Two Toms
Lessons from a Shoshone Doctor
Published on 30. April 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
104 pages
978-1-60781-090-2 (ISBN)
Description
In 1969, Tom Wesaw was an 83-year-old Shoshone doctor and religious leader on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. He could no longer drive, which posed problems in making house calls. The arrival of young anthropologist Tom Johnson changed that. Johnson would drive Wesaw, and cook, pump water, and build fires for sweat lodges. In exchange, the elder Tom would show the younger Tom his work. The two were together so often that the people of Wind River began to refer to them affectionately by one name: Two Toms. By the light of the lamp Wesaw gave him, Johnson would write down what he learned. The Shoshone doctor wanted his student to share everything he saw and heard. Now, in Two Toms: Lessons from a Shoshone Doctor, he has. Presented as an engaging narrative, Johnson's book reveals details about the Shoshone culture and it chronicles the story of the friendship between these two men of different backgrounds. Filled with valuable anthropological information, this book is also highly readable and entertaining.
Reviews / Votes
"This is a gentle book, yet it contains powerful descriptions of traditions and life among the Eastern Shoshone Indians. The dialogue epitomizes the Shoshone way of teaching and the authors should be justly proud of capturing the spirit of culture in this manner."-Henry E. Stamm IV, Idaho State University"An engaging memoir...highly readable. The authors do not hamper the reader with repeated thematic discussions. Rather their words reveal truths quietly, in small bits and pieces that add up to a tremendous amount of information.... It can be read in one sitting but is best savored slowly."-Montana, The Magazine of Western History
"Delightful book.... The most important aspect of this work is the traditional Shoshone philosophy of Wesaw, which taught tolerance and inclusiveness of all people, no matter their background or ethnicity."-Great Plains Research
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Salt Lake City
United States
Illustrations
8 photos and 1 map
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
154 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60781-090-2 (9781607810902)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Thomas H. Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, Steven's Point. Helen S. Johnson assisted Thomas with fieldwork on the Wind River Reservation and is co-author of Also Called Sacajawea: Chief Woman's Stolen Identity.
Content
ContentsList of FiguresIntroduction1. The Pink Phone2. Hat and Shoes3. Peyote4. Another Way5. Tom the Listener6. A Visit with Bill Shakespeare7. Politics8. The Sweat Solution9. What I Learned from TomGlossary