Winnebago Reviews

a wonderful example how things come to be when you humble yourself and engage in the spirit of selflessness.The way the subject expresses himself of his experinces and the dramatic confrontations he was part of.Rueben throws light on the true nature and energy of a given circumstance.Withholding ego ,rationality he exudes clarity.

What is dangerous for some people can be sacred and useful for the others who can utilize that and we should respect those. Jay Fikes' book proved this true for me for peyote, a sacred cactus for Native Americans and pschedelic drug for others who do not know how to use it.

Moreover, I was deeply impressed with the Native American character Reuben Snake. This brave, compassionate man inspired me about how to live in harmony with the nature, the world and all that dwell theron. He showed me that the obstacles are in our minds and if we overcome these there will be no obstacles at all.

This book also helps many realize "Being Indian is being a human being and human beings deserve respect for what they believe, for their religions, cultures, etc."

Jay Fikes had done a wonderful job by introducing this humble serpent to our lives.

Very few books truly allow you to meet another person from a far off time who lived a life completely different than the one you know, yet remaining utterly human. 'Autobiography' is the word for word narrative of a Winnebago Indian born sometime in the mid to late 1800's who was asked by Radin to tell about his life. There are no attempts to make this into a work of political correctness or to shield aspects of the narrator's culture we might find deplorable. What makes this writing unique is that unlike so many books of 'history', this is about the thoughts and happenings of one individual instead of using the individual as a vehicle to tell another story. If you are looking for the genuine article--a real document of what it must have been like to have been a Winnebago during this turbulant period, look no farther.

I used this book in a mythology class project and it was a great help. The book reveals a great deal of the Winnebago tradition through the history detailed in the stories. This book is well worth the money and is a necessary piece to any Native American collection.

Although occasionally dry, the connection between myth and psych is touched on here - distinguishing this material from more conventional anthologies of Coyote/Trickster legends. I might suggest the more readable Joseph Campbell, and indeed there's a bit of a connection between the two writers, and Carl Jung.

There's new material here, even if a little too intellectual for some. Some of the legends were new to me, and the valuable tidbits made it worth wading through. Jung's contribution is unique. In summary: It's a slower read, but worth the effort.

The introduction and other essays in this book suffer greatly from 'primitive peoples' syndrome (it was written a few decades ago). Ignore this: the best part of the book is the middle, where a Winnebago trickster story plus a few others are included, supposedly in full. If you believe Radin's description of collecting the myths (got them from an informant, translated by two more informants and 'tidied up' by him), then they seem to be pretty much OK.. certainly nothing obvious has been left out, as self-mutilation, genitals, and jolly exploits with faeces are still in there. Draw your own conclusions.

This book is excellent for the student of literature and mythology..not an easy read, but a profound one. As far as the other review that refers to the vanished Winnebago.. NOT.. the tribe is alive and well in two branches in Nebraska and Wisconsin.