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Red Thunder
A phenomena rarely seen in nature. It is a red flash in the sky
at night, evening, or earlyt morning before it is fully light. In our
native language, the word “thunder’ also may apply to the
accompanying
and expected lightning. Further, the four thunders are known ancient and
holy beings of nature possessing great powers and certain qualities and
attributes, lightning being one of them. Therefore, this red flash is
termed for the power or being actually behind it, the Red Thunder, kewl
(red) stalonem (thunder) in our language. The Thunders may be called upon
in certain ways and their presence may be interpreted depending upon the
situation and whatever ceremonial prayer requests have been offered.
It is a sacred sign.
About Dave Matheson Author of Red Thunder
 David
Matheson was born on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation in 1951
at the home of his grandparents, Nick and Margaret Campbell. Since his
birth, Matheson has been a member of the Schee-tsuumsh people, now called
the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. His native language is the Salish dialect,
which is unique to this tribe, but shares common elements with the languages
of other northern plateau tribes including the Spokane, the Flathead,
the Okanogan, and the Kalispel.
Matheson has spent a lifetime learning and living the teachings of the
Coeur d’Alene. Hunting, root digging, berry picking, and camping
are a major part
of his and his wife’s regular routine, as are observing the Tribe’s
traditions and ceremonial dances and events. He has worked and lived most
of his adult
life on the reservation, where he has served as a Council leader, the
Tribal Chairman, and manager of
various tribal operations.
David Matheson is a man who walks adroitly in Indian and Anglo worlds.
He has accomplished this by
integrating traditional tribal teachings and practices into his successful
business career. He was
the CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Casino & Resort Hotel in Worley,
Idaho, which was voted the #1 casino
in the Spokesman Reader Review for three consecutive years.
Matheson holds an M.A. in Business Administration from the University
of Washington. Over the past twenty years, Matheson has held many esteemed
positions and has received many honors
for his work in preserving cultural traditions, the native language, and
ceremonial practices. He has served as the Deputy Commissioner for Indian
Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior; the CEO for Coeur d’Alene
Development Enterprises; an advisor for the President’s Commission
on Reservation Economies; a
delegate to the People’s Republic of China’s Native American
Trade Mission; and a recipient of Commendation from the Secretary of the
Interior for Outstanding Service.
In his spare time, Matheson enjoys training and riding horses, competing
in cutting and reining, as well as participating in Native American traditional
dances and pow wows. He resides in Northern Idaho with his wife, Jenny.
They have six full-grown children.
Life Lesssons From Red Thunder
The essential role of elders
“Everyone remained still as my Sila (grandfather) and Checheya
(grandmother) took a little food from the
bowls and baskets. They were our elders. They sacrificed so very much
for all of us. If it weren’t for them,
we wouldn’t even be here. It seems as though their children and
grandchildren are their whole lives, and I
can’t think of a time they were not a part of my life, teaching,
helping, supporting, caring and comforting”
p. 14.
Showing respect for motherhood
“Always respect your mother. [This is] an ancient teaching
of our people. Never talk harshly to her,
never get ahead of her and try to talk down to her. In all the world,
no one is going to love you so
unconditionally and with such absolute dedication” p. 136.
The institution of marriage
“Marriage is a true and complete partnership. One person
cannot totally dictate. Concern and problems
must be talked about and both sides addressed in the final decision decided”
p. 231.
Caring for your children
“Treat him special. Talk to him special. He’ll understand
you. Teach him to pray. That very first cry he
cried out as the Kolunsuten blew His breath of air into him, the Creator
will never forget it. Throughout his
lifetime, when he is in need and comes before the Kolunsuten like a child
and he sheds tears in deep
humility, He will recognize that cry and know it is one of his people.
Your own lives are second now. Your
baby’s is first. So, do the best you can” p. 249.
Giving thanks to the natural world about us
“Thank you, my home place, for welcoming us back. You are
a sacred place, like a mother you
care for us, shield us and shelter us. Greetings great waters in the rivers
and creeks, my brothers,
the fish. We are returned to you and have never forgotten you. The great
meadows, thank you for
accepting us and our lodges, and for feeding our ponies to make them strong
and fast. The hills
around us, you watch over us and provide the game for us to eat, the wood
for our fires and many
of the medicines we use to take care of our people in need. All of you
are my home. In our home
lodges we will speak gently and always take the best care of you. We will
be happy because we are
in harmony with you. Sila always said to talk to our homeland directly,
as though it was a person
just like me. Again, it seemed to be the simple truth” p. 92.
Our animal protectors
“A low flying eagle passed overhead looking intently back
and forth through the forest. He was the
guardian of the land, the protector against evil. Should he ever disappear
or cease to exist, the land and all
upon it would perish” p. 78.
Our familial bond with the land
“The mountains and the lakes, they are a part of us. It
feels like us, like we do. The country is alive. It
knows us. It is related to us. It is our Noona, our mother. It is our
family….We are its children. It does not
belong to us. Rather, we belong to it, as did our brothers of the forest,
the animal kingdom. We are all one
and connected” pp. 66-67.
Respect for the animal kindom
“Treat your horse like you would want to be treated. He
is a great brother to come among the human
kingdom to enable and further our living. How many brothers do you know
who would come and do that
for you – even die for you? Not many. But the good horse does that
for you” p. 24.
The healing power of nature
“Nature has a medicinal power just to be in it, by opening
your heart and your mind to it. As you turn your
mind to it, the soul is refreshed. When the soul is renewed, the heart
and mind are joyous, and the body is
healed. It makes you turn to the Higher Power in thankfulness. And, in
your spiritual thanksgiving, the
soul rejoices. The healing power of the natural world is truly incredible”
p. 86.
Working to preserve harmony with nature
“Harmony with nature and all it is, is not merely a principle
or concept. It is a state of being to be attained
along the course of a lifetime, earned only by how you live your life.
True and living examples of respect,
reverent offerings in prayerful, sincere ceremonies and peace with the
Creator, this is the only way to
achieve this harmony. Our people have it, and we feel its blessing….There
really is no difference between
our everyday life and religion; and no difference between religion and
ceremony. So we pray to the
Kolunsuten to sanction all that we do religiously and ceremonially first,
bringing ourselves near to nature
that He would move to bless us and fulfill our prayers through nature”
pp. 173-174.
Keeping the seasons in balance
“Winter was supposed to act like winter. Summer was supposed
to act like summer. When they didn’t,
there was a basic disharmony between man and nature, and it needed to
be addressed ceremonially” p. 81.
The importance of resisting gluttony
“We will only kill two deer. This is part of my pact with
the deer and part of my Sumesh power. We will
kill only two….Never take more than you need, never be wasteful,
and never be boastful….Take the deer
only in the respectful manner, pray thankfully for him. Talk to the deer
spirit about why you have taken his
life. In this way, the deer will be happy for the good purpose for which
he has lived and died, and you will
be blessed. Otherwise, you could become a troubled or confused person”
pp. 18-20.
The importance of hospitality
“The dances continued on for several days. My Noona (mother)
and others were tireless in their cooking
and accommodating guests. She did this with a good feeling for people
and a belief that the foods and the
spirit of hospitality would bless her home, her husband and her children.
It would make her husband and
her sons good hunters, her root and berry gathering could be good and
plentiful. The dried foods would
preserve without going bad. Her loved ones would never go without food
and water” p. 80.
The rewards of generosity
“The families could tell which buffalo were theirs by the
family design on the arrow or the spear. If there
was ever a dispute about whose it was because the arrow was buried or
broken off, it was an honor to be the first to decline it and gift it
to the other family. Maybe they were in dire need with limited hunters.
The
people admired and rewarded generosity. The truly rich people did not
own the most, they gave the most”
p. 132
Protectin the sanctity of life
“It is our way to be very careful around a woman expecting
child. You must not yell around them, argue or
tell scary or frightening stories. Never say hurtful or critical things.
All this will affect the baby. Above all,
never ever say anything that may indicate or reflect that you may not
really want the child. Such talk could
cause a multitude of health and emotional problems in the child, perhaps
over the course of a whole
lifetime or perhaps the Kolunsuten would take them back. We have to be
careful” p. 230.
Respect for ceremony
“Ceremonial ways are sacred and powerful. Only those so
authorized by the sacred beings of nature can
conduct them, or pass them down to others whom they deem worthy or qualified
to conduct them. Our
ceremonial ways are protected from abuse or misuse. To mimic or just pick
up someone’s ways without
proper authorization is more than just wrong or foolish, it is dangerous.
Spiritually, it would not work out
for you, or the people you tried to help. Some great misfortune may actually
befall you, or your loved
ones” p. 247.
When war is necessary
“We want peace. We want the goodness of life. That is why
we are blessed by the Kolunsuten (God). We
never kill or take life indiscriminately, nor do we take slaves. All people
are equal. War at just any cost
seems insanity; but peace at all costs is slavery! We will not be slaves
to anyone. We will not sit by and
have our loved ones killed, injured, or captured! With every measure of
life and strength we have, we will
never allow this!” p. 280
Honoring our worriors
“The blood our warriors shed, and have left upon the ground
over the years of time, is the foundation upon
which we stand, we walk, we build our homes and we raise our children.
Never forget them, never take
them for granted” p. 127.
The role of heroes
“Death, losing life, and fighting for life are sacred things.
The warrior way is not about glory and celebration.
It is about doing the terrible things you must do, that no one else of
the people can do, in order to
protect your loved ones from danger, suffering, or death” p. 38.
Dear Interviewer,
“I look at the world and worry. Although technology and science
have brought much progress,
humanity itself seems to have regressed. Togetherness, courtesy, and respect
for our fellow man has
disappeared for the most part. The family and even marriage seem to have
become failed institutions in many cases. I believe all people need some
of our native culture and story imparted to them.”
David Matheson, author of RED THUNDER
David Matheson has been a member of the Coeur d’Alene Indian
Tribe since birth and has served as a
Council Leader and Chairman for this tribe. He is also a successful businessman
who is CEO of the
thriving Coeur d’Alene Casino & Resort Hotel. By actively practicing
the rich cultural teachings of his
ancestors on a daily basis, he has managed to prosper financially and
spiritually, proving that it is possible
to incorporate sacred rituals into our lives while still being practical.
In RED THUNDER (Media Weavers Publishing Hardcover, $24.95
& Trade Paperback, $16.00), Matheson shares the authentic traditions,
customs, principles, and teachings of his ancestors to help us all develop
a deep sense of peace, harmony, and purpose in our daily lives.
David Matheson is available to discuss why the rich cultural traditions
of Native American life are particularly relevant to today’s world.
A former Deputy Commissioner for Indian Affairs (U.S. Dept. of the
Interior), Matheson is expertly qualified to talk about many current news
and social issues, including:
• What Native American teachings tell us about war and when it is
necessary.
• The role of heroes and how to properly honor them.
• How becoming more attuned with nature and the animal kingdom can
relieve the stress of everyday
life.
• Why it is essential to protect endangered species that have great
symbolic importance, like the
eagle, which several native cultures believe protects man from evil.
• How Coeur d’Alene practices for dealing with spousal abuse
can assist Americans in addressing
the problem of violence against women.
• How drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge can adversely
effect our relationship with
nature.
David Matheson has spent a lifetime learning and living the teachings
of his people, and in RED THUNDER,
he shares this rich cultural heritage. I hope you will consider an interview
with this charismatic and
accomplished avatar of Native American life. I will call you soon to discuss
this possibility further.
Best regards,
Red Thunder By Dave Matheson
“This compelling story of the Schi’tsu’umsh
(now known as the Coeur d’Alene)
tribal people of long ago is told in simple, dynamic language reminiscent
of an
oral tradition. Dave Matheson’s first novel is an impressive accomplishment.”
—Janet Campbell Hale, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Member,
and author of Bloodlines: Odyssey of a Native Daughter
“I recommend RED THUNDER to all Native Americans as a book
which will
help them to connect with our past. I recommend it to all non-indians
as a book
that will help them to better understand our history, culture, and sacred
traditions.”
—Ernest Stensgar, Tribal Chairman, Coeur d’Alene Tribe
“David Matheson, a man who walks with agility in two worlds, Indian
and Anglo,
has created a dynamically powerful and culturally important work to benefit
future generations.”
—Christina Crawford, author of Mommie Dearest
“I have a deep love for my people. I dearly love to see my elders,
the ladies with the Indian dresses, long
braids, and bandannas; and the gray men, some with long braids. Some of
them carried on the stories of the old days, of the songs, of the tragedies
and of the triumphs,” says David Matheson, a former Council leader
and Chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe and author of RED
THUNDER (Media Weavers Publishing Hardcover, $24.95 & Trade Paperback,
$16.00).
Matheson has beautifully rendered the essence of these long-standing customs
and teachings in his moving
memoir of the Schi’tsu’umsh Indians (now called the Coeur
d’Alene Tribe). Until now, these stories have
been guarded secrets among his tribe, partly from fear and partly from
a need to protect what they have left. Matheson feels the time is now
right to share his people’s history because it is a story so much
of the world yearns for; it is a story of faith, courage, and togetherness.
RED THUNDER is an engrossing saga spanning several generations
of a Schi’tsu’umsh family, starting
in the early 1700s, before the tribe’s widespread contact with European
settlers. It recounts a time when the tribe was governed by laws based
exclusively on traditional Schi’tsu’umsh teachings and the
rules of
nature. Set amid the tribe’s originally claimed territory,
which spans present day Northern Idaho, Eastern
Washington and Western Montana, Matheson’s narrative faithfully
recreates an all but vanished way of
life.
Matheson translates the oral traditions of his forbearers into an inspiring
and enlightening story of harmony
—man’s harmony with the natural world, as well as his quest
for peace and unity of purpose with a Higher Power. RED THUNDER’s
account of Schi’tsu’umsh life endows its readers with new
perspectives on qualities and experiences common to all traditions—like
courage, love, and family, tragedy, hope, and renewal.
In RED THUNDER, readers see through new eyes
essential life lessons, such as:
• Respecting elders’ wisdom and appreciating the
many rewards of extended family.
• Living in harmony with nature and the animal kingdom.
• Opening our spirits to the incredible healing power of nature.
• Incorporating ceremony and prayer in our daily lives.
• Properly honoring motherhood, marriage, childbirth, and other
major rites of passage.
In short, readers will discover a deep respect for time-honored
traditions that can bring peace, harmony,
and understanding to their daily lives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David Matheson has been a member of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe
since his birth in 1951 at the home
of his grandparents. He has served as a Council leader, the Tribal Chairman,
and manager of various tribal
operations over his career. He is a traditional leader working to retain
tribal cultural traditions, the native
language, and ceremonial practices. His knowledge of ancient teachings
provides him with a deep understanding of the ceremonial practices of
native people. He also holds an MBA from the University of
Washington. He resides in Northern Idaho.
For further information or to schedule an interview, please contact Jennifer
Richards at Over the River
Public Relations: 201/242-9637, Jen@otrpr.com.
Red Thunder
By David Matheson
Media Weavers Publishing Hardcover, $24.95, ISBN: 0-9647212-5-2 &
Trade Paperback $16.00, ISBN: 0-9647212-3-6
/ Fiction / 344 pages
Readers Guide Included in Books
A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID MATHESON Author of Red
Thunder
Q. You have written a moving memoir of the Schee-tsu-umsch Indians,
now called the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in Northern Idaho. Why did you
decide to write this story?
A. [I am a member of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe. Over the years,
I’ve served as a Council
Leader and the Tribal Chairman and manager of various tribal operations.
I practice the
teachings of my tribe in my everyday life as the owner of a successful
business. I feel that our
tribal practices have served me well, and I would like to share this knowledge
with others in
the hopes of fostering stronger faith, courage, and togetherness.]
The deep and sincere feelings with which our ancestors conducted their
lives, tradition, and
culture is the story within me that was crying to be written. The functional
aspects of our
native ceremonial life can only be truly understood through appreciate
of the great degree of
kindness, humility, and faith with which our ancestors lived their everyday
lives.
Q. So, why did you decide to write your story in novel form?
A. I wanted to capture the essence of our authentic traditions and customs,
our principles and
teachings. [Our tribe has a long-standing oral tradition, and thus I felt
the most effective way
to bring these teachings to life was through the power of story. The backdrop
to the story is
part of our genuine oral history regarding the life and times of our great
prophet chief, Circling
Raven.]
Q. What is RED THUNDER about?
A. It is a story of harmony: man’s harmony with the natural world;
peace and unity of purpose
with a Higher Power; and understanding all of life and oneself in it.
I feel it is a story much of
the world is ready for – even yearning for.
Q. Is that why you feel it is so important to share this story with people
outside your tribe?
A. Yes. And, also I realize that even 500 years after Columbus, many Americans
still do not
know who America’s first inhabitants were or are. They know so little
about our unique,
beautiful culture. The world could learn from it.
Q. How is this story, set in the 1700s, relevant in today’s
world?
A. In RED THUNDER, I follow several generations of this family band from
birth to youth to
adulthood, old age, and death – not necessarily in that order. These
four cycles of the circle of
life are clearly depicted by telling their stories.
Life is not certain, or even promised to anyone. The characters lve life,
laugh, and learn. But,
also, they struggle, they work, and they confront life’s tragedies.
They do this with tears like
any human being may, but also with hope, faith, and courage.
In this way, the reader comes closer to the true meaning of life according
to our Native cultural
understandings. These meanings are not spelled out for the reader. But,
they are between
the lines to be deciphered by the individual as they contemplate the book
and their own
lives.
Q. This is such an important story that is of value to so many people
the world over. Why has this story never been told before?
A. Those who really knew kept it to themselves; and most all who knew
are gone now from this
earth. Much of our tradition has been a guarded secret fro many reasons,
partly from fear
and partly from a deep feeling to protect what we have left.
At one time, we were prohibited from talking our language or practicing
our traditional ceremonies
and customs. This instilled a deep fear in our grandparents, who as little,
defenseless
children, bore the brunt of ignorant acts to assimilate them by stomping
out our culture.
Q. What kind of research did you do to prepare for this book?
A. I have spent a lifetime learning and living the teachings depicted
in the book, talking to many
of our elders and practicing our culture and traditions in everyday life.
Hunting, root digging
and berry picking/camping are a major part of my wife’s and my regular
routine, as are
traditions and ceremonial dances and events.
The miracles that are depicted in this story and the teachings of Chief
Circling Raven are
actual accounts told by all our grandparents of most every family band
in the tribe.
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AUTHOR
1) To those of you who have Native-American backgrounds — when did
you first become
interested in writing about your culture? To those of you who have non-Native
American backgrounds,
what fueled your interest to write about Native American culture?
I had long wished for a telling and moving story that reflected all
that is good about our native
people and contained not only the ceremonial aspects of our cultural way
of life but also the
deep teachings. These teachings are the reason our people have lived a
cultural, traditional, and
ceremonial life. When that story I had always hoped for never materialized
I became more and
more interested and motivated in writing the story myself. We native people
have a rich and
beautiful heritage. We come from ancestors of a beautiful and powerful
nature. Our ancestors
knew a lot about life, love, and the natural environment. They utilized
that knowledge to build a
culture a tradition and a ceremonial life that fit together perfectly
with life, family, responsibility,
and a harmonious living for nature.
2) Which Native American group(s) and geographic region(s) are the focus
for your books?
“Red Thunder” is a coming of age story that spans several
generations of Schee-tsu-umsh
Indians now called the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in northern Idaho. Schee-tsu-umsh
country is a
beautiful landscape that in itself is one of the primary characters of
the book. The land was
alive, and is alive today to our folks of previous generations. They understood
life from their
relationship to nature, the animals, fish, water, to the land, to the
sky and the four winds. They
found a great strength in humility and sincerity. They never forgot how
to be thankful for each
new day. They sang a song with each holy dawn, and offered prayer for
they said the great
Kolunsuten, creator never promised anyone a tomorrow. When the new day
comes be thankful
for it and all the many blessings that you have. Life is a precious and
thankful gift.
3) How has writing about a Native American culture impacted you personally?
What have you
learned along the way?
I poured much of my deepest feelings from my heart into the story
“Red Thunder.” I purposefully
retained and kept out of public display the detail of our ceremonial doings.
However, I put
for the first time much of our teaching about our ceremonial life, about
why we call the earth our
mother, why we call the animals our brother, why we are related to the
four winds and the sky
above. I had heard these things over the course of my lifetime and felt
like they were never
portrayed correctly in the non-Indian media. I hope that in sharing these
teachings that some
readers might learn enough about our native culture to find their own
sense of inner peace and
gain a sense of understanding and appreciation for the native people.
Perhaps along the way
people might be somehow more mindful and more kind toward native people
of this continent.
4) Can you give us a brief description of the particular Native American
custom or ceremony
that you found most fascinating to write about?
I tried to write about the broad aspects of our culture so that people
could understand why our
people are the way that we are. We really are the children of the mother
earth and the great
Creator Kolunsuten. My own grandparents have said that the foundation
of our culture is being
thankful. When you know how to be thankful, truly thankful, it will make
you humble. When you
have humility you will gain true strength. When you have this true strength
you are going to be a
blessed and powerful person among mankind. Then you can go out and do
in the world what
you must. I wanted to capture and contain the depth of this way of life,
what this way of life is
really all about in a story. I want people to see the humility and what
really was the true strength
of our people. I enjoyed telling the story and it was easy for me. I only
had to write about what I
had seen in my parents and grandparents and what I try to practice every
day in my life.
5) Tell us how you conduct research when writing about Native American
customs, language,
and spiritual beliefs.
Since my life has been filled with our cultural beliefs and customs I
did little research in the
traditional sense. However, over the course of a lifetime, decades, I
talked to all the elders I
could. I tried learning as much of our language as I could. I collected
stories of creation. I
collected stories of the events that happened before mankind was put here,
how our people came
to be, and how things happened in the old stories that helped form the
historical basis for our
cultural understandings. With that knowledge I tried to practice them
in our own ceremonial
ways in our own ways of prayers, use them and pass them on. In the book
“Red Thunder” these
were not studied in an academic sense. They were learned in a traditional
sense and portrayed
as accurately as I could.
6) What are some of the key issues for Native Americans that you
hope to convey through your
books?
I want the public in general to feel that our people are just deep feeling
people, like any other of
the good people of the world. Our old folks and our people today have
strong hopes and powerful
wishes. We have a deep love for our children and grandchildren. We have
a deep respect and
loving admiration for our elders, the ones with the long braids and talk
our language, and gather
the Indian foods. These elders took care of their children and grandchildren
in the times of
economic depression over the last century. I want readers of all backgrounds
and races to know
that our people stand for something good. For faith, determination, survival,
and that we have a
right to be. In a sense we are an endangered species. What makes us unique
is what God gave
us. He gave us our own language, culture, our own beginnings, and our
own land. These things
need to be preserved to us. They were given to us and preserved for us
by a higher power than
this nation or government. Yet thru the laws of modern society we have
treaty agreements that
restate our right to be on our own land. These things must be preserved
7) How do you combat “Indian stereotypes” in your writing?
Do you feel most writers adequately
portray the cultural diversity among Native Americans?
I believe in my book “Red Thunder” all the Hollywood stereotyping
is totally smashed and
broken and a new image is portrayed. The new image is one of family, hope,
the beauty of
togetherness, and unity with nature and a higher power. Our people made
their own way in the
world. Our people were independent, strong and powerful. They made their
own homes, they
gathered their own food, and they took care of all the family needs. In
their time, they had no old
age homes, no orphanages, no prisons, or mental institutions. They made
a beautiful society and
they raised their children to know about prayer, and being a good person.
Our ancestors fought
to preserve their way of life, their notion of freedom and their right
to be who they are in their
own land with every measure that they had. Some gave their own life for
the foundation of today
and what is represented in treaty and other agreements between our nations
and the United
States. Our ancestors are patriots and heroes. I believe this new story
and this new image of
our people needs to be told again and again, and I intend to do that.
8) What are the unique challenges you face in writing about the Native
American culture? What
do you find most rewarding?
I think the most challenging part writing about native America is being
careful around the
ceremonial aspects of our living. I think everyday life, religion, and
ceremony were inseparable.
You could not separate religion from every day life, you could not separate
ceremony from
religion. We are very prayerful and thankful people. Our ancestors and
people today try to live
a good life but it is difficult to write about the ceremonial aspect.
In fact, much of it has never
been photographed and never been written about and I do not intend to
be the first to do so. The
ceremonial aspect of our way of life is the part that if it is not written
correctly, even in the
general way that I do, it could be misunderstood. My parents told me to
never talk about our
deepest religious beliefs and ceremonial ways. Our ceremonies and beliefs
are so sacred and so
beautifully powerful it would be wrong for people to talk about them or
make fun of them in a
disrespectful way as they read about it or hear about it.
I enjoyed writing very much. I learned a lot about what art really is.
When you create art,
whether it is a painting, photograph, sculpture or writing a story, people
look at what you created
and they get a feeling like what you had when you created it. The observers
can often times
share the feelings of joy, happiness, laugher and tears. I get overcome
with a deep feeling of
satisfaction when I can portray these feelings to the reader. To me that
is the greatest reward an
artist could get.
9) How has the Internet impacted your writing career? Did you or
your publisher use the web to
promote your book? Do you have a website? How are you using your website?
The Internet has changed everything in publishing. Our book is offered
on the Internet at
amazon.com. I have a website davidmatheson.com. We get a lot of hits on
our website from
people across the nation, and probably worldwide in the near future. The
Internet is obviously
the wave of the future. As much as things have changed, you can probably
expect that change to
multiply seven times over again. It will become more and more important.
We will probably see
people doing more electronic shopping as the years go by. We expect to
continue updating my
website, and make our site and our books available to the public through
them.
10) Tell us about your current project(s).
I have started several books and publishers/agents have changed my direction
a number of times.
I really have several books unfinished. One of the unfinished books is
a sequel to Red Thunder.
Another is a non-fiction about some of the life lessons that I put in
Red Thunder. My current
project is a non-fiction book about native principals in managing. Managing
life, projects,
organizations, etc. I believe native people have a lot to offer. We have
contributed a lot to the
world today. Medicines, foods, American history, and character wouldn’t
be the same if our
people were not here to interact with the European settlers. We have much
more to offer. Our
people have been the first to volunteer to defend this land, this nation
and to fight under its flag.
Of all the ethnic groups in America, Native Americans proportionately
have been the first and
have volunteered to fight for democracy and freedom because it is our
land and our country. Not
in historical and ownership sense, but because we really are all in it
together. I want to be able
to bring something new something more to the table that will bring us
all together as a people
and as a nation.
BOOK PROFILE
Red Thunder
BY DAVID MATHESON
Red Thunder is a memoir of a People. The story draws from the oral
history of the Schee-tsu-umsh
Indians, now called the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in Northern Idaho. This
unique portrayal of pre-European
Native Americans is an authentic work displaying the rich cultural teachings
behind Native American life.
Red Thunder is not only about courage, love and family, but about tragedy,
hope and renewal as well. Here
the oral traditions of the ancestors are written down with the power of
heart and soul. Readers of this
century will discover a deep, timely relevance that will bring peace,
harmony and understanding to their
own daily lives.
“RED THUNDER was the best book this writer has
read this year,
maybe even in years”…. Brent Andrews, Coeur d’Alene
Press.
Trade paperback ISBN: 09647212-3-6 $16.00
Hardcover ISBN: 09647212-5-2 $24.95
Oublished by
Media Weavers, LLC
P.O. Box 86190
Portland, OR 97286-0190
FAX: 503-771-5166
PHONE: 503-771-0428
Contact Email: jenamccord@earthlink.net
Available through Partners West, Baker & Taylor, Follett
Praise For Red Thunder by Dave Matheson
“RED THUNDER is a strong and powerful book with
an exciting plot that has both
traditional religion and timeless wisdom intricately woven together.”
—Nancy A. Anderson, Assoc. Professor at U. of So. Florida, for
Winds of Change Magazine
“[RED THUNDER] was the best book this writer has
read this year, maybe even in
many years.” —Brent Andrews, Coeur d’Alene Press
“Matheson’s RED THUNDER is so popular...this
is an Auntie’s bestseller!”
—Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane WA
“I’ve read less than five books in my life that have brought
tears to my eyes, David
Matheson’s book ‘RED THUNDER’ was one
of them.”
—Laura Boyle, Vancouver Community Library
“RED THUNDER is a story of belonging – with
and to Earth, Tribe, Spirit – a belonging
missing from many lives today.”
—Christina Crawford, Author of Mommie Dearest
“Dave Matheson’s first novel is an impressive accomplishment.”
—Janet Campbell Hale, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Member, Author
of
Bloodlines: Odyssey of a Native Daughter
“RED THUNDER has the rhythm of an Elder telling
a story. It rings true and will touch
the heart of anyone who reads it. This is a triumphant work, singing out
in a clear voice,
bringing to us a tiny flash of the red thunder.”
—Ani Harrison, Tacoma Reporter
“A noteworthy addition to the genre of Indian tales.”
—Romana Hillebrand, for the Idaho Librarian
“Using an oral history about the life of legendary “prophet
chief” Circling Raven, as
well as the stories still told by elderly Coeur d’Alene (or Schitsu’umsh)
Indians, author
and tribal member David Matheson reconstructs the world of an Idaho Native
American
family in the early 1700s.” —Publishers Weekly
“RED THUNDER is a book that vividly depicts a time,
place and people very different
from the average 21st-century reader while deftly pointing out our common
ground.”
—Donna Scanlon, Rambles Magazine
“I recommend RED THUNDER to all Native Americans
as a book which will help them
to connect with our past and to all non-indians as a book which will help
them to better
understand our history, culture, and sacred traditions.”
—Ernest Stensgar, Tribal Chairman,
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
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