Viola Cordova was the first Native American woman to receive a PhD in philosophy. Even as she became an expert on canonical works of traditional Western philosophy, she devoted herself to defining a Native American philosophy. Although she died prematurely of a brain aneurysm before she could complete her lifeas work, some of her colleagues have organized her pioneering contributions into this provocative book.In three parts, Cordova sets out a complete Native American philosophy. First she explains her own understanding of the nature of reality itselfathe origins of the world, the relation of matter and spirit, the nature of time, and the roles of culture and language in understanding all of these. She then turns to our role as residents of the Earth, arguing that we become human as we deepen our relation to our people and to our places, and as we understand the responsibilities that grow from those relationships. In the final section, she calls for a new reverence in a world where there is no distinction between the sacred and the mundane.Cordova clearly contrasts Native American beliefs with the traditions of the Enlightenment and Christianized Europeans (what she calls aEuromana philosophy). By doing so, she leads her readers into a deeper understanding of both traditions and encourages us to question any view that claims a singular truth. From these essaysawhich are lucid, insightful, frequently funny, and occasionally angryawe receive a powerful new vision of how we can live with respect, reciprocity, and joy.