Native North America: Belief and Ritual - Spirits of Earth and Sky (Living Wisdom)

by LarryJ.Zimmerman (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2002

  $3.26

  Combining both historical and present day perspectives, Native North America provides a far ranging and richly illustrated account of the spiritual traditions of the indigenous peoples of North America, from the Inuit of the Canadian north to the Pueblo of the Arizona desert. The text explores individual culture areas by region, in such forms as personal and communal ritual, rites and ceremonies, identity and dispossession, myths and sacred histories. The depth of the writing combined with the high quality of esoteric colour images, maps, photographs and artwork, make this an important book to have in any reference section.

• Used

  Paperback
  1996

  $3.26

  Beginning with an historical perspective on Native North American peoples, this book presents an account of the spiritual traditions of the tribes, from the Tlingit of the north to the Navaho of the southwest. A chapter on the sacred looks at Native American spiritual life, examining unseen powers, the interdependency of all things, worship and community consciousness and the importance of preserving tradition. It also addresses Native American sacred history, relating the creation myths of the Earth Diver and Great Spirit and activities of cultural heroes and tricksters. A chapter on ceremonial life illuminates the expression of the sacred in such forms as initiation rites, death cults, shamanism, thanksgiving celebrations and personal ritual. The main body of the book concludes with an analysis of the predicament of the tribes in the 19th and 20th centuries and their revitalization in the late 20th century. The book is illustrated with images of tribal life, sacred landscapes, and native artefacts.