To the American Indian

"To the American Indian" by Lucy Thompson is a book published in 1916. Written by a Yurok woman, it preserves her people's stories through thirty-two chapters combining Yurok and English. Thompson describes spiritual practices, including the rigorous ceremonies for becoming a Talth, a spiritual leader. She explains cultural traditions around tobacco cultivation and smoking. The book also discusses Yurok ki-elth, a form of servitude distinct from chattel slavery, where impoverished families sought refuge with wealthier households during times of hardship.

To the American Indian, by Lucy Thompson. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #67084.