Oglala Religion (Religion and Spirituality)

Rating:
Summary: Oglala Religion in the Present Day
Review: William K. Powers is, in my opinion, of inestimable value as a scholar of present-day Lakota society. He somehow manages to straddle a fence that few bother with: how to keep his credibility as a scholar, and yet show respect to the Native culture which he portrays. In my opinion, no contemporary non-Indian scholar does this, but Powers is as close as you'll get. It is apparent from his writings that he truly loves the Lakota people. It is a shame that in the end, he boils it down to a Levi-Straussian analysis. This follows the standard Western hermeneutic of assuming that no culture has value unless its ultimate worth is traced to Western scholarship. I would recommend any of Powers' writings highly. The Lakota have assisted him in making his spiritual pilgrimage to become a non-Indian interpreter with rare wisdom and insight into the lives of contemporary Natives.

Rating:
Summary: Oglala Religion in the Present Day
Review: William K. Powers is, in my opinion, of inestimable value as a scholar of present-day Lakota society. He somehow manages to straddle a fence that few bother with: how to keep his credibility as a scholar, and yet show respect to the Native culture which he portrays. In my opinion, no contemporary non-Indian scholar does this, but Powers is as close as you'll get. It is apparent from his writings that he truly loves the Lakota people. It is a shame that in the end, he boils it down to a Levi-Straussian analysis. This follows the standard Western hermeneutic of assuming that no culture has value unless its ultimate worth is traced to Western scholarship. I would recommend any of Powers' writings highly. The Lakota have assisted him in making his spiritual pilgrimage to become a non-Indian interpreter with rare wisdom and insight into the lives of contemporary Natives.