Wisdom of the Wind

Wisdom of the Wind

   Thank you Hannah Thomas for a wonderful interview. 

 

Stories are powerful.

 

Indigenous peoples tell sacred stories as a way of keeping coherence in culture. These stories become a foundation of shared understanding of the general nature of life upon which their societies are built. Their stories contain wisdom and hope, and shape their societies in profound ways.

To introduce our Life Stories Series, we are thrilled to bring to you professional story teller and keeper of wisdom, James Beard.

 

 

Also known as Noodin, which means Wind, Jim is a story teller, author, speaker, teacher and founder of the Northeast American Cultural Resource at twww.northeastcultural.com. This platform enables him to make the aboriginal teachings of the Northeastern region of North America available to everyone. His wisdom is much in demand in schools, environmental centers, museums and private groups. You can also visit his regular blog here:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85FFM9uSEPU

 

Celtic by birth, Jim has been adopted into an Ojibwe family. He is a student of native teachings from the Ojibwe Elders, an Algonquin language based people who live throughout the Great Lakes region of the US and Canada.

 

 

In his search for deeper meaning in life, Jim literally stumbled upon The First People. They led him on a journey of discovery and understanding. In his book, "White Mocs on a Red Road/ Walking Spirit in a Native Way", Jim introduces us to Spirit through the wisdom of the ancients. To learn more about his book or to order a copy direct from the author, just click on the image of the book.

Sacred stories may only be shared verbally and may not be written or recorded. Out of respect for his tradition, Noodin has been careful to share only from his personal experience.

If you have a story you would like to share, whether it is the story of your life, or a story that has shaped your life, please contact us here:

 

Make yourself comfortable and click on the enclosure below to listen to Noodin's wisdom, or if you prefer to download from iTunes and listen later, just click on the Phoenix logo.

Interview with Noodin
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85FFM9uSEPU


James B. Beard aka Noodin  Books : 

http://www.northeastcultural.com/James_B_Beard_aka_Noodin_Author.html

Midnight full moon ~ Beautiful !

A night with Mona

Walking the Grand Monadnock

photograph by Cindy L Baldwin

It’s a midnight full moon. Beautiful! What a night to walk in the woods. Quiet, peaceful! Nothing moving and the light of the moon gently lighting the way across the trails to guide the way. Mona is happy walking in the night. She knows we are alone and helping one another. Her energy, so powerful in this time as she shares in the wonders of all that is with her mother. Who can know what they are saying. It is just a time of peaceful bliss to walk in the woods with my special friend. Thank you Mona!




To read more about Noodin electronically (click) >>> Ebook, Ibook, Nook Book, Kindle Fire

To read more about Noodin click on this link ~ http://www.northeastcultural.com/white_mocs_on_the_red_road.html

Books and the Technology Wave ~

I Like My Books!

The Technology Wave

By: James Beard aka Noodin

I like books to read and to have on my shelf. Well, I live outdoors most of the time so I have very limited shelving. Actually, most of my books are in boxes and, hopefully, stored in a dry place. When my home became a cabin in a state park a few years ago  I no longer had a place to fill with accumulations we all so love to gather. It became obvious that I needed to unload a lot of stuff. 

HIKERS CABIN - White Dot Trail @ Monadnock State Park

Furniture, pictures, clothing, tools and all the little things that seemed so important had to go. Most of it was gifted to friends and others who might need those things. A bed went to a girlfriend along with dresser, tables, chairs and nicnacs. Another bed went to my boss along with a band saw, table saw, several tables and some pictures. The X-wife wasn't left out. I tried to give her back a lot of things but she wouldn't take much. Some clothing went to my now grown up kids but most of it wound up at Good Will. I didn't sell anything. Just gave it all away.

After getting rid of all of those things, one might think there would not be much left. There is plenty left! Some things just seem too important to let go. Those things aren't of much use living outdoors or in a cabin either. Sentimental value I suppose!

When it came to books this act of unloading the burden of things became a little more serious. How could I possibly do without my books? Many had been with me for much of my life. Others are classics! At least to me.  Many are about history or other things I research when writing. Now I am reading that books are out and technology is in. I love my books!

I wrote a book! It is called White Mocs on the Red Road / Walking Spirit in a Native Way. I have been attempting to market it as a book for the past nine months since it came out. No big money backers so it is a grass roots effort at best. I do sell a lot of them here and there when I am doing presentations. You generally don't get rich writing books unless you are wealthy and well known to start with.

I always carry some of my books with me to sign and either sell or gift as I travel and work. The book is published and for sale on the internet through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu and other on line booksale retailers.

The other day I talked to my publisher. "You need to focus your sales on electronic books!" She said.  "People today are reading on iPods, Kindle Fire and Droid Tablets. If you want people to have your book you have to let them know they can download the book electronically."

Then she hit me really hard when she told me, "You must be one of the last people in the world that still reads a book in print!" That hit me right between my reading glasses. I know many of you still like the feel of a real book!

Ok! I will listen to what you are saying! You can buy my book Through any retailer on Ebook, Ibook, Nook Book, Kindle Fire and others for about two to three dollars. It is a book you will enjoy and treasure on your electronic gizmo for many years to come.

It is a great book to own!

James B. Beard aka Noodin is the author of  "White Mocs on the Red Road ~ Walking Spirit in a Native Way". Uniquely presented to aid people in gaining insight to the mysteries of the Elder teachings of the Traditional Native American.

You can own this book electronically (click) >>> Ebook, Ibook, Nook Book, Kindle Fire

Listening to the spirit in others ~.Shadow writing ~

 

 

I call it Shadow Writing !

One of the strengths in writing is being a good observer. Over time I have learned what many already know. Just be there! At one point in my life I was going through a transition and visited a town in southwest Colorado. I went there to get away from my surroundings and try to make some sense out of my life. It was a painful time!

Visiting that town, Durango, became an almost weekly trek for me to just get away and regroup my thoughts for a new direction. Though my life had been reasonably successful in family and business, it was not what I wanted and my hope was to realize a new direction.  A new lease on life, so to speak.

I would check in one of the older hotels in town and then visit different places around the area. Sometimes I would sit in a local restaurant in the Strater Hotel or one of the many coffee shops in town. I did not know anyone in the town but gradually, over the weeks that I visited, some of the locals befriended me. I would sit and listen to there stories to see if they had some experience that would help in my quest. Though I had paper and pen to make notes for determining my so called direction of renewal there was little written down on paper. When I would write after talking to these people I found that what was flowing onto the paper was a roughly poetic picture of the people that I met.

These locals, strangers to me, were making a deep and moving affect. They were taking me out of self and showing me that life is about growth. Their stories seemed to reach to something deep within me and show the lessons those people endured. This is one of the satires that I call, Shadow Writing:

Agnes – My friend

A lady I know to be true above  all

Who listens and cares, around for the call

You help other people, It wasn’t your way

When starting your life, a long ago day

 The times were so hard, the people not true

You did for yourself and took your own due

A hurt piled on life day after day

Held to what’s yours and wiled life away

 Hurt that had grown to hate and resent

Brought a young girl to a certain lament

A day would come by to make the world change

You saw in yourself a life re-arranged

 The things that you had, all gone are they now

And all that is left is needed somehow

Blessed with a girl to raise in this life

The value of self to be taken from strife

 You learned the new ways and shared them with all

The life that you gained makes many stand tall

A tribute to you is knowing your heart

And seeing that god gives all a new start

Aprl 1986     Durango







To read more about Noodin electronically (click) >>> Ebook, Ibook, Nook Book, Kindle Fire



To read more about Noodin click on this link ~ http://www.northeastcultural.com/white_mocs_on_the_red_road.html