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A boy grows up, secure and happy, in the house of his grandparents with two uncles, an aunt, and Big Sister, learning from his grandfather the things he needs to know to be a responsible adult in his Indian pueblo. ... Read more

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Anasazi, Colorado, New Mexico.Ages 8-12. ... Read more

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Journey to Center Place
This story takes place in Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. It's a great story about anceint Anasazi and Aztec people and acient spirits.The Anasazi had to travel to th Center Place because of a great drought. There they traded with the Aztecs for seeds and clothing.You should read this book to see if they find a new home and other interesting events.If you read this book, you'll want to mention it to your friends! ... Read more

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Describes and interprets the period of southwestern history immediately before and after initial European contact, A.D. 1275-1600--a span of time during which Pueblo peoples and culture were dramatically transformed. It summarizes one hundred years of research and archaeological data for the Pueblo IV period as it explores the nature of the organization of village clusters and what they meant in behavioral and political terms. ... Read more

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Protohistoric Pueblo World
This book will become a classic among Professional and avocationalists.The best summary of the time period 1275 to 1600 AD written to date. ... Read more

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A few years ago, Pueblo Indians won a court battle against the state of New Mexico to save a buffalo herd from sport hunting. Award-winning author and journalist Susan Hazen-Hammond was invited to document the arrival of the buffalo at Nambe Pueblo. Through the eyes and experiences of Thunder Bear Yates, an eight-year-old boy, she shows the importance of the buffalo to Pueblo history, culture, and spirituality; and how this successful fight helped rekindle the community's interest in its own past. Full-color photos. ... Read more

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Sacred fire means longevity and hope. It is part of the Four Great Ancestors--Water, Air, Earth, and Fire--necessary for all life. It is the old man's job to keep the sacred fire burning, so that the Indian people can remember the ways of their ancestors.

Using the old man as her guide, Nancy Wood chronicles the history, legends, religion, and philosophy of the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest in poetry and prose. Frank Howell's magnificent paintings evoke the pride and nobility of an embattled people whose history has much to teach us and whose wisdom can enrich our lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Special book to collect
Special collectable. I bought them all. Stunning artwork/pictures to accompany nature-filled, spirited, earth conscious poetry. Lovely. Pass it on as a special gift.

Sacred Fire by Nancy Wood
My husband and I love this woman's poetry.We discovered Frank Howell the artst through her books since he did her illustrations.We bought one of his works from his studio in Santa Fe, NM which is now run by his son Daniel. ... Read more

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Within the effective format of a nontechnical case study, Life inthe Pueblo provides an understanding of the basic methodologies in modernarchaeology, including the formation of archaeological sites, dating, the role ofethnographic analogy, and analytic techniques like trace element sourcing,use-wear analysis, and carbon isotope determinations of diet. Thearchaeological interpretations are put into perspective by the inclusion of Hopeand Zuni history and myth and the liberal use of ethnographic informationfrom the Hopi and other historic and modern puebloan groups. A shortfictional reconstruction of life in the village invites the reader to reflect on thefact that the past was a period occupied by people, not just potsherds. Basedon four years of excavation and ten years of analysis of a puebloan site nearmodern Flagstaff, Arizona, this profusely illustrated volume captures readers'interest and imagination as it explores some of the fundamental principles ofarchaeology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Informative, but boring
Bought this book for my anthropology class, and even the professor decided after this one semester she wouldn't be having her class read this, because it is a very slow, boring read. It is very informative though, if you can make yourself sit down and read it.

A very confusing book
I found this book to be very confusing to read.I had a hard time figuring out which group of people she was talking about.Her research was on one group but she would talk about another group without mentioning which group she was talking about.But I did like the one story she told in the middle of the book.

An interesting insight into Archaeology!
I have just finished reading this book and have enjoyed it very much. I plan to go into the field of archaeology and I have personaly found this book very helpful. It's an insightful look into the culture of the Lizard Man Village of Arizona, using archaeological techniques and terminology. I found this book very helpful, and it would be a great book for anyone who is just starting to learn about archaeology. I would recommend this book to anyone.

An interesting resource for understanding archeology.
Kamp provides an interesting and well documented resource for understanding the methods of archeology. The book documents her research of the Sinagua peoples of Flagstaff, Arizona.Because the book is an account ofa real research project, it provides the reader with an example of methodsin use, rather than just explaining the methods as a standard text woulddo. The reader sees the techniques of excavation, dating, andinterpretation come to life. ... Read more

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Aby M. Warburg (18661929) is recognized not only as one of the century's preeminent art and Renaissance historians but also as a founder of twentieth-century methods in iconology and cultural studies in general. Warburg's 1923 lecture, first published in German in 1988 and now available in the first complete English translation, offers at once a window on his career, a formative statement of his cultural history of modernity, and a document in the ethnography of the American Southwest. This edition includes thirty-nine photographs, many of them originally presented as slides with the speech, and a rich interpretive essay by the translator.The presentation grew out of Warburg's 1895 encounter with the Hopi Indians, an experience he claimed generated his theory of the Renaissance. In this powerfully written piece, Warburg investigates the relationships among ethnography, iconography, and cultural studies to develop a multicultural history of modernity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

best book of the 90's!
This book is a brilliant portrayal of the pueblo and the translation is so seamless one would think it was written in English!This is definitely one of the top 5 of the 90's ... Read more

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Victor Mindeleff's monograph appearing in this volume is a photographic reprint of the first edition, published as pages 3-228 in the Eighth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1886-87 by J. W. Powell (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981). Cosmos Mindeleff's monograph, reprinted here as Appendix 1, was also reproduced photomechanically from the first edition, published as pages 635-653 in the Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1897-98, Part 2, by J. W. Powell (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1900). The original text pagination, punctuation, and spelling have been retained for both. All illustrations have been reproduced, in clusters throughout the text; in order to accommodate the two-page plans and foldout maps for the Victor Mindeleff work on facing pages. Plates VII, XIX, XXXV, L, LIII, LVI, LXI, and LXX have been transposed with their immediately preceding plates. --- from Publisher's Note ... Read more

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Text and illustrations describe the history, land, culture, and present-day life of the Pueblo Indians. ... Read more

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Highlights the history and way of life of the Pueblo Indians. ... Read more

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A good read before traveling to the southwest
This book has few pages, but is packed with color photographs of Pueblos.You also see baskets and arrowheads.
The contents tell most of the story:
1. A.D. 1400 - Trouble on the way
2.300 Years before Spotted Deer
3.An Apachu Raid
4.300 Years after Spotted Deer
5.June4, 1696 - The Spanish Are coming!
6. The Acoma Pueblo - Nearly 300 Years Later
Makes a good book to keep remembering the being there.

A good read before traveling to the southwest
This book has few pages, but is packed with color photographs of Pueblos.You also see baskets and arrowheads.
The contents tell most of the story:
1. A.D. 1400 - Trouble on the way
2.300 Years before Spotted Deer
3.An Apachu Raid
4.300 Years after Spotted Deer
5.June4, 1696 - The Spanish Are coming!
6. The Acoma Pueblo - Nearly 300 Years Later
Makes a good book to keep remembering the being there.

... Read more

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What do Pueblo Indians find aesthetically pleasing in their art? This book answers that question by examining pottery figurines, which emerged late in the nineteenth century. Their sudden appearance was a break with previous genres of Pueblo creative expression and a response to Anglo-Americans transforming life around them. From their inception, pottery figurines were infused with a definite political and social message. They often tapped into the dualism inherent in the Pueblo worldview in which human figures possessed animal heads, humor was juxtaposed with seriousness, and outsider and insider were simultaneously presented. Today the popular “storyteller” figures generate income for their creators, but Lange shows another side to the appreciation of these objects and their antecedents.

As the first-ever sustained aesthetic inquiry into a Pueblo sense of beauty, this path breaking contribution offers a new view of Pueblo artistic endeavors. Lange skillfully delineates how their creativity serves religion and traditional life but also describes the dissonance between those values and the process of making objects for the commercial market. In unraveling a cultural aesthetic from a study of pottery figurines, Lange interprets how these objects arise from specific historical or cultural events. But also discussed is how figurines contain clues about Pueblo artists who straddle two distinct worlds—the traditional and the modern. ... Read more

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According to legend, Kokopelli, a magical figure with a hump on his back, used to wander from pueblo to pueblo across the American West, playing sweet music to everyone—and also playing Don Juan among the women. Possibly this legend began with a real man, perhaps a trader carrying a pack. But over time Kokopelli has become a symbol for many different things, as Lawrence W. Cheek points out in this entertaining and informative addition to the Look West series from Rio Nuevo Publishers.

Sometimes, when his image appears in pre-Columbian rock art and pottery, Kokopelli is clearly a fertility symbol. He also represents the coming of spring, the spirit of celebration, and the joy of music. On another level, he is a traveling salesman with a roving eye, the hero, or villain of many stories, some not suitable for prime time. His musical instrument may actually have been a nose flute, and the purported contents of his bulging pack include seeds, rain, clouds, rainbows, songs...and babies.

Even more clearly, Kokopelli has come to symbolize the spirit of the Southwest in a very simple commercial way. His dancing image appears in sculpture and jewelry as well as cookie cutters, snow globes, T-shirts, cigarette lighters, and neon signs. It would seem that Kokopelli, the salesman, is still traveling. 30 photos & illustrations.About the series: Look West: What do you find? Wide, wild landscapes...extraordinary plants and animals...rugged people rich in history...ghost towns and working ranches...ancient pueblos and ultramodern urban areas. In the West, coyotes howl. Native Americans endure and flourish. Kokopelli, the mythical humpbacked flute player, prances across the cliff dwellings and into popular culture—and thousands of curio shops. Every small, handsome book in Rio Nuevo Publishers' new Look West series presents a unique aspect of the American West. Using words and pictures, each volume explores a special Western topic or phenomenon, and all have been written and illustrated by regional experts. Each of these attractive 6 x 6-inch hardcover books contains 64 pages of text, illustrations, and photographs. And each one allows the reader to capture the spirit of the West in the palm of a hand. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Interesting Read...
I wasn't sure that I would like this book when I purchased it from Amazon. At the time, there was only one little review on it and some brief publication information. Nevertheless, I took the risk and added it to my cart! AND I am so glad that I did! :) The Look West Series: Kokopelli by Lawrence W. Cheek proves to be a nice little treasure worth reading because it presents some interesting theories about and thought-provoking images on the timeless icon. It also makes the reader hungry for more in-depth Kokopelli studies--beyond the scope of this introductory book.

The book is a great size for reading and examination. The fonts / texts are of a suitable size and clarity, which helps eyeglass wearers. Many pages contain lovely color images depicting various versions of Kokopelli. Some of the notable images are...

Kokopelli Orchestra on Escarpment Near Santa Fe (Page 2) // This is a fun photograph depicting the merry flute-playing figure as he often appears in rock art. In this particular image, a group of Kokopellis are happily playing their flutes, apparently on their way to a large crevice in the rock.

Kokopelli and various other images at Petrified Forest National Park (Page 11) // The rocks appear to be some sort of story captured in stone...a rigid tapestry of images to decipher.

A Contemporary Navajo weaving from Visitors Center, Monument Valley Tribal Park, Utah (Page 16) // This is a wonderful illustration of how the flute-player has captured the modern imagination. The rich earth tones are comforting and warm.

Canyon de Chelly Rock Art (Page 39) // Strange Twin Flute-Players and animal like characters decorate an ancient rock.

To give potential readers a glimpse at what they may expect from this book, I include the followinginformation. The book's jacket offers an intriguing (and amusing!) question to open this discussion on the Kokopelli mystery:

"Just who was this prehistoric Pied Piper? About 1500 years ago [pre-Columbian period], the hunchbacked flute-playing figure we call Kokopelli first appeared in North American rock art. Today he decorates everything from jewelry to potholders. Whether originally he was a deity, a trickster, a wandering Casanova, a fertility symbol, or just a traveling salesman carrying goods on his back, there's no doubt he got around. Kokopelli shows up in rock and ceramic art all across the Southwest--even as north as the Canadian Rockies. Stories of insect-like, fun-loving flute players abound in Pueblo traditions. He seems to have served many cultures, including our own. One thing is clear, however: much of what we think we know about the humpbacked figure known today as "Kokopelli" is based on a modern misunderstanding" (Quoted from book jacket, first flap).

The author sets out to demonstrate that misunderstanding in well-selected slices of research and engaging photographs.

One of the most illuminating parts of the book is the author's presentation of and commentary on Kokopelli theories that suggests that, if the ancient flute player had been a real person, he may have suffered from a painful condition called Pott's disease, which causes deformities and other physical problems--"features" that can be observed in petroglyphs.

To offer more cultural flavor, the book includes also three Southwestern folktales:

Coyote and The Flute Player
Beauty and the Bug
Man Crazy

NOTE: The book contains adult-oriented theme and would not be suitable for young children.

Rock art & more
Finally a book for adults that deals with this ancient 'American folk character'. Cheek presents archaeological theories as to who or what this mythic figure may be. I enjoyed it a lot. ... Read more

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Coyote and Badger are friends. They hunt together in the desert of the American Southwest. When they spot Jackrabbit, they take off at once, just as hungry animals have done since the world began. Pursuing Jackrabbit, Coyote and Badger come upon an amazing sight -- the walls of a cave, covered with pictures of their ancient ancestors. Later, in a dream, Coyote goes back to the time when the creatures in the rock art roamed the land. Even a jackrabbit is there . . . In simple words and striking batik art, Harriet Peck Taylor contrasts the present with the distant past and shows that some things havent changed at all.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Secrets of the Stone
Gorgeous illustrations, beautiful story. This book is well worth the money. Only a warning - references to "ghostly spirits" and "spirit world". ... Read more