About the Book

"Drawing from ancestral knowledge, as well as her experience as an attorney and activist, Sherri Mitchell addresses some of the most crucial issues of our day, such as environmental protection and human rights. Sharing the gifts she has received from elders around the world, Mitchell urges us to decolonize our language and our stories. For those seeking change, this book offers a set of cultural values that will preserve our collective survival for future generations"--

Book Synopsis

A "profound and inspiring" collection of Indigenous wisdom for "anyone wanting the healing of self, society, and of our shared planet" (Peter Levine, author of Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma).

Penobscot leader, lawyer, and activist Sherri Mitchell offers enduring lessons rooted in powerful First Nations cosmologies and timeless universal insights. She speaks directly into the crises of our time--environmental injustice, colonial extraction, and profound disconnection--with teachings and tools for embodying sacred and reciprocal ways of life.

Drawing from ancestral knowledge, as well as her experience as an attorney and activist, Mitchell explores the most crucial issues of our day:

- Indigenous land rights
- Environmental justice
- Our collective human survival
- The immense harms of patriarchy
- How we build, and learn from, meaningful community
- Wisdom and insights for restoring what's been lost, for the sake of us all and the more-than-human world

Sacred Instructions explains how our traditional stories frame our belief systems. It urges us to decolonize our language and our stories. It reveals how the removal of women from our stories has impacted our thinking and disrupted the natural balance within our communities. And, with gifts and insights received from the elders of the Penobscot Nation, it asks us to look deeply into the illusions we've accepted as truth--but which separate us from our higher minds, each other, and the earth.

Review Quotes

"Sacred Instructions is an important book that synthesizes a wealth of information in an approachable and empowering way. Mitchell's steady, assured tone and recommendations for action makes this a rewarding book for anyone looking for a way to engage in less conflict-based, more effective community change."
--Foreword

"A deeply personal meditation and call to consciousness and transformation, Sacred Instructions challenges the way we see and experience the world around us. For many readers, the book will reveal the first steps toward a process of self-discovery and spiritual awareness that Mitchell shows us must be lived and breathed every day on our own personal journeys of decolonization and patient recovery of an indigenized worldview."
--Robert A. Williams, Jr., chair of the University of Arizona Indigenous People's Law and Policy Program and author of Savage Anxieties

"In this compelling book, Sherri Mitchell helps all of us understand the experience of First Nations peoples and helps us to embody that unique wisdom. She brings forth a broad understanding of cultural and generational trauma in a way that supports deep healing. The wisdom of this courageous book is profound and inspiring. It is recommended for anyone wanting the healing of self, society, and of our shared planet."
--Peter A. Levine, PhD, author of Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma

"In this passionate prayer for reclaiming and celebrating indigenous wisdom, sacred activist Sherri Mitchell invites everyone to the table. Both Native and non-Native peoples have been suffering from the ongoing trauma of colonization. The remedy is a conscious and loving embrace of core cultural values of reverence for the earth and clear-sighted collaboration. Mitchell's intelligent writing and wise heart light the way."
--Mirabai Starr, translator of Dark Night of the Soul: John of the Cross and author of Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation

"Lawyer and activist Mitchell, a member of the Penawahpskek (Penobscot) Nation, offers an all-embracing message of human connectedness that will resonate widely."
--Publishers Weekly

"Mitchell introduces a rich, sophisticated, and socially aware spirituality. Anyone interested in holistic faith traditions will find her work rewarding."
--Library Journal

About the Author

SHERRI MITCHELL was born and raised on the Penobscot Indian reservation. She received her Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Indigenous People's Law and Policy from the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law. She is an alumna of the American Indian Ambassador program, and the Udall Native American Congressional Internship program. She is the Founding Director of the Land Peace Foundation, an organization dedicated to the global protection of indigenous rights and the preservation of the indigenous way of life. Sherri speaks and teaches around the world on issues of indigenous rights, environmental justice, spiritual activism, and transformational change. Sherri is also the co-host of Love (and Revolution) Radio, a syndicated radio program that highlights stories of heart-based activism and revolutionary spiritual change.