James Bay Region, Cree philosophy, Cree, Cree -- Folklore, Storytelling, Oral tradition 

Louis Bird has spent the last three decades documenting Cree oral traditions and sharing his stories with audiences in Canada, the United States, and Europe. In The Spirit Lives in the Mind the renowned storyteller and historian of the Omushkego shares teachings and stories of the Swampy Cree people that have been passed down from generation to generation as part of a rich oral tradition. Cree spiritual beliefs revolve around the sacred places and rich landscape of the Hudson Bay lowlands. The beautiful narratives in The Spirit Lives in the Mind illuminate the meaning and value of spiritual maturity and power, the parallels between Omushkego morality and Roman Catholic teachings, and the importance of maintaining the traditional stories. Bird also offers explanations of shamanism and demonstrates how Catholicism affected Cree tradition.Bird collaborated with Susan Elaine Gray, who worked from many years of learning about and teaching Omushkegowak culture and traditions in compiling his narratives and personal testament for The Spirit Lives in the Mind. It is a remarkable evocation of aboriginal storytelling about the Cree peoples, their landscape, and their places in the sky - from Amzon