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Kokopelli is abandoned by his parents soon after birth because the villagers fear his feathery antennae. He is adopted by the Queen of the Ants and lives in the ants' underground colony. He eventually travels to the perilous World Above, where he slowly unravels the mystery of who he is and where he came from. Interwined with Kokopelli's story are vivid descriptions of life in an ant colony and the wonders of the desert wilderness. ... Read more

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Web of Life
This book covers science concepts such as the web of life, food chains, rocks, plant life and more.It shows the interconnection between living things and how we are all one.The story describes the life of an ant colony and other desert creatures with fascinating details.I am an elementary teacher and as I read I often thought of how one of my students in particular would love this book.My nephew too will be getting this as a gift.This book is for any child (or adult) that loves nature, animals and adventure. ... Read more

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Presents a tour of the Anasazi cliff dwellings in Colorado through the eyes of some of the people who lived and visited there nearly 800 years ago. ... Read more

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At the dawn of time, Kobili and his wife, Thunderwoman, created the universe together, but then quarreled and were separated. Now with Coronado's army approaching, the ageless shaman awaits his beloved's rebirth. Will she join him in their final task? Or will Macaw's predictions of legions of armored men, riding like the wind on the backs of horses--men like don Juan de O-ate, with a mission to convert and destroy--come true before Thunderwoman has harnessed her own powers?

"With a decided sense of magic realism rooted in legend, mysticism, and myth, Wood makes heartfelt the holocaust wreaked upon Native Americans because of greed and in the name of Jesucristu." --Booklist (starred review) for Thunderwoman ... Read more

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In this traditional Native American tale, a mute boy is spiritually linked to a magnificent elk from the day of the boy's birth. The two are companions until the elk is killed, leaving the boy a precious bequest: its antlers, around which a cedar tree grows. From that wood the boy, now a young man, makes a beautiful flute, on which he plays to woo his true love. Luminous illustrations accompany the moving story of a boy whose animal spirit brother helps him find his voice and fulfill his destiny. ... Read more

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The Story of Blue Elk
Reading this book, brought me to tears.I was so overwhelmed with sadness at the Elk's passing, I felt so connected, it so reminded me of when my cocker spanial passed.But after reading on I felt such joy in knowing that Blue Elk lived on in the magic of the flute and the voiceless boy found his voice through the red cedar flute, and thus the elk lived through the boy.I found this story so beautiful and touching.I highly recommend this book to children but also to adults.It taught me to appreciate what and who I have when I have it.I also loved the illustrations.Now I must go wipe my tears away. ... Read more

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Text and photographs depict the home, school, and cultural life of a young Indian boy growing up on the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico. ... Read more

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Anasazi 101
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:"Enemy Ancestors" is a traveler's guide as well as a "textbook."You don't have to know a lot about American Indian culture, archaeology, or history to enjoy and learn from this crash-course about the different pre-European inhabitants of the Four Corners area of the Southwestern United States.Gary Matlock leads us through the stories of these different peoples as pieced together from discoveries in their mysteriously abandoned architecture, cities, pottery, roads, canals, and items found in their trash heaps. Beautiful photographs by Scott Warren flesh out the text by illustrating examples of the art, structures, and landscapes. A guide at the end of the book lists agencies to contact before going to visit, what to expect, and tips on the manner of approach. ... Read more

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Centuries before Europeans came to America, the Anasazi of the Southwest were building multistory complexes containing hundreds of rooms.Then, almost as suddenly as these majestic buildings flowered, they were abandoned.Scientists think they know where the Anasazi went, but why they left remains a mystery. (20010601) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A good three hour story
I picked this book up at the library for some easy reading because some friends told me it was good. I checked the ratings here on Amazon and found out that the spanish was wrong and that there really was no Utah/New Mexico border. That didn't help me much and I read the story. It was a good story and since I don't know spanish the language was no problem to me and I wasn't bothered. The story itself was good. I easily went through it in three hours and I found the difference of the story from anything else was good. I found the character a little rude though but it is rarly that the protaganist is so I went on. I thought the mix of the ghost and the sliver of magic involved was very interesting and since I had not read any of the other books it made me want to go back and read them.

Jumping
This book was extreamly fast paced and is almost soley based for the younger audience. Norma Lehr Writes of a girl who can see ghosts and hear them when others cannot. When Kathy-the girl- goes on a vacation to New Mexico. She starts to see visions of a crystal skull and things start to happen. The story itself kept my intrest as a reader and I thought the character a little blunt but it was a characteristic you don't really see in other books.I would recomend this to kids and to the adult who wants a couple hours worth of reading and an exciting story.

A flawed mix of magic and mystery
I was eager to read this mystery set in the southwest. However, on the first page there is a reference to our heroine in a small plane crossing the Utah-New Mexico border. The only place where Utah and New Mexico even touch is at Four Corners. Hardly a border. I was ready to overlook thatgoof and went on with the mystery. It was only mildly exciting, relying toomuch on this author's concept of magic realism. I was also disappointed inthe many errors when Spanish words were used. I don't know if this is thefault of the author or poor editing, but the errors could easily have beenchecked in a dictionary. Let's hope the next book by Norma Lehr shows a bitmore care with details and drama. ... Read more

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On the delta at the mouth of Unkar Creek, the School ofAmerican Research undertook the first excavations ever carried out inthe Grand Canyon.With 52 recorded sites, Unkar delta holds one of thelargest concentrations of ruins in the canyon, representing fourdifferent periods of occupation between A.D. 900 and 1150. This volumeoffers thorough descriptions of the material culture of the Unkarinhabitants and reconstructs their settlement history and way of life. ... Read more

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"A graphic, lucid account of the Anasazi, Hohokam, and Mogollonhighlights how these ancient cultures evolved so successfully inresponse to their changing habitat."—Science NewsMost people are familiar with the famous pre-Columbian civilizations of the Aztecs and Maya of Mexico, but few realize just how advanced were contemporary cultures in the American Southwest. Here lie some of the most remarkable monuments of America's prehistoric past, such as Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde.

Ten thousand years ago, humans first colonized this seemingly inhospitable landscape with its scorching hot deserts and upland areas that drop below freezing even during the early summer months. The initial hunter-gatherer bands gradually adapted to become sedentary village groups. The high point of Southwestern civilization was reached with the emergence of cultures known as Anasazi, Hohokam, and Mogollon in the first millennium AD.

Interweaving the latest archaeological evidence with early first-person accounts, Stephen Plog explains the rise and mysterious fall of Southwestern cultures. For this revised edition, he discusses new research and its implications for our understanding of the prehistoric Southwest. As he concludes, the Southwest is still home to vibrant Native American communities who carry on many of the old traditions. 150 illustrations, 17 in color ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent
This is an excellent book for those of you who are interested in The American Indian and their history in the American Southwest.While this book is written like a college text book and is sometimes a little difficult to plow through, it has information that I have not found in other books written on this topic.I think it, along with "A History of the Ancient Southwest," by Leakson;"The Fourth World of the Hopis," by Courlander;"Pumpkin Seed Point," by Waters;"Book of the Hopi," by Waters;"Hopi - Stories of Witchcraft, Shamanism, and Magic," by Malotki/Gary and "Hopi," by Page/Page.

Good survey of the American SW
I enjoyed this volume because I lived briefly in Arizona and saw some of the ruins (Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monument) mentioned.I had read a book on Monte Verde as a child but other than this modest brushwith SW archaeology, I knew little or nothing about the prehistory of thearea.This volume was a good place to start for information about thematerial data available and the way it has been assembled to create aclearer picture of the settlement of Native Americans across this part ofthe continent.I found particularly interesting the notion carefulcustodianship of available resources of an entire area allowed a fairlylarge population to thrive without agriculture. The author also points outclearly that even at the stage of nomadic existance, when little materialevidence is available, the cultural differences attendant upon a lifestyleof wide range migration following animals as opposed to intensive plant usewithin smaller areas are still distinguishable and can be seen in materialremains--or relative lack thereof--over a region under study.Of interesttoo was the concept that farming, far from being the panacea for mankind itis often seen as being in the modern world, was actually a double edgedsword.It encouraged increased population density--with an increase infood and fewer problems for sedentary mothers raising children and anincreased demand for labor creating population pressures for which anatural environment would not be able to provide in emergencies--which leftthe farming peoples much more vulnerable to weather changes and episodes offamine.Schooled as I had been in 1960s and 70s anthropological conceptsof "better life through agriculture," it was a novel notion thatthe hunter-gatherer forbears of early farmers had actually been betternourished and that their mobility and understanding of a larger range ofcountryside actually had left them less vulnerable to environmental mishapsthan agrarian people.The volume also does an excellant job of describingsome of the better known and publicized settled cultures of the SW, such asthe Hohokam and Anasazi with which I was somewhat familiar having lived inthe Phoenix area, and the less well known Mogollon and Mimbres (known morefor their lovely pottery) cultures.The book is well illustrated withmaps, drawings and photographs that will help give the reader a fullerunderstanding of the written information.It also sticks to theinterpretation of the data described rather than going into elaboratedetail regarding actual excavation in the region, which would probably losethe average reader on the subject.I found the book very informative onthe subject, and wish I'd had it to read before I lived in the area.Iwould probably have gotten more out of my stay.

Excellent First Introduction to the Indians of the Southwest
This book is BASIC in its context...don't expect any major revelations except, of course, if you haven't read anything about the Native Americans of the Southwest.It is beatuifully illustrated with some color photos,many excellent charts & maps, and many many turn of the centuryphotgraphs of the area.I live in Phoenix so many of the places arefamiliar to me.It is amazing to see a freeway going over a Hohokamballcourt or to note that many of the canals in use TODAY in Phoenix beganas Hohokam irrigation canals.All in all, a nice book.The publisherscould have cut costs a little, though, if they had used regular paperinstead of the heavy glossy paper, but the photos look so great on theheavier paper it is worth the price.

Excellent First Introduction to the Indians of the Southwest
This book is BASIC in its context...don't expect any major revelations except, of course, if you haven't read anything about the Native Americans of the Southwest.It is beatuifully illustrated with some color photos,many excellent charts & maps, and many many turn of the centuryphotgraphs of the area.I live in Phoenix so many of the places arefamiliar to me.It is amazing to see a freeway going over a Hohokamballcourt or to note that many of the canals in use TODAY in Phoenix beganas Hohokam irrigation canals.All in all, a nice book.The publisherscould have cut costs a little, though, if they had used regular paperinstead of the heavy glossy paper, but the photos look so great on theheavier paper it is worth the price.

Excellent First Introduction to the Indians of the Southwest
This book is BASIC in its context...don't expect any major revelations except, of course, if you haven't read anything about the Native Americans of the Southwest.It is beatuifully illustrated with some color photos,many excellent charts & maps, and many many turn of the centuryphotgraphs of the area.I live in Phoenix so many of the places arefamiliar to me.It is amazing to see a freeway going over a Hohokamballcourt or to note that many of the canals in use TODAY in Phoenix beganas Hohokam irrigation canals.All in all, a nice book.The publisherscould have cut costs a little, though, if they had used regular paperinstead of the heavy glossy paper, but the photos look so great on theheavier paper it is worth the price. ... Read more

Product Description

The major essay by renowned art historian J. J. Brody traces the development of southwestern pottery from the prehistoric Anasazi through modern Pueblo. A section on pottery technology examines the different types of clays and details the pottery-makings process. Rebecca Allen has contributed an essay on the history of the Museum's southwestern collection, providing insights into the personalities of the collectors and the ways their personal tastes affected the contents of their collections. The catalogue includes a compendium of the 104 objects in the exhibition, each accompanied by a photograph.

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful Book and informative as well
I became interested in this book after meeting Dr. Brody and his wife (also) Dr. Brody an anthropologist in the Yucatan peninsula this past winter. The book has great information and many gorgeous photos of Pueblo pottery. It and they were very inspiring. ... Read more

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The houses or dwellings, Pueblos in which the Indians ofthe Southwest live are depicted in these sketches for coloring. ... Read more

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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. An Indian boy, who is a descendant of the Lord Of The Sun, sets out in search of his father. ... Read more

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When the University of California Press first published Roediger's Ceremonial Costumes of the Pueblo Indians in 1941, it was immediately hailed as both a beautiful book and the most comprehensive description ever of the making and meaning of the Pueblo costumes of New Mexico and Arizona. It has been widely acknowledged as a classic and eagerly sought after in antiquarian bookstores.Exactly fifty years after its original publication, here is the book back in print, with a new introduction by the renowned anthropologist Fred Eggan. Roediger's vivid paintings are reproduced once more in full color, capturing the beauty and drama of the Pueblo ceremoniesthe turquoise dance moccasins, the tableted headdress of the Zuni corn maidens, the bright-blanketed Kachina maiden, and the buffalo, brilliant eagle, and horned deer costumes.It was Roediger who first viewed the ceremony and ritual of the Pueblo peoples as dramatic performance, a view that has gained great currency since. As a student of drama at Yale University she was fascinated by the intensely theatrical dimension to Pueblo worship, and it is this original perspective that informs and illuminates her study.After a brief survey of the history, location, and life of the Pueblo peoples, Roediger embarks on a thorough analysis of the materials used in the Pueblo costumes. She explains both their symbolic significance and their manufacturefrom the weaving of cloth and the tanning of leather to the preparation of birds' feathers, evergreens, paints, and dyes. She then provides a meticulous description of the costumed dancerbody paint, garments, ornaments, accessories, and dance properties such as rattles, headdresses, and masks.In her final section, Roediger explores the relation of the costumes to the prayer dramas, particularly to the reverential, solemn, ecstatic public dance with which these climax. Vivid details emerge here about such rituals as the animal dances from the Rio Grande region and the Rain Dance of the Zuni.Fifty years after its original publication, Virginia Roediger's book remains the most comprehensive study of the ceremonial costumes of the Pueblo peoples. A book of great visual appeal and unrivaled detail, it will be welcomed back by scholars and general readers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The classic on this subject.
Being interested in this subject from the age of 14, and after searching for this long out of print book, I was ecstatic when I learned of the reprintbeing published. All the basics are there - what is worn for each ceremony - how it is made or acquired, what is significant about each piece. If you have the chance to visit any of the Rio Grande Pueblos or Hopi or Zuni, please do so before it is too late and these wonderful ceremonies are forever closed to the eyes of the Anglos. Reading this book before you go will give you a much better insight as to what is being seen. ... Read more

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Describes the history, daily activities, construction of dwellings, and special relationship to the land of the Pueblo Indians. ... Read more

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Kids Would Probably Enjoy It, Too!
This book is fascinating! I don't care if it is a children's book, I bought it before I traveled to Pueblo de Taos and Mesa Verde. I loved reading about how the pueblos and kivas were built. It's the next best thing to crawling inside for yourself! ... Read more