One of the unfortunate byproducts of the recent renaissance in Native American spirituality has been the abuse and misuse of sacred ceremonies by Indians and non- Indians alike. In Vine Deloria's Jr.'s groundbreaking final work, the culmination of more than 30 years of research and scholarship, this great and beloved thinker reclaims the importance of these ceremonies for Native America. Through the collection of dozens of stories about medicine men, across tribes and time, Deloria displays the sense of humility, the reliance on spirits, and the immense powers that characterized Native people through history. Moreover, in a synthesis of many of his earlier writings, Deloria explores the relation of these powers to our current understanding of science and the cosmos.

In this last book by Deloria (d. 2005), a leading Native American scholar/philosopher seeks a corrective to the erosion of genuine spirituality among today's generation of Native Americans. He introduces collected stories of the powers and rituals of traditional medicine men and women in light of modern science. These tales e.g., of healing, changing the weather, and inter-species communication, were related by Native people and some white observers. The book is not illustrated or indexed. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Deloria looks at medicine men, their powers, and the Earth's relation to the cosmos. It cuts through the commercialization of Native American religion.