Product Description
In this interdisciplinary collection of essays, Joel W. Martin and Mark A. Nicholas gather emerging and leading voices in the study of Native American religion to reconsider the complex and often misunderstood history of Native people's engagement with Christianity and with Euro-American missionaries. Surveying mission encounters from contact through the mid-nineteenth century, the volume alters and enriches our understanding of both American Christianity and indigenous religion.

The essays here explore a variety of post-contact identities, including indigenous Christians, "mission friendly" non-Christians, and ex-Christians, thereby exploring the shifting world of Native-white cultural and religious exchange. Rather than questioning the authenticity of Native Christian experiences, these scholars reveal how indigenous peoples negotiated change with regard to missions, missionaries, and Christianity. This collection challenges the pervasive stereotype of Native Americans as culturally static and ill-equipped to navigate the roiling currents associated with colonialism and missionization.

The contributors are Emma Anderson, Joanna Brooks, Steven W. Hackel, Tracy Neal Leavelle, Daniel Mandell, Joel W. Martin, Michael D. McNally, Mark A. Nicholas, Michelene Pesantubbee, David J. Silverman, Laura M. Stevens, Rachel Wheeler, Douglas L. Winiarski, and Hilary E. Wyss. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive reference work discussing more than 150 Indian tribes of all North America, as well as prehistoric peoples & civilizations. Organized alphabetically by tribe, the informative but accessible text summarizes the historical record -- locations, migrations, contacts with whites, wars, etc. Also covers Indian lifeways, including language families, means of subsistence, houses, boats, tools, clothing, art, legends, & rituals. Over 250 beautifully detailed, original color illustrations enhance the text, & 11 maps show the various Indian culture areas plus tribal locations, providing a helpful frame of reference. Glossary. Bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent.
One of the few accurate & comprehensive books about our Native Americans. A must read for anyone interested in Native American Cultures.

Exceeds Expectations
I wanted something thorough and informative about Native American Tribes.I also wanted something clear and concise, but not so bogged down with detail that it was a chore to weed through.
This encyclopedia gave me what I wanted and more.I'm writing a fictional novel with a Native American character and needed help in knowing him and his background.I was impressed with how easy it was to look up information by tribe and get interesting tidbits, that if I so desired, I could research further.
This is definitely a writer's dream.I feel confident writing about a character from any tribe with this book in my collection.

Native American history
Excellent. As a Englishman, in my middle 60s, interested in native American history since I was a child, this book is very informative.

The only major fault I find is with the illustrations
I had read about most of these tribes in the past in web searches and other references.
That is why I fault the illustrations ( the stone tools look noting like their actual pictures)and that there isn't a better coverage of tool, housing and food sources. The language groups are well covered and their relationship are made pretty clear.
I was looking for my local California Indians that are in San Diego County.
They are noticeably absent in this coverage or disguised pretty well.
Since most of this information is in my old 1950's World Book
encyclopedia under different sections, I was hoping for a little more information here. I have to admit that it is a good reference source.

VERY GOOD INFO / USEFUL/ Comprehensive
I am a fifty seven year old retired elementary teacher...but
my lifelong interest has been the Plains Indian Culture.
I just asked my hubby to get me this book for Christmas after
spending about ten minutes looking at it in Barnes and Noble
yesterday.
Good sized print, the info is arranged as user friendly.
I saw tribes mentioned in there that have been omitted from other
books about North American Tribes.A comprehensive guide.
Many drawings....colored illustrations.
My only negative -----I wanted to see a few more maps ...regional
maps of the tribes.
ALso...at the store ...I was looking at a SOFTCOVER edition....not
a hardcover one.(I would not pay 75 dollars for hardcover when
it is available in softcover. ) ... Read more

Product Description
Timeless, unique, and adaptable, these designs have been elements of creative expression for many years. Now, favorite patterns from Joyce's popular Native American design books are reprinted to enhance your works of art. Over a dozen new patterns, plus more than a hundred patterns from her previous two books include bold geometric designs, stylized plants and animals, and graceful swirls. Sections on continuous-line patterns for machine quilters and patterns that are ideal for quilt labels show the versatility of the designs. Many of the patterns can be used as applique motifs, embroidery designs, or can be colored with fabric paints or crayons. A bonus wallhanging pattern features large, open blocks to showcase your favorite quilting designs. Rich in heritage and beauty, these designs reflect the legacy of the craftmakers and artisans that inspired them. The patterns represent a wide range of Native American cultures and can be used on all types of quilts, including traditional, contemporary, and ethnic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Native American Designs 2
This book was written with quilters in mind. It has some introductory information on how to use the patterns and a little history. The patterns are taken from or based on indian artistry mainly in pottery, silverwork and basketry. The 100 plus patterns may be copied for personal use only. Using my own imagination, I can picture some of these interesting patterns being used for stenciling on a wall, inspiration for artwork as well as the quilt stitching that it was designed for.I am sure that I will put some of these patterns to use.

Buyer Beware
If you already own "Quilting Patterns from Native American Designs" and "Native American Designs for Quilting" do not bother with "Native American Designs 2."As Ms Mori states in the introduction, which it is unlikely most folks read prior to ordering this book, "Native American Designs 2" is a selection of her favorites from the titles shown above.It does have a few "bonus" patterns, but if you're expecting additions to Ms Mori's previous excellent compilations, this isn't it.

this review covers the quilting book
i don't know what book the other reviewer referred to, though i would like to.i am writing about joyce mori's second book of quilting designs from native american work.

this volume not only offers fabulous, wonderful, inspirational designs, it contains a section on developing variations that would be useful for any craft.

the designs could be used for applique, beading, embroidery, and many other media, as well as quilting.some are shown in arrangements--one page even shows three designs incorporated into one. many have been developed for continuous line machine quilting.

this is an excellent resource in any design library.

... Read more

Product Description

The image in Hollywood movies of savage Indians attacking white settlers represents only one side of a very complicated picture. In fact sympathetic portrayals of Native Americans stood alongside those of hostile Indians in the silent films of D. W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille, and flourished during the early 1930s with Hollywood's cycle of pro-Indian adventures. Decades later, the stereotype became even more complicated, as films depicted the savagery of whites (The Searchers) in contrast to the more peaceful Indian (Broken Arrow). By 1990 the release of Dances with Wolves appeared to have recycled the romantic and savage portrayals embedded in early cinema. In this new study, author Angela Aleiss traces the history of Native Americans on the silver screen, and breaks new ground by drawing on primary sources such as studio correspondence, script treatments, trade newspapers, industry censorship files, and filmmakers' interviews to reveal how and why Hollywood created its Indian characters. Behind-the-scenes anecdotes of filmmakers and Native Americans, as well as rare archival photographs, supplement the discussion, which often shows a stark contrast between depiction and reality.

The book traces chronologically the development of the Native American's screen image while also examining many forgotten or lost Western films. Each chapter will feature black and white stills from the films discussed.

Customer Reviews (1)

A history of Hollywood and the Indians
"Making the White Man's Indian..." as a title, borrows from Fergus M. Bordewich's 1998 book title "Killing the White Man's Indian" which he borrowed from a historical quote. Aleiss does a very scholarly but readable review of Hollywood's fascination with American Indians. There are only one or two books of this genre available to college film classes so this is a very welcome addition. It is one of the better, if not the best, of such books. Aleiss knows Hollywood better than her literary predecessors and it shows in her use of box office data. It's one thing to say Hollywood's interest in Indians, as a film subject, has ebbed-and-flowed and quite another to give real economic detail for this. Hollywood studios make movies on topics that sell or they try another topic. In the early days of movies the Indian was a "cool" topic until people quit buying tickets. When big box offices returned with the "Duke-type" aka "John Wayne" westerns and their portrayal of "western Indians" the genre was hot again. Aleiss points out that Indian movies that star Indian actors have been around longer than contemporary memory would suggest and this is a real contribution on her part. She mixes in a lot of good "back story". This reviewer learned a lot about James Young Deer and questions about his own heritage that other writers had missed or had not reported. His escapades with his female actors were discussed as one reason Hollywood cooled toward his work. Such details are what make "Making the White Man's Indian..." both fun-to-read and scholarly at the same time - a difficult task for any history book. ... Read more

Product Description
Death. We deny it. We fear it. Some of us welcome it. No matter what age we live in we keep the traditional feelings for our departed. We try to ease the soul into the afterworld as best we can. "Celebrations of life" provide a time for friends and loved ones to gather, share food and stories and grieve. Some who pass on are cremated to free the soul. Some are buried believing that the body will not become corrupted but will survive until the final judgment day. "Grave goods" are still commonly buried or are cremated as well with the body. While we believe we are more "advanced" than those who lived before us, we actually do the same things they did to honor and to provide for our deceased loved ones. We are not so very different after all. This book provides a brief survey of how America's first people reacted to death, how they disposed of their dead, their thoughts about the spirit world and the possibilities of being reborn. ... Read more

Product Description
This is adelightfully illustrated children's book based on a Native-American folk tale. When nine-year-old Sika longs for areal baby of her own, her Uncle Eli shares with her an intriguing legend about how the Raven came to be black. Sike learns that there is a right time for everything and discovers the importance of having patience and keeping promises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Breathtaking Illustrations, Extraordinary story!
"Sika's story is a wonderful starting place for a good discussion with the little girl in your life about patience, growing up, the risk of impulse, and why it's important to postpone parenthood until maturity.Thebrilliantly colored illustrations by Baje Whitethorne, Sr., areconfectionery delights that sweeten this magical story of youthfuldreams." -----Gloria Feldt, President Planned Parenthood Federation ofAmerica

"Any child who crawls into a comfortable lap or anoverstuffed chair for Sika and The Raven is in for a treat.This authenticretelling of the Native American story is a wonderfully written andbeautifully illustrated." -----David Walsh Ph.D., President NationalInstitute on Media and the Family

"Thank you Dr. H for bringingthese tales to children!You so cleverly tell a story of great socialimport, and Baje's art is visual poetry."-----Patch Adams M.D.,Founder of the Gesundheit Institute

"The illustrations are elegant,the imagery powerful.Sika and The Raven offers important lessons abouthonoring children, life and connection to the world around us."-----Mary Gossart, Director of Education and Training Planned Parenthood ... Read more

Product Description
More than thirty stories from a variety of Native American sources covering creation myths, hero tales, and trickster stories, as well as tales of little people, giants, and monsters, and of magic, enchantment, sorcery, and the spirit world. Included are "The White Stone Canoe" (Chippewa), "Raven Pretends to Build a Canoe" (Tsimhian), "The Theft from the Sun" (Blackfoot), "The Loon’s Necklace" (Iroquois), "The Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting" (Cherokee), "The Coyote" (Pueblo), "The Origin of the Buffalo and of Corn" (Cheyenne), many more.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Native American Tales & Legends
This is a great book ! Easy to read, many different legends.
I bought it for myself & my 8 year old grandson asked if he could have it,
so I ordered one for him.
M. Hudson

Very worthwhile for children and adults alike
Compiled by Allan MacFarlan, Native American Tales and Legends compiles myths and stories drawn from the title culture.Featuring more than thirty tales, Native American Tales and Legends feature heroic stories and allegories, folk tales, and tales of the spirit world among others, which is pretty much what anyone at all familiar with the Native American culture would expect.Children will enjoy the fairy tale-like quality and dreamlike states of many of the tales ("Manstin, the Rabbit" in particular) and followers of the culture will enjoy this collection even more so.The only real downside of Native American Tales and Legends is that more material wasn't included in this collection, and that no poetry from the culture is featured either, which contains just as much mythology and heart as any of the other stories featured here.Despite that, this is instantly worth picking up regardless. ... Read more

Product Description
This treasury of literature by Native American authors allows students to listen to the voices from America's first and oldest literature. More than fifty tribes from the U.S. and Canada are represented, giving readers opportunities to explore the diversity of authors' experiences through poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, including the oral tradition. Two maps provide geographical context for the readings, one showing tribal locations and the other showing the Trail of Tears. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful
This book is absolutely wonderful for those who are persuing intrests in Native American Literature. It is a great source of knowledge and understanding. It goes along through all of the struggles and stereotypes that have been placed on Native Americans since we invaded their territory.. I HIGHLEY RECOMMEND

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL
I first began reading thie book for a NAtive American Literature class, but have found that this books offers great stories that will help you learn and understand many of the struggles of the Indian culture. It goes through the stereotypes and dramas that they had and are still going through. I recommend this book to anyone studying Native Americans. ... Read more

Product Description
Duane Champagne has assembled a volume of top scholarship reflecting the complexity and diversity of Native American cultural life. Introductions to each topical section provide background and integrated analyses of the issues at hand. The informative and critical studies that follow offer experiences and perspectives from a variety of Native settings. Topics include identity, gender, the powwow, mass media, health and environmental issues. This book and its companion volume, "Contemporary Native American Political Issues", edited by Troy R. Johnson, are ideal teaching tools for instructors in Native American studies, ethnic studies, and anthropology, and important resources for anyone working in or with Native communities. ... Read more

Product Description
These beautiful and tender lullabies combine Native American themes with universal concerns of parenthood. Collected from the Native American peoples of the Northeast (Ojibwa), the Plains (Arapaho, Kiowa, Pawnee, Crow), the Southwest (Hopi, Acoma, Yuma), the Northwest (Kwakiutl, Haida, Tsimshian), and the Arctic (Inuit), the lullabies are illustrated with the gorgeous photographs of Edward S. Curtis, printed in duotone. Simply expressed yet deeply felt, these brief poems offer an intimate look at Native American family life. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

I checked it out from the library.
I got this book from the library to see if it would help with a homeschool unit on Native American history.The crafts look enjoyabe.Even though this is a "native american" history book, I would not use this exclusively for the lessons.It does break down the tribes by region, but there is not much in the way of illustrations to go with the stories.It is also interesting to note that in the map, WV is completely left out of the country.It does not show up in the Norteast, Southeast, or Midwest region.It is as if there is a hole in the country where WV was.

I will use this for some crafts and maybe a few stories to supplement other resources, but it isn't something to be used on its own to teach.I am glad that I got it from the library and that I didn't buy this one. ... Read more

Product Description

More than five centuries of native peoples' artistry.

Native Americans crafted beautiful clothing out of skins, pigment, quills and sinew. The collection of photographs in this outstanding reference celebrates this decorative genius. Many of the 300 photographs from more than 60 leading museums and private collections have never been published previously.

The book describes the clothing in fascinating detail, from moccasins and tunics to sashes, bags and ceremonial and burial costumes. Theodore Brasser explains who made what and how, as well as the meanings of the different kinds of decoration, such as beadwork, embroidery, appliqué, patchwork, weaving and dyeing. There are also many examples of native pottery and other historic artifacts that depict themes used in the clothes.

Native American Clothing provides a thorough historical background of the many influences on this clothing, including:

• Mythology
• Social status
• Political standing
• Wealth
• Climate
• Geography
• Contact with European settlers.

The book covers the entire North American continent and is organized by tribal groups and regions:

• Southeast
• Northern east coast
• Eastern Great Lakes
• Eastern sub-Arctic
• Great Lakes
• Plains
• Southwest
• Plateau/desert
• California
• Northwest coast
• Western sub-Arctic
• Arctic.

Numerous maps show the ranges of the tribes and convey how trade and travel spread cultural themes.

With authoritative text and art-quality color reproductions, Native American Clothing will be important to collectors and historians and will also appeal to general readers.

Customer Reviews (1)

Serious students of Indian clothing, don't waste your money!
This is just another coffee table book, or maybe it would fit in a high school library.The title is entirely misleading; there is precious little clothing illustrated. Lots of baskets, landscapes and material culture dominate the color pictures but if you're interested in various forms of dress for the different tribes, you'd do better to look at American Indian Art Magazine, or at other coffee table or serious books of museum collections.For me, this was a colossal waste of money. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Native American Gardening
Wonderful for family members of all ages to learn about Native American culture in regard to growing one's food and about living in this world in harmony with the rest of creation.

Great Resource
ANY book by Mr. Caduto and Bruchac is both authentic and well researched. This book is another fine contribution by this team. A must have for a science teacher, for Native American curriculum, home schooling etc. I plan to purchase ALl the books by these authors.

Fantastic book for teachers, parents and kids!
An excellent reference for teachers and parents alike, this book contains Native legends related to gardening as well as projects based on the tales, gardening tips, helpful suggestions for beginners, recipes to use your garden's new- found bounty, and much more!
Joseph Bruchac is a very well-known storyteller in the Native American community.Along with his various co-authors in his different books, he combines storytelling with various teaching and family-based activities.I collect his books, because they are both a great reference for Native American mythology and belief, but also because my daughter and I can then turn around and learn together about the great past of the United States. ... Read more

Product Description

This anthology includes some of the best works of Native American Literature — with a good representation of major authors, geographic dispersion, gender balance, and a variety of genres. Its illustrative and popular material promote a deeper appreciation of different themes and approaches. Complete works that have become classics in the field, combined with ones from the modern era, make this collection rich in historical and theoretical context. Selections of non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and drama, include works by Paula Gunn Allen, Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, Carter Revard, Leslie Marmon Silko, Sherman Alexie, Kimberly Blaeser, Peter Blue Cloud, Louise Erdrich, Scott N. Momaday, Simon Ortiz, and many more. An effective introduction to Native American Literature for readers interested in this area of writing.

Customer Reviews (1)

Nothing But The Truth
This is an excellent anthology of Native American Literature.I will use it for my Native American Studies courses! ... Read more

Product Description
Native American arts and crafts are enjoying renewed appreciation and increasing recognition as a vital part of America's cultural heritage. In Native American Art, the richness and diversity of this centuries-old tradition is celebrated through nearly 300 color plates and incisive commentary. Tracing the development of American Indian art from 20,000 years ago to the present day, it features exquisite works from every part of North America. ... Read more

Product Description
This is one of a series of brief anthologies designed for ethnic, multicultural and American literature courses. The series aims to introduce undergraduates to the rich but often neglected literary contributions of established and newer ethnic writers to American literature. Each text is organized chronlogically by genre and represents a wide range of literature. An introduction provides an historical overview and a celebration of the diversity within each ethnic group. It also addresses the general literary concerns students are likely to encounter in their readings. A seperate thematic table of contents provides the tutor with more flexibility in the classroom. All four anthologies include three bibliographies which suggest novels for further reading; aid students in their research and recommend films that would enhance the studies. Ishmael Reed, the general editor, is founder of the American Book Awards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Native American Literature: A Good Selection
This important anthology makes available a range of Native American writings from the early nineteenth century to the present.Genres covered include fiction, poetry, auotobiography, and drama, making this text a finechoice for introduction to literature classes as well as for coursesfocused specifically on Native American literature.Luther Standing Bear'sautobiographical account of his time at the Carlisle school for Indians isa particularly interesting selection for its historical perspective on thepush for "Indians" to assimilate via white modes of education. Vizenor's introduction provides a useful historical framework as well. Some of the selections are relatively well-known in the field of NativeAmerican literary studies, while others (including Vizenor's own drama) donot appear in other anthologies I've seen.Overall, this anthologyrepresents a fine if somewhat idiosyncratic representation of the broaddiversity of Native American literary voices. ... Read more

Product Description
An astonishing collection of poems and essays written by young contemporary Native Americans.Words of protest against prejudice and oppression, poems of estrangement and pain, cries for lost worlds and lost identities -- but also songs of celebration and joy for the future.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good for many kids
I have been reading this to my adopted 8-year-old who is 1/4 Native American.Even though the book is directed at kids a little older she still enjoys it.Many of the items in the book reflect feelings of being different or feelings of isolation and/or discrimination.This applies to my daughter who is sensitive about being adopted, and she can see that many other children feel the way she does for many different reasons.The book also gives her valuable insight into her background.

rising voices
The book I'm reading is rising voices. I picked this book because Native Americans wrote it. T his book has poems about young Natives. The story I'm reading is " I'm a Navajo". The kid that is telling us about him being Navajo and he said " he don't act like a Navajo and also he said that a Navajo wears a lot of necklaces and belts that's pin by a Navajo silversmith .He also said that his mom never live in a taught him how to pray and he has pray for a little girl when she got sick. He had long hair and he didn't care to knot it into a ponytail.


The little boy has to live like a Navajo for the whole summer. The Navajo boy is to learn how to be a Navajo and how to speak the Navajo way. The boy's mom told him to learn how to a Navajo and to show everyone that he can be a true Navajo. The kid had to become one of the people that can do ceremony on other people and the way he can do that is to learn how to become a Navajo. The boy turned 15 then he had to learn how to kill and skin a sheep.


The boy has a girlfriend that's all into Navajo ways her family do all of the Navajo stuff like pow wow and all the stuff that Navajo people like to do over the summer. The girl met his family and she notice that his family is not like her family. So they help the boy become a true Navajo. So she took him to a Hogan and lived in there for three weeks. He didn't like the way they ate their food. He said that they eat a lot of mutton and fry bread. So one day he had to try the food because that was the only thing they had to eat in three weeks living in a Hogan. He told her that he never been inside a teepee in his life. So later that summer he finally become a true Navajo. His family was so happy for him and what he did for the summer.

A diverse and vibrant collection
"Rising Voices: Writings of Young Native Americans" is an anthology of pieces selected by Arlene Hirschfelder and Beverly R. Singer.There are more than 60 entries, most of them very short.About 140 pages long, the anthology encompasses both poetry and prose.Each piece is accompanied by a short blurb which tells about the author and, if applicable, describes the piece's prior publication history.

The anthology has a wide scope.Its authors represent many parts of the United States: New Mexico, Alaska, Arizona, Utah, Montana, and other states.Also represented are many Indian nations: Coeur d'Alene, Inuit, Navajo, Cree, Pima, Zuni, etc.The pieces span over a century, from the 1880s to the 1990s.The book is divided into six thematic sections: "Identity," "Family," "Homelands," "Ritual and Ceremony," "Education," and "Harsh Realities."

Some of my favorite selections are as follows."My Poems," by Alan Barlow: a poem with particularly vivid imagery."My Role as a Native American," by Kimberly Kai Rapada: an ironic prose memoir about receiving a role in a school production of "The Wizard of Oz.""As I Dance," by Autumn White Clay: an evocative poem that celebrates dance."Misconceptions about the Aleutians," by Katie Mobeck: a feisty prose piece that challenges stereotypes about the author's people.

Other topics covered include jewelry, food, prayer, role models, Native language, and the Indian relationship to the bison.A particularly important recurring theme is the tension that comes with living between the white and Indian worlds.As in other youth anthologies I have read, some of the pieces struck me as somewhat underdeveloped.But the overall strength of the collection is impressive.The voices in this book are at times satiric, ironic, and resistant, but also celebrate the joys and beauty of the Indian peoples, their lands, and their cultures.A solid choice for both classroom use and individual reading.

Book written by students-great for students.
How often does a teacher find a book that is written totally on the level of their students?This is a little anthology of essays and poetry written by Native American students.It gives such insight into what these young people feel and think.The thoughts are contemporary but show us the heritage and its importance - but also the struggle it can cause.These selections range from third grade through high school.I consider it a must for teaching multi-cultural lit.The thoughts can be compared to what the students feel - especially when it comes to heritage.Some are sad - some defiant - some confident and joyful.These will get students thinking and discussing.A treasure! ... Read more

Product Description
Grades 1-3. Build a pocket book filled with information on eight different Native American tribes from the Artic to the southeastern United States. Students learn historical background facts, do arts and crafts activities, picture dictionary and evaluation forms are also included. 96 pages ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

1st Grader Digs History!
My first grader & I are really enjoying "History Pockets, Native American".We plan to use more "History Pockets"!!! Great fun & educational!!!

Lots of coloring, some careless inaccuracies
I think this is best for a portfolio and art. It's not bad but...twice in the Seminole section it referred to the chickees (Seminole Indian huts) being built with a platform "3 feet (9 meters)" off the ground. Three feet does not equal nine meters. In the glossary, it also confused the children by giving an inaccurate definition for hominy that was actually a description of another dish mentioned in the text, a softer, pudding like-dish. Since there was a recipe for hominy, this is really confusing to the students. Also, it is tagged as being for first to third grade but the reading level is fourth to sixth. It would be better to omit the grade level marking altogether IMO.

History Pockets
My daughter loves using the History Pockets.We used the History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations, Grades 1-3 last year and it made learning a lot of fun.One thing that I learned last year was to make copies and gather materials the night before so that our activity went smoothly.These are great tools for all students.

It was okay
While the History Pocket books are great for making a book, they are a little boring by themselves. There is too much coloring and not enough learning. We have learned more by reading library books, the encyclopedia, watching an educational show, or talking about the subjects.

When we purchased these, I liked the idea. But, after wasting a lot of our homeschool day with the children coloring (by day 3, coloring had turned into scribbles) I decided to use these as supplemental activities. We read and do art projects. We talk about the subjects.

My kids liked this HP the best, and actually did quite a few of the activities from it. I found it is best used at the end of the day, so if they spend a lot of time on it, it's okay.

We have several of the HP products. Now, we let the kids chose which ones looked "fun", and skip the rest.

While it is nice to have a book to look at afterwards, I feel they do not serve a great purpose. (And they are a waste of printer paper and ink.) They are nice if you need a "work sample" for school, but I feel they are just "busy work". History can be learned in much more interesting ways.

HPs are always fun and full of quality activities that my boys enjoy
I really like the History Pockets series - they're wonderful. And, this book is quite good and full of a variety of age appropriate activities that my boys really enjoyed.However, I question how some of the tribes were selected; specifically, the Seminoles of the Southeast Region.While the HP units can stand alone quite well as a unit study, I like to complement them with additional information and activities for my boys.I found it particularly difficult to find any complementary information/activities for the Seminoles.I think the Cherokee tribe would have been a much better choice.The same holds true for the Maidu tribe of the Californias - very limited information available to supplement. Also, I wish that this book had included tribes for the Great Basin and the Sub-Arctic regions.To include these two areas would make this unit completely comprehensive and thorough.Nonetheless, it is a good resource to have and follow as part of an early elementary study on Native Americans. ... Read more

Product Description
Stories of oppression and survival, of heritage denied and reclaimed -- twenty-two American writers recall childhood in their native land. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A childhood recalled and a heritage first denied and then reclaimed
"Growing Up Native American" is a heartwrenching anthology of classic essays by 22renowned Native American authors. The writers come from 15 native nations across the United States and Canada. The essays are divided into four major sections, excluding the Introduction. The editor prefaces each major section with its own brief introduction.

The first section looks backward and forward at how Native nations lost their indigenous languages and with language loss their self-determination.The second section focuses on the 19th Century, especially on the devastating policies against Native Americans and the struggles that ensued. One example of devastation is given in the third section which describes policies that destroyed traditional Native American educational systems and replaced them with repressive alternatives "meant to destroy their tribal identities" (p. 116). The fourth and last section outlines the 20th Century which "has brought forth an ever-increasing effort toward self-determination by indigenous peoples", because the "vanishing American has not vanished" (p. 190).

This is a hard-hitting book, meant for both the non-Natives and "Natives" who truly want to know. If you, like me, ever thought you knew the Native American story, then you ought to read this book. If you have not heard about the Native American story, starting with this book will save you from many misconceptions. A good read, indeed.

Amavilah, Author
Modeling Income Determinants in Embedded Economies : Cross-section Applications to US Native American Economies
ISBN: 1600210465

What a wonderful collection!
This is an excellent book that gently and beautifully flies in the face of destructive stereotypes and any ill-conceived idea that the "American Indian" is powerless and extinct. Far from it. And for those who say the damage is "all in the past" and is not relevant today, this book also gives the lie to that mythology. Unfortunately, those aren't the people most likely to read this book. Given that, I would highly recommend making this book required reading in any literature course, history course, or humanities course in general. The writing is artful and succinct, the authors Pulitzer prize winners and accomplished in many other ways. What it means to be an Indian, Native American, in the United States of America while we are "fighting to preserve our liberty" is an incredible concept to wrap one's mind around. Stretch a little. These voices call out from history, through time, to the present to create the awareness that the world so desperately needs.

ORIGINAL VOICES
What is it like to grow up as a stranger in your own land? Of all of the emigrant groups which came to the "New World", those who were already here experienced their country being conquered and their way oflife almost destroyed. All to often their stories were dismissed, forgottenor seen as exotic curiosities for the anthropologists. Riley's collectionof 22 Native American writers gives voice to a group whose lives show aspirit of survival and dignity in the midst of being a"conquered" people in their own land.Using excerpts fromnovels, memoirs, essays and autobiographies we are given a wide range ofdifferent experiences from the people who were here before there was anAmerica. Growing Up Native American introduces us to the various nativepeoples of this continent. Through those various genres, we receive a bitof insight as to what they had to endure as they grew up in a hostile land. This collection of stories spans from the 19th to the 20th centuries. Growing Up Native American is an excellent text for intoducing one toNative American history,literature, culture and Native-American authors.You immediately are transported through time with the authors andcharacters. You identify with their challenges and triumphs. The book isnot just a collection of tragedy. You are introduced to laughter, jokes,lifestyles and the joys of being a young person. I would highly recommendthis book to those of us who are ignorant about the Orignal Voices whoinhabited this land ... Read more

Product Description
Popular media depict miners as a rough-and-tumble lot who diligently worked the placers along scenic rushing rivers while living in roaring mining camps in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Trafzer and Hyer destroy this mythic image by offering a collection of original newspaper articles that describe in detail the murder, rape, and enslavement perpetrated by those who participated in the infamous gold rush. "It is a mercy to the Red Devils," wrote an editor of the Chico Courier, "to exterminate them." Newspaper accounts of the era depict both the barbarity and the nobility in human nature, but while some protested the inhumane treatment of Native Americans, they were not able to end the violence. Native Americans fought back, resisting the invasion, but they could not stop the tide of white miners and settlers. They became "strangers in a stolen land." ... Read more