Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Native American studies

I'm forever looking for resources for Native American studies. It's an interesting challenge. My hope is to have a list of books that are respectful and "living". I haven't read all of these (yet) but this list serves as a way for me to keep track of books that look worth looking at. I'm also open to suggestions & feedback!

General History
Art, Suzanne Strauss: Ancient Times: the Story of the First Americans
Art, Suzanne Strauss: Native America on the Eve of Discovery: the Story of the First Americans Book II
These are pretty good, written for a middle school level. They're quite dense, but interesting. They don't reflect the latest data or the Native folklore about the pre-Clovis people (the people here before the last ice age), but it does include a wide range of tribes and cultures, including the mound builders (which some books seem to leave out).
Ka-Be-Mub-Be (aka William Camus): My People: A History of the Native Americans
This author is Iroquois, from Canada and educated in France. He has written a number of books, but most of them are in French. This book doesn't flow like a story, but it well written.

Sacred Texts, Poetry, etc.

Montejo, Victor et al: Popol Vuh: a Sacred Book of the Maya
This version of the Popol Vuh is specifically for children. It has beautiful illustrations and flows well.
Bierhorst, John: In the Trail of the Wind: American Indian Poems and Ritual Orations
I found this book from a reference in From Sea to Shining Sea, which contains a variety of stories and songs from a wide range of American culture, including Native American cultures.

Fiction
Harrington, M.R.: Dickon Among the Lenape Indians
This author was an archeological pioneer and an honorary member of the Leni Lenape tribe. There are more books in the series.


Other Sites
Here are some other sites with more resources:
Exodus Books page on Native Americans

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