Summary (HarperCollins) One of the most distinguished voices in American letters, N. Scott Momaday has devoted much of his life to celebrating and preserving Native American culture, especially its oral tradition. A member of the Kiowa tribe, Momaday was born in Lawton, Oklahoma and grew up on Navajo, Apache, and Peublo reservations throughout the Southwest. It is a part of the earth he knows well and loves deeply.
In Earth Keeper, he reflects on his native ground and its influence on his people. “When I think about my life and the lives of my ancestors," he writes, "I am inevitably led to the conviction that I, and they, belong to the American land. This is a declaration of belonging. And it is an offering to the earth.”
In this wise and wonderous work, Momaday shares stories and memories throughout his life, stories that have been passed down through generations, stories that reveal a profound spiritual connection to the American landscape and reverence for the natural world. He offers an homage and a warning. He shows us that the earth is a sacred place of wonder and beauty, a source of strength and healing that must be honored and protected before it’s too late. As he so eloquently and simply reminds us, we must all be keepers of the earth.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/n-scott-momaday/earth-keeper/#
Paris Review: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2020/11/02/we-must-keep-the-earth/
Interviews and Videos:
1. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=2295298993947395
2. CS Monitor: https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Author-Q-As/2020/1124/Q-A-with-N.-Scott-Momaday-author-of-Earth-Keeper
About the Author: https://poets.org/poet/n-scott-momaday
Discussion Questions: (John will be leading the discussion)
1. What does the author mean by “Earth Keeper”? How does he see his relationship
to Earth?
2. Who is Dragonfly? What does he represent?
3. What does the recurring story of the woman with the beautiful dress represent?
4. What are the “farthest camps”? Where are they?
5. What does the author mean by saying “the Earth is alive and sacred”? What does
he say about those who deny this (p. 59)?
6. The author says it’s human nature to pray. What was his prayer? (P. 63)
7. What were your favorite passages? Why?
