We Who Walk the Seven Ways

Terra Trevor is a professional writer with forty years of experience. She is a contributor to fifteen books and is the author of numerous essays and articles. Her first memoir is Pushing Up the Sky: A Mother’s Story.

• Author’s Note 1. We Who Walk the Seven Ways 2. Marie 3. Ann 4. Irene 5. Mary Lou 6. Back in Those Days 7. Returning the Gift 8. The Seven Ways 9. The Way of This Daughter 10. Undocumented 11. Growing Up 12. Luke 13. Gary 14. Leaping into Womanhood 15. The Way of This Mother 16. Luke and New Mexico on My Mind 17. After the First Silent Week 18. Just Writing 19. Winter of Hope 20. The Red Ribbon Bridge 21. The Winter the Stars Fell 22. Words Facing West 23. My Years at the Shelter 24. The Winter It Came Back 25. With Nothing Ahead but Sky 26. Somewhere Southwest of the Middle 27. Coming Back to the World 28. Pushing Up the Sky 29. Growing Old in a Beautiful Way 30. Water Chores and Rituals 31. The Landscape Will Teach You Who You Are 32. Safekeeping 33. Reading, Living, and My Books 34. The Winter My Grandfather Apologized 35. River in the Blood 36. Back in Those Days in Oklahoma 37. My Mother 38. Ann, Wilma, Joy, and Me 39. My Relationship with Honesty 40. Searching for a Place to Stand 41. On the Way Home 42. The Indigenous Way of Comprehending 43. On the Medicine Trail 44. Tangled Thoughts 45. Winter Count 46. Forty-Five Winters 47. Dancing to Remember 48. Tomol Evening 49. Returning the Gift to the Sea 50. Gratitude 51. November 52. The Harvest Dinner 53. Winter of Distance Acknowledgments

"Covering topics as diverse as race, religion, and the craft of writing, We Who Walk the Seven Ways is a moving memoir about friendship and identity."-Foreword Reviews "We Who Walk the Seven Ways is a tender, deeply personal memoir written by a courageous and searingly honest woman."-Charlotte Hinger, Roundup Magazine “Raised to conceal her Native ancestry, Terra Trevor learns from elders to nurture her mixed blood identity and shape her activism in transracial adoption, Indian health and education, and community building. This is an inspiring, heartfelt memoir of one Native woman’s spirit journey from childhood to her own elderhood.”-Robert Bensen, editor of Children of the Dragonfly: Native American Voices on Child Custody and Education “This poignant memoir touches on the trials and tribulations of Terra Trevor, a mixed blood American Indian straddling two races. It’s a book you won’t be able to put down, written with simplicity, grace, and urgency, transcending any expectations. In spite of many obstacles, Trevor is a woman of unimaginable strength and courage. After not being heard as a child, she thankfully found her voice as a writer, and how lucky we are!”-Diana Raab, author of Regina’s Closet and Writing for Bliss “The book’s insights are fascinating, and there is a feeling of authenticity throughout. Terra Trevor confronts big (and often tragic) life events with humility and real wisdom. She not only describes how she makes her way through those events but does so in a very pragmatic way. Additionally, the work incorporates a powerful look at the intersections between gender, race, and culture. This is an important story, beautifully told and extremely relevant for these difficult times.”-Margaret Randall, author of I Never Left Home: Poet, Feminist, Revolutionary "Terra Trevor's book is a gentle invitation to journey with her across decades, an invitation to notice with her as she seeks healing and finds belonging. There were phrases and sentences I underlined, places where I wept, passages that will remain with me as they drew me to insights I'd previously struggled to name. I closed the final pages and knew that in reading this book, I had been the recipient of a generous and much-needed gift. While I can certainly finish a book in a day, I chose to move slowly through this one, letting each idea, each paragraph, each reflection gently spill over me, allowing the pages to alter me in some way."-Patrice Gopo, author of Autumn Song: Essays on Absence