North America Books

This has been an invaluable tool for me in developing time lines and cultural context for many of my novels. It was particularly valuable in getting an overview of the American Indian Movement and developing the historical context for my novel, Lakota Spring. A word of warning: It's easy to get distracted by the wealth of interesting topics.

Joel B Reed, award winning author of Murder In The Choir

This book is a MUST if you are interested in American history. It very easy to follow having been written as a collection of news articles. I would recomend this book to anyone, even students.

As a Librarian I use this book several times a week. There is nothing like it for putting issues in context. The newspaper format and photographs make it attractive to young people. I hope that a new edition will come out soon.

I teach high school history and I have, on several occasions, used this book as a quick reference for my lessons. My students have used it as well in their research in my class and have found it to be very useful and informative. I highly recommend this book for all of those interested in American history.

"Chronicle of America" is a capsulized approach to American history from 1492 to present. Significant events are organized as newspaper articles that quickly break down the most important aspects of the event in a simple "who, what, where, when, and how" format. Contemporary illustrations and photographs are interspersed throughout each year to reinforce the newspaper approach.

Although especially handy for young students, this book is also useful when you need to just look up a few basic facts without having to wade through or locate more indepth works. Definitely handy to have around.

I read many of the stories in this book for a college course and I found them to be rather interesting and thoughtful. Many of the tales are difficult to understand at times, but that usually comes with the oral stories provided by Native Americans. I would definitely recommend this collection of stories to anyone who is particularly curious in Native American legend.

Not much need to be said, simply the best collection of indian oral literature I found, and I looked anywhere and everywhere!

"Coming to Light: Contemporary Translations of the Native Literatures of North America," edited by Brian Swann, is an amazing volume. Approximately 800 pages long, this anthology brings together materials from all over the continent. Cultures included range from the Yupik of Alaska to the Zuni of New Mexico to the Iroquois of southern Ontario--more than 30 different peoples in all.

Each selection is preceded by its own separate introduction which discusses such topics as the culture and language of the people who produced the text, the specific storytellers, and translation issues.

The material in the anthology includes creation myths, animal tales, trickster stories, songs, and stories of birth, death, and transformation. Some of the most remarkable selections include the Wolverine tales of the Innu, which are masterpieces of bawdy humor, and the Yupik tale of "The Boy Who Went to Live with the Seals," a magical story of human/animal relations. I highly recommend "Coming to Light."

I really found this book to be an endless source of delight, because it not only features the incredibly diverse multitudes of narratives from individual Native American nations, but it because as a whole it really challenges the assumptions that have been handed down to us by imperialists. This is a truly amazing collection by what must be a brilliant scholar.

Readers interested in the traditional stories, myths, folktales, and other cultural expressions of American Indians would be hard pressed to find a better anthology than this excellent book. Swann edited together stories from a wide range of regions within North America. He included terrific introductions by excellent researchers and authors. These introductions present sufficient background information to learn about the storytelling traditions, and the commentary helps readers understand and appreciate the texts. There is also an extensive bibliography that includes hundreds of additional sources for learning more about the stories, storytellers, authors, and societies that are represented in the book. The stories, themselves, are magnificent. Some are fairly accessible to readers with little knowledge of American Indian history and culture. Other narratives are more esoteric, and they must be read and reread with great patience. As readers develop ways to read these stories, the wonder of the tradition lights up ways to think about the verbal artistry of America's first peoples.

I used this guide for a recent visit to Santa Fe, the most interesting and artsy/craftsy city of 60,000 people in the U.S. The photography and the maps in the guide are outstanding. Hotels and restaurants are described in helpful and interesting detail. The guide covers not only Santa Fe but also a good sized chunk of surrounding territory, including Taos, smaller and even more literary and artistic than Santa Fe; the atomic city of Los Alamos; scenic, old Hispanic mountain towns; and even Chaco Canyon, the prehistoric ruin hidden in the desert now inhabited by the Navajo.

Nearby Albuquerque, however, is not covered in the book -- an omission that probably should be remedied as Albuquerque has attractions of its own -- excellent museums and a walk through the bosques of the Rio Grande, for example. Nor did I find directions to the grave of author D.H. Lawrence near Taos so I made my way there unguided. Another criticism is that the author's brief essays about Chaco Canyon and Taos' most famous resident, Kit Carson, were eccentric and perhaps not to the point.

The Indian/Hispanic/Anglo culture of New Mexico is probably the most unique and colorful regional culture of the United States and is celebrated in enough art galleries and literature to last a lifetime. My favorite places to visit: a tie between the Bradbury Museum of Science in Los Alamos, which has a mock-up of the first atomic bomb, and remote Chaco Canyon. All in all, this is an attractive and reliable guide to the attractions of Santa Fe and its region.

Smallchief

I am going to visit Santa Fe for a few days and to do a job interview there. I wanted a book that would give me all the information I needed about Santa Fe and the surroundings so that I could come up with a list of places I wanted to visit, restaurants I wanted to eat at, and so on. I definitely recommend this book for those who want to be able to have a clear picture of where they want to go once they reach Santa Fe!

I love Santa Fe and have been there numerous times. I'm always looking for new aspects of the city to see. I like this guide book because it is not mearly a list of places to stay and eat. I agree with the places recommended as some of the highlights of the city. I look forward to my next trip to enjoy some of the new things I've read to do in Santa Fe and the surrounding areas.

We just got back from Santa Fe. This book was wonderful! It has history, what to see (museums, ruins, architecture), where to eat (an interesting list -- we didn't particularly use it because we had personal referrals). It had great tips -- like buy the 5-museum pass for slightly more than a one-museum, one-day pass. I was very pleased I'd read it BEFORE I went and it was very useful while we were there.

We found this book to be very, very informative on where to go in Santa Fe as well as fun side trips complete with a "how to find the onion lady" on the road from Taos. Fabulous photography. Great historical and cultural detail as well. Highly recommend the Compass American Guides.

A very enjoyable, sincere and warm read. Henninger takes you from the challenge of first deciding to climb Mount Rainier to the training, and then up the mountain itself. You experience the process as though you were there; the weather, the illumination of self awareness, the fatigue, triumphs and reflections. It's a fine read and had me anxiously turning the pages with no small amount of anticipatory excitement. And it's fun. Henninger is a human being; not a professional guide, not a Sherpa, but someone you can like and certainly admire for both his efforts and the accounting of the time he had on Mt Ranier. Read it. You'll like it.

First of all, I'm not a mountain climber, nor do I want to be. I want
to state this up front lest anyone think that I gave this book my
review based upon a love of mountain climbing. While the author does
recount his two attempts at summitting Mt. Rainier, he goes beyond
the technical aspects of mountaineering and offers much, much more.
The book is more an introspective look at why a middle-aged regular
guy would even attempt such a feat. He chronicles his lifelong
fascination with mountains that ultimately brings him face to face
with the reality of looking at planet Earth from above the clouds. I
read the book in "real time", by that I mean I read up to the end of
his first day, put the book down and picked it up the next day when
he was also beginning his next day on the mountain. This added to my
enjoyment as I felt I was sharing the author's experience as it
unfolded. Truthfully,the book can easily be read in one or two
readings. The best part of this book is the spirituality the author
gets in touch with in his time on the mountain. It really comes
across in
his reflective final chapter where he ponders what made him begin his
trek and where does he go from here. I gave the book to my wife to
read and she enjoyed it also. As I stated in the title of my
review it's "A Good Read For Everyone".

A very enjoyable and easy read. Henninger takes you from the exhilaration of first deciding to climb Mount Rainier to the training, and then up the mountain itself. You experience the process as though you were there; the biting cold, the ceaseless wind, the few moments of rest-- the disappointments and the triumphs.
You'll find yourself continuously turning pages as you accompany the author on his quest of personal discovery and physical challenge.

In Compass Points, Mr. Henninger takes us along on his quest to climb Mt. Rainier and understand the deeper spiritual power that the mountain holds for him. In telling his story, he invites each of us to locate our own polestar and to summon the courage to live a fully engaged life. Compass Points lifted my spirits and reminded me why I seek wild places.

First of all, I'm not a mountain climber, nor do I want to be. I want to state this up front lest anyone think that I gave this book my review based upon a love of mountain climbing. While the author does recount his two attempts at summitting Mt. Ranier, he goes beyond the technical aspects of mountaineering and offers much, much more. The book is more an introspective look at why a middle-aged regular guy would even attempt such a feat. He chronicles his lifelong fascination with mountains that ultimately brings him face to face with the reality of looking at planet Earth from above the clouds.
I read the book in "real time", by that I mean I read up to the end of his first day, put the book down and picked it up the next day when he was also beginning his next day on the mountain. This added to my enjoyment as I felt I was sharing the author's experience as it unfolded. Truthfully,the book can easily be read in one or two readings.
The best part of this book is the spirituality the author gets in touch with in his time on the mountain. It really comes across in his reflective final chapter where he ponders what made him begin his trek and where does he go from here.
I gave the book to my wife to read and she is enjoying it also. As I stated in the title of my review it's "A Good Read For Everyone".

this book set everything in motion in regard to this era the fiery speeches of Pontiac alone make the Ottawa chief a character of Shakespearren proportions.This book is not cold historical interpretation but is packed with emotion and tragedy.

This book was written in the 1800's so a lot of the language is "old-fashioned". I found it to read almost like Homer's Illiad. I high-lighted several quotes that I found interesting and someday maybe worth reciting. This book is worth it just for it's portrayal of Indians, Frenchmen and The English.

This is Vol. 1 of Francis Parkman's excellent account of the major uprising of the Great Lakes tribes in 1763-1764 whose orchestration is generally attributed to the Ottawa chief Pontiac.

Pontiac's Rebellion, as it is often called, is generally seen as a epilogue to the French and Indian War. At the end of this conflict, France was forced to concede defeat, and to hand over control of all their former forts and settlements to the British. The complex relationship between the Britsh, French, and Indian tribes in the Trans-Alleghany region was in a delicate situation after the fall of New France. The great lakes tribes, allies of the French and tradionally tied to them trough trade and inter-marriage, were fearful and suspicious of the British conquerors. The British were generally eager to establish trade with these new tribes, which had up until now been exclusively partnered with the French. But the view held by some in the upper British echelon, particularly General Jeffery Amherst, the commander-in-chief of all British forces in North America, was extremely biased against the Indians, whom they viewed as dangerous savages.

When the British took control of the Forts in the Great Lakes region, Amherst immediately instituted a harsh trade policy which essentially punished the Indians, preventing them from obtaining gunpowder and ammunition for their muskets needed for hunting. Amherst and his cronies, warm and safe in their lush surroundings in New York, failed to grasp the unique relationship that had evolved between the Indian and the white traders since the early days of European settlement. The Indians could no longer support themselves without the trade goods from the whites, particularly guns and ammo. Amherst also eliminated the traditional giving of "presents" as a diplomatic offering to the Indians, which was seen by them as a major breach of trust and friendship. This proved a recipe for disaster which was forseen by many in-the-know on the Frontier, particularly men like George Croghan and Sir William Johnson, British Superintendent of Indian Affairs and a well-respected figure among the New York Iroqouis. But all their warnings to Amherst and the high command were ignored. The result was one of the largest Indian uprisings in American history.

Parkman's account is an extremely detailed retelling of the uprising from it's beginings at Fort Detroit to it ultimate defeat by British troops at the Battle of Bushy Run and Colonel Henry Bouquet's march into the Ohio Country. Some people may find Parkman difficult to read and his language can be dry at times. Some modern readers will find his 19th century view on the Indians, whom he often refers to as savages, as offensive. However, Parkman was a 19th century American writing at a time when the war to conquer the American continent was still being waged and white animosity and racism toward the Indians had not been tempered. Even so, Parkman does seem to give them more credit than many of his contemporaries.

The war's outcome did not bode well for the Indians and Pontiac's tragic fate seem to foreshadow dark times to come for the native tribes. Even the tribes close with and allied to the English began to realize that their days were numbered and that the attitude toward them was changing for the worse. Soon, the British, who had once been heavily dependant on trade and military alliances with the tribes would no longer need them now that the French had been vanquished. The fears of the Indians, that the whites would soon come to drive them out and take their land, were beginning to be fulfilled. The fallout from this tragic conflict, a despreate attemtpt to cling to the traditional relationship that had existed between the whites and the Indians, would echo down the long years of history. In later years, great Indian leaders like Joseph Brant, Blue Jacket, Little Turtle, and Tecumseh would try to recreate what Pontiac attempted in 1763: To preserve their homes and way of life, a struggle that would ultiamtely prove a failure.

I have a love for history as it happened, and this book was as good as it gets with regard to "telling it like it is" and the explanation about the environment and the character of the people involved. I understand more about the Indian people and the French and the British (at that period of time) than I knew before reading the book. As to the book it shows how the French lost most of America and Canada, when they were better positioned (they had made friends with the Indians) to take over than the British. The author of the book lived in a period where he could visit and speak to persons who were affected by the French and Indian wars (which period is almost forgotten). It also explained who was "Pontiac", an Indian chief of amazing leadership(& who is not a car). I had heard his of his name in a movie and I was curious to what he represented. I had read the "Lewis and Clark expedition" book before this one and both books complemented each other very much. A movie, regarding the Indian assault on a desperate Fort Denver should be made (I believe there is one with Gary Cooper and a young Lloyd Bridges, but it is not completely - historically speaking - reliable).

This book and its follow-on volume 2 of 2 provide us with rare detail of a mostly forgotten chapter of American history. While Francis Parkman is best known for his 7-volume masterpiece "France and England in North America, as well as numerous accounts of Westward expansion, this more focused 2-volume work, in my opinion, brings forward his most impressive writing skills. Parkman literally paints with words, including the most descriptive interpretations I have ever read of the early American frontier and the fascinating range of peoples vying for control or mere survival.

These two volumes are a true pleasure to read and a treasure for those who enjoy the history of North America and its peoples, as well as those who appreciate the power and beauty of the written word.

Not at the level for me of Tales of Old-time Texas but still an excellent collection of stories from J. Frank Dobie. This collection is focused, as the title should tell you, on buried treasure, treasure maps and things of that nature. The book is still a joy to read and I don't understand why more of the country doesn't know about Mr. Dobie.

The author, a premier folklorist from Texas, writes about the Southwest and the type of treasure with which nature consoles the seeker -- "shadows for want of substantials." Unlike Coronado, the author seeks the treasure that emanates from the heart and mind. This is a fine book written seven decades ago and improves with each reading.

Dobie talks about this land of shadows where we meet Alice Henderson, who faced down fifty cow thieves; Don Milton Favor, who built his own fort while making treaties with hostile Indians; and Cheetwah, a mystic Indian chief who vanished into the mountains to keep vigil over hidden treasures. These and other characters spring from the pages of Dobie's book with a vigor and purpose that makes the heart sing.

The Texas of the Big Bend country is where Dobie's prose satisfies, "Outlandish pictures painted down the sides of caves by aborigines which no white man can now decipher...a jagged and gashed land where legend has placed a lost canyon, its broad floor carpeted with grass that is always green and watered by gushing springs, its palisaded walls imprisoning a herd of buffalo...somewhere in this land credulity has fixed a petrified forest with tree trunks seven hundred feet long."

The author claims, "After I hear a tale I do all I can to improve it," and this is an understatement. Readers who possess a sense of wonder will enjoy this book. History often cloaks personages with dusty trappings, stuffy sayings, and mixed motives so time has faded the awe that Drake, Cortez, Raleigh, and Coronado experienced. Dobie illuminates the wonder of the children of Coronado as they chase their dreams and draws us into their world of enchantment.

Francisco Coronado never found his golden riches or the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola during his time in the Southwest. When he returned in 1542, and told the truth about his barren search, he wasn't believed. One person who did believe said, "Granted he did not find the riches of which he had been told -- he found instead a place in which to search for them."

And the search continues. For centuries Coronado's vision of wealth has lured countless thousnads to the Southwest where tradition and myth have marked mountains, rivers, and ancient ruins with boundless treasures. This book follows long forgotten Spanihs trails, buffalo trails, cow trails, and areas where there are no trails as searchers dig for riches which eludes their grasp. Others, rather than searching, have sat and told stories of lost mines, buried treasure and of ghostly patrones who guard the treasures -- adding layers to the myths that abound in the land of Coronado.

This book lovingly describes Spanish influence and tradition on the Sountwest and combines a terrific cast of characters, interesting situations, and Dobie's unmatched skill at weaving a tale. The author's footnotes are at the end of the text and are filled with tales and legends of lost mines and treasures. There's an interesting section on the elaborate Code of Treasure Symbols used by the Spaniards. An excellent glossary of idioms used in the Southwest follows that section.

There is more to the American West than gunfighters, farmers, bankers, cowboys, and miners. The author has given us the realm of the dreamers.

J. Frank Dobie was a folklorist of Texas and "Coronado's Children" may be his best and most famous book. He was born in 1888 and bridged the old west and modern times. CC was written in 1930 when many of the old timers, who knew how to spin a yarn, were still around. Dobie sought them out and recorded their stories of lost gold and buried treasure. He was also a serious scholar who rummaged through Spanish and American archives to give authenticity to his stories -- and he was not adverse to saddling up a horse and doing a little on-the-ground research.

"Coronado's Children" has inspired thousands of otherwise normal people to pick up a shovel and head off to some god-forsaken wasteland to dig in the ground looking for the "Lost San Saba Mine," the booty of pirate Jean Lafitte, or the $2 million the James boys supposedly buried in the Wichita mountains of Oklahoma. These are the kind of stories that dreams are made of -- and who knows? Some of them might be true.

Dobie has collected nineteen tales in CC and he tells them beautifully in prose that is conversational and colorful. He has enormous respect for the land and the Indians, the Mexicans, and the Anglos who live in the harsh, dry country of the southwest. An oft-used adjective to describe his stories is "magical" and so they are. "Coronado's Children" is an American classic.

Smallchief

Perhaps the best folklore book ever written about lost mines and buried treasure, caves full of gold bars, and Spanish silver. As in most of Dobie's writings, this is not straight history but Dobie's version of other people stories with a large dose of Dobie in all of them. A Texas classic.

I read this book 30 years ago. I am now 75, and I rank it as one of the most fascinating books of my lifetime. It opened up a whole world of places and things that are long gone, but which deserve to be remembered. I believe that I have since read almost everything that Frank Dobie has written, but believe this is still the best.

Great book if this is the first book of this author that you read. However, it is an extraordinary book if read after reading Coyote Medicine. As a follow-up read, the reader has a greater understand of the "whys". If you are a Native American or have worked in the field of mental health/ psychiatry -- or better yet both, you find yourself going, "Yes, you are so right!" often times as you read. Such a moving book. It touched not only my mind, but also my heart and soul. I could not put it down until I finished it.

Lewis Mehl-Madrona reveals insights into traditional and non-traditional medicine. He is an interesting multi-faceted medical practioner. It is impossible to sum up his contributions in a sentence or two. He breaks the bonds of traditional medicine by incorporating ancient medical practices into his healing work.

Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D. has written one of the best books on healing ever to be published. This book should be required reading for all cancer patients and survivors, for anyone suffering from chronic physical or emotional disease, and for therapists in all disciplines. Dr. Madrona's stories are poignant and will linger with you long after you've finished the last page. This book offers hope. It teaches that health truly is a mind-body-spirit phenomenon.

Dr. Mehl-Madrona's magnificent first book, COYOTE MEDICINE, was seen through wide-eyes: a young doctor discovering his own roots and shedding illusions about the omnipotence of science. By contrast, COYOTE HEALING reveals a sure sense of purpose and conviction in his approach.

One senses a mission- that this book is more than an account, but an active attempt to spread the word. No longer exploring, Dr. Mehl-Madrona has become the guru; here he is at the height of his powers and conviction and acts as advocate.

Operating from the perspective of a shaman, Dr. Mehl-Madrona respects the patient's ability to cure himself, but also "straddle(s) cultures," drawing on his varied expertise. As he explains, "Activating the inner healer is the most important aspect of what I do... I use herbs, diet, vitamins, exercise, drugs and a myriad of other techniques, but I recognize that the inner healer makes all these approaches work."

Because of the success of his first book, many people seek him out, and we hear their stories. They have usually been told their cases were beyond hope. Working with the author, some patients do recover, others sadly, do not. But Dr. Mehl-Madrona refuses to speak of "failures," nor does he use cases to argue for or against shamanic or complementary approaches. Rather, he sees the healing process itself as the miracle. As he says:

I build hope. I don't help everyone [in terms of cures]...I help them to show their true humanity, their true spirit, despite adversity...Each of my patients told me what a difference I had made in their lives. All I did was to recognize their true selves and coax those to the surface, despite everything else that was happening... Hope- not despair, not denial, not giving up, not demanding success...It comes from knowing that the Universe cares about us, even when our desires are not possible... The peacefulness of integrating these apparent contradictions is truly a miracle.

Much of his work involves Native American storytelling, using characters in stories to shed light on the patients' struggles. So, a woman who helps many people but is now undergoing chemotherapy is told a story of the "Gatherer," a Native American woman who collected healing plants, and was kidnapped and tortured, but made it through. Another woman who has been ill for decades is told a story about a young woman who was kidnapped, who had to throw away some prized items in order to escape. Here the doctor was showing his patient how to discard illness as an identity.

Some major themes emerge. A loss of community is said to cause disease, and one violently schizophrenic man finds his way back to sanity by being made an "honorary Indian" on a reservation. Another theme is illness as sublimated negativity in one's life.

But the doctor does not "blame the victim." Instead, he defines "disease" as literally that, dis-ease. In the eyes of a shaman, cause of illness is everywhere, and awareness of imbalance will lead us to finding "ease." In the author's words, "I can no longer imagine a physical problem that is not simultaneously psychological, spiritual and social..."

But we are not being punished by our illness, only being told that something is wrong. Gary Null echoes this when he talks about the fires burning in our (physiological) houses, and how often we ignore these fires, whether stress, abuse, self-hatred, etc.

Whether you believe in complimentary healing approaches or not, COYOTE HEALING helps define what it means to fight for wellness with dignity and peace. Having met Dr. Mehl-Madrona at his healing circle, I know his real voice: soft, thoughtful, nonjudgemental, and mischievous. In these pages this voice comes through, and brings comfort. Thank you again, Doctor.

COYOTE HEALING is an interesting book which describes an approach to healing which is based on the experiences of the author who is a practicing physician and a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine. The main thrust of the book is to reveal the characteristics of exceptional patients who beat the odds against killer diseases such as cancer. Many inspirational stories are included.

The healing strategies used throughout reflect Dr. Mehl-Madrona's own childhood exposure to a mixture of Christianity and Cherokee spirituality. A strong emphasis is placed on the need for the patient to think positively. Any feelings of personal blame for having the illness are eliminated and replaced with a sense of hope. This step leads to peacefulness which in turn sets the stage for a potential miracle. The patient next tries to locate the inner healer before starting on a healing journey. The latter emphasizes a radical transformation of oneself and one's relationships. The journey itself ultimately becomes more important than the destination.

I have published an award-winning law review article on Federal Indian Law, worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (until I couldn't hold my nose any longer), and had the great good luck to learn Indian Law from Prof. Raymond Cross at The University of Montana School of Law. But Paul VanDevelder taught me new things about all three.

Mr. VanDevelder deftly explains some of the more arcane aspects of Federal Indian Law in a way that, at least for me, filled in more of the puzzle pieces - but while also making it easily accessible to even the non-professional. Mr. VanDevelder taught me that the Corps of Engineers can be even more insidious and arrogant than even I had suspected. And, given the good professor's reluctance to blow his own horn, Mr. VanDevelder taught me that merely having known Raymond Cross was far more an honor than I could have ever guessed.

If you have any curiosity about Indian legal rights, or seek understanding about the grave damage government administrators can do when they embody the worst kinds of ignorance, arrogance, and egomania, or merely hope to be inspired by a ripping good yarn about the undeniable perseverance of the human spirit, Coyote Warrior is your book.

At first glance this book would appear to be a rather standard documentary of the struggles faced by a particular Indian nation. That is true to a certain extent, as the book covers the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara), who until the 1950s were the most successful and self-sufficient Indians in the country, then saw their productive lands disappear under a Missouri River reservoir. After forced relocation and disenfranchisement, and political bullying from government agencies pushing through water reclamation projects that were probably a giant boondoggle, the tribes went instantly from success to destitution and dependence on the government. VanDevelder illustrates their long-term suffering through the decades-long travails and heartbreaks of the Cross family, whose father Martin led a valiant but hopeless struggle to save the tribes' livelihood and culture. The story continues through their traumatic uprooting and torn connections to their community, up to the current successes of son Raymond who has become one of the leading Indian attorneys in the nation.

VanDevelder's extensive coverage of the careers of Martin and Raymond Cross is what makes this book unique, and much more than your typical respectful but depressing expose on current Indian affairs. VanDevelder unveils the extremely complicated nature of Indian law in general, with issues of sovereignty and broken treaties from centuries ago still mucking up court cases to this day. He also gives in-depth (though occasionally over-detailed) coverage of the particular legal maneuvers and challenges faced by the Three Affiliated Tribes and the Cross family, which thanks to the legal brilliance of Raymond and some powerful allies, finally resulted in partial justice after several decades of suffering and cultural ruination at the hands of the U.S. Government. VanDevelder writes of legal maneuvering and governmental shenanigans with a surprising amount of suspense, and somehow even makes a Supreme Court exploratory hearing seem dramatic. A bonus is VanDevelder's unique descriptions of legal precedents going back to medieval Europe in the thirteenth century, and the far-reaching historical development of Indian law in America to the present day. [~doomsdayer520~]

Considering that very few people will witness Raymond Cross's dynamism in person or read his eloquent legal briefs and law review articles, Paul VanDevelder's "Coyote Warrior" provides a persuasive account of another Native community's fight for justice in America. The legal struggles of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara peoples for their land and sovereignty, as seen from their standpoint, provides valuable insights into the institutionalized bad faith of federal Indian policy. The author achieved his goal of making the compelling story of three tribe's contentious political relationship with the United States accessible to a wider audience.

This book is an eminently readable account of the disasters which befell the Arikara,Hidatsa and Mandan tribes when they were displaced by the damning of the Missouri.
It is also a disturbing revelation of the shenanigans of government, producing a sense of shame in those of us who look for"justice for all" from our representatives in DC.
It falls to bold Coyote Warriors,Martin Cross and later his brilliant son Raymond to combat in court,the injustices perpetrated on Native peoples.
As a piece of reporting VanDevelder's work is carefully phrased,occasionally lyrical, avoiding heavily loaded language.
It is also supplemented with an exhaustive bibliography(of which the author says there is more),one bound to satisfy demanding researchers.

An extraordinary look at the forces that disenfrnchised an Indian Nation from its heritage and its land. An insightful look into the destructive forces that rend family and community ties when frderal policies that de-humanize Native people are allowed to be implemented behind one man's ego, and a government's indifference. It is an all too familiar story -- well told -- of disenfranchisement of Indian people and governments. And finally, a story of the courage and incredible intellect of one families battle against irresistible forces.

This wonderful book's authorized publisher in the US is only Charles Scribner's Sons--not Peter Smith. What's the story with this?

Excellent reading for those connected with the Earth. Food for the soul. One of the best gifts I have ever recieved.

"I live in a rain forest in western Oregon, on the banks of a mountain river in relatively undisturbed country, surrounded by 150-foot-tall Douglas firs, delicate deer-head orchids, and clearings where wild berries grow" (p. 148), Barry Lopez writes in this collection of his 1978 to 1986 essays. Lopez allows each essay to tell a story leaving its reader with "an inexplicable renewal of enthusiasm." "It does not matter greatly what the subject is," he writes about storytelling, "as long as the context is intimate and the story is told for its own sake" (p. 63). Subjects of these essays include a stone horse intaglio, white geese at Tule Lake, boating the Colorado River with jazz musician, Paul Winter, bull riders, beached whales, searching for Anasazi remains, and "the passing wisdom of birds."

Readers will cross open ground in these essays and enter the natural world, becoming immersed in its much larger meanings. "Wildlands preserve complex biological relationships that we are only dimly, or sometimes not at all, aware of" (p. 80). These essays are rich in wilderness wisdom, enough wisdom to please any fan of Ed Abbey or Wendell Berry. "We grasp what is beautiful in a flight of snow geese rising against an overcast sky as easily as we grasp the beauty of a cello suite," Lopez writes; "and intuit, I believe, that if we allow these things to be destroyed or degraded for economic reasons we will become deeply and strangely impoverished" (p. 38). He quietly observes, "wilderness can revitalize someone who has spent too long in the highly manipulative, perversely efficient atmosphere of modern life" (p. 82).

Whether I'm reading his stories or essays, Barry Lopez is among my favorite writers. He will bring you to the edge of your senses: "Everything found at the edge of one's senses--the high note of the winter wren, the thick perfume of propolis that drifts downwind from spring willows, the brightness of woodchips scattered by beaver . . .all this fits together" (pp. 149-50).

G. Merritt

Lopez is concerned with our collective understanding of nature. From studying a 3000-year-old horse intaglio to looking for Anasazi granaries he seeks our ancestral relationships. The essays work best when he mixes his reflection with keen observations. Where the essays have a heavier philosophical hand they aren't as effective. As he says "The door that leads to the cathedral is marked by a hesitancy to speak at all, rather to encourage by example, a sharpness of the senses". Lopez 's narratives sharpen many senses from the sudden assault of the sound of snow geese to "two snails small as pinheads chewing a leaf".

There are reflections on the role of biologists, from communicating between scientists and shipmates in the arctic to their role in a whale stranding. Perhaps he thinks biologists have greater insight, but he also understands the need for mystery and direct experience.

For Paul Winter fans there is a description of the raft down the Grand Canyon that produced the album "Canyon". As a current update, the snow geese written about in one essay are continuing to boom and damage their arctic breeding grounds.

This collection of essays is glorious and sad. The writing lets the reader see what Barry Lopez is seeing with so few precise words. The gifts of wilderness are felt while reading sentences like, "You could feel the creek vibrating in the silt and sand.". The saddness comes from knowing these essays were written in the 1980's and so much more has been destroyed since then.

Due to when this book was written, there are a couple of references to former President Reagan's "environmental record" written in real time.

There were so many essays that I loved, including the one speaking of traveling the river with Paul Winter. I am going to quote a passage from "Children in the Woods".

"The quickest door to open in the woods for a child is the one that leads to the smallest room, by knowing the name each thing is called. The door that leads to the cathedral is marked by a hesitancy to speak at all, rather to encourage by example a sharpness of the senses. If one speaks it should only be to say, as well as one can, how wonderfully all this fits together, to indicate what a long, fierce peace can derive from this knowledge."

We have loved this book for years; it is a great tale of friendship and perseverance. Recently. our seven-year-old young reader rediscovered it, and he now loves it, too. So, I wondered if it was still in print, and discovered that it is. I urge any reader who is interested in mythic tales that teach basic life lessons to add this book to your library. And I urge any parent who is looking for a quality story, and something different, to get this book for your young reader. You will not regret it!

I have given more copies of Crow and Weasel away than any other book in recent years. It is the most beautiful portrait of male friendship available in any genre for children or adults. I most often give copies to young men facing some important transition in their own lives...graduation from high school or college when they too will be asked to go beyond what is familiar, and in doing so, will learn more about themselves. This is a story to share with those you love again and again. As Lopez says, "If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed..." This is just such a story.

This is a good book that can be read to or by children ages 7-15. This book could be read in 2-3 hours and has natural breaks that allows you to return to the book a number of different times. The story is interesting and keeps the listeners or readers attention. I teach special education for behavior disorder students and this book is useful in teaching a variety of different social skills. I also have to sons that have enjoyed the story line and the messages that the story contains. The illustrations are colorful and add life to the books content. I highly recommend this book for any youth library.

This is a good book that can be read to or by children ages 7-15. This book could be read in 2-3 hours and has natural breaks that allows you to return to the book a number of different times. The story is interesting and keeps the listeners or readers attention. I teach special education for behavior disorder students and this book is useful in teaching a variety of different social skills. I also have to sons that have enjoyed the story line and the messages that the story contains. The illustrations are colorful and add life to the books content. I highly recommend this book for any youth library.

...and a crow, and many other insightful characters within "Crow and Weasel" have stayed with me since I first read it almost 10 years ago. The story itself is vibrant, almost to the point of actual narrative. Beautiful landscapes and dialogue throughout lend themselves to the imagination; I feel very much a part of what I'm reading-a true escape. And I like that it teaches me by surprise. Everytime I finish this book, I find that my joy in diversity, my desire to be kind, and my reverence for the natural world have grown. Tom Pohrt's illustrations are each works of art, and complement the story perfectly. I wish they were available as prints. Share this book with the young, and then go share it with everybody else.