The Soul of an Indian:: An Interpetation (Paperback or Softback)

The Soul of the Indian: An Interpretation (1911) is a work of nonfiction by Charles Eastman. Recognized for his achievements as a pioneering Native American physician, Eastman was also a prolific writer whose personal stories, powerful meditations, and in-depth studies of indigenous culture continue to be read and appreciated today. In this ethnographic work, he describes the cultures and traditions of indigenous Americans in order to dispel prejudice, foster understanding, and reconcile Christianity with the religious beliefs of his people. “The original attitude of the American Indian toward the Eternal, the ‘Great Mystery’ that surrounds and embraces us, was as simple as it was exalted. To him it was the supreme conception, bringing with it the fullest measure of joy and satisfaction possible in this life.” Raised among the Dakota Sioux, Charles Eastman knew firsthand the reverence with which the American Indian experienced the world. Despite converting to Christianity as an adult, Eastman recognized a need to right the record on indigenous American cultures, much of which had been written by missionaries and government officials sent to erase the very traditions they claimed to describe. While far from perfect, The Soul of the Indian: An Interpretation is an honest attempt to correct the course of history, fostering peace and understanding between the religions of his past and present: “I believe that Christianity and modern civilization are opposed and irreconcilable, and that the spirit of Christianity and of our ancient religion is essentially the same.”This edition of Charles Eastman’s The Soul of the Indian: An Interpretation is a classic work of Native American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Charles Eastman (1858-1939) was a Santee Dakota physician, lecturer, activist, and writer. Born Hakadah in Minnesota, he was the last of five children of Mary Nancy Eastman, a woman of mixed racial heritage who died shortly after giving birth. Separated from his father and siblings during the Dakota War of 1862, Eastman―who later earned the name Ohíye S'a―was raised by his maternal grandmother in North Dakota and Manitoba. Fifteen years later, he was reunited with his father and oldest brother―who were presumed dead―in South Dakota. At his father’s encouragement, Ohíye S'a converted to Christianity and took the name Charles Alexander Eastman, which he would use for the rest of his life. Educated at Dartmouth College, Eastman enrolled in Boston University’s medical program after graduating in 1897. He completed his medical degree in 1890, making him one of the first Native Americans to do so. Eastman then moved back to South Dakota, where he worked as a physician for the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the Pine Ridge and Crow Creek Reservations. During a period of economic hardship, he used his wife Elaine Goodale’s encouragement to write stories about his childhood, a few of which found publication in St. Nicholas Magazine. In 1902, he published Memories of an Indian Boyhood, a memoir about his life among the Dakota Sioux. In addition to his writing, Eastman maintained a private medical practice, helped establish the Boy Scouts of America, worked as a spokesman for the YMCA and Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and acted as an advisor to several Presidential administrations.