The Stars We Know: Crow Indian Astronomy and Lifeways - Softcover

Timothy P. McCleary

4 out of 5 stars

25 ratings by Goodreads

9781577667261: The Stars We Know: Crow Indian Astronomy and Lifeways

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1577667263 ISBN 13: 9781577667261

Publisher: Waveland Pr Inc, 2011

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This fascinating ethnography explores how the Crow Indians have blended scientific observation with religious symbolism to develop traditions that are a cornerstone of their culture. For centuries, the Crow people have kept a careful watch on the heavens above them�particularly the cycles and movements of the stars, the sun, the moon, and certain planets. Their interpretations of these cosmic phenomena have shaped the principles by which the Crow live, providing a sense of right and wrong and an attendant set of values and ethics. The Crow speak of this celestial wisdom as ihk� al�wahkuua, "the stars we know."

In this illustrated volume, McCleary provides description and background but lets the Crow star knowledge unfold through the words of contemporary tribal elders, whose narratives describe the origins and organization of the universe and the history of constellations that have special religious interpretation and history. The Stars We Know, Second Edition is a valuable contribution to the study of Native American theology as well as an important record of Crow oral traditions.

Titles of interest also available from Waveland Press: Fabian, Patterns in the Sky: An Introduction to Ethnoastronomy (ISBN 9781577661818) and Hultkrantz, Native Religions of North America: The Power of Visions and Fertility (ISBN 9780881339857).

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Review

"This book on our traditions related to the heavens expresses a part of the native theology of the Crow in a careful, thoughtful, and detailed manner." --Dale Old Horn, Crow Tribal Historic Preservation Officer

"This book presents us with the world of the Crow�the meaning of the heavens into which Crow life fits. It is invaluable for grasping the traditional Crow sense of place, the place of human life in the universe." --Jonathan Lear, The University of Chicago

"A brilliant piece of modern Native American ethnography." --Peter Nabokov, University of California, Los Angeles

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