I couldn't get into this one for some reason so I dnf'd at about 15-20%. The premise was really interesting so I might give it another chance in the future.

this was enlightening and also a slough to get through at times—these two are not mutually exclusive. this was a very educational memoir about the spiritual journey the author went through as a woman of mixed indian descent; however, some of her takes were…problematic? did not age well? this is an ARC so i won't quote but suffice it to say that people definitely do romanticize korean and asian cultures and will try to appropriate our cultures and adopt asian babies because of it (just look at oli london lol). uplifting native voices should not come at the expense of other cultures (while i believe that it was a good-faith attempt at centering both korean and native voices, it kinda fell flat). overall, probably not the best memoir i've read and the syntax was a bit choppy at times, but i did appreciate the vibrant descriptions of the natural world and the spiritual message. if you're into meditation, nature, and spirituality outside the confines of big-box religion, this book is for you; if you prefer deep and nuanced takes on culture and enchanting prose, i would say this falls a bit short.

Humility, gratitude, respect, caring, compassion, honesty, generosity.

I really enjoyed this memoir and appreciate having a look into the window of Trevor’s soul.

American Indian religious practices have often been prohibited by federal laws and government policies. The Indian Removal Act of 1830, The General Allotment Act of 1887 displaced 100s of Native American Tribes from their traditional homelands. Forced assimilation of Native American peoples left them without access to the lands that had traditionally been the sites of other religious ceremonies. Many American Indian children were forced to attend government - or church-operated boarding schools. where children were forbidden to speak their Native languages and forbidden to practice their Native religions, and were mistreated and abused in a myriad of other ways as well. It was not until the 1970’s when Jimmy Carter signed the the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978.

This was the world that Trevor was born into. Terra Trevor is a mixed blood Native American who early on passed as white and later on learned to appreciate the value of her Native Traditions.

She came from a split home, the daughter of a white woman who was only 16 years her senior, and a Native American man who’s father encouraged those who could to pass as white.She and her white husband adopted a son from Korea as their second child, who died a tragic death in his teens. She knows well the ins and outs of mixed race families on many levels, as well as hiding
who she really was in order to get along in life.

Later in life she is mentored in the Native American ways by women who were her elders. She learned the importance of Humility, gratitude, respect, caring, compassion, honesty, generosity.

Trevor gives us valuable insight into her life and the life experiences of Native Americans who have gone before her to pave the way.

In “We Who Walk the Seven Ways” we are able to walk beside Trevor as she discovers what is really important to her and shows us the importance of being a role model for those who come behind us.

A very valuable read.