Walking Spirit in a Native Way

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 reacti...

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...

  Corn Soup was good By Peter Schuler         Corn soup was good Singing and dancing better   When I got my second bowl I stood by the booth eating. The little girl who took my money said "you have to go now there is a line' Everyone laughed Then she said, "You have lots of ghosts around you" There was silence I smiled at her and said that was okay I walked to a tree taking the silence with me    Corn soup was good  Singing and dancing better The ghosts have been with me all these many years since I was a boy First time anybody mentioned them to me   The very young speak with a clear mind  They have not been taught to be afraid to speak of what they see. It's too bad that the old no longer see the spirits of their ancestors Nor do they hear them as they point the way to a return of the quiet ways   Corn soup was good   What the children see! - Otter Manitou     ...

Honor the Spirit of the FIRE! Community Circle Gatherings Gathering Circles at Crotchet Mountain  Circles are being held at 495 Mountain Road in Francestown NH For schedule click here    To honor all life!   Sit by the fire and share in the stories told by the storytellers. Come and hear stories told to share the values that sustain a culture.   The value of teaching, sharing, giving    Article By: Cheryl Roth    For a few relaxing hours we sat around a campfire and listened. I felt like I was being bathed in truth and goodness. Noodin invited others to speak several times, but most of us just wanted to listen, to absorb whatever we could glean from his teaching, realizing that there was so much that we still didn’t understand. Everything that was being taught had to do with living for the sake of others, the inter-connectedness of all life, and allowing spirit to lead the way. I was reminded of how important our spiritual l...

Sometimes we forget that gifting is a daily practice!  The Art of Gifting! Some think we learned it from Native Americans ~ then again ~ maybe it is the American way. Native American gifting is a practice that goes back through the very thread of the culture. It is the cohesiveness of the people. When a gathering happens it is an accepted practice that the host will put out a blanket in the center of the gathering, called a giveaway, miigiwe, and put various items on the blanket. Each guest from eldest to the youngest will in turn go to the blanket and take one item of their liking. This will continue until there is nothing left on the blanket. Sometimes the blanket itself will also go as a part of the gifts offered. Some people have been known to give everything they have because they feel so honored by the people who visit them. Ongoing gifting is a normal part of this practice. It is a custom to gift anyone that comes to visit. Often the host will gift something of significance,...