Manitonquat (AKA Medicine Story; born Francis Story Talbot, July 17, 1929, died July 21, 2018) was an American author of two books, and several more self-published booklets on New Age philosophy, spirituality, and community sociology. He has led workshops and rituals at the Rainbow Gatherings held by the Rainbow Family.[3] Since the 1970s, he has toured the United States and Europe teaching and lecturing on the adaptation of the application of philosophy to modern problems of society, community, and relationships.[4]

Medicine Story
BornFrancis Story Talbot
(1929-07-17)July 17, 1929
Massachusetts, United States
DiedJuly 21, 2018(2018-07-21) (aged 89)[1][2]
Pen nameManitonquat

Manitonquat was a member of the Assonet Band,[5] a nonprofit corporation created in 1990[6] and based in New Bedford, Massachusetts.[6] The group asserts a connection with the Wampanoag Nation but is not recognized by the state[7] or Federal Government as a tribe, and has been criticized for not requiring proof of Wampanoag heritage as a condition of membership.[8] Manitonquat states in his biographical notes and publicity materials that he is a spiritual elder of the band.[9][10][11] He was associated with the prominent German intentional community ZEGG[12] and the "peace research village" Tamera in Portugal.[13]

Teachings

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Manitonquat taught that individualistic society is a source of unhappiness, and that cities are dehumanizing for their residents. He argued that it is better to live in small groups, with each group able to define its own rules and practices. He advocated for self-sufficient and environmentally-friendly communities.[14]

He said "We're creating another world... The basic thing is: We're all equal. The basic thing is: We love this world we're on. We are the next spiritual transformation of humankind."[15]

Rainbow Gatherings

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Manitonquat had described his involvement in early Rainbow Gatherings as being important to the development of his beliefs. Describing an early gathering, he said "People stayed together all day on that mountain. We fasted and remained in silence until, sometime after noon, someone started singing an Arapaho chant. All of us took up that chant to honor the traditional caretakers of that land. When we left that gathering everyone had the feeling that something very important had happened, and was happening all over the world".[16]

Works

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  • Return to Creation: a survival manual for native and natural people, Bear Tribe Publishing, Spokane, Washington (First Edition, July 1991). 188 pages, 22 cm. ISBN 9780943404202[17]
  • The Children of the Morning Light: Wampanoag tales with Mary F. Arquette, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (April 1994). 72 pages, color illustrations, 27 cm. ISBN 9780027659054[18]
  • Ending violent crime: a report of a prison program that is working and a vision of a society free of violence, Story Stone Publishing (1996). 75 pages, 22 cm. (also eBook[19]) ISBN 9781456584825[20]
  • The Circle Way, Story Stone Publishing / self-published (1997) 90 pages. [ISBN missing][21]
  • The original instructions: reflections of an elder on the teachings of the elders, adapting ancient wisdom to the twenty-first century, Story Stone Publishing. AuthorHouse (2009). 165 pages, 23 cm. ISBN 978-1438980799[22]
  • Have you lost your tribe? The paradise on Earth now under construction - Welcome home. Story Stone Publishing. (2011) 378 pages, 22 cm, ISBN 9781461115120[23]
  • Thanksgiving Day : let's meet the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims. with Barbara DeRubertis, Thomas Sperling, Adolfo Troncoso and Carol Cucumber. New York, Kane Press. 1992 and 1996 editions. Audio tape + book (32 pages color, 24 cm.). ISBN 0791519139.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Manitonquat ist tot". ZEGG Gemeinschaft und Bildungszentrum gGmbH (in German). 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  2. ^ "Morto Manitonquat, aveva 89 anni". Terra Nuova (in Italian). 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  3. ^ Efstathiou, John (2013-10-14). "Μια θρυλική μορφή των Ινδιάνων παρουσιάζει το βιβλίο του στην Αθήνα (Legendary figure of the Indians presents his book in Athens)". star.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  4. ^ Hacker, Marianne (2011-06-15). "Indianische Lebensart in Wolfartsberg stößt auf Interesse (Native American way of life attracts interest in Wolfartsberg)" (in German). Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  5. ^ Wessinger, Catherine (2011-11-17). The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism. OUP USA. pp. 79–. ISBN 9780195301052. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  6. ^ a b "ASSONET WAMPANOAG INTER-TRIBAL COUNCIL, INC". Corp.sec.state.ma.us. Retrieved 2016-10-19. Business Entity Summary, ID Number: 000327276. at Corporations Division, State of Massachusetts
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Brooks, James (2002-07-01). Confounding the Color Line: The Indian-Black Experience in North America. U of Nebraska Press. p. 277. ISBN 9780803206281. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  9. ^ Edith Kirby (April 15, 1992), "Wisdom lightened by humor offered by native storytellers", Edmonton Journal
  10. ^ John F. Kirch (May 9, 1993), "Watershed Fair Promotes Fun, Environment \ Friends Of Wachusett", Telegram & Gazette, p. B4, retrieved January 9, 2016
  11. ^ Jessie Salisbury (July 6, 2005), "Foundation in Wilton teaching stewardship", The Telegraph (Nashua), retrieved January 9, 2016
  12. ^ "ZEGG Summer Camp - Intentional Community ZEGG". Zegg.de. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  13. ^ "Tamera Healing Biotope 1 - Summer University". Tamera.org. 2013-07-19. Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  14. ^ Crippa, Michela (2012-08-24). "Manitonquat e l'ecovillaggio ispirato agli indiani d'America (Manitonquat and eco village inspired by the American Indian)" (in Italian). il Cambiamento. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  15. ^ Cohen, Michele (1987-07-04). "Rainbow Family 'Comes Home' To Place Where Time Stands Still". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  16. ^ Harvey, Paul; Goff, Philip (2010-06-01). The Columbia Documentary History of Religion in America Since 1945. Columbia University Press. p. 109. ISBN 9780231510363. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  17. ^ Medicine Story (1 January 1991). Return to Creation: a survival manual for native and natural people. Bear Tribe Pub. OCLC 25375592.
  18. ^ Medicine Story; Arquette, Mary F (1 January 1994). The Children of the Morning Light: Wampanoag tales. Macmillan ; Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; Maxwell Macmillan International. OCLC 26766636.
  19. ^ Medicine Story (1 January 1996). Ending violent crime: a vision of a society free of violence : (a community building program tested and proven successful under the most adverse conditions) : a report of a successful prison program. Story Stone Pub. – via Open WorldCat.
  20. ^ Medicine Story (1 January 1996). Ending violent crime: a report of a prison program that is working and a vision of a society free of violence. Story Stone Pub. OCLC 276932702.
  21. ^ "Mettanokit Order Form" (PDF). Circleway.org. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  22. ^ Medicine Story (1 January 2009). The original instructions: reflections of an elder on the teachings of the elders, adapting ancient wisdom to the twenty-first century. AuthorHouse. OCLC 620131463.
  23. ^ Medicine Story (1 January 2011). Have you lost your tribe?: the paradise on Earth now under construction -- welcome home. Story Stone Pub. OCLC 840494160.
  24. ^ Thanksgiving Day: let's meet the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims. 1 January 1996. OCLC 038861686.