Native Americans. The Book of Elders: The Life Stories & Wisdom of Great American Indians, as told to Sandy Johnson & photographed by Dan Budnik.

HarperSanFrancisco, 1994. First edition, 1st printing. 237 pages. Stiff illustrated wraps, as issued; front cover split two inches at top at spine hinge closed with archival tissue; remainder mark at bottom of text block. Custom-made 4-mil clear polyester jacket houses this attractive copy. Chapters with interviews of elders by tribe, some chapters with multiple interviews, which are presented as edited first person narratives without the questions posed by Johnson, the oral history interviewer.  Johnson provides an introduction to each subject, providing the circumstances under which the interview took place.  Black-and-white portrait photo of each narrator by Dan Budnik.  Tribes include Sioux, Hopi, Dineh, Tulalip, Onandaga, Six Nations, Mohawk, Pit River, Shoshone, Cree, Warm Springs, Ute, Seminole, Apache, Haida, Bella Bella, Kiowa, Yurok, Pueblo, and Lakota/Seminole. Summary:

Published in 1994 by Harper San Francisco, The Book of Elders: The Life Stories & Wisdom of Great American Indians is a poignant oral history project and photographic study. It captures the voices of 30 Native American elders—including spiritual leaders, medicine men, and community activists—representing tribes such as the Sioux, Hopi, Dineh, Apache, and Mohawk.

Core Concept & Origin

The book was the result of a three-year cross-country journey by author Sandy Johnson, who felt a spiritual calling to record the wisdom of the "first Americans" before it was lost. She sought to define an "elder" not merely by age, but as a "carrier of knowledge" who walks with dignity and truth.

Thematic Narrative

The book organizes each chapter around a specific elder, combining their first-person narrative with a biographical profile. Key themes include:

• The Struggle for Tradition: Elders discuss the challenges of preserving indigenous languages, rituals, and spiritual practices in the face of modern technological and social pressures.

• Prophecy and Earth Stewardship: Many accounts, notably from the Hopi leaders, focus on the relationship between humanity and the environment, offering warnings about the ecological consequences of "forgetting the Earth."

• Historical Resilience: The stories provide a 20th-century perspective on the history of federal relations, the American Indian Movement (AIM), and the fight for sovereignty and fishing rights.

• Healing and Spirit: Several entries focus on the role of the medicine man and the concept of spiritual wealth in the midst of material poverty.

Photography by Dan Budnik

The book is greatly enhanced by Dan Budnik’s powerful black-and-white photography.

• Candid Portraits: Rather than stylized or "posed" imagery, Budnik’s full-page portraits are intimate and candid, capturing the weathered faces and expressive gestures of the elders.

• Environmental Context: The images often show the subjects in their natural surroundings—homes, sacred sites, or vast landscapes—emphasizing the deep connection between the people and their ancestral lands.

Significance

The Book of Elders serves as both a spiritual guide and a historical archive. It is highly regarded for its humility and authenticity, allowing the elders to speak for themselves. By providing a platform for voices like Pete Catches (Oglala Lakota) and Janet McCloud (Tulalip), the book offers readers a rare opportunity to engage with a worldview centered on the "wisdom of the heart" and the interconnectedness of all life.