Raymond Kaquatosh

This is the true story of Little Hawk, Raymond Kaquatosh. It describes his life from his birth in 1924 through the years following his discharge from the Army. Little Hawk was raised on the Wisconsin Menominee Reservation. His is a story of gratitude.

Raymond Kaquatosh's memoir is a recounting of experiences and life lessons learned.

I liked his reasons for naming his wolf Kernel.
"Now I had to think of a name for him. Corn to the Indian is like bread to the white man--'the staff of life.' When the seed of corn is planted and combines with the Earth, it starts to grow. This wolf was a seed of friendship, so I called him Kernel." (p. 87)

Recurring themes:
-"When life is progressing well, beware of the unexpected." (p. 88)
-"No white man will make me cry."
-"We shall meet again, it's only a matter of time" (p. 15)

What a telling statement!
"Prejudice is not uncommon in our society. It's prevalent among the lower social stratification--or should I say, the undeducated, the misinformed, the ignorant." (p. 247)

Though the author said that no white man would make him cry, the following passage brought tears to this white woman's eyes.
"We cannot be in the past or the future. We must accept life as it is and never complain about trivial things. There is so much to do and so little time. When my last breath is taken. I will be with my wolf again. Then we will be at peace forever and roam the heavens for all etermity." (p. 257)

This is a very spiritual book. I felt like Raymond's Indian heritage demonstrated the life lessons taught by Deepak Chopra. Raymond's actions teach us to let go of the past, stop worrying about the future, and to live in the moment. Moreover, his memoir is an amazing treatise on gratitude. This was a great read! (less)… (más)

This memoir would be interesting for male high school students, especially those who need motivation to read. Warning: there are swear words, but nothing high schoolers haven't heard already. If you are enamored of Native American culture, you will not get the words of wisdom you are seeking. This book sticks to the facts, and life was not always pleasant or easy. While there are a few times when Kaquatosh refers to participating in ceremony, or that he knew more, he does not spill it to the general public. At least half the book deals with his war years, and it was a man's world.
He ends his tale with his marriage, with a focus on his connection with a wolf, why he sees himself as a lone wolf, and his connection with flying.… (más)