Our Shared Shelf discussion

I loved reading about all the amazing women that Gloria has been on the road with and I am looking forward to reading more about many of them, in particular - Wilma Mankiller. When Gloria was writing about being there when Wilma was dying, I really felt connected to how strong their friendship was and thought about my relationships with my friends and how we are there for each other in our life journey. Women supporting women and being friends and holding each other up during challenging times is so important. Thank you, Gloria, for sharing your life story with us - on the road and in our hearts!

I, also, was very touched by that part of the book! What an interesting and powerful woman! I'm sad I hadn't heard of her before she left the Earth.

Melle wrote: "I, also, was very touched by that part of the book! What an interesting and powerful woman! I'm sad I hadn't heard of her before she left the Earth."

I feel the same way, she sounded amazing and yet I knew nothing about her. I feel more inspired than ever to learn about native american and indian cultures and histories after reading this book.

It amazes me that, before reading this book, I have never heard of these women. How many other amazing ladies do I know nothing about? These stories really made me feel a sense of fellowship and connection with my fellow women. I admire and love the women in my own life even much more now.

I can relate so much to your feelings, Tanya. It's an equally worrying and beautiful moment when you realise how much you are missing out on a certain field that interests you and, at the same time, how much greatness is still in store for you. I had the same realisation with Wilma.

I was lucky enough to meet her at a pow wow with my people. She was, amazing. How you could carry yourself with such strength and such quiet. She didn't need to demand her presence be felt, it simply was.

Catrice wrote: "I was lucky enough to meet her at a pow wow with my people. She was, amazing. How you could carry yourself with such strength and such quiet. She didn't need to demand her presence be felt, it simp..."

That's so true, Catrice. Thanks for sharing - I bet it was amazing.

Tanya wrote: "It amazes me that, before reading this book, I have never heard of these women. How many other amazing ladies do I know nothing about? These stories really made me feel a sense of fellowship and co..."

I know! me too!

"other Americans have histories and families and gene pools in their home countries. If French or Arabic is forgotten in America, it's still being spoken somewhere. We have no other country. If our languages are wiped out, they cant come back. If we disappear here, that's it."
this quote literally made me cry. Finally gave me the kick in the pants Id been needing to rediscover my native culture and learn the language as I always dreamed to when I was a young girl. luckily my children are still so young I may be able to teach them too.

This section of the book was by far, my favorite part. She sounded like an amazing woman and I lived the way genuine, respectful friendship was depicted.

This was one of the most moving parts of the book. I was so interested in her that I ended up getting one of her books to read next. Every Day Is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women

I've just finished drying off my tears. What an amazing woman and what an amazing friend.
I've just acquired her book called "everyday is a good day" and hope to get to know her a little better.
I'm from Brazil where this native culture is even less valued and suffers from severe stereotyping. I just wonder how many Wilmas aren't around here that I don't know of...

I have to say this was my favorite part of the book as well. I was humbled. But I was also incredibly sad for the culture that was lost. Woman empowerment seems to be something that was indigenous. The fact that women were rarely if ever raped was an amazing notation, as well as scalping was created by the US Army.

I really wish there was a way to not only learn more about this culture, but to make this culture more pervasive, to help nurture it back. There is so much we can learn and it's almost all lost.

It was one of the chapters I loved the most. It reminds me so much about the old-people's home where I worked voluntarily, because it was there that I learned that dying is something that happens slowly, within days, rather than seconds or minutes.

I loved this chapter for the beautiful friendship between these two strong women and how they cared for each other. I'm at a loss for words when I think that Gloria was able to be there, when Wilma died. It really is like this, the ocean pushing less and less against the coast, until finally, from one moment to the other, it's gone.

It's so sad that they couldn't write the book together any more, but I think she did write a wonderful obituary and a tribute to her friend.

This chapter also taught me a lot about indigenious history, and I must say I was at a loss for words considering that I knew so little about these peoples. And I was also very angry, and still am, that nothing of this was taught in school, and that some of Europe's own history has much less to do with our society today than North America's history. That's just unbelievable ignorant, and a reason for us to fight for equality. For me, that's also one of our obstacles towards equality.

I often quoted Gloria when teaching my relatives and friends that the first democratic society in the world was not the Greek, but the Iroquois. The constitution of the United States was copied of the Iroquois Condfederacy. I was at a loss for words when I read that, because it shows also that, as Gloria said it, loss of memory is the root for oppression.