Paula Underwood

 

 

Paula Underwood (1932–2000) was an Iroquois oral historian. Paula Underwood was a lineal descendant of Tsilikomah, an Oneida (Iroquois) healer in Cascaskia on the Shenango River ca. 1800, who took up responsibility for a vast Oral Tradition and Learning Way from an Erie/Oneida Keeper of the Old Things who was her patient. This tradition was handed down in her family and designed to be shared with "all Earth's children with Listening Ears."

Paula Underwood was the Native American author of several award-winning books and contributor to numerous publications. Paula focused on creative change through the application of an ancient Native American methodology for learning, organization, and health. A speaker, lecturer, and teacher, Paula was also the Founder and Director of The LearningWay company, and developer of a nationwide educational program -The Past is Prologue - used by learning organizations from elementary levels through graduate classes, in corporations, and organizational training. The educational program based on her work has been declared "Exemplary" by the U.S. Department of Education. Her first book Who Speaks for Wolf has won four awards, including the Thomas Jefferson Cup for quality writing. It has been called "the best book I know of on systems thinking." Paula was consistently praised for her ability to apply Ancient and enduring American Indian Wisdom to the apparent chaos of rapid change.

She is known for "learning stories" or "The Learning Way."

The Walking People: A Native American Oral History

"This story has its beginnings on a day long ago when Earth rolled and heaved, and rocks fell like rain..."

Thus began the epic journey of The Walking People—a journey which, over 10,000 years, would span continents and allow a leaderless, traditionless group of people to gather the knowledge and wisdom to prosper as a Whole People.

The Walking People traces the threads of connection from ancient Native American thinking toward the thinking that underlies many of our present political structures.

Now, the Walking People have reached our own time—a time when we begin to learn that wisdom may have greater value than success, that individuals need respect in their communities, that spirit may mean more than just determination, that no one single view of history can be fully accurate.

This is a history told by the people themselves and passed down from generation to generation, "that the children's children may yet learn."

Published in cooperation with the Institute of Noetic Sciences

Who Speaks for Wolf? A Native American Learning Story

Who Speaks for Wolf is a story of one People's struggle to live as they learned valuable lessons from nature, from life, and from within themselves.

Deceptively simple, this story can be read on multiple levels of understanding. Each re-reading may raise different questions or reveal new meanings. Winner of a major children's book award in 1984, it has also been used during corporate training sessions and is read in classrooms from kindergarten to college levels.

Beautifully presented in full color with Frank Howell's original paintings and drawings, this book is for anyone of any age who might be willing to ask the ancient question: "Who Speaks for Wolf?"

Bibliography

• Who speaks for wolf : a native American learning story as told to Turtle Woman Singing by her father, Sharp-eyed Hawk
• The Walking People : a Native American oral history, 1993
• Three strands in the braid : a guide for enablers of learning, 1993
• Winter white and summer gold : a Native American learning story, 1994
• Many circles, many paths : a Native American learning story, 1994
• Franklin listens when I speak : tellings of the friendship between Benjamin Franklin and Skenandoah, an Oneida chief, 1996