Native American Books

This book is a wonderful and insightful read. An incredible example of what can happen when cosmic forces intervene in ones life.

The Tahchee chronicles is a book that appeals to readers on many levels and contains important historical information as well as spiritual insight. It is fascinating to read about the author's spiritual quest and the reader is drawn into that story as well as the story of the earliest of civilizations on this planet. Anyone wishing to understand the connections between modern humanity and ancient civilizations can gain valuable insight, not only in the realm of historical narrative, but into the deeper aspects of the interconnectedness of the universe.

This book is for those readers who love to explore and learn about our very ancient history and the wonderful influence of our Native people upon the culture of the human race. It follows the fine tradition set by other great and similar books such as those written by Ken Carey called, THE RETURN OF THE BIRD TRIBES ,THE STARSEED TRANSMISSIONS and THE VISION and the book by Frank Waters called THE BOOK OF THE HOPI. There are actually two stories intertwined in this book. One is the epic journey of the Cherokee Nation going back some 40,000 years as seen through the eyes and recollections of its great spiritual Guardian called Tahchee. The other story and yet equally fascinating is the personal spiritual journey of discovery for the author Tom Smith. The book is the kind that you cannot put down until you have read every chapter and gleaned every bit of wisdom and experience from such a profound experience and journey. You cannot be but moved, by the story of a group of awe-inspiring souls who came from the stars to this planet long ago on a journey of service on behalf of the Great Spirit that we are all part of. The book is easy to read and to understand, unlike some other similar books which tend to talk down to the reader.The book will alter our past beliefs about of how and when some of the Native people came to North and South America . A wonderful and absolutely fascinating book of ancient history, spiritual discovery and a magnificient journey of a great Nation and a very humble author.

This book is a new age masterpiece. I read it last week and could not put it down. New information about reincarnation, as well as inconcievable prehistoric concepts. Keep your eye on this book. It is destined to be a classic.

This book is for those readers who love to explore and learn about our very ancient history and the wonderful influence of our Native people upon the culture of the human race. It follows the fine tradition set by other great and similar books such as those written by Ken Carey called, THE RETURN OF THE BIRD TRIBES ,THE STARSEED TRANSMISSIONS and THE VISION and the book by Frank Waters called THE BOOK OF THE HOPI. There are actually two stories intertwined in this book. One is the epic journey of the Cherokee Nation going back some 40,000 years as seen through the eyes and recollections of its great spiritual Guardian called Tahchee. The other story and yet equally fascinating is the personal spiritual journey of discovery for the author Tom Smith. The book is the kind that you cannot put down until you have read every chapter and gleaned every bit of wisdom and experience from such a profound experience and journey. You cannot be but moved, by the story of a group of awe-inspiring souls who came from the stars to this planet long ago on a journey of service on behalf of the Great Spirit that we are all part of. The book is easy to read and to understand, unlike some other similar books which tend to talk down to the reader.The book will alter our past beliefs about of how and when some of the Native people came to North and South America . A wonderful and absolutely fascinating book of ancient history, spiritual discovery and a magnificient journey of a great Nation and a very humble author.

As a Puerto Rican looking to learn more about my heritage (pre-European) this book was FANTASTIC!

This book is great. Very informative and well written. I learned a great deal about my cultue, heritage and ancestry. It left me with a thirst for more.

When writting this book, Dr. Rouse put a lifetime of research and studies on the Indians of the Caribbean into one work.
Since Rouse is considered the "Dean of Caribbean Archaeology", this book is a "must have" for anyone interested in the region and its native inhabitants.
Very few people have worked for so long, in so many locations and with such dedication as Dr. Rouse.

There were so many things of the Taino Indians I didn't know about and this book gives such a wonderful view of their lives and heritage you think they were your neighbors next door! This book makes you realize how important it is to keep your heritage alive.

Irving Rouse, nos presenta un libro muy completo y bien investigado sobre el tema taino. Todos aquellos estudiosos que quieran aprender sobre esta etnia, la etnia amerindia que tuvo el primer fatal encuentro con Cristobal Colon , debe leer este libro.Este libro es la Biblia sobre el tema taino.

This book's conversational style drew me in from the first sentence. The author really "got" the stifling atmosphere of the 1950's and what it was like to be a teenager then. I found I really cared about Bunny as I accompanied her on her self-discovery journey. Along the way, I learned much I never knew about adoption, especially in reference to the Native American community, as I enjoyed a story well told by Mary Anderson Parks.

I was personally drawn to this story as an adoptee-and once I'd read the first chapter I tore thru the book.
Ms Anderson Parks goes deeply into the heart and mind of a young native american adoptee with such honestly and strength that you feel (or at least I did) that you are living this girls life-which the experience that I always want from a good book. To be sucked in to a new world and emotionally changed-which is what this book did for me.

This is an intriguing book about a young girl adopted in the early 1950s at a time when children from Native American backgrounds were adopted by white families.
It gives a fascinating window into a world that many of us have no knowledge of - how it might feel to not know one's lineage. It is Bunny's struggle to find her roots and also an identity that makes sense for her. I felt a strong connection with this story and the author is writing from a real understanding of these sort of situations. I enjoyed reading the book right through to the end and was not disappointed in the ending - It left me with a desire to know more about this new chapter of her life that comes into focus only in the last few pages. Highly recommended

This is a heartrending story about an adopted girl who tries to find her lost identity in an era when society withheld information about birth parents. Set in beat era San Francisco, it is also a sexual and intellectual coming of age novel that follows dark-skinned "Bunny"--the protagonist's name given her by her Caucasian adoptive parents--from childhood to young adulthood. Bunny's conventional parents have little empathy with their adopted daughter's quest to know her past. Mary Parks employs a voice perfectly suited to her characters and the times, which is often politically incorrect yet accurate. Bunny's close relationship with her artist girlfriend, Cork, portrays the social friction between upper and lower middle class milieus and contemporary issues of female sexuality and pregnancy, and their consequences for women. Parks creates great dramatic tension surrounding Bunny's struggles with the adoption agency that withholds the documents containing the secrets to Bunny's past, and also by the use of the protagonist's repressed memory that gradually surfaces. Where a less courageous character might have given up, and despite a deep-set insecurity, Bunny has the desire and tenacity to persist in her efforts to unlock her past.

This story will be a compelling ride not only for Native Americans who were adopted, but for all children and parents who have struggled with the complex emotions and problems of adoption.

I enjoyed this book immensely because it carved out a whole new world for me to see - the world of adoption and its effects on children,teenagers, and parents. The colorful setting of San Francisco in the 1950s and the social issues of the time are a wonderful backdrop to the relationship problems of regular, everyday families where one child of a different race has been adopted. The chararacters are genuine, well and deeply crafted, and the details of daily life make vivid and sensory pictures. It's a real page-turner with twists and turns to keep things interesting. I think everyone can relate to its issues of identity in a very personal and profound way. This story stays with you and gives you warm feelings inside...

All of the history buffs and Native American descendants and people in general should buy this book to have a bigger and brighter outlook on the "indians" that our country so badly abused and misunderstood.

Amazing book.

In a nutshell this book is a compilation of quotations from many Native Americans.

However this book expands far beyond that nutshell. It shows many sides of Indian thought and belief interweaving both spirituality and history. The book is organised in an affective way, first having quotations showing the Indians willingness to co-exist with the white man and slowly that willingness fading into bitterness and anger as the settlers destroyed the land and displaced the Indians from their ancestral homes.

Even though 'Touch the Earth' might seem like an potentially depressing book it is very far from that. I found it very uplifting. Many of the quotations spoke to some deep part of my heart that made my soul smile. The archive pictures through out the book alone make me love it. It is a book full of words from wise men, so inspiring yet at other moments so anguished.

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of the buffalo in the winter time. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset." -- Crowfoot

"I hear no longer the songs of the women as they prepare the meal. The antelope have gone; the buffalo wallos are empty. [...] We are like birds with a broken wing. My heart is cold within me. My eyes are growing dim - I am old..." -- Chief Plenty-Coups

The one thing I will say about "Touch the Earth" is that you have to be in the right mood to read it. Most people cannot sit down and read a book cover to cover that is filled with quotation after quotation. Also some things that are said are so deep that I just had to sit for awhile and think about them. If you are not the type of person who liked history this is not the kind of book for you. However if the history of the Native American's fascinated you, as it does me, I would definitely recommend this gem.

Have you ever at any time in your life truly felt connected to the earth, all its inhabitants, the plants, the rocks, the wind? Touch the Earth is almost like a Native American prayer book and it examines this direct connection between our land's original inhabitants and their world around them. Not only did they feel this connection, but they lived it every day. Consequently they did not understand the White Man and his only going to church on Sundays.

As I've read and reread my copy, I often wonder what it would be like if we had respect for all the things created by God's hand instead of for only the ones we pick and choose to respect and honor. By favoring one species over another, we have dangerously tipped the ecological balance and not in a good way. By failing to understand the links between all the elements that make up the earth, we humans are well on our way to fouling our own nest.

I recommend reading this book late at night just before bedtime. Read only one or two essays at a time and allow the words to touch you. Perhaps you will remember why it is important to Touch the Earth, our Mother.

I purchased this precious compendium of wisdom expecting to find some interesting Native American quotations to add to my 400+ collection of quotation books. I discovered an inspirationial book which deftly interweaves philosophy, ecology, history, anthropology and spirituality. Actually, it is a first hand account of the eradication of the American Indian culture and extermination of their peoples spoken by the tribal leaders. Yet it is uplifting and inspiring, not desolating. Page after page I found my heart glowing, or chills running up my back, as I was touched by the pure, noble, plain yet profound talk of these great yet simple men-- Seattle, Tecumseh, Black Hawk, Geronimo and lesser known chiefs of Choctaw, Nez Perce, Yuma, Hopi, Chickasaw, Sioux, and Cree nations. They, with great nobility and anguish, speak the case for their simple way of life, embracing nature and sharing its bounties with all their equal partners-- the buffalo, eagle, bear, trees, wind, earth and sky, all part of the great spirit. The archive photos alone are worth the bargain price of this treasure.

The letter from Chief Seattle to the US President.. "How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? ..." and the vision of Black Elk ..."The sacred hoop of his people was only one of many hoops, all joined together to make one great circle, the great hoop of all peoples.." brought home to me the fact that the Native American philosophy of living has so much to teach us. They were closely connected to the earth, loved and respected it, while we treat it with violence; they were closely connected to our universal Mother and seemed to truly understand humankind's place in the universe while we trust in our technology and the wealth it brings us. The Native Americans appeared to have lived their lives with their two natures - materialistic and spiritual - in harmony while we have over emphasized the material and neglected the spiritual. While we cannot turn the clock back and ride horses and live in tents - nor would we want to - but surely there must be some principles that they incorporated into their lives which we can discover and build into our lives to help redress the balance of our two natures. So I turned to this book to see if there is some Native American wisdom which would enrich my life. I was certainly encouraged by the Book of-the-Month Club comment on the back cover "Simply but eloquently, the selections tell of the Indians' relationship with the earth, their kinship with all of nature's creatures, and their unity with the elements. They speak of the harmony that existed between the Indian and the land, a harmony that was disrupted as 'the hairy man from the east' encroached still further into their territory." and ".. one cannot help but be struck anew by their wisdom and their prophetic vision..."

I read this passage in the introduction: "In this book, the Indians speak for themselves, of the quality of their life. The passages that make up the book have been taken from speeches of Indians living in all parts of the North American continent, between the 16th and 20th centuries. They speak with courtesy and respect of the land, of animals, of the objects which made up the territory in which they lived. They saw no virtue in imposing their will over their environment: private acquisition, almost without exception, was to them a way to poverty, not to riches. The meaning of their life was identified through their relationships with each other and their homelands - all of which was given depth and resonance by memory" and understood that here in this volume I would find what I was looking for. Many of the passages reflect attempts by the Indians to offer their ideas to the whiteman but we responded by destroying their way of life and with it much of the wisdom we need today. We are indeed fortunate to have this collection to refer to. We cannot turn the clock back; we cannot undo the deeds of prior generations. But perhaps we can at least take the trouble to reflect on what these wise people were trying to teach our forebears and perhaps we will find some words of wisdom that will help us to live our lives with our two natures - materialistic and spiritual - more closely in balance.

If we fail to do this I fear that the prophecy in the introduction will come true. "It is well understood that the only decent future for us who live in America now is through a rediscovery of our environment. We need to establish a right relationship with the land and its resources; otherwise, the destruction of the Indian will be followed by the destruction of nature; and in the destruction of nature will follow the destruction of ourselves."

Jonathan Day's book is excellent. Not only does it showcase some of the most talented artists of Hopi, but it brings light to the new traditional way of carving. Sounds like an oxymoron, however, the traditional styles are beautiful and a more accurate representation of the kachina. I have had the privilege of meeting a few of the artists in the book. The book does a nice job highlighting these wonderful people who are so rich in culture.

The author, Jonathan S. Day has written a great book filled with interesting knowledge and history of the young carvers. With beautifully laid out color photos of their work. The author is a second generation trader and is knowledgeable of Hopi art and tradition. I recently visited The Jonathan S. Day Collection shop in Flagstaff, Arizona. It is filled with Kachinas and other Hopi artifacts for show and purchase similar to the items in the book. I highly recommend this book.

Author, Jonathan Day has created a feast for the eyes as well as the mind. Day, a second generation Indian trader, shares his love and respect for the Hopi people while introducing the reader to the traditional Hopi katsina (kachina)through a new generation of carvers. Most people are familiar with the "action" dolls, however, traditional katsinas are usually hung on the wall and have an "antique" look to them. As this is my favorite form of katsina I was immediately drawn to this book. JD shares his experiences with the 19 featured carvers and provides a wonderful insight to what guides them in their carving...many of the stories will touch your heart. An essential book to anyone who collects or has dreamed of collecting Hopi katsina dolls.

On a recent trip to Arizona -Sedona and Flagstaff, I was lucky to stumble upon a Hopi Marketplace, meet Jonathan Day and a number of the carvers in his book. This book is a wonderful beginning to the understanding the culture of the Hopi and the direction in which the creation of Kachinas is moving--a return to an art form that is based upon the teachings of the Hopi--a truer sense of the meaning of the kachina as a spirit which teaches and guides. Written with sensitivity and humour, Jonathan Day's book imparts the direction and meaning of the kachina, the Hopi culture and the artists behind the work. His commitment to the trust given to him by many of the artists interviewed along with his knowledge of the Hopi culture is invaluable to those of us of wish to understand more with respect and honor. His advice and recommended reading is invaluable.

This book deals with the "new" style of katsina doll carving that is in fact a revival of what is termed "traditional" style, the style found before the advent of "action" katsinas of the 1950's. The author has termed this new/old style "New Traditional", and has devoted this book to the carvers themselves, as well as the dolls they make. These katsinas are identified by their more simplistic style, with emphasis on the faces and body paint and costume, much different than the very elaborately carved and detailed "Modern Contemporary" dolls. Many of the Hopi artists in this book have been carving katsinas for years, but have only recently begun to carve in the old style of their grandfathers. The book describes what the categories of katsinas are, gives a biography of the featured carvers, the locations where their awesome dolls may be purchased, and even has an introduction on how to behave yourself if you are ever privileged enough to visit the Hopi mesas in Arizona (sadly, many of the Hopi ceremonies have been closed to outsiders because of rude, obnoxious behavior of tourists who think that these important religious rites are just shows put on for entertainment). This is a good book for collectors of katsina dolls, and even if this style of katsina carving isn't quite your cup of tea, I recommend this book very highly!

The authors of this book felt that this was the time to finally tell the true story of Pocahontas, and I completely agree. It's time people, especially Americans, face the truth that has been shrouded in romantic myth for far too long. It may be difficult for some to think of such historical figures as John Smith, John Rolfe and others to be anything but heroes, but it's far more important to the history of this country that the truth be told. The Mattaponi, Pocahontas's tribe, has kept their secret knowledge of the truth to themselves for 400 years. It is with bravery and no doubt a sense of relief that they finally decided to share it with the world. The time for Disney movies and romaticized stories is over: it is now time for the truth.

Pocahontas's life has reached mythical proportions. How could any book possibly offer new information? The True Story of Pocahontas was written by the Mattaponi, her tribe. After having read many accounts about the legendary woman's life, I tried to interlock the jigsaw puzzle with the pieces never quite fitting. Not only did this book answer my questions, it filled in the gaping holes.

John Smith wrote the stories about Pocahontas saving his life several years after her death. Other texts admit as much, yet most gloss over why this may have been. Few also question why a woman abducted by what must have seemed like an alien culture would immediately dress like her captors, convert to Christianity, and marry within a year of her captivity. All of those facts, plus another side to Pocahontas's death, are revealed with shocking clarity. The True Story of Pocahontas should be required reading for every American history class.

After reading this version of Pocahontas, a lot of things became clearer to me. I could never understand how, when the Natives from the rest of the United States were treated so horribly by the Anglos, that the Natives of Virginia escaped, virtually unscathed, during the time of Powhatan. It was very informative, beautifully written and I am grateful that the truth has been told. My congratulations go out to both Linwood Custalow and Angie Daniels for writing this book. I know that Chief Webster 'Little Eagle' Custalow, from his present vantage point, is very proud of this contribution to history. I only wish that he were here, in person, to tell you this.

Thank you for sharing,
Barbara 'Little Doe' Adkins
Gloucester, Virginia

This is a very important story that should be read by as many people as possible. It is essential that we recognize the value of oral history--and the other side of history that is presented here. We generally know so little about the native people who interacted with the English settlers of Jamestown--their beliefs, their way of life, and their perspective. We are very fortunate that Dr. Custalow was willing to share the story that he knows with the rest of us, particularly as we turn our attention to Jamestown during this "celebration" year. It is beautifully and evocatively written and well worth your time and thought. I know that reading it has affected me, and increased my understanding of this pivotal time in our nation's history. Thank you for your contribution, Dr. Custalow.

The book tells a "new" story to me from the standpoint of the Powhatan Indians of Virginia. I enjoyed learning of Pocahontas from the viewpoint of her ancestors. This oral history of her life was enlightening. It made me rethink how my English ancestors behaved and how they may not have been as truthful and honest to a trusting Powhatan Indian Chief, Pocahontas's father, to gain successful knowledge about planting and growing crops in the "New World." I also never knew that Pocahontas might have been kidnapped by the settlers. To learn in this book that Pocahontas may have been poisoned in England, where she died, it was very sad.
Great read!
Thanks to Dr. Custalow.

This book is one of the true historically significant accounts of events that have been forever shrouded in lies and fiction. If you are interested in historically accurate accounts of the late Apache wars, this is one of the must-read books. Davis just wanted the truth told, so he did it himself after watching glory-seeking sycophants take credit for, and be lauded for the heroic actions of others. Davis's views on his enemy Apaches, as well as the Apache scouts, show the wisdom and respect only a true and sage adversary can attest to. You won't be sorry you bought this book. Another must read is "On The Border With Crook" by John G. Bourke.

For any one interested in the real facts of the Apache campains this is for you. It may take a little patience to get through the early reading, Davis is very detailed in names and dates but he has real first hand accounts of things that acctually occured. This is a man I think saw and admired the native people and did his duty in a fair and just manner. Davis is an admiral person and does a great justice to the Indian and the attrocities they endured but at the same time points out that just like in every culture a few bad apples can spoil the lot. He also points out that the government did far more decieving to the Indian they ever did to the government. I always respected the Native Americans and even more so after this book.

Here is the point of view concerning a particular portion of the late Apache/Euro conflict involving the last rag-tag remnants of the Apache tribes and the United States Army units involved in trying to keep them subdued. Its an enjoyable read because the author gives a first-hand, eye-witness account of the series of incidents known as "The Geronimo Campaigns" and he does so without injecting the slobbering Politically Correct dogma that has become so common in present day literature dealing with frontier history (of course, Davis lived at a time when Political Correctness didn't exist, so naturally his book wouldn't contain any!)

A book like this easily destroys the sky-pie nonsense found in sob-story exercises such as Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" and blatantly absurd and Politically Correct motion pictures like "Dances With Wolves" and "Geronimo, An American Legend". In fact, its a very nice counter weight to the drivel out there that seeks to leave unaware people with the impression that the American Indian was some sort of Red Aristocrat or Feathered Philosopher/Sage who was unfairly victimized by unreasonable invaders.

However, I have even better works to offer you if you are sincerely interested in FACT and Truth concerning the White/Indian conflicts. These are all available right here at amazon.com, and the titles to look for are; THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES ( a first-hand narrative by a Texas Ranger who was captured by Comanches and how he was brutally and sadistically treated, how he escaped, and how he evaded re-capture.) LIFE AMONG THE APACHES ( a first-hand narrative by John Cremony of the famed California Volunteers, who dealt with Apache, Comanche, Kaddo and other hostiles at a time BEFORE the United States Army had even a small force in the southwestern region of North America.) and lastly, SCALP DANCE ( a book consisting of detailed military and civilian/settler accounts of the chilling, blood-curdling wars with Southern Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapaho, Sioux, and Kiowa on the high plains). These three books will serve to provide you with an excellent AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE overview of frontier history, and an antidote to all the Politically Correct dogma out there that is being passed off as "fact" by glib leftist "educators", self-proclaimed "experts" and psuedo-historians. Read them all, none are dry or boring, and all are of the "couldn't put it down" type of literature.

After you've finished THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES, LIFE AMONG THE APACHES, and SCALP DANCE, get "Indian Wars" by Robert Utley. By reading these books in this order, you'll grasp the gravity of the incidents that Utley superbly, but only generally deals with, and you'll not only appreciate Utley's work even more, you'll also appreciate the fine line a genuine historian like Utley has to walk while trying to make a living within the Politically Correct jungle that surrounds the academic slums of so-called "modern education".

In 99.9% of all books written by whitemen about American Indians it is hard to find even a grain of truth or fact. This book is the exception that proves the rule!

While nothing is glossed over, the author does not attempt to sway the reader with sensationalism. He tells about his experiences and gives the good with the bad. He exhibits an almost unheard of ability to set aside any preconceived notions and actually see clearly both sides of the conflict AND views the American Indian as a human being, not some sort of subspecies.

An exceptional view of reality that should be required reading in all American history classes from junior high/middle school through the college level.

Britton Davis's reason for writing this book in the 1920's was to set straight some outlandish tales that were being published about who "captured" Geronimo, and some even more fictitious writings on the "Indian Wars."
This is an excellent book, as an adventure tale, as a look at the 'civilized' persons' outlook toward "the Indians" of the day, as a look at the horrific way our government tried to solve the 'indian problem' with a one-size-fits-all method (sound familiar?), and a look at Apaches as individuals rather than all-bad or all-good.
For a tremendous balance of outlooks, read this book along with Eve Ball's "Indeh".

This book is a terrific book, not only because it is well written and inspiring, but because it tells about important history.

The book brings to non-Indian children a sense that Native Americans are not just some people who lived in Tipis a long time ago. It also teaches them about the very important contibution made by one Native Nation to this country.

To Indian children, especially Dine, it can help bolster cultural pride and demonstrate the importance of their own people in this country.

I highly recommend this book! What a great way to help children understand the power of communication and true heros.
Bravo!

I had never heard of the Navajo code talkers so this book opened my eyes as well as those of my second graders. This wonderful book educated all of us and touched our hearts. We shared what we had learned about the code talkers with all we encountered. This piece of history should not be overlooked!

Author, Sara Hoagland Hunter, tells a beautiful story of a young boy's fears of moving off the reservation and leaving his grandfather. But John's grandfather tells him he will be all right, for he has something very special to take with him: he has the unbreakable code--the code that saved the lives of thousands of American in the Pacific during WWII. The history of the Navajo Codetalkers comes alive in this children's book and provides the code at the end of the book. Something all young readers are fascinated by. This book paired with the new GI Joe Navajo Codetalker action figure makes the perfect gifts for boys (and girls) who are interested in WWII history.

I shared this book with third graders. They loved the mystery of the code and the fact that it was a true story. They were intrigued by the grandfather's part in history and that the Navaho language has no alphabet. I liked the irony of the code breakers using the language they had been denied use of in school.

The possibility of gathering mussels under the ice at low tide was absolutely amazing to me. I had never heard of such a thing or imagined it. What a wonderful world we live in! Andrews writes of young Eva's solo walk on the bottom of the sea and she does an intriguing job of it.

The illustrator,Wallace,enriches and expands the written story through his detailed pictures of the village and native life on Ungava Bay.

I hope Andrews & Wallace collaborate again and soon!

My children (1st & 2nd grade) really love this book. The premise had them leaping off the bed in amazement - "She goes under the SEA??? The ice is over her HEAD???? She goes by HERSELF????"

Every detail was interesting to them - the tools used to hack under the ice, the mother letting her child go alone, the small Inuit homes, Eva living in a land where no trees grew - and they had so many questions - most of which were answered by the end of the story.

We used the book to talk about:

1. mussels and how they grow & live,
2. tides, what causes them and how much the water level can vary between high tide and low tide,
3. the climate in northern Canada
4. the Inuits,
5. emergencies - what happens initially to our bodies when we are afraid, and what we should try to do so that we can get out of our emergency safely, and
6. pointillism and the artist Seraut, and we made our own pointillism art masterpieces with Q-tips and paint.

I did search the Internet for actual photographs of what Eva might have seen, but I couldn't find a single one! I couldn't find other references to the Inuit walking under the ice either. I would have loved to have shown those to my children.

This is one of the best books for young girls that I have come across. A young Inuit girl is sent under the ice at low tide to collect muscles for the family.. this time by herself. She gets distracted, the candles burn out leaving her in darkness just as she starts to hear the water returning. What an adventure. I buy this book as a gift whenever I need a present for a beginner reader girl.

It has been said that a good children's book is a good read for people of any age. This book is another example of the truth of that statement. It teaches people who don't live in the northern tundra on the seashore about what their life is like, and it does so in a way that you enjoy the learning.

My five year old son loved it; we read it over again a number of times. But the reason I knew it was such a good book was that I didn't dread reading it after several times. In fact, I looked forward to it.

"Eva Padlyat lived in a village on Ungava Bay in northern Canada. She was Inuit, and ever since she could remember she had walked with her mother on the bottom of the sea. It was something the people of her village did in winter when they wanted mussels to eat. Today, something very special was going to happen. Today, for the very first time in her life, Eva would walk on the bottom of the sea alone..." So begins Jan Andrews' tale of a young girl's first trip alone through the thick winter ice. In painstaking and intriguing detail she describes Eva's adventure; cutting a hole in the ice at low tide, descending to the dark ocean floor below, lighting candles to illuminate the sea bed, collecting mussels, and exploring this beautiful hidden world..... Ms Andrews' engaging tale, filled with history, mystery, drama, and suspense captures the imagination, and is rich in imagery and magic. Illustrator, Ian Wallace's quiet, dreamy artwork, in soft, textured tones, pulls the reader beneath the ice and right into the story. Perfect for youngsters 5-9, Very Last First Time is a fascinating and evocative experience that shouldn't be missed, and works well as part of a unit introducing the Inuit culture and way of life, or as a stand-alone for story time.

This book was my introduction to rural Alaska. The collection of stories was engaging and, as I later found, hauntingly real. Thank you Tom Kizzia, for this book, which introduced me not only to rural Alaska, but to people whom would become my neighbors, friends and family members in ensuing years.

I can't put it any more succinctly than this: Tom Kizzia wrote a great, true book and somehow he got stiffed. This book should be recognized as one of the great books of contemporary Alaska. I look at its sales ranking, and shake my head. How could so many readers have missed this beauty? --Nick Jans, contributing editor, Alaska Magazine

Yes, this is a collection of essays. But it is also a collection of stories, for Tom Kizzia is a skillful narrative writer on a par with the very best fiction writers. He takes readers into the heart of Alaska Native culture, revealing along the way the contradictions of the intersection of modern life with ancient traditions. But that description makes this book sound like work, and it is, rather, the kind of book that makes a person long to get OUT of work in order to read it. I could not put this book down.

This is an extraordinarily well written and perceptive group of essays by highly respected Alaska journalist, describing his travels through western Alaska. Kizzia's reports on contemporary Yupik life are sensitive and thoughtful without being sentimental. An impor5tant book for anyone seeing to understand the tensions and conflicts present in modern Alaska native cultures. R Monkman, Juneau

Tom Kizzia wrote these rather lengthy essays originally for the Anchorage Daily News. Basically centering around locations in western Alaska, Kizzia writes of the people encountered there, the changes that have taken place, and prospects for the future. These are not just nature essays, and they are not merely the accounts of "rugged individuals" eking out a living in an inhospitable terrain, though certainly both those themes are touched upon. The essays are a lot more than that. He goes to the western fringes of Alaska - the Seward Peninsula and the Yukon Delta - knowing full well he's an "outsider" and not to be trusted. (On the Cape Prince of Wales, Natives mistake him as an ivory hunter.) But he earns the trust of enough people to get a feel for what life is really like in this remote area.

His description of life in Tin City, just outside of Wales, is fascinating. He also incorporates historical information, such as Amundsen's balloon expedition to the North Pole in 1926 and the total destruction of the town of Chenega from the 1964 earthquake, in an interesting way. His tales of Tonashay, an Apache Indian living in Golovin, are intriguing. But his portrait of the town of Tok and its tremendous changes in growth, perhaps moved me the most. Kizzia is an excellent writer, and this book is an informative, honest, and entertaining look at a part of Alaska that few people ever get to see or can even imagine.