Native American Folklore & Traditions

Book excerpt: From the Mojave Desert to the arctic expanses of Baffin Island, the rituals and traditions of the First Peoples of North America blur the boundaries between myth and reality. This treasury brings together many spectacular tales from Native American folklore. Recorded from oral traditions by a variety of anthropologists, these heart-warming, magical and cautionary tales open a new window into the diversity and wonder of cultures that continue to thrive in the modern world. Learn of potlash and marriage ceremonies, harvests and hunts, and how to survive in a hostile climate. Meet wonderful characters such as White-hip the shaman, Slender-maiden of the Apache and Sayach'apis, a Nootka trader. Featuring stunning photographic portraits of First Nation peoples by Edward S. Curtis, as well as beautiful artwork by Charles Marion Russell and Frederic Remington, this illustrated volume helps bring these remarkable stories to life.