Returning to the Lakota Way: Old Values to Save a Modern World

Returning to the Lakota Way immerses us once again in the world of the Lakota Sioux through the beautiful storytelling and deep insight of Joseph Marshall’s writing. Relaying traditional tales that have been passed down over generations, Marshall takes us on an inspiring journey that will help us better understand the world around us and our place in it.

The teaching stories found in each chapter provide lessons that open our eyes to universal qualities and practices passed down over many generations. From the hunting adventures of the raven and the wolf, we discover the importance of tolerance; the actions of the grasshopper highlight the value of patience; and the experiences of a young man named Walks Alone show us the benefit of silence and turning within. Speaking to these and other traits, such as faith and selflessness, Marshall helps us see our own lives more clearly using time-honored tales interspersed with stories from his own life growing up on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In his work, we find a clear example of how the wisdom of the past has relevance and meaning in the world of today.