Tunkashila (First Printing) ; From the Birth of Turtle Island to the Blood of Wounded Knee

Hausman, Gerald & B/W Illustrations

ISBN 10: 0312099282 / ISBN 13: 9780312099282

Published by St. Martin's Press, New York, NY, 1993

About this Item

264 pages; B&W illustrations. Minor rubbing and a very tiny tear on DJ. Faint discoloration smudges on the top exterior edge of textblock. Very Good condition otherwise. No other noteworthy defects. No markings. DJ is not price-clipped.; - Your satisfaction is our priority. We offer free returns and respond promptly to all inquiries. Your item will be carefully cushioned in bubble wrap and securely boxed. All orders ship on the same or next business day. Buy with confidence.

Seller Inventory # HVD-77477-A-0

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Tunkashila (First Printing) ; From the Birth of Turtle Island to the Blood of Wounded Knee
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York, NY
• Publication Date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312099282
• ISBN 13: 9780312099282
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition; First Printing.
• Condition: Very Good-
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good-

About this title

Synopsis

The saga of native America, from creation through the Battle of Wounded Knee, is recreated in epic form incorporating dozens of stories and myths, complemented by illustrations by native American artists. By the author of Turtle Island Alphabet. 15,000 first printing.

Reviews

Nearly 70 tales from such diverse tribes as Creek, Navajo, Roanoke, Hopi, Lakota and Seminole are loosely strung together into a single epic in this disappointing effort by this popularizer of Indian culture. While not Native American himself, Hausman ( Turtle Island Alphabet ) traces his interest to the '30s when his mother, then an anthropology student, collected some of the tales used here. The bulk of them, however, Hausman culled from oral and more familiar published sources. Taken individually, some of the stories are well told. Particularly effective is "The Story of the Second Animal Council," in which beasts decide how to combat human encroachment, and "The Story of the White Deer Named Virginia Dare," an account from the Indian perspective of the first white child born in North America. The biggest flaw is at the very heart of Hausman's enterprise: his decision to synthesize myths from different traditions into a putatively linear narrative with little indication of each story's original context. Though the volume purports to give readers the history of North America through the eyes of its original inhabitants, it only provides a stereotyped, romanticized image. Line drawings.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Hausman ( Turtle Island Alphabet , LJ 3/15/92) calls Tunkashila a "cultural translation" of Native American legends. He gathered these stories from many U.S. tribes and here ambitiously attempts to reinterpret them and create a sort of American Indian epic. The book begins with creation myths and ends with tales of Geronimo, The Ghost Dance, and Black Elk. The 70 stories are short and are recounted in a simplistic and stereotypically "Indian" style. Many may prefer to read these stories as originally told or written; it is not clear in Tunkashila which parts are Hausman's and which are traditional. While this book may be enjoyable for those interested in American Indian culture, others will be offended by Hausman's appropriation of this unique culture.
- Gwen Gregory, U.S. Courts Lib., Phoenix
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.