Touch the Earth, a Self-Portrait of Indian Existence by TC McLuhanThis book is intended to describe the experience of North American Indians as their lifestyle. was modified by the intrusion of the white man on this continent. The writings consist of selections from letters and speeches of Indians dating mainly from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. This historical perspective of their experience with nature is not necessarily a well-known account in popular literature, but if it were to become more of a lesson, in the general education of the population, it could serve to broaden the understanding of the mode of Indian life. now and that was then. There is very little documentation that provides such insight into the dominant culture. This book was chosen because it was written from an Indigenous cultural and spiritual perspective. It is written in anecdotal form. Although there has been growing support over the past fifty years for understanding other peoples introduced to this land, such as African Americans, Asian Americans, and there is much documentation to support European Americans, relatively little was incorporated regarding Native Americans. While many of the groups of people mentioned above have suffered oppression, cultural devastation, and even destruction and slavery, many areas where historically accurate representation of culture and spirituality still exists, this cannot not be asserted with as much force with regard to the Indians. Even today, there is a division between those who want to discover their past, their cultural ancestry and those who simply want to discover the white man's American dream (Joe Bear, Catawba Tribe, 2001). The book was particularly poignant for anyone studying Indian culture. It is easy for us to feel vicarious rage, misery from these people, but Indians, dead and alive, would receive such feelings only with pity or contempt; it is too easy to feel sympathy for a people whose culture has been destroyed. Pride would engender contempt for sympathy; a strong people does not want sympathy. Too bad, because the ancestors knew destruction, they watched, unable to stop, as much of what was so abundant was destroyed. This scraping of the earth continues while the earth is still raw from past abuse. Rather than living in harmony with nature, all kinds of developed countries are devastating what has brought us wealth, but some leave a much bigger footprint than others..