Native American Books

While not a comprehensive reference of all the tribes it does give a good range of peoples from the eastern coast, northern woodlands, plains, southwest, and pacific coast. The tribes included are: Wabanaki, Dakota, Pawnee, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Winnebago, Kwakiutl, Pima, Apache, Mohave-Apache, Yuma, Navaho, Zuni, San Juan, Acoma, Laguna, and Hopi.

This book is a great monument to all the peoples and their respective ways of life. It is proof that the social engineers and bureaucrats did not kill the spirit and culture of the rightful inhabitants of this land. As long as such a book exists the way back to the old, centered way of living can be tracked.

This is a moving book. Even Theodore Roosevelt was moved by the "depth and dignity" of Indian thought.

At the turn of the century, this book was instrumental in a change of attitude towards Native Amaricans. Through it, we see the "depth and dignity or Indian thoughts" (Theodore Roosevelt) from a time when Indians were commonly viewed as little more than animals.

But I don't want to make this sound like a political statement. No, don't missunderstand, this book focuses on the legends and the music. Curtis has transcribed enough songs that you could almost call it a Fake Book of Indian Songs. I've already used many of the songs in this book as inspiration for some of my own compositions.

One of the things about the book I really enjoyed was the use of the Inuit alphabet to caption the beautiful pictures. There is a dictionary of sounds and words in the back, which can be used for kids to write their own names in Inuit.

There is also a guide to making your own Inuksuk in the back.

When I found the book "Inuksuk," I immediately purchased it. After reading it, I purchased four more copies. "Inuksuk" can be read and looked at from many angles. It will be a perfect gift for friends with "soul" and for children who I hope will grow up with an appreciation of nature and art.

This is another excellent American Girl story. My twelve-year-old daughter is a great fan of Kaya, and I must admit that I like the stories as well. I like the lesson that Kaya learns in this story, plus I like the story and illustrations for themselves. This is a very good book, one that my daughter and I both highly recommend.

The figure of Kokopelli is found chipped into desert stone at various ancient sites throughout the American Southwest. It also appears in contemporary forms, painted on canvas, etched into glassware, printed on Christmas cards, and sculpted into candelabra, in presentations that range from the holy to the kitschy. What energizes the frequent appearances of the enigmatic hunchbacked flute player? The authors suggest that the centuries-old drawing power of this archetypal figure may lie in both its protean nature and its spiritual origins.

Hill acquaints the reader with images of Kokopelli as hunter, warrior, healer, gambler, fertility bringer, and even mythological insect who appears in some Native American accounts of the Creation, by presenting a broad review of the available literature on the topic. Wisely, he presents Kokopelli's multiple manifestations without seeking to narrow them to a definitive representation that would deny the complexity of the image. His smart narrative contains a mine of information that yields a pocketful of nice nuggets with each perusal; and his readable style turns them up without a lot of digging.

In stunning visual images that complement the text, Montoya presents Kokopelli as an avatar figure who both generously offers and thankfully celebrates the receipt of the gifts of a bountiful earth. To Hill's scholarly analysis, Montoya adds the cultural insights of one steeped in the kind of ceremonialism from which Kokopelli likely first emerged, and the imagination of a skilled contemporary artist. Their collaboration is a complimentary one in which the text illuminates the paintings, and the visual images add an intuitive content that transcends the text.

Hill is frank about his intention to produce a hybrid text that is concurrently an art book, a study of Native American spiritual beliefs, and a review of Kokopelli literature. The challenge in such an undertaking is to do it seamlessly. How that challenge was met produced my only caveat, and a small one considering the ambitious nature of the project. The book's divisions make it seem a bit episodic, particularly the insertion of a short chapter by art critic James Bialac that might better have been placed in an appendix. At the same time, the holistic approach to the book's subject matter is an essential part of what makes it original and interesting. Hill and Montoya have added an important spiritual component to an art/cultural study without becoming simplistic or sappy, a laudable achievement.

Kokopelli Ceremonies provides some satisfying depth in an area in which much of the available material only skims the surface. Although the book is brief, it contains a well-selected bibliography for those readers who wish to further pursue the elusive Kokopelli through the avenue of cultural studies. For the text-challenged and those who prefer to see beyond black and white, sixteen gorgeous color plates provide a visual feast. Leave Kokopelli Ceremonies out where you can reach for it often--you'll probably make frequent journeys following the elusive notes of the ancient pied piper.

I loved the book and the dignity and truthfulness of the story. I stumbled across it in the University of Oklahoma bookstore and my curiosity was generously rewarded.