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Slow down, breathe deep, and walk with Dr. Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa) as he guides you into meditations on reflection, reverence, and the timeless wisdom of Native American spirituality.
Some truths are not taught but remembered—in stillness, in solitude, in the sacred hush of the natural world. In Meditations of Ohiyesa, Dr. Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa) guides us back to the truths that live beneath words. Raised in traditional Dakota ways during the late 1800s and later educated in the formal institutions of a very different world, Charles moved between cultures with grace, offering rare insight into Indigenous thought and reverence. His reflections on nature and spirit embodied the rhythms of a life lived in harmony with the land.
Meditations of Ohiyesa collects 60 of Eastman’s most resonant writings on nature, community, prayer, and Indigenous philosophy. Each passage opens a doorway: to silence, to humility, to the deep understanding that nature is not separate from us but part of us. These writings offer inspiration, as well as practical guidance for anyone seeking a more mindful, rooted way of living. Read it slowly. Return to it often. Carry it with you into the woods—or into a quiet moment of your day.
Inside you’ll find:
- Reflections on the sacredness of nature and our place within it
- Core Dakota values of generosity, humility, and spiritual connection
- Powerful critique of modern materialism and disconnection
- Authentic Indigenous teachings, shared with clarity, grace, and emotional depth
Royalties from this edition are donated to the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Health Center, supporting community well-being.
Dr. Charles A. Eastman, or Ohiyesa (pronounced oh-hee-yay-suh), was a writer, speaker, medical doctor, and member of the Eastern Dakota. Born in 1858 in Minnesota, he survived the US-Dakota War and the persecution that followed. His father, Many Lightnings, was presumed killed in the war, but years later Ohiyesa was reunited with him. Many Lightnings had adopted Christianity and the name “Jacob Eastman.”
Encouraged to pursue a Western education, Charles earned a medical degree—becoming one of the first Indigenous Western-trained doctors. He served on reservations, including Pine Ridge, where he treated victims of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre.
Charles wrote more than a dozen books, starting with Indian Boyhood (1902), blending vivid nature writing with reflections on Indigenous life. As is clear from his works, he effectively lived in two worlds. His writing is a look back to a time when the memory of the US-Dakota War was raw and its aftermath obvious, yet his text is also remarkably modern and bracingly honest.
Editor’s Note
The American Indian in His True Character
Every Act Is a Religious Act
Beauty Is Always Fresh and Living
All Sincere Worship
Silent, Solitary, Free from All Self-Seeking
The Immortal Nature of the Spirit
A Singular Humility
The Duty of Prayer
The Law of Life
To Prepare the Body
Spirit Pervades All Creation
No Temples Save Those of Nature
The Philosophy of the Original American
In Harmony with Nature
It Is Necessary to Live with Nature
Brothers of the Animal Kingdom
The Silent People
The Friendship of Animals
The Story of the Beaver Woman
Any Pretty Pebble
Sharing in the Immortal Perfection of Nature
Magnetic Force of Solitude
Flowers Are for Our Souls to Enjoy
The Vital Benefits of Pure Air and Sunlight
The Beauty of Generosity
Medicine Men Received No Payment
Not “to Have” but “to Be”
No Price Upon the Labor of Love
Great Men Divided Their Last Kettle of Food with a Neighbor
Broken Oaths
The Great Song of Creation
The Family Life of Birds
Every Evening, a Myth
Harmonizing with Nature
Life-and-Death Friend
The First Step in the Wilderness Life
A Life of Travel and Exploration
Faith in the Natural Wins in the End
Traveling at Night
Never Give Up
Entering the Forest
The Study of Footprints
The Wood-Dweller’s Autograph
A Close Student of Topography
A Natural Being in Touch with Nature
Trained in the Natural Way
The Senses
Stoicism and Patience Are Acquired Traits
New and Strange Things in the Woods
Seeking Inspiration in the Wilderness
The Freest Life in the World
Defying the Weather
Luxury of Nature
Nature at Her Best
Looking with Delight Upon Mountains and Valleys
Vistas of Extraordinary Charm
The Old Wild Life as I Knew It
A Pleasant Stir in Camp
Death Has No Terrors
A Spirit Bundle
Works Cited, all by Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa)