Synopses & Reviews
This collection of writings is from authors who are either Indians who have tried to make themselves heard, or whites who have tried to hear Indians. The first part of the book emphasizes the practical and includes Isaac Tens's "Career of the Medicine Man". The second section concentrates on the theoretical and contains Benjamin Lee Whorf's "American Indian Model of the Universe" and chapters on Indian metaphysics, among other things. In addition to an introductory essay on the Indian's stance towards reality, the editors have contributed chapters entitled "The Clown's Way" and "An American Indian View of Death".
Synopsis
"A much needed book. It not only provides the proper orientation to its material, but its humanistic approach is more perceptive and illuminating than technical scholarship." --Theodore H. Gaster, Columbia University
About the Author
Dennis Tedlock is McNulty Professor of English and Research Professor of Anthropology and Barbara Tedlock is Professor of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Buffalo.Dennis Tedlock is McNulty Professor of English and Research Professor of Anthropology and Barbara Tedlock is Professor of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Table of Contents
The career of the medicine-man / Isaac Tens, through Marius Barbeau -- A shaman's journey to the sea spirit Takâanakapsãaluk / Knud Rasmussen -- Hanblecheyapi : crying for a vision / Black Elk, through Joseph Epes Brown -- The salt pilgrimage / Ruth Underhill -- The doctrine of the ghost dance / James Mooney -- The peyote way / J.S. Slotkin -- The clown's way / Barbara Tedlock -- An American Indian model of the universe / Benjamin Lee Whorf -- Linguistic reflection of Wintu thought / Dorothy Lee -- Ojibwa ontology, behavior, and world view / A. Irving Hallowell -- The Tewa world view / Alfonso Ortiz -- The inner eye of Shamanism and Totemism / Robin Ridington and Tonia Ridington -- Oglala metaphysics / Sword ... et al., through J.R. Walker -- Monotheism among American Indians / Paul Radin -- An American view of death / Dennis Tedlock.