Eagle Vision: Return of the Hoop

Ed McGaa is a registered, enrolled Oglala Sioux, OST 15287. After earning his

undergraduate degree he joined the Marine Corps and flew 110 combat missions

in Vietnam as a Marine Corps fighter pilot. He returned to dance in six annual

Sioux Sun Dances under the tutelage of Chief Fools Crow and Chief Eagle

Feather, two Sioux holy men who attempted to return the tribe's ceremonies

back to the people despite strong U.S. Government and Christian missionary

opposition. (This was prior to the 1972 enactment of the Freedom of Religion

bill passed by Congress.) Author is also a law school graduate, J.D., and a

former Asst. Director of Indian Studies, Univ. of So Dak- 1967-1970. Other

Books: Mother Earth Spirituality, Harper/Collins, 1990, currently 20th

reprinting. Rainbow Tribe, Harper/Collins, 1992, 7th reprinting. Native

Wisdom- Perceptions of the Natural Way, Four Directions Publishing, 1995, 4th

reprinting.

Often, Fiction is more accurate than non-fiction!!
Most of this book actually happened except the ending. As a North American Indian writer, we have a built in barrier to our works in that the Dominant Society knows so little about real Indian culture. Older Hollywood movies, prejudice, zealous missionaries and Euro-centricism has projected an erroneous portrayal of a very beautiful and viable culture that did indeed keep this continent unpolluted and not over-populated for centuries. I thank Kevin Costner for Dances With Wolves. That helped. The Sioux were the last to come in from the Great Plains and consequently are an excellent tribe to write about. They are the least diluted because they have spent much less time under the white man's control and influence (actually less than a century). Many tribes do not like to hear this but it is obviously true. I was a young man when the old-timers I knew and travelled with, could reach very accurately back into that rich and truthful past. I am one of the few Indian academics that also did not ignore the old holymen and old timers. The other is Dr. Chuck Ross, a fellow tribal Sun Dancer- see Mitakuye Oyasin. Both of us lived with, travelled with and fought for the old timers in the Trenches of Change during the Martin Luther King era. Our writing material is our proof. You do not see such real cultural content from other academics who had their noses in the air and never bothered to stand for and champion such rich resources. I wrote in non-fiction for years but this novel was always with me back,close to thirty years ago. I wanted to capture my mentor's, Chief Fools Crow, Bill Eagle Feather, and Ben Black Elk's personalties and courageous characters. Surprisingly "fiction" is a better vehicle to do so. As this book ages and people become more open-minded due to this "age of communication" it will become more appreciated. Mother Earth Spirituality is in 20th printing and will go on and on. I also wanted to show our struggle against the unfeeling and actually cruel missionaries in league with the U.S. Government. Cruel?? I call an Indian Boarding School, wherein a child is separated from their Moms and Dads, year in and year out, as one helluva cruel condition. I also wanted to show that we won USC 42 Section 1996, Freedom of Religion Act,, which was passed a decade after we stood up and reclaimed our religion and culture which was unconstitutionally banned. There will be reviewers who will condemn a truthful and revealing work, however, simply because it challenges western society and especially the white man's proselytizing religion. According to the U.S. Constitution we can have our own beliefs. Please go to http://members.aol.com/eagleman4 and read a few powerful chapters. Definitely read Chapter One - Missionary Boarding School. Sadly, that chapter is all true and there was a real Cross Dog and he did endure what the missionaries did to him. At least, none of these boys had to ever return to the boarding school after they ran away. The holy men steer the rest of the tale and the tribe moves relentlessly on as it does today. My tribe has moved strongly back into our own tribal concepts, our religion, our spirituality and especially, our youth embrace it. Sun Dance, Sweat Lodges, Spirit Calling Ceremonies and Vision Quest are numerous upon the reservations. When I was young, they were practically unheard of. Once I vision quested on Bear Butte Mountain and I was the only one there! This story deserves to be told despite, narrow-minded, prejudiced detractors who will always condemn us, as you have seen in one of the reviews.Yet,, in increasing numbers, real thinking, good people of all colors are there to support us.