Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars | 415 ratings

Price: 33.26

Last update: 01-29-2025


About this item

A “profound and inspiring” collection of ancient indigenous wisdom for “anyone wanting the healing of self, society, and of our shared planet” (Peter Levine, author of Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma).

A Penobscot Indian draws on the experiences and wisdom of the First Nations to address environmental justice, water protection, generational trauma, and more.

Drawing from ancestral knowledge, as well as her experience as an attorney and activist, Sherri Mitchell addresses some of the most crucial issues of our day—including indigenous land rights, environmental justice, and our collective human survival. Sharing the gifts she has received from the elders of her tribe, the Penobscot Nation, she asks us to look deeply into the illusions we have labeled as truth and which separate us from our higher mind and from one another.

Sacred Instructions explains how our traditional stories set the framework for our belief systems and urges us to decolonize our language and our stories. It reveals how the removal of women from our stories has impacted our thinking and disrupted the natural balance within our communities.

For all those who seek to create change, this book lays out an ancient world view and set of cultural values that provide a way of life that is balanced and humane, that can heal Mother Earth, and that will preserve our communities for future generations.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Bill Pfeiffer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Raw, Real, Brilliant
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2024
    Raw, real, brilliant. This is one of those boundary-crossing books. You were hemmed in before without knowing it, and then whoosh, you cross over into territory you did not know existed. The title made me think it would be another re-working of our Original Instructions. Yes, “our”, not just Native Americans but all humans. You know, our sacred covenant with Spirit to ensure that the paradise we were gifted, Mother Earth, remains pure and whole, in perpetuity. To ensure the water is always protected. To ensure all children, animals, and plants, even rocks are treated with respect. And Mitchell does do that, and does it well, yet there is much more.

    She draws you right in with personal, uplifting, revelatory stories followed by Sysipheanly difficult experiences that make you know the Gods were setting her up for a big, important mission. There is a healthy rage that shakes you awake without being insulting or aggressive. There is an explanation of how trauma gets passed down through the generations and impacts us all in ways we usually can’t see that is more compassionate than any I’ve ever read. It left me shaking...in a good way.

    And she takes the sledgehammer of truth to colonization. It’s an epic takedown that should be required reading especially in places where they ban books.

    Finally, it’s visionary. We don’t have to live in fear, scarcity, and environmental degradation. It’s up to us what kind of road we travel. She spells this out clearly.
  • a new person
    5.0 out of 5 stars Finally an author who understands
    Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2023
    100 stars.
    This book articulates so many of the feelings I have been burdened with for my whole life. I am not an indigenous person, but I have always been bothered by the colonialist and patriarchal narratives so prevalent in our society. Even from a young age I could sense that most of the things people in my culture are taught to pursue (such as money, power, privilege at others' expense, etc.) are not what life is supposed to be about. I was worried that no one could understand how I was feeling. It can be incredibly lonely being female in a male-dominated society in which even other females may pressure you to uphold systems of toxic hyper-masculinity that are bad for community and bad for the planet.
    Sherri has put words to so many ideas that can be difficult to articulate, but which resonate with me so deeply. I am filled with gratitude for Sherri's efforts to bring such an IMPORTANT message to the world, one which I truly believe will be part of an amazing transformation to help heal our dear Mother Earth and humanity as well. What a redemptive and beautiful message. I am crying tears of gratitude. Thank you, Sherri!!!!
  • Rich Holschuh
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Place We Come From
    Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018
    I first met Sherri Mitchell two years ago when she presented at a nearby conference. I enjoyed the flow and clarity of her words, as she made her points with confidence, drawing upon her own experiences and an obvious familiarity with historic narratives. When I learned she was writing a book, I knew I would want to read it; as the time of its release drew near, I pre-ordered a copy and happily awaited its arrival.

    Sacred Instructions is a healing balm for a troubled time, a gratefully gathered harvest from Mitchell's Penahwapskek homeland, carefully blended with that of other territories she has traversed. She succeeds in sharing the ever-present spirits of her ancestors, re-connecting and soothing the fearful and distraught isolation of our modern society with light and breath, bringing the original instructions forward, alive and whole. Sherri Mitchell's gifts of word are grounded, compassionate, humble, and healing. This is no esoteric, edgy, or introspective self-help guide. It speaks clearly and directly, bringing us to the place we came from in the beginning, the place we belong, home. All my relations.
  • j.w.w.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A bold, loving statement of wisdom, grace, and healing
    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2018
    This splendid book is a treasure of wisdom and insight into the human condition, with equally wise and insightful guidance on how to begin addressing and redressing the complex of woes besetting humanity, most of which we've managed to create for ourselves. The spirit guiding and inspiring this work is a loving, caring, nurturing spirit and anyone who reads "Sacred Instructions" with anything remotely resembling an open mind (and heart) will come away a better person. One could go on and on with specific examples from the book which incisively identify the root causes of so many of our self-inflicted wounds as a species, many of which are unfortunately woven into the fabric of that which we often call "modernity"
    (or worse, "progress"). Buy this book -- sell your car if need be, or your next meal, or whatever other material possession might obstruct your inclination to purchase it -- and read it closely. Thank you Sister Sherri (if I may!) for so lovingly sharing the wisdom and grace which Life has brought to you, and for making those virtues comprehensible to a world that appears in so many respects to have lost its way.
    Customer image
    j.w.w.
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    A bold, loving statement of wisdom, grace, and healing

    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2018
    This splendid book is a treasure of wisdom and insight into the human condition, with equally wise and insightful guidance on how to begin addressing and redressing the complex of woes besetting humanity, most of which we've managed to create for ourselves. The spirit guiding and inspiring this work is a loving, caring, nurturing spirit and anyone who reads "Sacred Instructions" with anything remotely resembling an open mind (and heart) will come away a better person. One could go on and on with specific examples from the book which incisively identify the root causes of so many of our self-inflicted wounds as a species, many of which are unfortunately woven into the fabric of that which we often call "modernity"
    (or worse, "progress"). Buy this book -- sell your car if need be, or your next meal, or whatever other material possession might obstruct your inclination to purchase it -- and read it closely. Thank you Sister Sherri (if I may!) for so lovingly sharing the wisdom and grace which Life has brought to you, and for making those virtues comprehensible to a world that appears in so many respects to have lost its way.
    Images in this review
  • sara m
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perspective altering and answers to current societal issues - a must read!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2018
    I read this book on a whim through my digital library and ended up purchasing it so I could highlight and note parts in each chapter. This book is exactly what I, and the world, need at this moment. The author uses her life experience and wisdom handed down from thousands of years to offer new perspectives on both personal and social issues that plague us as a society. Her compassion for humanity comes through clearly. Each chapter examines relevant topics such as inter generational trauma, healing, climate and environmental issues, building community etc., and provides an answer or new method for creating a new path forward that would be inclusive, positive and mutually beneficial for all parties involved. I find myself going back and re-reading parts that are particularly relevant to me or to my friends. If you feel at all depressed of anxious about the state of the world, give this book a try - you might come away with a fresh and energized view and ready to start making positive change!

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