cover image The Lakota Way of Strength and Courage: Lessons in Resilience from the Bow and Arrow

The Lakota Way of Strength and Courage: Lessons in Resilience from the Bow and Arrow

Joseph M. Marshall III. Sounds True (www.soundstrue.com), $19.95 (200p) ISBN 978-1-59179-630-5

The Lakota people have kept their dignity and traditions intact despite decades of difficulties and strife, adapting as necessary despite profound concerns about their future. Historian and craftsman Marshall (The Lakota Way) attributes this survival to five lessons from Lakota mythology: transformation, simplicity, purpose, strength, and resilience. Telling stories from myth, modern culture, and his own life, Marshall utilizes the crafting of a simple ash wood bow and a willow arrow as a metaphor of transformation in the face of changing circumstances. The bow represents the moon, and the arrow the sun; these bows and arrows were traditionally crafted by every single male in the Lakota village beginning at age 12. Marshall is extremely skeptical of the value and meaning of modern technology (“Computers, cell phones, and printers do not inspire me to think of my life and the kind of person I might be”), and harks back to the wisdom of his ancestors to follow what’s truly important. This slim volume maintains a deliberately small and focused voice, but despite its genuine wisdom, it may have difficulty reaching a broad audience. (Feb.)