Recovering The Sacred The Power Of Naming And Claiming

When she invites us to “recover the sacred,” Native American organizer Winona LaDuke is requesting far more than the rescue of ancient bones and beaded headbands from museums. For LaDuke, only the power to define what is sacred – and gain access to it – will enable Native American communities to remember who they are and fashion their future. Based on a wealth of research and hundreds of interviews with indigenous scholars and activists, LaDuke’s book examines the connections between sacred sites, sacred objects, and the sacred bodies of her people, focusing on the conditions under which traditional beliefs can best be practiced. Describing the numerous gaps between mainstream and indigenous thinking, she probes the paradoxes that abound for peoples of the Americas and points a way forward for Native Americans and their allies.