Walking on the Wind: Cherokee Teachings for Harmony and Balance

by Michael Tlanusta Garrett

Overview

In the spirit of the highly acclaimed Medicine of the Cherokee, coauthored with his father J. T. Garrett, Michael Garrett shares with us the delightful, all-ages stories passed down from his great-grandfather and other medicine teachers. Blending his background as an Eastern Cherokee with his skills as a counselor, Michael reveals through these tales how to make sense of our experiences in life, see beauty in them, and be at peace with our choices.

"Michael's blend of traditional Cherokee ways with that of science and psychology illustrates that both Native and non-Native peoples can learn to thrive together...for the betterment of all" —Native Peoples magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781879181496
Publisher:	Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Publication date:	05/01/1998
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	204
Sales rank:	225,595
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Michael Tlanusta Garrett, Ph.D., is both a student and teacher of the Cherokee Way, drawn from the ancient wisdom teachings of the medicine elders on the Cherokee Reservation in the Great Smoky Mountains. He is an assistant professor of counselor education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the author of Walking on the Wind, and the coauthor of Cherokee Full Circle and Medicine of the Cherokee.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Cherokee Sounds


Giving Thanks
Lighting The Fire

CHAPTER 1 Sun and Moon

CHAPTER 2 The Rule of Acceptance

CHAPTER 3 Clearing the Muddied Waters

CHAPTER 4 Doing What’s Natural

CHAPTER 5 The Fire Still Burns

CHAPTER 6 Walking in Step with The Greater Circle

CHAPTER 7 The Rule of Opposites

CHAPTER 8 Being and Doing

CHAPTER 9 All in Good Time

CHAPTER 10 Keeping It All Balanced

CHAPTER 11 Crossing the Bridge

CHAPTER 12 Following the Sacred Trail

CHAPTER 13 Touch the Earth, Taste the Wind

Bibliography

About the Author

What People are Saying About This

Steven McFadden

"For the souls of modern people, this book is Good Medicine.

Myrtle Driver Johnson

"I am a traditional Cherokee mother and grandmother, and it is my responsibility to teach my children and grandchildren to be at peace with everyone and everything, and how to live as true Cherokee (Tsa la gi), in harmony with all living things. If the Creator (U ne tla nv hi) decided that he needed me more than my children and grandchildren needed me tomorrow, then I can go to him at peace knowing that this wonderful book, Walking on the Wind, was here to teach them the things I didn't get a chance to teach them.

Editorial Reviews

"I am a traditional Cherokee mother and grandmother, and it is my responsibility to teach my children and grandchildren to be at peace with everyone and everything, and how to live as true Cherokee (Tsa la gi), in harmony with all living things. If the Creator (U ne tla nv hi) decided that he needed me more than my children and grandchildren needed me tomorrow, then I can go to him at peace knowing that this wonderful book, Walking on the Wind, was here to teach them the things I didn't get a chance to teach them."

Eastern Band of Cherokee Myrtle Driver Johnson

"I wept as I read—so simple the stories, so powerful the messages! Great truths revealed through storytelling helps the reader see visions and dream dreams through Cherokee eyes."

Carol Locust

"[Garrett's] blend of the traditional Cherokee stories and ways with that of science and psychology illustrates that both Native and non-Native peoples can learn to thrive together, and that they have a lot to learn from each other for the betterment of humankind."

Native Peoples magazine

"For the souls of modern people, this book is Good Medicine."

Steven McFadden

"[Garrett's] blend of the traditional Cherokee stories and ways with that of science and psychology illustrates that both Native and non-Native peoples can learn to thrive together, and that they have a lot to learn from each other for the betterment of humankind."

"For the souls of modern people, this book is Good Medicine."

"I am a traditional Cherokee mother and grandmother, and it is my responsibility to teach my children and grandchildren to be at peace with everyone and everything, and how to live as true Cherokee (Tsa la gi), in harmony with all living things. If the Creator (U ne tla nv hi) decided that he needed me more than my children and grandchildren needed me tomorrow, then I can go to him at peace knowing that this wonderful book, Walking on the Wind, was here to teach them the things I didn't get a chance to teach them."

"I wept as I read—so simple the stories, so powerful the messages! Great truths revealed through storytelling helps the reader see visions and dream dreams through Cherokee eyes."

From the Publisher

"I am a traditional Cherokee mother and grandmother, and it is my responsibility to teach my children and grandchildren to be at peace with everyone and everything, and how to live as true Cherokee (Tsa la gi), in harmony with all living things. If the Creator (U ne tla nv hi) decided that he needed me more than my children and grandchildren needed me tomorrow, then I can go to him at peace knowing that this wonderful book, Walking on the Wind, was here to teach them the things I didn't get a chance to teach them."

Myrtle Driver Johnson

How does one learn from the wisdom of Native American cultures without adding to the violence that has been done to the sacredness and integrity of those traditions? In this volume, Garrett, an Eastern Band Cherokee who teaches education at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, provides profound and beautiful answers to that question. As he notes, the book has two goals: to honor his people's vision of a balanced life and to share their accumulated wisdom about health and wellness with the larger, contemporary culture. Each chapter features delightful narratives of Cherokee stories and myths--the love of Moon for Sun, how the animals teach humanity to respect the harmony of nature, why possum's tail is bare, why turtle's shell is scarred, as well as recollections from Garrett's childhood. He notes that his father taught him that it was his task "to discover through the stories--the beauty and lessons offered to us through everyday experience." Garrett discusses lessons learned about how to make difficult choices, how to hear our intuitive sense of right and wrong and how to deal with painful experiences. Also included in this wide-ranging book are descriptions of the purposes of Pow-Wow, Iroquois False Face Societies, managing a modern kitchen in ways that respect the balance of nature and brief discussions about acid rain and greenhouse gases. Written in accessible language, Garrett's book is a useful primer on Native American spirituality. (July)

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