(Alternate title says "supernatural" instead of "spiritual").I'm happy that I finally got around to reading this book. I had borrowed it from the library a few years ago, but didn't get into it. When I read it, I learned a lot.
What stays with me is the legend of Pukawiss. He was one of the brothers of Nanaboozhoo. Pukawiss would spend hours a day alone in the forest...listening. He got a lot of grief from his community for doing this, they thought that something was wrong with him and they made fun of him. But it felt natural to him to just be alone in the forest, listening.
Eventually, Pukawiss learned the ways of medicine and was taught about the drum - essentially becoming the bringer of the drum and "medicine" - both of which are vital to Ojibway culture. It seems ironic that he would have been derided for his actions that eventually led up to the advent of both drumming and medicine; but what I really take from it, personally, is that I ought not worry about being scorned by my communities (the "white" and the "indian"), because, like Pukawiss, my interests in parapsychology, etc., feels natural and perhaps like Pukawiss it will lead to something important for my communities.
