New Mexico Books

Barbara Kramer writes a much needed biography of Nampeyo, the Tewa potter. This book is a comprehensive look at Nampeyo's life, as both a member of the Hopi/Tewa nation, and as a seminal artist. Kramer also succesfully challenges much of the conventional wisdom surrounding Nampeyo's life and work, some of which has persisted for almost a century.

While setting the context in which Nampeyo lived and worked, Kramer also draws a vivid picture of life in the Hopi/Tewa villages at the close of the 19th Century. Beset by archeologists, ethnographers, and missionaries, the Hopis attempted to maintain a way of life and culture that had sustained them for generations.

Kramer writes in a clear, accessible style, and makes liberal use of quotes and other references from Nampeyo's extended family. For anyone interested in the history and development of 20th Century Hopi pottery, this book is a must read.

This is a must-have for all students of Mesoamerica, the Conquest of Mexico, or even armchair travel! This succinct report of a supposed companion of Cortes describes Aztec life, religion, dress, food, warfare, and more. Although some modern historians doubt if the Anonymous Conqueror was actually a conquistador, the book still stands as a record of popular knowledge of the Aztecs.

The original Spanish text of the report of the Anonymous Conqueror is lost. This edition from the Italian translation by Ramusio in 1556. Much speculation has arisen as to the identity of the writer, and it has been held by some to be the work of Francisco de Terrazas. In the publication of Ramusio it is simply ascribed to a "Gentleman of Cortes." It is a matter of deep regret that the author did not write a more extensive account, or if he did, that it should have been lost, for as Icazbalceta remarks, "it is without doubt one of our best historical documents."

The Texan Santa Fe Expedition of 1841 might well have been the lowest moment in Texas history. Maybe that's the reason memories of the trek have faded into obscurity. Kendall's narrative of the planning of the Expedition, the gathering at Kinney Fort and the trek northward and westward were all invaluable as a reference tool when I was writing Hell Bent For Santa Fe. I'd imagine Larry McM also used it when he was writing Dead Man's Walk, about the march of the captives south to Mexico after the surrender. If you are a casual reader or a historian you'll probably want to own this tome. In my own researches through the Texas Archives and the various libraries and surviving diaries I almost always referred back to the Kendall book to see what he was doing at the time.

In addition to the value as a research tool, this is a great read. Kendall's writing style converts historical events, misery, turmoil, mutiny, Indian fights and hunger in a way seldom found in non-fiction. You'll read this book more than once.

"Berkeley lecturer Dubin deserves congratulations for even attempting a clear overview of her thorny subject--the history and present state of the collecting and exhibiting of the objects created by the world's indigenous peoples of North America. That she has to a great degree succeeded is gratifying, so vast are the potential pitfalls. Dubin moves between the worlds of anthropology and modern art with equal confidence and does not mistake evenhandedness for blandness. Thus, for example, the naive collectors of "Indian Art" looking for a fix of authenticity are not isolated and condemned, but placed within a broad historical and cultural framework. . . . "Dubin's knowledgeably poised book is an invaluable contribution to cultural studies."-Publishers Weekly

Scott Vicker's new book about the depiction of Native Americans in art and literature in a thorough and academically rigorous account, yet quite readable. The book helps one to understand how the depiction of Indians has been influenced by the economic and social needs of the dominant white culture, whether that be the dehumanizing of Indians to justify wiping out their cultures, or their romanticization to attract tourists to their lands and make money selling their art. Vickers also brings to attention several writers, for example Frank Waters, who have attempted to deeply understand the culture they are depicting and to create multidimensional characters that provide the reader with a window into the true lives of Native Americans. Seeing how the depiction of Indians has progressed toward a more authentic and self-expressed picture over the last 50 years provides some uplift to counteract the rather depressing story of the books first half. (This book sco! res an impressive 9.5 on the PC scale.) Overall, Vicker's book avoids excessive academic jargon and provides insight for people who are interested in literature and art that depicts Native American's, but may not have thought too deeply about how such depictions have been influenced by the paradigms of the time. The reader may occasionally feel frustrated when Vickers discusses artwork without reproducing it in his book, but this minor problem does little to mar an otherwise outstanding text.

A detailed overview of the golden days of government-produced children's books by notables such as Ann Nolan Clark, Pablita Velarde and Fred Kabotie with detailed notes about authors, artists, publishers, and the books themselves. About halfway throug the book, you'll find yourself trolling on amazon for copies of your very own of these long-out-of-print titles, so this is an extremely dangerous (and ultimately expensive) book! Forewarned.

Poet and professor Norma Wilson offers us eight concise chapters on eight living literary heroes--four men and four women--who are well known nationwide in Indian country but still exotic enough to pique the interest of mainstream readers. In passing, and particularly in her introduction and a concluding chapter entitled "The New Generation," Wilson makes cogent observations on many other Native poets. There is no better brief introduction to Native writing (most Natives begin writing as poets). Not a word is wasted, and the bibliography alone is worth the price of the book. Wilson's expert literary analysis bridges the gap between the Western European canon and oral tradition.

This book is more than just great pictures-of which there are many.It provides an excellent history lesson on the introduction of figural elements in Navajo weaving, including the stories behind the popular Yei, Yeibichais and sandpainting weavings. There are 170 full-color examples of weavings that illustrate this book, comprising one of the most difinitive surveys of pictorial weavings. The book is boken out into nine sections, such as "Birds, Flora, Fauna", and gives an imformative look at each style's evolution. The authors also reviews the impact Western civilization has had on weaving styles, including the introduction of trains, cars and buidlings. It has helped me date rugs in my own collection as well as those I've considered purchasing. It really is a "must buy" for rug enthusiasts.

Navajo Spoons: Indian Artistry And The Souvenir Trade, 1880s-1940s by Native American artifact and antiquities dealer Cindra Kline is an informative and attractive combination history and art that tells and showcases the story of some truly fine silverware created in an era when the railroad helped open up and streamline travel and trade with the American West. The cross-cultural elegance of Navajo silverware is amazingly displayed in the beautiful, full-color photographs of Navajo Spoons, while the "reader friendly" text offers deep insight into these artifacts and the people who created them. A superb artbook especially for those who enjoy fine silverwork, Navajo Spoons is a recommended addition to Native American Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections, as well as an invaluable single volume introduction for collectors and dealers of Navajo silverwork.

Caught between a plethora of beautiful picture books written by visitors who rush undigested material into print and scholarly tomes too pithy and densely packed with jargon to be understood by anyone, sometimes even the author, it is rare to find a book that is written by an academic thoroughly versed in her subject yet so enjoyable to read that it may as well be a novel. You will find Professor Willow Roberts Powers' "Navajo Trading the end of an era" a joy to read for its lively style, and you will gain an introduction to and an understanding of a complex period in our national history.
The text is enlivened with quotes from oral histories of Navajo Indians and traders who lived together through friendship and animosity, trust and fear, hardship and wealth. It is evident that Powers understands her subject from decades of contact and is able to outline the intricate social and political interactions that changed the lives of people in the Southwest in fundamental ways.
I know some of the people in the book, many are still alive, and even after years of contact I feel I know them better now that I have read their story as Powers writes it, casting light in the cobwebby corners of memory and bringing a time past into clear view. The era may have ended but the story and its people still live today in its aftermath.
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