Native Universe: Voices of Indian America - Softcover

McMaster, Gerald

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1426203357 ISBN 13: 9781426203350

Publisher: National Geographic, 2008

Synopsis

This gorgeous volume draws from the vast archives of the National Museum of the American Indian and the voices of some of the most prominent Native American scholars, writers, activists and tribal leaders. More than 300 full-color illustrations depict the artistry and culture of our hemisphere’s diverse indigenous peoples. With its insightful, firsthand prose, the book is a reminder that the ancient philosophies and folkways are just as valuable and relevant in today’s world as they were generations ago.

About this title

About the Author

Geral McMaster (Plains Cree), formerly deputy assistant director for cultural resources for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, is curator of Canadian art at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is also the author of numerous books and articles.

Clifford E. Trafzer, of Wyandot ancestry, is a multiple award-winning author. He is professor of history and director of American Indian Studies at the University of California, Riverside.

From Publishers Weekly

Published for the September 21 opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian on Washington Mall, the three main sections of this majestic book ("Our Universes," "Our Peoples" and "Our Lives") feature more than 300 color illustrations of Native artworks, from Inka to Iroquois, with poems by N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich, Linda Hogan and others; extensive essays on Native mythology, history and identity; and even an excerpt from the Sherman Alexie script for Smoke Signals. The essays, which range from straightforward histories to deeply felt testimonials, are written by a wide range of Native cultural personages, including Wilma Mankiller (the first woman to be elected by the Cherokee Nation as its principal chief), Gabrielle Tayac (daughter of medicine man Chief Turkey Tayac in the Chesapeake Bay region) and Vine Deloria Jr., author of Custer Died for Your Sins. Despite the very generous and impressive selection of art, which even includes three multipage "Portfolios" of ancient, historical and contemporary Native artwork, the visual aspect of the book inevitably comes in second. This is not entirely the editors' fault: the intricacy and incredible range of Native artwork, which here includes both South and North American art, is simply too enormous to share space equally with the absorbing writing.
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Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1426203357
• ISBN 13: 9781426203350
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320