Description
Book SynopsisA powerful story of spiritual awakening, reconnection with Nature, and rekindling of ancestral wisdom
• Details the author’s encounters with ancestral spirits and animal teachers, such as Coy-Wolf, and profound moments of direct connection with the natural world
• Shows how ancestral connections and intimate communications with Nature are not unique or restricted to those with indigenous cultural roots
• Reveals how reconnection with ancestors and the natural world offers insight and solutions for the complex problems we face
We are but a few generations removed from millennia spent living in intimate contact with the natural world and in close commune with ancestral spirits. Who we are and who we think we are is rooted in historical connections with those who came before us and in our relationships with the land and the sentient natural world. When we wander too far from our roots, our ancestors and kin in the natural world call us home, sometimes with gentle whispers and sometimes in loud voices sounding alarms.
In this powerful story of spiritual awakening, Randy Kritkausky shares his journey into the realm of ancestral Native American connections and intimate encounters with Mother Earth and shows how anyone can spiritually reconnect with their ancestors and Nature. Like 70 percent of those who identify as Native American, Kritkausky grew up off the reservation. As he explains, for such “off reservation” indigenous people rediscovering ancestral practices amounts to a reawakening and offers significant insights about living in a society that is struggling to mend a heavily damaged planet. The author reveals how the awakening process was triggered by his own self-questioning and the resumption of ties with his Potawatomi ancestors. He details his encounters with ancestral spirits and animal teachers, such as Coy-Wolf. He shares moments of direct connection with the natural world, moments when the consciousness of other living beings, flora and fauna, became accessible and open to communication.
Through his profound storytelling, Kritkausky shows how ancestral connections and intimate communications with Nature are not unique or restricted to those with indigenous cultural roots. Offering a bridge between cultures, a path that can be followed by Native and non-Native alike, the author shows that spiritual awakening can happen anywhere, for anyone, and can open the gateway to deeper understanding.
Trade Review“
Without Reservation is a wonderful representation of the personal struggles Native American people often find themselves in. The conflicts between societal viewpoints and self-determination cause many to evaluate and reevaluate themselves on a continuous basis. There are often internal power struggles between the European viewpoints of what an Indian should be and the mirror of our ancestors that shows us who we are--by our mere existence. We are all subconsciously drawn to communications from the spirits of our ancestors, the environment, and the animal and plant relatives. We only have to open our ears, hearts, and minds to receive these messages from the great web of life.” * Chief Don Stevens, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation *
“
Without Reservation is a surprising treat for a curious, open, and scientifically trained mind. The story of Coy-Wolf is a delightful fusion of engaging storytelling, anthropology, philosophy of biological science, and findings from recent DNA studies. It is a new and exciting way to understand and explain nature, embracing both scientific rationality and indigenous spirituality.” * Aleh Cherp, professor at the Central European University (Austria) and Lund University (Sweden) *
“Randy’s work and experience are at the right time for all of us to explore our inner and outer medicine world for our true renewal. As Randy has seen and felt with his writing, all of us should truly learn to ‘live’ again in our own way and come together as one universal circle. The old ones called it ‘the way of right relationship with all things.’” * J. T. Garrett, Ed.D., author of Meditations with the Cherokee *
“We are all native of Mother Earth. Many of us in the ‘developed world’ are hauled out of our roots by the modern industrial culture’s dream of separation from nature and community.
Without Reservation is a very personal and skillful reminder to guide us back to reconnect with our soul’s yearning to be one with nature. It inspires us to reconnect with our spirit helpers and our ancestors to gain real knowledge, wisdom, and wholeness.” * Itzhak Beery, shamanic healer, teacher, speaker, and author of The Gift of Shamanism, Shamanic Trans *
“. . . a personal story about waking up and coming home that is also a guide to rediscovering the signs of nature and our ancestors speaking all around us. Kritkausky weaves an eloquent and enchanting mix of spiritual memoir, chronicling his tectonic and unexpected shifts of identity and reality, with rigorous scholarship providing historical context at just the right moments.” * Elizabeth E. Meacham, Ph.D., author of Earth Spirit Dreaming *
“
Without Reservation, by Randy Kritkausky of Whiting, made its September debut in the top 10 ‘Hot New Releases’ Amazon listings in the U.S.A. and Canada. Reader feedback from both indigenous people and the mainstream public indicates that the book’s themes resonate deeply with those seeking more intimate connections with nature, and also with those seeking spiritual grounding in times of extreme uncertainty posed by climate change and COVID-19.” * Whiting, Addison County Independent *
“Impressively well written, organized and presented,
Without Reservation: Awakening to Native American Spirituality and the Ways of Our Ancestors is an especially informative and ultimately inspiring personal account that has universal ramifications for his readers” * Midwest Book Review *
"The authors spiritual awakening and incredible storytelling allows the reader to connect and see the world in a new light. While the book is mostly following along his journey, it does open up the readers mind on how they too can reconnect to mother Earth, our ancestors and nature that is all around us. No matter what your family history entails, I highly recommend this book for everyone." * Amber Barnes, Facing North *
"
Without Reservation awakened within me the desire to know more about that neglected aspect of myself. And, I would broadly say that the approach and fervent desire that Kritkausky shared could be applied to anyone’s lineage-European, Asian, African, etc. All have historical narratives and ancestral stories to tell. And, as was true for Kritkausky, in connecting with the wisdom of your history, we can better be suited towards living in harmony and respect for one another and ultimately deepen the connections to nature that all indigenous peoples revere." * Robin Fennelly, Musing Mystical *
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Bozho, Bonjour, Hello, Dear Reader
2 The Awakening
3 Before the Awakening
4 Pathways to Knowing
5 What Coy-Wolf Taught Me
6 The Nexus of Time
7 Roots Connect in Vieux Montréal
8 Encounters with Kateri Tekakwitha
9 Asa’s Indian School Story
10 Reflections on Warrior Culture
11 Decolonizing Powwows
12 The Re-creation Story
13 Koo-koo-o-koo and the Bear Moon
14 Awakenings on the Reservation
15 Rootless in the Botanical Garden
16 Toward a Newly Re-spirited Environmentalism
17 Microbes and Black Swans
Conclusion.
Untangling Threads of Historical Narrative Glossary of Indian Words
Notes
Bibliography
Index
