White Indians

by Michael Gills

White Indians, a “visionary memoir,” recounts Gill’s experience as a participant at a Native American Sundance ceremony on Zuni Territory, New Mexico during July 2005. The ceremony unfolds on a wolf refuge and at night, tending fire, the howling is startling music that informs this text throughout. Sixty men and women dance and pierce themselves during four days, offering flesh to a ninety-feet tall cottonwood, wrapped and glimmering with thousands upon thousands of prayer ties. The breathtaking pageantry of the dance is offset by the shock of seeing flesh offerings taken in the splendor of elaborate costumes and the continuous drumbeat and singing under an enormous sky.

As firekeeper, the narrator is responsible for heating stones for the sacred inipi. Later in the dance, a scarred old heyoka (backward/forward man) ushers him into the arena where for some time he moves among the dancers under the tree. His perspective is an insider’s, riveted by every detail. The result is the first of a two-book work, seldom if ever seen in American Literature, that places this ceremony in the larger context of Native American prophecy—the return of lost white brother, and the end of the fourth world.

Genres: Memoir

126 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2013

Reviews

[Don O'goodreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Indians by Michael Gills declares itself to be creative non-fiction. The creative part gives the author license to be as poetic and spiritual are necessary to communicate to feelings and aspirations of the people who travel across North America to the American Southwest to participate in the Native American Sundance ceremony.

The author was a supporter, like a second in a duel, prepared to step in if the primary person could not continue. Thus, as an involved observer, the author brings the reader along for the experience. An intimate view into Native American culture, but not for all and not for me.

For more see: http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2014/0...

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway on December 10, 2013. I received the book on December 13, 2013.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful writing. The author has a very poetic style.