Native American Books

One does not have to be familiar with the Adirondacks to feel what life might be like there. This book will transport you to these forests, to another dimension, to another world, to a land of mystery and action.

If you want to know if elves exist, what they do, how they think, how they interact with people, you will discover these answers as you encounter The Elves of Loch Fada.

This book was written for youong people, and I am not in that age group, but this adventure took my imigination and mind there again. Even after finishing the book, my mind will sometimes wander back to that wonderful fantasy world.

Though I am an avid reader of suspense, I am glad that this book caught my attention. An excellent read for young readers and for the young at heart. Yes, I will read the sequel.

JCE
Indiana

This book is a transcension of native folk lore of the Adirondak Mountains, with classic well developed fantasy. Perfectly written for all ages, it will keep hardcore fantasy fans tunring page after page, while also riviting those with a local knowledge of the region. There is truly something for everyone here. I recommend it to anyone who is a fantasy fan, a reader of lore, or has ties to the Adirondak mountains.

This book is simply an amazing mix of ancient folklore, modern locale and flavors, and a deep fantasy mix that any avid fantasy fan will immediately identify to. Young and old will find elements to keep the mind flying along on this trip to another place. This novel will strike Adirondak buffs with locations they recognize and have seen, giving them new insight into these places, a perspective only given in local lore long since past. Fantasy fans will find the novel to contain all they are used to, but presented in a way which brings new twists to ancient epic battles of good versus evil.
I highly recommend this book to any and all readers with an Adirondak backround, an interest in ancient lore, and all fantasy fans of any age. Well Done.

The collaborative effort of Emory Dean Keoke (multicultural relations and communications consultant and enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) and Kay Marie Porterfield (journalist for the "Indian Country Today, the largest Native American owned weekly newspaper in America), Encyclopedia Of American Indian Contributions To The World: 15,000 Years Of Inventions And Innovations is an exciting resource covering the rich and varied histories of Native American tribes and their precontact discoveries and postcontact influences. From the anatomical knowledge of the Mesoamerican cultures at AD 1100; to Native American contributions to agriculture, medicine and pharmacology; to hammocks of forest cultures; to the American Indian influence on Tabasco sauce, and so much more, the Encyclopedia Of American Indian Contributions To The World is an absorbing, 384-page reference offering information and insights into the complexities of Native American cultural history, interaction and social evolution. A highly recommended resource for students of Native American history and culture, the Encyclopedia Of American Indian Contributions To The World is an essential and core addition to academic and community library Native American Studies collections.

This is a very well researched and comprehensive book. It is quite monumental in its scope. To give you an example, I opened the book at random to page 139. One of the listings on this page is Ipecac. Many households know about this medication. It is
usually used to induce vomiting. Children often swallow things they should not. The books goes into some detail about where the plant was first found, how it is refined, and how it came to be used by Europeans. It then lists some sources for further reading.

It also has a great Appendix section. It shows which tribes lived where, including many good maps. The Chronology section lists when different things were discovered or invented by the indigenous people. It also has an appendix which lists the book's
entries by area, by subject and by which tribal group is associated with that item.

I know how long it took me to do the research associated with my book. I can only guess that the authors spent a very long time putting together the material in this book.

EAICW has a plethora of listings and information. EAICW is 384 pages long and measures (in inches): 1.19 x 11.20 x 8.44. It is a BIG book. It would make an excellent addition to any well stocked library.

I highly recommend it.

Published reliable information on Native Americans and their culutral contributions is hard to find. One of these authors is Lakota (Sioux) and has achieved his goal of collecting information to be used by all peoples about the First Americans. This book was first recommended to me by a friend who is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and an acquaintance of Mr. Keoke. I develop and present presentations to both University and Elementary students and often have a dozen or more books piled up to pull together exact references for my presentations. This book accomplishes that same reference task for me plus more. The information and maps in the appendix are much better than many other sources.

I'm the proud owner of the entire Eyebeam series. They are constantly out on loan. This book shows that humor can be brilliant, but not vulgar or cynical. Adults get it on a certain level and kids on another. Rare in that it has the nationally syndicated chracters from the Universal Features "Peaches" strip, as well as the ones that were too "grown up" for that strip, interacting together. Rod and Ratliff are developed in this book. I sure miss the old "Eyebeam" Strip..... This reminds me why.

This book of Eyebeam cartoons contains some classics--Ratliff leading the cops to the mall parking lot because a windshield sunshade says "Help! Call Police!"; the one about the Night Pedestals for cats (cars parked along the curb); the sequence in which Three-Initial Corporation is taken over by Brand X.

Direct, clear humor. Unusual drawing style. Characters include lawyers, children, pompous yuppies, hapless students, and the all-time favorite--"Hank the Hallucination." Captures Austin's surreal reality perfectly.

It is absolutely outrageous that the Eyebeam series is out of print. Example: Ratliff is in the tub singing Michelle Ma Belle, Eyebeam enters and says " is that ABSOLUTELY necessary?" and Ratliff innocently replies, "well no, but it sure makes me smell better." This was bar none the funniest comic ever done. OUT OF PRINT? Criminal.

I found this book by accident in a local bookstore, and was astounded by the beautiful illustrations, as well as impressed by the afterword by a well-respected Karuk individual. The story of the race will captivate younger children, while the pictures will keep their parents entranced.

I'm fond of stories from Native American cultures that attempt to explain the facts of the world. In this story, we learn how Yellow Jackets got their black striping and why fire comes from wood. Coyote is sweet and knowlegable; less of a trickster than he often is, and more caring of the animal community than usual.

The illustrations are beautiful and remind me of Jan Brett's. They have good detail and personalities on the animals faces. My favorite aspect of each animal though, was the token clothing or jewelry. Coyote wears a hat, eagle wears a necklace, fox has earrings. None of the jewelry are blatent but are subtle and understated, appearing as though the animals are comfortable in their adornments.

My highest recommendation on this book is due to the fact that my five-year-old grandson loves the book and asks me to read it over and over to him. The illustrations are very nice and colorful, the book is done with wit and humor and is a fun read.

Lynn Andrews tells a great story with a liberal sprinkling of Native American wisdom to give it heft and meaning. PLEASE don't make the mistake, as I did, of reading this before reading the first book in the series, Medicine Woman. The latter really sets the stage for all that follows, and the chronology is important in the first two efforts, in my opinion.

Whether or not you read these books as fiction or non-fiction, is not paramount to their strengths. Lynn Andrews is similar to the wonderful Carlos Casteneda, but more accessible, I would venture to say. These works succeed on several levels, and have rightly remained very popular.
Read and enjoy!

In Flight of the Seventh Moon, Lynn Andrews compellingly chronicles her continuing apprenticeship to the Native American shaman Agnes Whistling Elk and her spiritual quest for the ancient wisdom of woman. This companion volume to the highly praised Medicine Woman details the circumstances that urged Lynn Andrews once again to leave her home in southern California and return to Manitoba, where she had first been introduced to Native American lore and the tribal shaman ways.

In the aftermath of all that befell her, culminating in her dramatic recovery of the sacred marriage basket from the powerful sorcerer Red Dog, Lynn discovers that she needs further protection from the treacherous Red Dog. She recognizes also that her safety depends upon the strength and insights that can only come with deeper commitment to the medicine path. Thus, in Flight of the Seventh Moon, we journey with her back to Agnes Whistling Elk and Ruby Plenty Chiefs, under whose guidance she begins her initiation into the teaching of the shields -the ancient path of protection and power handed down from generation to generation of Native American women.

Through a series of visions and ceremonies, Agnes and Ruby led their apprentice to profound new understanding of her womanliness and selfhood. As part of the learning process, Lynn is introduced to Grandmother Walking Stick, "a crystal medicine woman...a warrioress and teacher." Who is the mentor of Agnes Whistling Elk. Central to Lynn's rites of passage is her construction of her own medicine shields. "Learning to make a shield is the process of fitting together the shattered pieces of oneself into a whole. This puzzle becomes a working mandala, a shield that we carry in our everyday life." As she builds her defense against Red Dog's powers, Lynn earns a place in the inner circle of the Sisterhood of the Shields, a secret society of shaman women who follow the most ancient traditions of woman.

In Flight of the Seventh Moon, Lynn Andres perceptively and grippingly describes the competing forces of white and black magic in which she becomes entwined; her growing awareness of her own innate power as a woman, which draws upon the substance of earth and sky; and how she translates her newfound understanding into the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of everyday life. Flight of the Seventh Moon reveals dazzling interior landscapes of mind and heart exploring long-hidden areas of Native American culture and mysticism and sharing with us a process of learning a path of knowledge that leads us toward "balance, wisdom, and a more complete view of truth" too long denied by patriarchal society.

While reading this book in a dark, wooden, cave-like basement apartment, I was mesmerized by this woman's journey into a personal spiritual realm. Discoveries, dangers, and strong ties to surprising teachers wove a fascinating tale. More than just a book - it contains a treasure-map to claim one's own strengths. As soon as I finished, I wanted to begin my "education," and did.

If you like history, Native Americans and feel that part of you would like to live in the past, and especially Florida, this is a wonderful read. You can feel the excitement of carving wood with ancient tools made by the author and sense what it is like to make arrowheads from the earth. Another hands on book of high regard is Walking the Trail by Cherokee author Jerry Ellis. He was the first person in modern history to walk the 900 mile route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. Inspiring, compelling and hard driven, this spiritual book was nominated for a Pulitzer and National Book Award.

Mr. Brown goes a long way to test his theories. Recreating the articles of every day life was at times arduous and demanding, but his work was not in vain.
What I liked most was the practicality of the author. Instead of writing from the lofty towers of "academia" and pure theoretical knowledge, he and his small band of peers proves the discoveries and findings at archeological digs are based on real events, not some kooky theory. The people described did exist, and after reading this book they will become more real to you.
The knowledge gained from reading this book is immense and is time well spent.

This is the best book I've read on Florida's Paleo-Indians so far, not only for identifying pottery, tools (both shell & stone) and other artifacts, but the author's details on reconstructing the methods of creating and using the same, are wonderful. The photos and drawings of hundreds of different potsherds are alone worth the price of the book. At last I can not only identify the many pieces I have picked up over the last several years, but gain a greater understanding of the people who created them.

What can i say. I have numerous books on the subject and this one, like all the others books written by Turner, are top ranking. With detaild information on how the plants were used by indiginous people.

This richly illustrated book details over 150 plant species used by First Peoples/Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest Interior.

Revised and redesigned for easier use, this handbook includes detailed botanical descriptions and notes on habitat and distribution.

Groups covered are the Stl'atl'imx (Lillooet), Secwepemc (Sushwap), Nlaka'pamux (Thompson), Okanagan, Ktunaxa (Kootenay), Tsimshian and Athapaskan groups in the north, and others in northwestern U.S.A.

Nancy Turner explains how aboriginal peoples harvested, prepared and preserved the roots, leaves, fruits and other parts of wild plants. She also describes some non-native food plants used by interior peoples and several species they considered poisonous or inedible. Color pictures enhance descriptions and make identification easier.

This book is really impressive. It has a lot more information than a standard "pocket guide" book. There are numerous food sources in this book that i have never seen in other similiar books. an example: this book explains in detail how native americans harvested the inner bark (cambium) of the western hemlock to make a flour like substance. I have never read this in any other plant books. The book also includes information on how to prepare the food in traditional ways, as well as stories related to particular plants. All in all, this is probably the best book I know of concerning edible wild plants in the pacific northwest.

The 4 Agreements are profound, yet simple. The 2008 Engagement Calendar is a simple way to keep these profound thoughts working for me in my daily life.

This is a great personal calendar to gear-up for each day and reflect, revive, or review each day/week. I make this purchase each year (this is my 3rd year) and it's helped keep me focused and accomplishing the goals/desires I put forth each year. Even the days/weeks I'm not putting "work" into the calendar, it's putting work into me... the colors, the designs, the "reminders"... all fruitful.
This is a great purchase for the peaceful minded and/or seeking goal-developing and delivering individuals... a "happy purchase."

I can't wait to start using my new calendar - I have read through it and I love the quotes from the book (which I own) and I love the space to write - overall more than I expected

Written by former dancer, trapeze artist, and librarian Patricia Hruby Powell, and illustrated by Navajo Nation resident Kendrick Benally, Frog Brings Rain is a bilingual English/Navajo picturebook recounting an ancient Navajo folktale. When a terrible fire threatens the village of the First People, First Woman seeks aid, yet every creature she talks to has an excuse - Mockingbird, Snail, and Beaver all refuse to help. Only frog and crane come to the First People's rescue in their hour of need, and out of gratitude, First Woman promises to leave Frog his waters, and leave the springs and pools on the mountain to Crane. "To this day, Frog summons the rain showers by calling, 'Har-ar-umph. Har-ar-umph.'" The vividly stylized art perfectly complements the ancient legend, in this absorbingly beautiful, highly recommended children's picturebook.

I liked Frog Brings Rain. I use it as one of my story's in story telling. The preschoolers loved it. It has lots of color and is very easy to bring to life.

ahéhee' bá ninaaltsoos (thank you for your book)
As I was reading Frog Brings Rain again this morning I became aware of not just the pictures and the words but, for the first time, of the music that they make together. The easy rhythm of the words came first then the rhythm of the pictures then the whole experience became one of music.
Thanks again (ahéhee' nááná)

I bought this beautifully illustrated book for my grandson, who is growing up in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by the art of the region's native people. I've colleced a lot of Haida and Tlingit art over the years and was so pleased to find the book's illustrations were both historically and aesthetically accurate. Between this book and the author's Storm Boy, kids can see Haida button blankets, Chilkat blankets, coppers, wooden chief's masks, the carved and painted interiors of long houses, the woven reed clothing worn in past eras, and of course totem poles. I loved the scale of the illustations in scents in the Frog longhouse, with the little girl so dwarfed by all the big carvings and sculptures. I have to say that these two books are among the best-illustrated kids' books I've seen in years. If I were on the prize committee, I'd award the author/illustrator a Caldecott Medal for sure.

This is a title that will entertain both the adult reader and the child. An adventure regarding stewardship of the earth. The dream-like images and intriguing story draw one right in. Would make a nice gift.

The story is easy to read aloud and the illustrations are rivetting. I bought this for my three-year-old son, but find myself using it as a teaching tool in my second grade classroom, as well. It is very similar to a story my grandparents (Quinault-Cowlitz/Coast Salish) used to tell me when I was growing up. The message about taking care of all our relations is an important one. The story ignited a new interest in volcanoes and pond-life in my son's imagination. His interest in volcanoes and caves became so keen because of this book that we spent hours in the volcano exhibits at the Natural History Museum and made a special trip to Carlsbad Caverns! Bravo Paul Owen Lewis.