Native America: Mythology, Folklore, & Literature

AMERICAN BY BLOOD (Historical Fiction)
by Andrew Huebner. Condition: Very good + 2001 Black Swan (London) Trade Paperback with tiny edgewear and 2 thin glue wrinkles down spine (binding error). Interior clean & tight. Content: "This is Western a la Peckinpah, in which almost metaphysical violence erupts from the dust and sweep of the American plains." "With Larry McMurty endorsing [the book] and Huebner's ancestor as an anchor in this fiction, the credentials are auspicious. The book rattles through the year of retribution killings after the 7th was annihilated at the Little Big Horn massacre. The dirty realism of the army camps and the technicolour, slo-mo detail of the various skirmishes are set against Bierstadt-type landscapes and meteorological detail, the muddied, desperate consciousness of the three army scout protagonists, and the out-of-control command. The prose is just as powerful without recourse to pseudo-biblical phrasing. And that's appropriate given that this isn't about mythologising and aggrandising either the indigenous, the settler cultures, and least of all, the perfunctory role of enlisted men carrying out duties from above. Gradually, after successive skirmishes, the army boys question both the responsibility of these duties and the location of 'above'." NOT a book for everyone! [1 copy available]
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AMERICAN INDIAN LITERATURE & THE SOUTHWEST
by Eric Gary Anderson.. Condition: NEW 1999 University of Texas Press first edition Trade Paperback. B&W photos & drawings illustrate. Tiny edgewear front side edge. Content: Anderson explores aspects of the literature of the Southwestern United States. Special attention is paid to encounters between the many cultures of the area: various Native American tribes, Euro-American groups, and, in Roswell, NM, even extraterrestrials. Anderson analyzes a wide range of "cultural texts, " from George Herriman's Krazy Kat comic strip and Geronimo's autobiography to the novels of Leslie Marmon Silko, Willa Cather, and A.A. Carr. Anderson explores a range of conceptions of the Southwest in this thoughtful and complex work while incorporating myriad scholarly references into the text. [1 copy available]
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AMERICAN INDIAN STORIES
by Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Bonnin). Cover art by Daniel Long Soldier. . Condition: UNREAD 1988 Bison Trade Paperback, 4th printing. Tiny edge wear. Content: Zitkala-sa, renamed Gertrude Simmons by Catholic missionaries, was one of the first Sioux women to write the stories and traditions of her people. The first set of stories in this collection is autobiographical. Zitkala-sa describes living in her mother's wigwam on the Yankton Reservation at the edge of the Missouri River where she is "as free as the wind that blew my hair, and no less spirited than a bounding deer." Until she is eight years old, Zitkala-sa's only fear is "that of intruding myself upon others." Then, despite her mother's objections, she is enticed by visions of endless apple trees and the excitement of riding on "the iron horse" and leaves her mother for school in the east. Although Zitkala-sa goes on to become a teacher, she never stops questioning "whether real life or long-lasting death lies beneath this semblance of [white] civilization." The second half of the book contains stories based on her family's tradition of oral history. The Trial Path describes the course of tribal justice after a murder. Tusee, A Warrior's Daughter, is the courageous and shrewd woman who risks everything for her husband-to-be. The son in The Sioux must kill twice to save his father from starvation. Written with elegant simplicity more than seventy years ago, Zitkala-sa's American Indian Stories remain a powerful plea for justice. First published in 1921 as a collection. [1 copy available]
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AMERICAN INDIANS' KITCHEN-TABLE STORIES: Contemporary Conversations with Cherokee, Sioux, Hopi, Osage, Navajo, Zuni, and Members of Other Nations
by Keith Cunningham. Kitty Harvill cover art. Condition: Gently pre-read, IF at all, 1992 August House Trade Paperback, first printing. This was my book and I never got around to reading it - interior clean & tight - but for some reason I dog-earred 2 pages. Tiny edge wear. 1 page has a note in the margin. Content: Part of the American Folklore Series, this book gives us tantalizing stories--more than 250--culled and woven together from interviews with Native Americans, primarily Navajo and Pueblo, conducted by Cunningham (Northern Arizona Univ.) and his wife through much of the 1980's as part of a research project into cross-cultural yarn-spinning. Following in the footsteps of well-known anthropologists and fieldworkers from previous generations, such as Ruth Benedict and Clyde Kluckhohn, the Cunninghams pursue an interest in commonplace folk tales and their formation in deliberately informal settings, talking with relatives and friends of tribal contacts. A Zuni woman brings them into the rich ceremonial world of the New Mexico pueblo, where they experience Night Dances and the midwinter Shalako rituals while hearing about tribal health matters and belief structures. Stories of medicine men lead to a hands-on encounter with a ``bone-presser'' in which the author is relieved of severe back pain following his spinal operation. A subsequent series of interviews with the Ramah Navajo uses common Anglo- American themes that have become legendary--such as the vanishing hitchhiker--to probe for Native-American counterparts, prompting colorful stories about witchcraft and ``skinwalkers,'' those with the ability to change into animals at will. Other sections are equally interesting, whether concerned with Navajo humor or the difficulties of trying to live in both the white and native cultures, with individual anecdotes interwoven among scholarly commentary and personal reactions. Revealing glimpses of the Native American experience in the Southwest today, gathered with obvious warmth and affection for both the storytellers and their stories. [1 copy available]
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THE ANCIENT CHILD: A Novel
by N. Scott Momaday. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1990 HarperPerennial Trade paperback, first printing. Light tanning to white cover edges and interior page edges. Content: Momaday shapes the ancient Kiowa myth of a boy who turned into a bear into a timeless American classic. He juxtaposes Indian lore and Wild West legend (Billy the Kid) into a hypnotic, often lyrical contemporary novel - the story of Lock Setman, known as Set, a Native American raised far from the reservation by his adoptive father. Set feels a strange aching in his soul and, returning to tribal lands for the funeral of his grandmother, is drawn irresistibly to the fabled bear-boy. When he meets Greay, a beautiful young medicine woman with a visionary gift, his world is turned upside down. Here is a magical saga of one man's tormented search for his identity - a quintessentially American novel, and a great one. [1 copy available]
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ARREST SITTING BULL & A CREEK CALLED WOUNDED KNEE (Historical Fiction)
by Douglas C. Jones. Condition and Content: Arrest Sitting Bull: UNREAD 1978 Charles Scribner's hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Light tanning to white cover edges but none to interior pages. In 1890, at the camps of the Teton Sioux, frenzied braves perform the Ghost Dance. The aged, venerated Sitting Bull is their leader in this, their last, most desperate attempt to oust the white man from their land. Panic-stricken white ranchers and farmers call upon the Indian Agent to maintain the peace he has patiently established. Relations have improved between the two races under his careful supervision — but will officials in the East let the trouble be settled peaceably? Or will their soldiers march in to enforce the power of the mighty against the vanquished? A Creek Called Wounded Knee: Gently pre-read 1978 Charles Scribner's hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Remainder. Custer is dead. Sitting Bull is dead. And the famous 7th Cavalry is on the march. Then came the Ghost Dance, a spiritual call of Indian resistance, that spread like a dry fire among the Lakota Sioux. When the army commanders sent the murderous orders through, it became a matter of Sioux defiance to oppose them. Although the tragic outcome was clear, not a man changed his mind. Both books are great historical fiction - well-researched. Questions welcome. [1 set available]
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THE AQUARIAN GUIDE TO NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY
by Page Bryant. Foreword by Chippewa medicine man Sun Bear. Cover art by Scott Guynup. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1991 Aquarian (London) Trade Paperback, first printing. Problem: moderate tanning to page edges. Content: An A-to-Z reference guide to all aspects of American Indian culture, spiritual beliefs, religious practices, and lore, with biographical details of major personalities. The most famous ceremonials are also covered in depth, with details of dances, pipe ceremonies and prayers. Also covers tribal wars, battles and political alliances. Excellent, IMHO. Perfect resource for writers and teachers. [1 copy available]
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THE BOOK OF CEREMONIES: A Native Way of Honoring and Living the Sacred
by Gabriel Horn. B&W drawings by Carises Horn. Condition: NEW 2005 New World Library soft cover, first paperback edition. Remainder. Content: Gabriel Horn presents a tapestry of stories, poems, prayers, and love songs describing sacred Native American ways of life and what the varied Native traditions and practices can offer all spiritual seekers. Filled with striking original art, the book conveys through its narrative and through instruction how to prepare for and conduct a variety of ceremonies and practices, including greeting the day, marriage, birth, death, season changes, dreams, vision quests, healing, and many others. In the book, Horn covers an array of indigenous traditions rather than just one. Highlights include a Zuni creation account, an Aztec love song, and an Omaha prayer presenting a new infant. Reflecting the voice of someone who has walked the Native path for years, the book offers insight into the ways that Native American reverence and ritual can enrich all aspects of life. [1 copy left]
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CARRIERS OF THE DREAM WHEEL: Contemporary Native American Poetry
edited by Duane Niatum. B&W and beautiful color illustrations by Wendy Ross. Condition: Gently pre-read, IF at all, 1981 Harper & Row soft cover, first printing. Light edge wear with light tanning to white cover spine & edges but none to interior pages. Interior clean & tight. Content: Exactly what the title states: Native American writers and their poetry. Contributors: N. Scott Momaday, Liz Sohappy Bahe, Jim Barnes, Joseph Bruchac, Gladys Cardiff, Lance Henson, Roberta Hill, Dana Naone, Simon Ortiz, Anita Endrezze Probst, W. M. Ransom, Wendy Rose, Leslie Silko, James Welch, and Ray A. Young Bear. Wonderful! [1 copy available]
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COUGAR WOMAN (Unabridged Edition)
by Jane E. Hartman. B&W drawings illustrate but no credit given. Condition: NEW 1998 Aquarian Trade Paperback, Unabridged Edition, first printing. Tiny edge wear. Content: Captured at the age of ten, the fearless rider with the long black hair was keenly attuned to the forces of nature and to her adopted tribe's struggle for survival. Later guided by a vision quest, she found the courage and wisdom needed to defend her rights, protect herh people, and in time, become their leader. This story recounts the trials and triumps of this 19th-century Absaroke (Crow) warrior and chief. Historically accurate descriptions. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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THE COYOTE ROAD: TRICKSTER TALES (Anthology)
edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Introduction by Windling. B&W illustrations by Charles Vess. Condition: NEW 2007 Viking very fat (527 pages) hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: While many of these tales are Native American, others are from other parts of the world. The editors have assembled 26 stories that present tricksters around the world. A shape-changing Japanese fox-girl comforts a lonely American boy; three generations of oil barons run afoul of Hermes and three human summoners protesting the family greed; an albino Cajun girl fools the devil. Settings are mostly other than present day and include ancient times. Readers who pay attention to the author's note will learn much about tricksters worldwide and their various natures. Each author's background is profiled, and while only a few have written books for children, all are previously published short-story writers. This excellent collection is bound to find an audience among experienced readers of the genre but is attractive to less-able readers, as well, for the short, punchy stories and an always-engaging trickster character. The Introduction is long and does have sources listed. Stories: One Odd Shoe (Navajo - Murphy); Coyote Woman (Dunn); Wagers of Gold Mountain (Asia - Berman); The Listeners (Greek - Hoffman); Realer Than You (Asia - Barzak); Fiddler of Bayou Teche (US - D. Sherman); Tale for the Short Days (Greek-NA - Bowes); Friday Night at St. Cecilias (US - Klages); Fortune-Teller (US-McKillip); How Raven Made His Bride (NA - Goss); Crow Roads (US - De Lint); Chamber Music of Animals (US-Vaz); Uncle Bob Visits (US - Stevermer); Uncle Tompa (Asia - Snyder); Cat of the World (US - Cadnum); Honored Guest (US - Kushner); Always the Same Story (US - Wein); Senorita and the Cactus Thorn (US - Antieau); Black Rock Blues (US - Shetterly); Constable of Abal (Link); A Reversal of Fortune (Black); God Clown (NA - Emshwiller); Other Labyrinth (Asia - Berry); Dreaming Wind (Ford); Kwaku Anansi Walks The World's Web (Africa - Jane Yolen); Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change (K. Johnson); and "Further Reading." Young Adult and up. Questions welcome. [2 copies available]
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THE CRY OF THE COYOTE (Lone Wolf Clan Book # 8) [SIGNED COPY]
by Bonnie Jo Hunt & Lawrence J. Hunt. Beautiful cover painting by Lymon Rice. Condition: SIGNED by both Authors on loose end page. UNREAD 2003 Mad Bear Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: This is number 8 in the "Lone Wolf Clan" series which is an historical series n the style of Storyteller depicting the role American Indians played in the making of the West. That's about all I know. Sorry. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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FINDING THE CENTER: Narrative Poetry of the Zuni Indians
translated by Dennis Tedlock. From performances in the Zuni by Andrew Peynetsa & Walter Sanchez. B&W decorations. Condition: Good+, gently pre-read 1972 Dial Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Some notes and underlining; spine creases; light foxing fore edges. Interior clean & tight. Content: A beautiful book, and a real addition to our grasp of the whole of the material. It brings a feeling of relief, that something of all that marvelous body of poetry has been saved, and in some manner that communicates itself to us as poetry. - W. S. Merwin. [1 copy available]
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DEE BROWN'S FOLKTALES OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN
retold by Dee Brown. Cover art by Michael Cassidy. B&W illustrations by Louis Mofsie. Condition: NEW 1993 Henry Holt Owl Books Trade Paperback, 10th printing. Content: This charming collection of Native American folklore draws on the oral traditions of earlier times, illuminating for us the roots of American culture. Gathered from numerous tribes - Seneca, Hopi, Navajo, Creek, Cheyenne, Cherokee and Blackfoot - these 36 stories, passed down through generations, are narrated by Brown as they might be told around a campfire today. Although updated for the modern reader, these tales still capture the true spirit and flavor of Native American mythology. [1 copy available]
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THE EYE OF THE EAGLE: A Historical Novel of the First Major American Gold Rush
by George A. Montgomery. Condition: Very Good 1996 Windsor House paperback, 1st thus, 2nd printing. Appears unread but has pale diagonal crease upper front cover, light shelfwear hinge crease. The interior clean & tight. Content: Gold and The Trail of Tears are historical reminders in which our nation cannot find pride. The Eye of the Eagle is a story of the first major gold rush in the Georgia mountains and the resulting tragedy suffered by the Cherokee Indians on whose land the gold was found. The beginning of the Trail of Tears. [1 copy available]
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EAGLE SONG: An Indian Saga Based on True Events
by James Houston. Condition: Good + (overall). 1982 Harcourt Brace hardcover & DJ, first edition, second printing. Book is an unread remainder with small shelfwear. The DJ (in mylar jacket) has problems: significant chipping and edgewear top edge and top spine. B&W drawings by the author are wonderful. Paul Bacon cover art. Content: Based on a true story from Inuit history. "In 1803, a New England trading ship put in at the Nootkan village of the Eagle House on the Canadian Pacific coast. Its purposes were to replenish provisions, barter for valuable sea otter pelts and, incidentally, to obtain sexual services of the young village women. A group of rebellious Indian youths, infuriated by the arrogance and disdain of the white men, carried out a violent plan to massacre the crew and plunder the ship. Surviving the slaughter were Jewitt, the appealing and skilful ironsmith, and Thompson, the dour sailmaker. Eagle Song is the turbulent tale of their two-year captivity, seen through the eyes of Siam, a Nootkan nobleman. " Based on a "brief memoir" by Jewitt. Insight into the history & traditions of probably the least-known of the North American Native American cultures. [1 copy available]
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THE END OF FOREVER: The Story of Mekinges and William Connor
by Denise Page Caraher. Cover art by Sheila Samson. B&W illustrations by Sue Ellen Braulin. Condition: NEW 2003 Guild Press Trade Paperback, no printing given. Content: When Indian scout William Connr married Mekinges, the daughter of a Delaware chief, they pledged to love each other forever - but Conner broke his promise when times changed and the Indians were driven from their homeland. A powerful tale of love, family, greed and the development of the American frontier, this book is based on a libretto written by the author for the Indianapolis Opera Company. NOTE: The front cover of the book says "Connor" and the back cover says "Conner." References in the book call him "Conner." Which one is correct? I assume the name on the cover is in error. [1 copy available]
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FLYING WITH THE EAGLE, RACING THE GREAT BEAR: Stories From Native America
told by Joseph Bruchac. B&W illustrations by Murv Jacob. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1994 Troll Medallion Trade Paperback, first printing. Problem: shelf wear vertical crease back cover. Interior clean & tight. Content: Bruchac introduces his collection of male rites-of-passage stories by explaining that Native American cultures used stories both to instruct and to entertain. Because of the significance of the number four in many tribes, he's arranged the stories, which he's drawn from tales he shared with his sons, into four geographically organized sections, each containing four stories. Some are tales of courage, some are pourquoi tales, and some show the impact of disobedience or disrespect. The tales are easy to follow and to envision, but they can be understood and interpreted on many levels. Striking black-and-white illustrations, with decorated borders, introduce each of the sections, which begin with information about the significance of the tales to their tribes. Stories from the Iroquois, Cherokee, Caddo, Apache, Pueblo, Lakota, and others. [1 copy available]
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FOLKTALES OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
by Grammercy Publishing. B&W illustrations. Condition: Good+ 1997 Grammery Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Although the book has been gently pre-read, the problem is "moisture or humidity" - NOT liquid. Many of the pages show exposure to humidity (this IS Texas, after all). That, and the light tanning to page edges, haved put this book into the "good" category and not "very good." Content: Originally published in 1917 under the absolutely horrible title of The Indian Fairy Book - no wonder no one took credit for editing that book! There are 24 stories from the original legends. The stories are worth reading. The cover art is a painting by Thomas Moran: Cliffs of the Green River, 1874. [1 copy available]
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GHOST SINGER: A Novel
by Anna Lee Walters. Wonderful cover by David Jenney, 1988. Condition: UNREAD 1998 Univ. of New Mexico Press Trade Paperback, second printing. Light edge wear. Content: Human ears, strung like beads on a cord; scalps with hair and ears still intact; infant bones in a medicine bundle; corpses, whole, in a cardboard box. These artifacts in an obscure corner of the Smithsonian cause Indian ghosts to haunt, torment, and murder researchers - even as they themselves are tormented by the items in the museum's collection. Only the sacred rituals of Indian medicine man can make it safe to be around these dangerous artifacts. Kidnapping and murder on a slave raid to Navajo country in 1830 sets the stage for this mystery/thriller that spans nearly a century and a half. [1 copy available]
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GHOST WALK: Native American Tales of the Spirit
by Gerald Hausman. B&W illustrations by Sid Hausman. Condition: NEW 1991 Mariposa soft cover, first prnting. NO tanning. Content: This book explores the realm of the supernatural as it compliments and shadows everyday life. These are 'ghost stories' in a non-traditional sense--tales of the spirit of Native America. Here are six original narratives sensitively illustrated by local artist and musician Sid Hausman to create an atmosphere of fascination and intrigue. Ghost Walk presents an inspired look at Native American life and legend. "Hausman honors Native American philosophy and spirituality even as he reveals it." [1 copy available]
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GHOST WOMAN
by Lawrence Thornton. B&W maps. Condition: NEW 1999 Univ. of California Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Tiny edge wear to front cover fore edge. Content: In the late 1700s, a young native woman jumps from a sailing ship to rescue her child, left behind when a group of island people are taken by Europeans to a new and harsh life at a California mission settlement. Ten years later, an ambitious friar arranges to have the woman captured and brought to the mainland to serve as an example of Christian salvation. Sent to live with a sea captain and his lonely wife, she is raped by her brutish host, setting in motion a relentless process of violence, retribution, and death that will inflict suffering for two generations. The cinematic narrative employs several points of view, surrounding the reader with period flavors and settings as the tragedy unfolds. The book's impact lies in its wider implications: Thornton's depiction of the injustice inflicted on Native Americans, much of it in the name of religion, and its lasting damage. [1 copy available]
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THE GIRL WHO MARRIED THE MOON: Tales From Native America
told by Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross. Beautiful cover art and B&W interior illustrations by S. S. Burns. Condition: NEW 1994 BridgeWater hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: This book presents girls or young women as the protagonists of 16 stories intended "to reach the daughters and granddaughters who will come after." Becoming a woman and marrying correctly are common themes: brave and resourceful heroines escape monsters and kidnappers, comically avoid marriage to trickster Owl or tragically die with their husbands. Unusual selections include "The Beauty Way," a recounting of an Apache rite of passage; "Stonecoat," the defeat of an evil and powerful medicine man by women who use the power of their "moontime"; and the title story, in which a girl not only marries the moon but shares his job with him. Comments on the stories open the four sections of the book (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest), each of which contains tales from four different nations (e.g., Penobscot, Seneca, Passamaquoddy and Mohegan for the Northeast). An afterword and source notes close this useful resource for storytelling and multicultural learning. Grades 5 - 8+. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE GIFT OF THE GILA MONSTER: Navajo Ceremonial Tales
introduced and retold by Gerald Hausman. Foreword by Tony Hillerman. B&W drawings by Mariah Fox. Condition: UNREAD 1994 Touchstone Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: Hausman once again turns his storytelling to the Navajo people, this time focusing on their principal "Ways"--ritual pathways whose ancient legends are used to heal, give moral instruction and attain inner harmony, or "walking in beauty." Only a few tales survive today; some of the best known are related here. Part of the Navajo creation myth involving four successive worlds, they all help define and order the Navajo's world and accomplish some sort of transformation. Readers will recognize many familiar characters and themes, such as Mother Earth and the trickster Coyote. The Blessingway includes the story of a man who out-tricks Coyote and a tale of resurrection. The Evil-Chasing Way tells of the encounters of Elder Brother and Younger Brother with the powerful Great Snake. Hausman's decision to retell the tales rather than to record them (as an ethnographer might) proves flawed. The collection highlights the richness of Navajo spirituality. Hillerman provides a brief but interesting foreword on Navajo theology; Mariah Fox's line drawings of sand paintings add atmosphere. [1 copy available]
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THE GIRL WHO MARRIED A GHOST AND OTHER TALES FROM THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN
collected by Edward S. Curtis. Edited by John Bierhorst. Wonderful sepia-tone era photos by Edward Curtis. Condition: Gently pre-read, IF at all, 1980 Four Winds Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), third printing. DJ has very short "repaired' tear top edge. Interior clean & tight. Content: From the Northwest Coast: The Girl Who Married a Ghost and The Dance of the Spirit Monster. From California: Asleep-bu-the-Stream. From the Plains: The Deserted Children and Fox and the Bears. From the North Woods: The Woman Dressed Like a Man. From the Southwest: The Dirty Bride and How the World Was Saved. From Alaska: The Lost Boys. Great book suitable for Young Adult or read-aloud or homeschooling. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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GOD'S DOG: Conversations with Coyote
by Webster Kitchell. Clever & charming B&W illustrations by Glen Strock. Condition: NEW 1993 Skinner House Trade Paperback, third printing. Tiny tag removal mark top cover edge. Interior perfect. Content: In Native American traditions, Coyote is the Trickster--the one you want to avoid but love to hear stories about. In the Aztec tradition, Coyote is "God's Dog." As a minor deity, Coyote is at home in the world we know and in the world of magic and the gods. In this series of coyote adventures, he gets involved with a parish minister in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They meet for donuts and go on drives through the desert and mountains in an old VW Thing. They discuss just what you'd expect form a minor deity and a philosophical clergyman--death. lying, progress, why Jesus was crucified, what money will buy, and the nature of the universe. Webster Kitchell is a graduate Amherst college, Harvard Divinity School, and Eden Theological Seminary. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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THE GREAT MYSTERY: Myths of Native America
by Neil Philip. B&W and sepia era photos by Edward Sheriff Curtis and other artists. Condition: NEW 2001 Clarion Books hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first printing. Content: This exhaustively researched book explores the similarities and differences among the tales told by various Native American cultural groups about the creation of the world, life, and death. Following an introductory chapter that describes the importance of lore and myths to our understanding of a cultural group, the text is organized by region. Within each area, the relationships among the tales of specific groups are discussed as well as the basic themes present in the stories of other peoples outside this area. Surprisingly, considering Philip's other work, the dry text reads more like a research report than an engaging narrative. Some of the retellings incorporated into it as illustrative examples reflect the work of an excellent storyteller while others lack this spark. Numerous sepia-toned archival photographs that loosely relate to the material discussed are found throughout the book. Their substantial captions contain a great deal of additional, explanatory material along with information on the source of the photograph, photographer, and date. The extensive bibliography is organized by geographical area. While not a title for students interested in leisure reading, it is a worthy book that will support research on Native American folklore. [1 copy available]
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HANDBOOK OF NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY
by Dawn Bastian & Judy Mitchell. B&W photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 2007 Oxford Univ. Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: This revealing work introduces readers to the mythologies of Native Americans from the United States to the Arctic Circle-a rich, complex, and diverse body of lore, which remains less widely known than mythologies of other peoples and places. In thematic chapters and encyclopedia-style entries, Handbook of Native American Mythology examines the characters and deities, rituals, sacred locations and objects, concepts, and stories that define mythological cultures of various indigenous peoples. By tracing the traditions as far back as possible and following their evolution from generation to generation, Handbook of Native American Mythology offers a unique perspective on Native American history, culture, and values. It also shows how central these traditions are to contemporary Native American life, including the continuing struggle for land rights, economic parity, and repatriation of cultural property. With more than 40 photographs, illustrations, and maps, here is the most comprehensive and accessible introduction to the mythological heritage of Native North Americans available in one volume. [1 copy available]
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THE HEARTSONG OF CHARGING ELK
by James Welch. Condition: Gently pre-read 2000 Doubleday hard cover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: This book stands as another literary milestone for Welch. Here he illuminates the experience of an Oglala Sioux trapped in an alien culture, lacking the resources to emerge from a nightmare of dislocation, isolation and fear. When 23-year-old Charging Elk awakens in a French hospital in 1892, he has already witnessed the battle of Little Big Horn and the incarceration of his Lakota tribe in the Pine Ridge Reservation. Unable to bear the loss of his freedom, he joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, but debilitated by the flu in Marseilles, he fell from his horse and was injured. Unaccountably, the show has moved on without making provisions for Charging Elk to join them. The plight of this desperate young man, barely literate in English, unable to speak French or to read any language, confused by nearly every aspect of the white world and a visible outcast from its society, is the burden of this haunting novel, based on an actual incident. Fleeing the hospital, Charging Elk begins a painful emotional odyssey. He is arrested for vagabondage and, when released, a bureaucratic error forbids him to leave the country. The kindness of strangers rescues him several times, but his basic innocence of French culture and his instinctive reaction to what his tradition considers spiritual evil culminate in a tragic act. Welch's achievement here lies in his ability to convey the way a Lakota Indian would have interpreted the wasichu's world. Questions about the hallmarks of civilization and implicit observations about the ease of betrayal and the rarity of true Christian behavior are integral. This story has the potential of melodrama, but Welch tells it quietly, in clear, lucid prose suitable to the restraint of his hero. Redolently atmospheric of late-19th-century France, this is a stirring tale of a man's triumph over circumstances, a gripping story of solid literary merit and surprising emotional clout. [1 copy available]
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HEROES & HEROINES, MONSTERS & MAGIC: Native American Legends & Folktales
as told by Joseph Bruchac. Beautiful cover art by Tara Eoff. Interior illustrations by Daniel Burgevin. Condition: NEW 1998 Crossing Press Trade Paperback, 12th printing. Content: Bruchac (part Abenaki Indian) presents a melange of creation stories, "why" stories and stories of magic and monsters which offer something for almost any reader. Taken together, they give a picture of Indian life in the Eastern woodlands that provides an excellent complement to nonfiction works such as Sonia Bleeker's Indians of the Longhouse. The stories are well told and are enhanced by the full-page pencil drawings that precede each tale. The book fills a definite gap: there are several collections, such as Erdoes' Sound of Flutes and Other Indian Legends, which deal with Plains Indians' tales, but with the exception of the author's earlier Turkey Brothers and Other Tales; no other collection focuses on the Iroquois. This one is worth having both for entertainment and as a supplement to nonfiction for study on these tribes. [2 copies available]
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HIAWATHA AND THE GREAT PEACE (INSCRIBED by Author)
by Torkom Saraydarian. B&W illustrations by Joann Alesch. Condition: INSCRIBED by Author on Title Page. UNREAD 1984 Aquarian Ed. Group Trade Paperback, no printing given. Content: Reviewer: "This book is based on a true story. The Legend of Hiawatha and the great Native American prophet, Deganawidah, is one of the most inspiring stories in all religious and political history. This legend is based on real life happenings occurring before Columbus came to the Americas in 1492. This is a story of a virgin birth of a Native American, the great prophet, Deganawidah, miracles, cannibalism, black magic with an evil Mohawk shaman, transformation of character, establishing a wonderful political and social structure in America, and the foundation of representative democracy that led to the formation of the American Constitution." This IS a New Age look at the 5 Nations. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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HOUSE MADE OF DAWN (Pulitzer Prize)
by N. Scott Momaday. Cover art by Laurie Dolphin. Condition: UNREAD, BUT NOT PERFECT, 1990 Harper & Row Trade paperback, third printing. Moderate tanning to page edges. Content: He was a young American Indian named Abel, and he lived in two worlds. One was that of his father, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, the ecstasy of the drug called peyote. The other was the world of the twentieth century, goading him into a compulsive cycle of sexual exploits, dissipation, and disgust. Home from a foreign war, he was a man being torn apart, a man descending into hell. The 1987 movie was directed by Richardson Morse and the screenplay was written by Momaday. It starred Larry Littlebird, Judith Doty, Jay Varela and Mesa Bird. It is not a popular movie. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 1.29 + $ 3.09 media shipping.

I HEARD THE OWL CALL MY NAME
by Margaret Craven. B&W decorations. Condition: UNREAD 1976 Totem (Pan - London) paperback, second printing. Light shelf wear with light tanning to page edges. Content: A quiet, graceful testimonial to a vanishing way of life, this book was Margaret Craven's first book, written when she was sixty-nine. It tells of a young vicar named Mark, sent to a remote Kwakiutl village not knowing he has less than three years to live. In the village, Mark comes to understand the Kwakiutl Indians around him and sees how their traditions are being destroyed through the influence of white men. He watches the "English woman anthropologist" who comes to study the natives and insists upon calling the villagers "Quackadoodles;" he experiences the impact when the government declares it legal for Indians to buy liquor and when traders cheat the villagers out of their cultural treasures; he sees the children lose their ties with their families and heritage while living in residential schools among whites. In striking contrast to the avarice and arrogance of most whites is the selflessness of the Kwakiutls and the beauty of running salmon, tall trees, and tribal festivals. Mark becomes a part of the Kwakiutl world, learning its language and ways, until finally "Time had lost its contours. He seemed to see it as the raven or the bald eagle, flying high over the village, must see the part of the river that had passed the village, that had not yet reached the village, one and the same." Gentle, full of profound philosophy, this is a book that both calms and disquiets, saddens and exhilarates. A masterpiece! [1 copy available]
$ 1.79 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

IN THE TRAIL OF THE WIND: American Indian Poems and Ritual Orations
edited by John Bierhorst. B&W artwork throughout. Condition: UNREAD, BUT NOT PERFECT, 1972 Farrar, Straus hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), second printing. Problems: book was a gift so - DJ is price-clipped with a gift inscription on the loose end page (which could be covered with a bookplate). Light edge wear to top DJ edge. Interior clean & tight. Content: A story--and history--reaching back thousands of years unfolds in this diverse and unusual collection of Native American poetry, which gathers dozens of works that have been translated from over forty languages. Representing all the best-known Indian peoples of North and South America, In the Trail of the Wind is a cross-cultural anthology--the first of its kind--that brings into focus the similarities between tribes as widely separated as the Sioux and the Aztec, the Cherokee and the ancient Maya. Here we find an array of omens, battle songs, orations, love lyrics, prayers, dreams, and mysteries incantations. Beginning with the origin of the earth and the emergence of humanity, the sequence of poems proceeds through that rituals of birth, love, war, and death to the foreshadowing of the Conquest, the days of despair, and, finally, the apocalyptic visions of a new life. Editor Bierhorst also offers a detailed Introduction; a richly thorough Notes section on the translators, meanings, contexts, and specific references of these poems; and a complete Glossary of Tribes, Cultures, and Languages. In the Trail of the Wind concludes with a Suggestions for Further Reading page. [1 copy available]
$ 25.79 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

INDIAN STORIES FROM THE PUEBLOS
by Frank Applegate. B&W drawings from Pueblo paintings. Intro by Witter Bynner. Cover art is PuebloDwellings by Maxfield Parrish. Condition: NEW 1994 Applewood Books paperback, no printing given. Tiny edgewear. Content: This book is a combination of tales of early Pueblo days and stories from 1929, when the book was first published. Frank Applegate was a New Mexico artist who lived among the Pueblo Indians. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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LIGHT A DISTANT FIRE
by Lucia St. Clair Robson (Ride the Wind). Beautiful wrap-around cover art by Judith York. Condition: UNREAD 1988 Ballantine Books Trade Paperback, first printing. Tiny edgewear with light tanning to page edges. Content: Robson powerfully recreates the mid-19th century Seminole Indian Wars and the life of Osceola, who courageously led his people against an unjust U.S. government. Robson draws the reader into her story gradually with a portrait of Osceola's youth and family, which includes a couple of wives and daughters and a feisty grandmother named Fighting in a Line. The characters are authentic and substantial, and the plot, though loosely woven and slow moving at times, supplies the requisite love, struggle, danger and betrayal. The novel picks up speed when Robson introduces Lt. John Goode, a young West Point graduate. She deftly builds a relationship between Goode and Osceola, demonstrating Goode's initial perception of the Indians as savages, his growing admiration for them and his falling in love with and marrying a Seminole woman. By volunteering for Indian raids, the Lieutenant manages to steer the militiamen away from Osceola and his family. Goode's divided loyalties ultimately bring tragedy to Osceola, but the personal bond triumphs over political enmity. Robson's clear sympathy for the Seminole Indians does not prevent her from creating fictional portraits that illuminate the complexities on both sides. [2 copies available]
$ 7.89 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

LINEAGE: A Trail of Shaman
by Annie Kochert. Sheila Somerville cover art.. Condition: NEW 2001 Spirits Talking Press Trade Paperback, first edition, first printing. Content: NEW 2001 Spirits Talking Press Trade Paperback, first edition, first printing. CONTENT: An 'early man' narrative linked to the Kennewick Man, the 9,300 - 9,700 year old skeleton found in the Columbia River (WA State) in 1996. The foreward informs the reader of the connection between the Kennewick Man, the Ainu Peoples and the author's sequels...all based on archaeological and anthropological evidence. The clear-cut glossary also informs the reader of facts woven into the story. The book is entertaining as well as educational. Froom, the Kennewick Man, lived only 50 years, yet his bones lasted for thousands--long enough to reveal his ancestry to a world much different than his. Before setting foot on the American Continent, he belonged to a people with a life, a culture and a past. And his past proved dark and shady. Misled by the young shaman's spirit helper, Froom sets out to destroy the boy who he believes defiled the spirits and will soon cause the extinction of the clan. Neat historical fiction. (See Ancient Encounters in the North America Ancient History section.) [1 copy available]
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LITERATURE BY AND ABOUT THE AMERICAN INDIAN: An Annotated Bibliography for Junior and Senior High School Students
by Anna Lee Stensland. B&W drawings. Condition: Unread 1974 National Council of Teachers of English Trade Paperback, 3rd printing. Cover has small but ugly tag removal mark - see graphic. Content: The book is broken down into categories: Myth, Legend, Poetry, Fiction, History, Anthropology, Archaeology, etc. Each section's entries are alphabetical by author with a description of the work and a small review. The entries range from the well-known & popular to the obscure and rare. Essential. [1 copy available]
$ 6.29 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

THE MAN TO SEND RAIN CLOUDS: Contemporary Stories by American Indians
edited by Kenneth Rosen. B&W illustrations by R. C. Gorman and Aaron Yava. Condition: Gently pre-read, IF at all, 1975 Vintage paperback, no printing given. Light edge wear - book does not appear to have been read, but isn't crisp. Content: Nineteen stories that reflect the preoccupations of yung Native Americans today. The stories all convey the conflict between the Indian heritage, "the insistent drums of tradition," and the Indian's inferior status in American society today. The authors: Leslie Silko, Simon Ortiz, Anna Lee Walters, Joseph Little, R. C. Gorman, Opal Lee Popkes, and Larry Littlebird. [1 copy available]
$ 4.25 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

MASTERPIECES OF AMERICAN INDIAN LITERATURE
edited by Willis G. Regier. Some B&W illustrations. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1996 MJF large hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), third printing. Gift inscription on title page. Crease front inside DJ flap. Content: The five complete and unabridged works collected here are parts of a long and passionate testimony about American Indian culture as related by Indians themselves. Deep emotions and life-shaking crises converge in these pages concerning identity, family, community, caste, gender, nature, the future, the past, solitude, duty, trust, betrayal, leadership, war, and apocalypse. Each work is also regarded as a classic of Native literature and has much to teach. The Life of Kah-ge-ga-gah-bowh (1847) by George Copway, a Canadian Ojibwe writer and lecturer, describes his unique and difficult cultural journey from the tiny village of his youth to the legislatures of the world, speaking for the rights and sovereignty of Indians. The Soul of the Indian (1911) by Charles Eastman, a physician and mixed-blood Sioux, depicts "the religious life of the typical American Indian as it was before he knew the white man." American Indian Stories (1921) by Zitkala-Ša, one of the most famous Sioux writers and activists of the modern era, includes legends and tales from oral tradition, childhood stories, and allegorical fiction. Coyote Stories (1933) by Mourning Dove, an Okanagan writer, retells the popular trickster tales of Coyote, the most resilient character in all of American literature. Black Elk Speaks (1932) as told through John G. Neihardt, is the spacious religious vision and candid life story of a Lakota holy man. Neihardt and Black Elk collaborated to produce a unique and inspirational work. [1 copy available]
$ 6.29 + $ 3.39 media shipping.

MIMBRES MYTHOLOGY (Southwestern Studies Monograph # 56)
by Pat Carr. B&W photos illustrate. Condition: UNREAD, but not perfect, 1979 UTEP Trade Paperback, Southwestern Studies Monography # 56. Pale loss of color around edge of covers with a name loose end page. Interior clean & tight. Content: Mythology and religion of the Mimbres peoples of the Southwest deduced from their beautiful black on white pottery and Pubelo folklore comparisons. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
$ 8.49 + $ 3.19 meida shipping. International shipping available - please use the drop-down menu.

MOUNTAIN WINDSONG: A Novel of the Trail of Tears
by Robert J. Conley. Nice cover art, but no credit given. Condition: Very Good 1992 University of Oklahoma Press Trade Paperback, second printing. Interior clean and tight. Although it appears unread, I believe it has been gently pre-read. Light edgewear to cover corners & 2 rubbings along front hinge. Nice but not crisp. Content: Review by Principal Chief, Wilma Mankiller: "At last a Cherokee love story about two ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary period of time. In telling the love story of Oconeechee, Conley takes the reader on a journey that allows one to feel the effects of the Trail of Tears on individual people and their families while weaving in solid historical information about all the external forces which forever changed the Cherokee Nation. [the book] evokes deep feelings and thoughtful relfection. It is a poignant story, powerful and disturbing." [1 copy available]
$ 5.45 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE BLACKFOOT INDIANS
compiled and translated by Clark Wissler and D. C. Duvall. Introduction by Alice Beck Kehoe. B&W photos. Condition: NEW 1995 University of Nebraska Trade Paperback, third printing. Tiny edgewear. Content: Originally published in 1908 by the American Museum of Natural History, this book introduces such figures as Old Man, Scar-Face, Blood-Clot, and the Seven Brothers. Included are tales with ritualistic origins emphasizing the prototypical Beaver-Medicine and the roles played by Elk-Woman and Otter-Woman, and a presentation of Star Myths, which reveal the astronomical knowledge of the Blackfoot Indians. Narratives about Raven, Grasshopper, and Whirlwind-Boy account for conditions in humanity and nature. Many of the stories in the concluding group-like "The Lost Children" and "The Ghost-Woman"-were tales told to Blackfoot children. Clark Wissler notes that these narratives were collected very early in the twentieth century from the Piegans in Montana and from the North Piegans, Bloods, and Northern Blackfoot in Canada. Most were translated by D. C. Duvall and revised for this book by Wissler. Clark Wissler (1870-1947) was curator at the American Museum of Natural History and chairman of the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University. [2 copies available]
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THE MYTHOLOGY OF NORTH AMERICA
by John Bierhorst. B&W photos, maps, and drawings illustrate. Condition: NEW updated 2001 Oxford University Press Tade Paperback, first printing. Perfect condition. Content: In this wide-ranging volume, John Bierhorst carefully delineates eleven mythological regions--from the Arctic to the Southwest and from California to the East Coast--presenting the gods, heroes, and primary myths of each area. First published in 1985, this indispensable guide has been updated to reflect the latest scholarship in Native studies. In a new Afterword, Bierhorst describes the recent impact of ancient myths in the arena of American Indian affairs and shows how Native Americans have successfully used mythology as oral evidence to reclaim land rights and to repatriate grave goods. Citing specific cases, he shows how new legislation and changing attitudes "have provided a basis for bringing myth to the negotiating table and into the courtroom." Detailed maps show tribal locations and the distribution of key stories. Indian artworks illustrate the texts and samples of differing narrative styles add enrichment, as some of the world's purest and most powerful myths are made more accessible--and more meaningful--than ever before. New Afterword by author. [2 copies available]
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THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE WICHITA
by George A. Dorsey. Bert Seabourn cover art. Condition: NEW 1995 University of Oklahoma Press Trade Paperback, first thus, first printing. Content: First published in 1904, George A. Dorsey's Mythology of the Wichita is a rich collection of American Indian folklore. With the help of a Wichita interpreter, Dorsey gathered sixty tales from the Wichitas living in Oklahoma and arranged them according to the first period, the creation; the second period, transformation; and the third period, the present. Included are tales of the First Creation, the Great-South-Star (Protector of Warriors), the Turtle's War Party, the Deluge and the Repeopling of the Earth, and numerous Coyote-trickster stories. For the Wichitas, tale-telling was of great instructional value for the young. The tales taught that bravery and greatness depended upon individual effort, no matter how low or mean might have been the individual's origin, and at the same time, that there might descend upon the child the same longevity and good fortune possessed by the hero of the tale. [1 copy available]
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THE MYTHS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
by Lewis Spence. Color plate section. Condition: UNREAD 1994 Gramercy large hardcover (393 pages) & DJ (in mylar jacket), 5th printing. Content: A collection of myths and legends from the native American cultures becomes a cultural history of these peoples and includes such tales as ""Great Head and the Ten Brothers,"" ""Hiawatha,"" ""The Sacred Bear-Spear,"" and others. Contents: Divisions, Customs, and History of the Race; Mythologies of the North American Indians; Algonquian Myths and Legends; Iroquois Myths and Legends; Sious Myths and Legends; Myths and Legends of the Pawnees; Myths and Legends of the Northern and Northwestern Indians. [1 copy available]
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MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
by Lewis Spence. B&W photos illustrate. Condition: Gently pre-read, if at all, 2004 CRW Publishing (London) hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), no printing given. Shelf wear in the form of edgewear to DJ with small "repaired" cut and wrinkle bottom front DJ panel. Interior clean & tight. Gilt edges top. Content: This book has been reprinted many times since the first publication c. 1914. This edition contains 20 new B&W photos and a new introduction by Ned Halley. Chapters: Divisions, Customs, and History of the Race; The Mythologies of the North American Indians; Algonquian Myths and Legends; Iroquois Myths and Legends; Sioux Myths and Legends; Myths and Legends of the Pawnees; Myths and Legends of the Northern and Northwestern Indians; Bibliography. [2 copies available]
$ 4.59 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS
by Lewis Spence. B&W photos illustrate. Condition: NEW 2004 CRW Publishing (London) hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), no printing given. Gilt edges top. Content: This book has been reprinted many times since the first publication c. 1914. This edition contains 20 new B&W photos and a new introduction by Ned Halley. Chapters: Divisions, Customs, and History of the Race; The Mythologies of the North American Indians; Algonquian Myths and Legends; Iroquois Myths and Legends; Sioux Myths and Legends; Myths and Legends of the Pawnees; Myths and Legends of the Northern and Northwestern Indians; Bibliography. [1 copy available]
$ 5.59 + $ 3.19 media shipping.