South and West. T he circle represents balance and the dot in the center represents you. Now write in next to the East, Emotion. Next to the South, Physical. Next to the West, Spiritual. Next to the North, Mental. These are the four parts of your being. The dot in the center can move in the circle depending on what is pulling you. Your task is to keep the dot stable and in the center. Everything in the circle is about you and ONLY you. Everything outside the circle is material things around you. Clothes, cars, home, people, work, food and all that surrounds you. Now. How does it work. You walk into a room, and you see a beautiful flower. It calls to you and your first react...

THE DREAM A few years ago, I had a dream.  I lived in a place that was at the foot of a great mountain and was part of a public domain. My work in that place was to tell stories and care for the people who would come to visit. The warden of that place gave me an area to develop programs. In that area I had several picnic tables and a fire pit. It was a beautiful spot in an open field looking up unto the mountain.  I would greet guests who came to hike or camp and invite them to the fire to hear stories at that place. In time I asked the warden if it would be all right to invite some of my friends to come weekly to have a circle. The warden thought that would be fine, so we started having small gatherings. Eventually I asked if I could put in a lodge for ceremony and I explained to the warden what a sweat lodge is and how it would be a help to show people what Native people use for a healing lodge. I further indicated to the warden the lodge would only be used by those t...

bookishfame Walking Spirit in a Native Way ~ White Mocs on the Red Road November 14, 2025    Book Reviews   Walking Spirit in a Native Way BOOK: Walking Spirit in a Native Way by James B. Beard As an avid reader who reads a lot of spiritual non-fiction, I was struck by how personal and deeply sincere this narrative feels. Beard recounts his transformation from a conventional “three-piece suit” life into a path guided by Native teachings, and the honesty with which he describes this shift makes the storytelling accessible. What really sets this book apart is the tenderness in Beard’s recollection of his teacher, Misho, and the other Elders who shape his journey. These interactions are filled with small moments—quiet car rides, probing questions, ceremonial duties—that accumulate into profound realizations about humility, service, and identity. Even if you’re unfamiliar with Ojibwe traditions, the narrative builds a gentle on-ramp, allowing readers to feel their way th...