Our people page on Joseph M. Marshall III

More from and about
Joseph M. Marshall III
(biographical info at bottom of page)

What you are comes from the blood of those who set you on this journey.
That is likewise unchangeable. What you see in the reflecting pool of truth
is who you are. You cannot change that, so it is wise not to curse it.
The wiser choice is to embrace it and make it your strength.

Respect is a close relative of tolerance, and both go a long way to prevent and alleviate the negative interactions between and among people. Respect was a member of each Lakota household during the free-roaming buffalo-hunting days on the northern plains.

When our spirit tells us it is time to weep, we should weep. It is part of the ritual, if you will, of putting sadness in perspective and gaining control of the situation. . . . Grief has a purpose. Grieving does not mean you are weak It is the first step toward regaining balance and strength. Grieving is part of the tempering process.

Anyone who does not exercise compassion is ignorant of the reality that everyone needs it at some time in life; or we forget that someone has blessed us with compassion at a time when we needed it. That is the smallness of arrogance. It is a disease of the soul. It can be highly contagious. Ignorance is its carrier. It ravages the souls of those who think there is no reality beyond themselves. Those who suffer from the smallness of arrogance think that ill fortune is the fault of those who suffer it; that good fortune is a privilege that belongs to them. Whatever path you take, Grandson, do not succumb to arrogance and endanger your soul. When a storm blows, you must stand firm. For it is not trying to knock you down, it is really trying to teach you to be strong.

"When I was a young man," he said, "the last wolf in this part of the country was hunted down and killed. The newcomers to this land brought their long-held fears of the wolf with them. The newcomers thought, and still think, that the wolf was successful because he loved to kill and was good at it. To them, he was evil and had to be killed. They didn't realize that he failed more than he succeeded. He went hungry eight or nine times out of ten because his prey got away. When he finally succeeded the tenth time, he satisfied his hunger. What others saw as a lust for killing was really perseverance. That was the secret of his success: He never quit."

You can think whatever you want, say whatever you want, and
do whatever you want, as long as you are willing to face the consequences.

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Our ability to reason has not given us special status, only a greater responsibility.

We are all afraid of something. But that shouldn't stop us from
going on every day. We should not always walk in fear of the
shadow while we are in the light. It is certain we will not know
when or how the difficult and bad times will come, but if we
accept that they will come, then they are easier to face when they do.
And always remember that anything that causes the shadow
is smaller than the source of light.

Weakness and strength are necessary for balance. No one or nothing
is only weak or only strong. But some of us overlook our weaknesses, and
even deny that we have them. That can be dangerous, because denying
there is a weakness is in itself a weakness. Likewise, accepting that we
have weaknesses becomes a strength. And by the same token,
overestimating strength is a weakness. You should not be blinded
by your strengths. The feeling of strength is not the same as
having strength. Neither should you ignore your weaknesses.
Know them well, too.

Joseph Marshall III was born and raised on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Because he was raised in a traditional native household by his maternal grandparents, his first language is Lakota. In that environment he also learned the ancient tradition of oral storytelling.

Joseph taught at the high school and university levels, and developed curriculum as well. Now he writes full time, having published six nonfiction works, and one novel, and was contributing author in four other publications; and has written several screenplays. Several of his books have been published in French, Hebrew, and Korean.

In addition Joseph has appeared in several television documentaries, served as technical advisor in movies, and had a role in a major television network movie. In 2005 he was a technical advisor and narrator for the Turner Network Television (TNT) and Dreamworks six-part mini-series Into the West, as well as playing the on-screen role of “Loved by the Buffalo.” He is also a practitioner of primitive Lakota archery, having learned from his maternal grandfather the art of hand crafting bows and arrows, and is also a specialist in wilderness survival.

One of his most treasured and meaningful experiences was to be one of the founders of Sinte Gleska University (1971) on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. He is one of the Charter Board Members.

His sixth book, The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History (Viking Penguin) is a biography from the Lakota viewpoint of the greatest Lakota warrior, based primarily on oral accounts. It is now in its fifth hard cover printing. The book has been featured twice on the C-SPAN Book TV broadcast. The book which preceded it, The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living (Viking Penguin, 2002), is now in its fifteenth printing.

(from his website at thunderdreamers.com)

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