Blond Roots: A Cross-Cultural Journey of Identity

The Western world insists on following rational dictates, but there is freedom in allowing our deeper intuition to show the way forward. By surrendering to the heart, we can navigate the unknown world to come to a new understanding of ourselves.

Author Marilyn E. Fowler, PhD, begins her journey with very little information about her cultural heritage. A family search uncovers an old picture of her great-grandmother Karoline, who was born somewhere in the northern reaches of Scandinavia among the indigenous Sámi people. Fowler’s inner compass and a sequence of powerful, metaphysical events push her to venture alone to this distant territory. On this journey she has the honor of meeting Elina, a Sámi elder, who provides more clues to Fowler’s ancestral heritage. Slowly, guided by intuition, she begins putting the pieces together, discovering the identity of her ancestors. She wants to understand them, and what she finds is a completely fresh perspective on life. As Fowler slowly learns about Sámi culture, she allows herself to let go of conventional reasoning and discover a new understanding of who she is and a new sense of connection with the earth. When she finally returns home, she finds that her perspectives on life have forever changed.

Marilyn E. Fowler, PhD, has been studying her indigenous Scandinavian heritage for almost two decades. Her ancestral explorations have led her to rethink not only her perspectives on the world but also her place in it, opening the way to new priorities, new relationships and a new career.

Fowler holds a master's degree from John F. Kennedy University in Consciousness & Transformative Studies and a doctorate from the California Institute of Integral Studies in East-West Psychology. Her research has focused on contemporary indigenous leaders and their relationship with the earth and nature. Currently she lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband, Michael and teaches at several universities in the region. In 2017, she will make her eighth trip to Arctic Scandinavia to visit friends and family there.