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In this collection of twenty-seven delightful stories, there are trickster tales full of sly humor and tales of magic and the supernatural, of adventure and derring-do. "How and Why" stories explain why the buzzard is bald and how the alligator's nose was broken. We laugh along with Rabbit when, to impress the pretty girl he wants to marry, he tricks Wolf into letting him ride him like a horse.

Tales from familiar peoples such as the Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, and Cree are here, as well as from less well-known tribes. Jane Curry has also provided helpful notes "About the Southeastern Tribes," "About the Storytellers," and "About the Stories."

There is a happy variety in these stories, retold with great skill by a gifted writer, whose earlier book of Native American tales, Back in the Beforetime, has been a favorite for years. Storytellers and young readers alike will welcome The Wonderful Sky Boat. ... Read more

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Using stories to show the importance of wildlife in Native American traditions, this book gives parents and teachers an exciting way to teach children about animals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Incredibly insightful!
I discovered the "Keepers" series two years ago. At first I was unsure of the format, and it took me a while to appreciate all the activities, but now they are the foundation in my homeschool curriculum.The stories and activities are suitable for a wide range of ages so that they may be used for years with the same child.There is so much depth and insight to all of the Keepers books that it is a compliment to any style of homeschool.For naturalists, home schoolers, un-schoolers, classical educators or public schools - these books are absolutely a must for every child living in North America!I can't say enough about these books.

Keepers Series
Joseph Bruchac is a natural stort teller. This whole series is wonderful. I have used these books with children from the ages of four through fourteen. But of all of them the cassette of The Keepers of the Animals is my favorite and the only one that I cannot keep because I am continually giving it away. It is not only the quality of Bruchac's voice but also the cadence that he brings to the telling that adds a resonance, a native rhthym to the stories, that enhances understanding. This is the way that these stories should be told and should be heard. Native American culture has a rich oral tradition and the sounds, the rhthyms of the language are an important part of the telling of a story. We may not have the sounds of the language per se except in the names but we can hear a little of the native cadence in Bruchac's delivery. These are wonderful tapes for small children and again this is my very favorite.

Bringing Native Stories to Life
I've been lucky enough to see Michael Caduto perform theseNative stories in person.He brings Native beliefs to life inunexpected and delightful ways.The stories he and Josheph Bruchac have put together here do the same thing.They give young readers a chance to explore Native cultures while they learn and enjoy the stories! In addition to Native tales, this book provides factual information and activities on nature and animals.It's an outstanding resource for teachers, parents, and kids of all ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How Many Sheep Will it Hold?
I've been looking for Seeing with a Native Eye since the first time I read it over 15 years ago. Thank you Amazon for helping me locate it. This book was done in 1976 when a lot of people began to recognize the importance of, or even existence of, a Native American "religion." It is a collection of essays by eight writers both Anglo and Native. Some concepts have stayed with me all these years. The first presented isabout how different cultures define the value of an object. The author hopes to show his adopted Navajo father the glories of the outside world. When he is shown the Empire State Building, he asks, "How many sheep does it hold?"Other favorite essays explore "If I hadn't believed it I never would have seen it" and the importance of the kachina rituals. Although it is old and the basic ideas have been published in many different forms, this is my favorite study of Native American spirituality. ... Read more

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Brave Bear outwits four ghosts who are trying to scare him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wondeful illustrations of the ghosts in this first rate Lakota legend
I have liked Charles Reasoner's artwork for these Native American Lore & Legends series books, but "Brave Bear and the Ghosts: A Sioux Legend" is my new favorite because of the way he does the ghosts.You get a hint of it from the cover painting with Brave Bear on the left and a ghost riding a ghost horse on the right.But the ghosts are, for the most part, more purple than what you see.Reasoner's figures usually do not have mouths and for eyes just the little slits we would all associate with Snoopy in the "Peanuts" cartoons.This time, there are mouths for these figures, but mouths that suggest the space between the cranium and the jaw on a skull.The eyes are still little slits, but they have a dark circle around them.The shades of purple are also really cool.Too bad they are the villains in the story, retold by Gloria Dominic.

It is always winter in the land of ghosts and as they sit around talking about how much fun it is to scare people one of them tells of Brave Bear, a warrior and hunter who laughs in the face of death.The ghosts make a bet that the first ghost to scare Brave Bear will win the ghost horses of the others.But when they go after Brave Bear to win their bet he keeps making bets with them and winning their horses.This is fairly predictable, since Brave Bear is the hero of the tale.But what is great are all the clever ways that Brave Bear bests each of the ghosts.They are as cool as the illustrations of the ghosts, which is why this Sioux story has become one of my favorites.Plus, there is a punch line at the end that will appeal to young readers as well.

The back of the book talks about the Sioux, which is problematic because ever since "Dances With Wolves" most of us have learned that these people called themselves the Lakota (or Dakota or Nakota), and that the word "Sioux" is the Ojibwa word for "snake."That is covered in the back of this book, but then the book continues to use the derogatory term, but without justifying why (if kids can learn to call a brontosaurus an apatosaurus, they can learn to call the Sioux the Lakota).Is the point here that racism is okay if one Native American tribe hangs a derogatory name on another as opposed to having it done by the settlers? This book is going to be the first opportunity for many young readers to find out about this particular society, so this really should have been a Lakota (or Dakota or Nakota) legend.

The back of the book covers the homeland, food and clothing, and where the people called in this book the Sioux live today. Young readers will also find a Glossary of terms from "akicita" to "travios," and a list of important dates that begins with the 1700s when these people became expert horsemen and 1979 when the U.S. Supreme Court awarded them $105 million for the taking of their lands, which settled a legal action begun in 1923.This section is illustrated with historic photographs of these people and contemporary shots of artifacts. If the explanation for the name of the Sioux was not included here I would round down, but hopefully teachers and parents can rectify the decision made here. ... Read more

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Author Mary L. Beck recounts nine traditional Native American legends from the Northwest Coast. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Brilliant Tales Told Beautifully
What an amazing book! I picked this up while traveling around Alaska, and I found it compelling enough to develop a class on mythology for the coming semester, using this book as one of the texts. The stories are entertaining and meaningful, and extremely readable. I know that my students are going to learn a great deal, but they will also enjoy every minute of it, for the storytelling within this text is truly beautiful. I wish I could find more books like it!

The illustrations are also beautiful. The book is one of the best folklore explorations I have read in years.

forget philosophy
people should be reading this stuff, not the same old boring Plato/Homer stuff. This is the interesting stuff, the trickster who gets tricked and then tricks others. It's so valuable. And beautiful. And underrated.

A wonderful selection of tales from Tlingit-Haida culture.
Having grown up in Alaska, I've had much exposure to Native Alaskan culture and have always loved reading or hearing their folklore. This particular book is a great collection of Tlingit-Haida legends, each of which is a sort of "how things came to be this way" story. They explain why a certain clan took a particular crest, or how a legendary hero came to fame, etc. What I found especially interesting is the comparison with folklore from other cultures. Each story is accompanied by a short introduction in which the author shows us the parallels between these tales and similar ones in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. The stories are set down in clear, simple language, but are still vivid and engrossing. My one criticism of the book would be that it's too short. There are only nine legends included, and this makes for only a small sampling of Tlingit-Haida lore. I would have loved to see more. However, I will not knock any point off my rating for this. The fact that I wish it had gone on longer only attests to its overall quality. This is a terrific book, easy to read, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in native folklore.

Can't Say enough about this book
Just like Beck's "Shamans & Kushtakas" this book is a great reference on Tlingit & Haida mythology.She does an excellent job in both books passing on the legends of old into the 21st century.I am aHaida indian and I think she did a wonderful job ... Read more

Product Description
A unique characteristic of Native American medicine is the belief that each patient holds a different spirit, and that the healing can only work when it affects the individual spirit. Mythology is essential to this healing process. The belief stories within these pages reflect a culture that holds both poignant and alarming lessons. Readers of this book will discover the intriguing past and knowledge of Native American history and beliefs which are more enlightening than they may have previously realized. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for anyone interested in running!
This is a wonderful assemblage of stories about running among NativeAmericans.it follows the Taos San Geronimo Day run, one of the mostimportant events for the New Mexico Pueblo Indians.Fascinating! Certainly for anyone interested in long distance running. ... Read more

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A collection of Salish and Skagit legends
A collection of 34 legends of the Coast Salish and Skagit Indians.Each story averages about three pages with drawings, sketches and maps throughout. ... Read more

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Roots of Survival uses the lens of traditional Native American stories and environmental teachings to focus on the relationship of Native traditions to contemporary life. In four parts, each anchored by a Native American story, the author examines the sources of human, ecological and spiritual survival through Native traditions and then considers the paths we can follow to survive. ... Read more

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Grand insight on Stories and Story-telling
Written by one of the Masters of Native stories and story-telling, this book offers a tremendous degree of insight into the importance and relevance of traditional stories and story-telling in today's world.Oftendismissed as entertainment for children, Bruchac shows in great depth themany layers of importance and wisdom that these stories have.He alsoprovides an expert analysis of the role of story and story-teller -- theirfunctions and realities.If you are interested in traditional Nativeliterature and stories, or just in story-telling in general, this is amust-read book. ... Read more

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Nearly all that remains of some Indian tribes of Texas and the Southern Plains are their stories. Here twenty-six tales are brought together from fourteen tribes and at least five different cultures. They are stories of humor, guidance, and adventure that have been passed down through the generations.

From the Tejas story that explains how the universe began, to the Lipan Apache tale in which a small lizard smartly outwits a hungry coyote, these stories are sure to delight young readers. Additional information about each tribe is included in the "About the Storytellers" section.

Once again Jane Louise Curry has skillfully retold traditional tales of Native Americans. Hold Up the Sky is in keeping with the style of her previous, highly acclaimed collections of Native American stories, Back in the Beforetime, The Wonderful Sky Boat, and Turtle Island. This, too, is a collection to be treasured. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
This book is groundbreaking. It collects several of Hymes' articles in one place. Important articles like Breakthrough into Performance are present and expanded. Anyone interested in the poetry of Native American verbal art should read this book. Hymes is at pains to show that a close (linguistically motivated) analysis of Native American verbal art reveals much of that poetry (whether it be the structuring of intitial particles or the uses of sound symbolism). However, for all that is important about Hymes' commentary, the most important feature is the the stories he presents. Vicoria Howard's 'Seal and Her Younger Brother Lived There' (in Chapter 8) is a modern classic. This is an important book for linguists, Native Americanists, anthropologists, and folklorists and is widely influential. It is a pity that it is currently out of print. Shame on the University of Pennsylvania Press. ... Read more

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Traditional stories and myths from the Native Americans. ... Read more

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The adventures of the irrepressible trickster Coyote continue in this collection of tales originally told by native Americans. By the author of Earthmaker's Tales. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Provides good starting points
I had a look at several books from this series in the reference section of my library. The information from all meshed with that I found in other sources. It's all introductory material, as would be expected from such a series, but includes beliefs of many groups rather than focusing only on the most well-known ones.As such I've new things to look into that I hadn't yet come across in several weeks of research.The cross-referencing in entries was useful as well, pointing at even more new things. ... Read more

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A collection of legends about the cunning trickster Coyote, taken from a variety of Native American sources. ... Read more

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his 4th collection of Native folk tales ... Read more

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The fight to have the American legal system recognize Native American religions has taken many forms, from the confrontation over Indian usage of eagle feathers and the ingestion of peyote in religious ceremonies to the right of students to have traditional Indian hair styles while attending public schools. It was thought that the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedoms Act of 1978 would alleviate these problems, but Supreme Court interpretations have essentially eviscerated this law. In addition to these issues, the articles in this collection address the ongoing conflict between Native Americans and museums and states over who has rights to the skeletal remains and burial objects that have been illegally recovered throughout the U.S. ... Read more

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This collection of essays and stories, many of which first appeared in Parabola magazine, range from descriptions of traditional Native American lifestyles and sacred rituals to startlingly apt prophesies of the coming of Europeans and descriptions of the struggle to live the traditional Native teachings in a world that has gone in a very different direction. Some of the topics explored include kachinas, the irreverent Hopi clowns; Navajo healing sand paintings; a dramatic firsthand description of a spirit-quest; the purpose of art in Native cultures; and the role of masks in ritual and in self-knowledge. The stories included are retellings of traditional tales; the text is further enhanced by a series of powerful illustrations by contemporary Native American artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ramadan
i didn't like this book that much. i guess i didnt become part of it eough but if you wanna know about sacred dimensions in native american life you can read black elk speaks or something, it's better, like reading soul on ice instead of some dude writing about eldridge cleaver, it's not that complicated there's little need for a metaphor ... Read more