“Neither Wolf nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder,” the title of the novel says it all. Renowned author Kent Nerburn draws us deep into the world of a Lakota elder set in the majestic spaces of the western Dakotas. As the story unfolds, the elder known as only, Dan, speaks ardently about the power of silence and the difference between land and property. Dan speaks about the white people’s urge to claim the Indian heritage. This novel is enjoyable and buoyant story of the fathers and sons of the Dakotas, which gives a light feel on a rather heavy subject matter.
Dan, a Lakota elder, has seen it all. The elder strongly speaks the truth about the “Indian” life, past and present. Dan refuses to forget and get over the historical clashes between the whites and his people. The author comes with certain expectations and mind set about the Indians, but his ideology is shattered when Dan refuses to be marked down as just another old Native American wise man. The
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Nerburn does not mention the stereo typical, clichéd view of a drunken Indian, who is savage and a noble wise man or the head of the pact. He respects the diversity of the Native American culture and the difference between the tribes. He realizes the harm done by the whites, who exploited the native themes and rituals of the culture. He mentions the spiritual arrogance the whites’ show, where they try to appropriate for themselves the rituals and cultures and customs of other cultures and religions.
The reason why the Lakota elders and the Native Americans have not been able to see eye to eye with the rest of the Americans is because for the Americans the most important is freedom, while for an American Indian the most important thing is honor. The Lakota Americans are about the practice of generosity and sharing, which is the heart of the