Native American Folklore & Traditions - (Sirius Visual Reference Library) by Elsie Clews Parson (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book brings together several favourite tales from Native American tribes across the United States. From heartwarming coming of age tales to warning tales of supernatural power, the stories told in this volume bring to life the culture of America's first peoples. Recounted from oral traditions by a variety of anthropologists, the customs and ways of life of the diverse peoples blur the boundaries between myths and reality and remind us of a time when nature held exceptional power and those who forsook it were regarded as fools.

Book Synopsis

From the Mojave Desert to the arctic expanses of Baffin Island, the rituals and traditions of the First Peoples of North America blur the boundaries between myth and reality.

This treasury brings together many spectacular tales from Native American folklore. Recorded from oral traditions by a variety of anthropologists, these heart-warming, magical and cautionary tales open a new window into the diversity and wonder of cultures that continue to thrive in the modern world.

Learn of potlash and marriage ceremonies, harvests and hunts, and how to survive in a hostile climate. Meet wonderful characters such as White-hip the shaman, Slender-maiden of the Apache and Sayach'apis, a Nootka trader.

Featuring stunning photographic portraits of First Nation peoples by Edward S. Curtis, as well as beautiful artwork by Charles Marion Russell and Frederic Remington, this illustrated volume helps bring these remarkable stories to life.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Sirius Visual Reference Library brings together wonderfully illustrated reference guides on scientific and historical topics, made bold and fascinating through full-color maps, timelines, photographs, feature boxes and other visual elements.

About the Author

Elsie Clews Parsons (1875-1941) was an anthropologist fascinated by Native American society. Shewas the associate editor for The Journal of American Folklore and became the first female president of the American Anthropological Association in 1941. She wrote a number of titles on the subject of folklore, none more significant than her classic Pueblo Indian Religion.