I missed the original posting; sorry if this info has already been posted.
Eddie Benton is a complex character, and his legitimacy is not without
controversy. He was born on the LCO (Ojibwa) reservation, but was raised
primarily in Winnebago country near Black River Falls, WI. He is a
charismatic speaker, and is fluent in Ojibwa language. He has served as the
administrator of Heart of the Earth school in St. Paul, MN and LCO Tribal
School near Hayward, WI. He is a popular pow wow MC in this area and knows
absolutely everybody. He is regarded by many as a spiritual leader in the
Three Fires Society (a Midewiin group on LCO) and is often invited to speak
on Indian issues and spirituality on both a local and national level.
There are others, however, equally traditional and knowledgable, that regard
his teachings as an amalgam of Ojibwa and Winnebago tradition, and feel he
has sometimes borrowed inappropriately from other cultures to further his
own ends. I know next to nothing about these topics, so i can't comment on
the validity of the concern: I offer this only to illustrate my point that
his legitimacy is not uncontested.
I don't believe that debate over Mr. Benton-Benai's legitimacy detracts from
his comment about published information on Indian religion, however. No
text can adequately present the context in which spirituality is learned or
expressed. Such texts can, in fact, do more harm than good because they
establish inaccurate or misleading expectations that prevent further
learning. You must approach this topic as a wide-eyed child, with an open
mind ready to receive new information and new perspectives. Our religeons
are dynamic: they are nurtured and grow in the hearts of our elders, and the
moment they are written down they die. Every text you read will close your
ear a little bit more to the truth.
Oh, man, why did I start on this?
Erik Phelps
PHELPS@EPIVAX.EPI.UMN.EDU