He attended the University of Notre Dame in 1966 and earned a graduate degree there in 1968. He went on to further graduate study at the University of Oregon (1969-1970).
His books include, Desert Notes: Reflections in the Eye of a Raven (1976), River Notes: The Dance of Herons (1979), Field Notes: The Grace Note of the Canyon Wren (1994), Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with His Daughter (1977), Of Wolves and Men (1978), Winter Count (1981), Crow and Weasel (1990), Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape (1986), and The Rediscovery of North America (1991).