Red Thunder

by David Matheson

“I have a deep love for my people. I dearly love to see my elders, the ladies with the Indian dresses, long braids, and bandannas; and the gray men, some with long braids. Some of them carried on the stories of the old days, of the songs, of the tragedies and of the triumphs,” says David Matheson, a former Council leader and Chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe and author of Red Thunder.

Matheson has beautifully rendered the essence of these long-standing customs and teachings in his moving memoir of the Schee-tsu-umsh Indians (now called the Coeur d’Alene Tribe). Until now, these stories have been guarded secrets among his tribe, partly from fear and a need to protect what they have left. Matheson feels the time is right to share his people’s history, a story so much of the world yearns for; a story of faith, courage, and togetherness.

Red Thunder is an engrossing saga spanning several generations of a Schee-tsu-umsh family, starting in the early 1700s, before the tribe’s widespread contact with European settlers. It recounts a time when the tribe was governed by laws based exclusively on traditional Schee-tsu-umsh teachings and the rules of nature. Set amid the tribe’s originally claimed territory, (which spans present day Northern Idaho, Eastern Washington and Western Montana) Matheson’s narrative faithfully recreates an all but vanished way of life.

Matheson translates the oral traditions of his forbearers into an inspiring and enlightening story of harmony--man’s harmony with the natural world, as well as his quest for peace and unity of purpose with a Higher Power. Red Thunder's account of Schee-tsu-umsh life endows its readers with new perspectives on qualities and experiences common to all traditions—like courage, love, and family, tragedy, hope and renewal.

In RED THUNDER, readers see through new eyes essential life lessons, such as:

• Respecting elders’ wisdom and appreciating the many rewards of extended family.
• Living in harmony with nature and the animal kingdom.
• Opening our spirits to the incredible healing power of nature.
• Incorporating ceremony and prayer in our daily lives.
• Properly honoring motherhood, marriage, childbirth, and other major rites of passage.

In short, readers will discover a deep respect for time-honored traditions that can bring peace, harmony, and understanding to their daily lives.

The author has translated genuine oral histories and incorporated them into the lives of Sun Bear, Rainbow Girl and the tribe of Schee-tsu-umsh Indians. This authentic work displays the rich cultural teachings behind Native American life in a very real and relevant sense that is applicable to our times.

Reviews

• Using an oral history about the life of legendary "prophet chief" Circling Raven, as well as the stories still told by elderly Coeur d'Alene (or Schitsu'umsh) Indians, author and tribal member David Matheson reconstructs the world of an Idaho Native American family in the early 1700s. Told in the first person, Red Thunder follows a boy called Sun Bear as he learns the teachings of the tribe lessons in when to wage war, the spiritual connection with the land and the relationship between humans and other animals from his elders. From Publishers Weekly, February, 2002
  Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

• "[Red Thunder] was the best book this writer has read this year, maybe even in many years." Brent Andrews, Coeur d'Alene Press 

• "Red Thunder is a story of belonging--with and to Earth, Tribe, Spirit--a belonging missing from many lives today. Christina Crawford, author of Mommie Dearest

• "...a book that will help [people] better understand our history, culture, and sacred traditions."--This text refers to the Paperback edition. Ernest Stensgar, Tribal Chairman, Coeur d'Alene Tribe
  

About the Author David Matheson has been a member of the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe since his birth at the home of his grandparents in 1951. He has served as a Council leader, the Tribal Chairman and manager of various tribal operations over his career. He is a traditional leader working to retain cultural traditions, the native language, and ceremonial practices of his native people. Matheson holds an MBA from the University of Washington and resides in Northern Idaho.

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Published: June, 2002
• ISBN: 0964721236
• Dimensions: 1.0 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches
• Price: $16.00

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