Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples' Account of the Sacred Geography of America by Keen, Taylor

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Occult Philosophy

Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples' Account of the Sacred Geography of America

Name: Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples' Account of the Sacred Geography of America
Price: 20.00 USD
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Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Author: Keen, Taylor
ISBN: 9781591435204

Keen, Taylor

Reader rating

4.5

(1 reviews) 161 sold

$20.00

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Unearth America's hidden past through the vibrant lens of Indigenous wisdom.

This compelling work invites readers to fundamentally reconsider North American history and spirituality. Drawing on a rich tapestry of Indigenous oral traditions, historical accounts, and personal insights, Taylor Keen presents a profound re-imagining of the continent's ancient cultures. The book unveils shared cosmological beliefs across diverse Native nations, meticulously reconstructs the grandeur of the Mississippian Mound Builder Empire at Cahokia, and courageously re-examines foundational American narratives like Manifest Destiny from an essential First Peoples' perspective. It's a vital journey into the enduring spirit of Turtle Island.

Key themes

Indigenous Sacred Geography Pre-Colonial Civilizations Unveiled Decolonizing American History

Historical context

This work anchors itself firmly within the tradition of Indigenous epistemologies and sacred geography, challenging colonial historical narratives through First Peoples' oral traditions and spiritual insights. It serves as a bridge between ancient cosmological beliefs and contemporary understandings of North American history.

Difficulty

●● Moderate

Fans will love it

Vine Deloria Jr. · Winona LaDuke · Robin Wall Kimmerer

🕯️ Occult Philosophy

🏛 Bear & Company 📅 2024 📖 208 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9781591435204

Fun fact

Keen's 'Rediscovering Turtle Island' is an absolutely essential contribution to understanding North America's deep past and complex present. It excels at weaving together diverse Indigenous narratives, offering a vital, corrective lens to centuries of Eurocentric history. While it demands an open mind and a willingness to unlearn, it delivers profound insights for those eager to decolonize their historical perspective. Readers seeking a superficial overview will be disappointed; this is a deeply researched, transformative work that firmly establishes itself as a cornerstone in Native American studies and spiritual inquiry.

📝 Description: Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples' Account of the Sacred Geography of America

An exploration of Indigenous cosmology and history in North America - Examines the complexities of Indigenous legends and creation myths and reveals common oral traditions across much of North America - Explores the history of Cahokia, the Mississippian Mound Builder Empire of 1050-1300 CE, told through the voice of Honga, a Native leader of the time - Presents an Indigenous revisionist history regarding Thomas Jefferson, expansionist doctrine, and Manifest Destiny While Western accounts of North American history traditionally start with European colonization, Indigenous histories of North America--or Turtle Island--stretch back millennia. Drawing on comparative analysis, firsthand Indigenous accounts, extensive historical writings, and his own experience, Omaha Tribal member, Cherokee citizen, and teacher Taylor Keen presents a comprehensive re-imagining of the ancient and more recent history of this continent's oldest cultures. Keen reveals shared oral traditions across much of North America, including among the Algonquin, Athabascan, Sioux, Omaha, Ponca, Osage, Quapaw, and Kaw tribes. He explores the history of Cahokia, the Mississippian Mound Builder Empire of 1050-1300 CE. And he examines ancient earthen works and ceremonial sites of Turtle Island, revealing the Indigenous cosmology, sacred mathematics, and archaeoastronomy encoded in these places that artfully blend the movements of the sun, moon, and stars into the physical landscape. Challenging the mainstream historical consensus, Keen presents an Indigenous revisionist history regarding Thomas Jefferson, expansionist doctrine, and Manifest Destiny. He reveals how, despite being displaced as the United States colonized westward, the Native peoples maintained their vision of an intrinsically shared humanity and the environmental responsibility found at the core of Indigenous mythology. Building off a deep personal connection to the history and mythology of the First Peoples of the Americas, Taylor Keen gives renewed voice to the cultures of Turtle Island, revealing an alternative vision of the significance of our past and future presence here.

💎 Expert review

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💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Keen’s work is a compelling re-imagining of North American history, meticulously drawing on oral traditions to reconstruct ancient cultures. However, readers expecting dry academic historiography or detached scientific analysis may find its spiritual and narrative approach too subjective. It is not suited for those committed to traditional colonial viewpoints or those unwilling to engage with Indigenous epistemologies as valid historical frameworks. The book demands an openness to First Peoples' perspectives, making it less accessible to skeptics of oral tradition but deeply rewarding for those ready to reconsider the continent's spiritual and cultural landscape.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking a profound shift in perspective will find immense value in this text. It is ideal for those interested in Indigenous wisdom, sacred geography, and the complex history of Turtle Island. By unveiling shared cosmological beliefs and reconstructing the grandeur of Cahokia, the book offers a vital corrective to foundational American narratives like Manifest Destiny. It appeals to spiritual seekers and historians alike who wish to understand the enduring spirit of Native nations through their own vibrant lens.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

If you seek a profound re-education on North America's true origins, a deeper understanding of Indigenous spirituality and ancient civilizations, or a courageous challenge to dominant historical narratives, this book is an indispensable guide for your journey into hidden knowledge.

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Keen’s work is a compelling re-imagining of North American history, meticulously drawing on oral traditions to reconstruct ancient cultures. However, readers expecting dry academic historiography or detached scientific analysis may find its spiritual and narrative approach too subjective. It is not suited for those committed to traditional colonial viewpoints or those unwilling to engage with Indigenous epistemologies as valid historical frameworks. The book demands an openness to First Peoples' perspectives, making it less accessible to skeptics of oral tradition but deeply rewarding for those ready to reconsider the continent's spiritual and cultural landscape.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Unlike conventional histories that often begin with European arrival, this book centers Indigenous cosmologies and ancient histories, offering a foundational re-examination of the continent through the enduring wisdom of its original inhabitants.

While drawing on the author's own tribal heritage (Omaha and Cherokee), the book explores shared oral traditions across numerous North American tribes, including the Sioux and Algonquin, and details the widespread influence of the Mississippian culture.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Indigenous Sacred Geography

The book meticulously unpacks the concept of North America as 'Turtle Island,' revealing how Indigenous cosmology imbues the land with profound spiritual significance. It shows how creation myths and legends across various tribes, including the Algonquin and Sioux, share common threads, illustrating a deeply interconnected understanding of the continent's sacred landscape and its living history.

Pre-Colonial Civilizations Unveiled

Through the voice of a fictional leader, Honga, the narrative vividly reconstructs the history and societal complexity of Cahokia, the sophisticated Mississippian Mound Builder Empire (1050-1300 CE). This exploration challenges conventional timelines, demonstrating advanced urban planning, spiritual practices, and trade networks that flourished long before European contact, highlighting a vibrant, complex pre-colonial America.

Decolonizing American History

Keen provides a powerful counter-narrative to Eurocentric historical accounts, offering a critical Indigenous revision of figures like Thomas Jefferson and the ideologies of expansionism and Manifest Destiny. By centering Native perspectives, the book exposes the profound impact of these doctrines on Indigenous peoples and reshapes our understanding of America's foundational narratives and territorial claims.

💬 Quotes from the book

“The land remembers. Our stories are not merely tales of the past, but living maps of wisdom etched into every river and mountain, awaiting those who listen.”

“Before empires rose in Europe, a thriving city of mounds mirrored the cosmos right here, a testament to sophisticated civilization long before any 'discovery' could be claimed.”

📜 Historical context

This work stands firmly within the growing tradition of Indigenous scholarship that actively decolonizes history and reclaims Native narratives. It follows in the footsteps of thinkers who challenge Eurocentric foundational myths, emphasizing the continuity and resilience of First Peoples' knowledge systems, and insisting on a recognition of the continent's deep pre-colonial past as integral to its identity.

📚 Glossary

Turtle Island
Cahokia
Manifest Destiny (Indigenous Perspective)

📔 Questions to reflect on

How does understanding 'Turtle Island' as a sacred, ancient entity shift your perception of American geography and national identity?
What implications does the history of Cahokia and other advanced pre-colonial civilizations have for your understanding of human progress and societal complexity?
Reflect on how a decolonized perspective of figures like Thomas Jefferson or concepts like Manifest Destiny challenges your previously held historical narratives.