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The follow-up to his award-winning book The Knowledge Seeker, Blair Stonechild’s Loss of Indigenous Eden and the Fall of Spirituality continues to explore the Indigenous spiritual teachings passed down to the author by Elders, examining their relevance in today’s world.
Exploring how the rise of civilization has been antithetical to the relational philosophy of Indigenous thinking—whereby all things are interrelated and in need of care and respect—Stonechild demonstrates how the current global ideology of human dominance, economic growth, and technological progress has resulted in all-consuming and destructive appetites that are damaging relationships between humans and the natural world. Most troubling is the loss of respect for spirituality so fundamental to Indigenous stability. There must be international reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, their culture and spirituality, Stonechild insists, if humanity itself is to survive.
"With great imagination and originality, these chapters rewrite the histories of “civilizations” of religion and the nation states…. a great scholarly contribution to our Knowledge of the history of Indigenous Spirituality."
"A survivor of the Qu’Appelle Indian Residential School, Stonechild credits Indigenous elders for everything he has rediscovered about Indigenous spirituality and shares such wisdom in the book... Stonechild’s arguments are convincing—there can be no doubt that humanity is facing global crises of our own making; collectively, we would do well to heed the elders’ call to reject human exceptionalism and return to Indigenous wisdom, living anew in balance in Creation."