No Word for Time: The Way of the Algonquin People

by Evan T. Pritchard

Book Overview

A descendant of a Micmac chief, the author presents a book on Native American spirituality. Outlining the Seven Points of Respect for Native American ceremonies, he goes on to describe their way of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157178103X
• ISBN13: 9781571781031
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Council Oak Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

response to critics of Evan's linguistic "errors"

Not knowing where your information regarding the linguistic "errors" comes from, I can't refute your claims. I can however defend his choices by clarifying how he came by them. Our family grew up infuenced by a dear aunt who loved, and lived, her NA ancestry. Not the way so many do now, learned from books, without personal knowledge or understanding, but by living with the earth and its creatures and following the few traditions she had been shown. Evan, as did many of us, followed in her footsteps, researched our ancestry, and Evan took it even further, by going to the NA people and asking for guidance, for knowledge, for truth. Perhaps his dictionary doesn't match yours, or his perceptions aren't what you see as "true", but he loves and lives his pride in our ancestry every day. I would take what he's written as his truth, as he was taught by those who are Miqmac, over any book written by an observing anthropolologist any day.

Learn to understand a traditional Native world view

Evan T. Pritchard is of Micmac heritage, and he felt a passionate need to learn the ways of his ancestors. Which is why he went and found himself a Native Micmac teacher. This book is an attempt to explain to the rest of us some of what he learned, with special emphasis on the spiritual. I think it is particularly successful at helping us begin to grasp the traditional Native worldview.This book is not written linearly, like a novel. It touches on a subject, circles around it for a while, and then comes back to address the same subject again in more depth. Micmac prayers move in this manner, circularly. And the rhythms of the earth and of traditional Native life are similary cyclical, moving around a center rather than progressing linearly like our concept of time from the past to an isolated future.In response to a previous reviewer: Lack of linear time does not equal "primitive". On the contrary, I believe the author is actually trying to show us how much more *sophisticated* the Micmac view of life is than ours. If their sophistication is linguistic, spiritual, and philosophical rather than technological, then in my mind that makes it just that much more important. This book seeks to immerse us in the worldview of a people whose wisdom we have long ignored, but that we now very much need. And it succeeds in this far better than any other book I have read. Rather than simply teaching us intellectually about the Micmac approach to life and spirituality, it helps us feel what it is like to see the world through Micmac eyes.I highly recommend this book.

An alternative to western cultural perceptions

In Ishmael (Daniel Quinn) we learned that Mother Culture provides us with an illusion that we grow in, learn in, and in which we ultimately believe that we must live. Thomas Cahill explained that contributing to that illusion is a Gift of the Jews, a linear concept of time that creates a world with a future in which individual destinies may be fulfilled. Pritchard describes an alternative to western culture's perception of human existence. It's an insight into the life of a people who weren't/aren't heir to that cultural gift of linear time. It is a spiritually uplifting read and provokes the reader to examine his or her own illusions and beliefs. e.g. Why DO I feel compelled to achieve incessantly new goals... Am I doing what I desire, or what is expected of me... Is success really found in achieving goals, or rather in the quality of living. If success is found is the quality of one's life, how would it then be described...

Beautiful book of wisdom and a happier time

I was really touched by this exploration of the Algonquin people and their history. It really brought home to me how cluttered our lives have become and that we need to take time out to appreciate the beauty in the world. The author's interaction with real Algonquin people showed in a very direct way the connection we can all have. If you liked the Four Agreements you'll love this book.

Must be read, beautiful rendering of native way of life.

A truly soul-stiring book. This book holds so much of the knowledge and wisdom we in the west are thirsting and longing for and it is presented in a way that makes it easy to read and understand. Wonderfull.