Becoming Who You Are: Beautiful Painted Arrow's Life & Lessons for Children Ages 10-100

Joseph Rael (Beautiful Painted Arrow) was born on the Southern Ute Reservation in 1935 and grew up at Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico. Joseph's life took him across the country and around the world. After a vision in 1983, he built a Sound Peace Chamber, and then worked on building over 65 chambers around the world -- leading to recognition by the United Nations for his work for world peace. Through his friend and co-author, David Kopacz MD, Joseph shares his life and lessons for people, young and old, growing through the transition from childhood into adulthood.

Joseph says that when he was sent to the Santa Fe Indian boarding school, they were trying to make American kids out of Indian kids, in this book, Joseph tells us, I am trying to make Indian kids out of American kids. Joseph passes on his wisdom and artwork to the next generations who will inherit the many problems that we have created in breaking the medicine wheel. Joseph tells us, Let's not leave the next generations in so much mystery about the physical and spiritual worlds. Let's educate them from the beginning about the way of the shaman. We are already born with everything we need, we just need to make sure that as we grow up, we don't forget who we are.

Joseph Rael, whose Tiwa name is Tsluu-teh-koh-ay (Beautiful Painted Arrow), is a visionary healer and artist. He brings together in his person Southern Ute (through his Mother) and Picuris Pueblo (through his Father) traditions and is a citizen of the Southern Ute Tribe and the United States of America. He is the author of many books, including Sound: Native Teachings & Visionary Art, Being & Vibration: Entering the New World, Ceremonies of the Living Spirit, and with David Kopacz, Walking the Medicine Wheel: Healing Trauma & PTSD and Becoming Medicine: Pathways of Initiation into a Living Spirituality. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and holds a master's degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin. He has worked for HUD, the All Indian Pueblo Council, and the Indian Health Service, using Native American traditions and holistic health care to help those suffering from addiction. In 1983 he had a formative vision of Sound Peace Chambers and has overseen the construction of over 65 chambers on four continents, which led to him being recognized by the United Nations for his work for world peace.

David R. Kopacz, MD works as a psychiatrist at the Seattle Veterans Affairs primary care clinic and he is an education champion with the national VA Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation, where he teaches Whole Health to VA staff across the USA. He is board certified in psychiatry and holistic & integrative medicine and is an assistant professor at the University of Washington. He has worked in many different settings and places, including holistic private practice, community mental health, and as clinical director of Buchanan Rehabilitation Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. David is the author of Rehumanizing Medicine: A Holistic Framework for Transforming Your Self, Your Practice, and the Culture of Medicineand with Joseph Rael, Walking the Medicine Wheel: Healing Trauma & PTSDand Becoming Medicine: Pathways of Initiation into a Living Spirituality.