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A review by leedigesu
Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance by Leonard Peltier
4.0
This is one of those times you don't want to give a book 5 stars only because you are disheartened that the book (though to raise awareness) had to be written at all.
I am privileged to read this book, to know the story of a leader and warrior in his own words.
I originally heard of Leonard Peltier in 1991 during Rage Against the Machine's video for the song Freedom. Looking back now I can't believe that was 25 years ago! I was a rebellious teenager and impressionable and for two reasons this man because of interest to me: I was always fascinated by Native Americans (the culture) and this man had the same last name as me.
A few years after that song, I spent some time living in Oklahoma and was introduced to Indians and it somehow made everything "real". As the internet came around and information was easily accessible, I was able to crawl out from under the public school education of what we were taught about "Thanksgiving" and all that other crap we were fed. I spent my time in college writing every paper on Native Americans, using it as a way to further my education on the culture and people and history. Last year I took a solo trip to South and North Dakota and constantly found tears on my cheeks. I was so taken by the beauty and the "spirit" of my surroundings. I also found myself traveling to Arizona and New Mexico and was blown away by the culture of Native Americans.
It's saddens me that they are pushed into these small pockets of a such a large country and aren't able to thrive and be healthy and educated as everyone else here. It bothers me that we bend over backwards for other people that come here and spread their culture (it isn't politically correct to suppress their heritage) but the people who who are indigenous to these lands were/are forced to hide who they are, what they believe, how they speak, etc. I really don't understand it. I'm supposed to be okay with a man who wears a dress and still has a penis but it is forbidden to experience the beauty of Indian culture. SMH. Ugh, I could go on and on, but why? I'll end this paragraph by saying I think it would be amazing if settlers came to this country and melded with the Indians, shared cultures. That's the ONLY good thing I see where I live: new immigrants coming here and we learn of their culture and adapt some of their traditions and they do the same of ours. That's why I enjoy traveling. Not to spread my culture and force others to see "my way" but to experience how other people do things and try to incorporate some of that into my little world.
My hope is that Mr. Peltier will find himself a free man and be able to spend time with his family before he goes to the Sky World!
I am privileged to read this book, to know the story of a leader and warrior in his own words.
I originally heard of Leonard Peltier in 1991 during Rage Against the Machine's video for the song Freedom. Looking back now I can't believe that was 25 years ago! I was a rebellious teenager and impressionable and for two reasons this man because of interest to me: I was always fascinated by Native Americans (the culture) and this man had the same last name as me.
A few years after that song, I spent some time living in Oklahoma and was introduced to Indians and it somehow made everything "real". As the internet came around and information was easily accessible, I was able to crawl out from under the public school education of what we were taught about "Thanksgiving" and all that other crap we were fed. I spent my time in college writing every paper on Native Americans, using it as a way to further my education on the culture and people and history. Last year I took a solo trip to South and North Dakota and constantly found tears on my cheeks. I was so taken by the beauty and the "spirit" of my surroundings. I also found myself traveling to Arizona and New Mexico and was blown away by the culture of Native Americans.
It's saddens me that they are pushed into these small pockets of a such a large country and aren't able to thrive and be healthy and educated as everyone else here. It bothers me that we bend over backwards for other people that come here and spread their culture (it isn't politically correct to suppress their heritage) but the people who who are indigenous to these lands were/are forced to hide who they are, what they believe, how they speak, etc. I really don't understand it. I'm supposed to be okay with a man who wears a dress and still has a penis but it is forbidden to experience the beauty of Indian culture. SMH. Ugh, I could go on and on, but why? I'll end this paragraph by saying I think it would be amazing if settlers came to this country and melded with the Indians, shared cultures. That's the ONLY good thing I see where I live: new immigrants coming here and we learn of their culture and adapt some of their traditions and they do the same of ours. That's why I enjoy traveling. Not to spread my culture and force others to see "my way" but to experience how other people do things and try to incorporate some of that into my little world.
My hope is that Mr. Peltier will find himself a free man and be able to spend time with his family before he goes to the Sky World!