Books about Native Americans

Grislo

My father is the kind of person for whom it is impossible to buy presents. You all know the type, I suspect.

This year, he let it slip that he might like a book on Native Americans.

So, what's the best on the market? I need something fairly light and fluffy (in terms of how indepth it goes) as he isn't an expert. A general overview kind of thing would be nice, and preferable something picture heavy - in fact, a book comprised mostly of pictures would be ideal.

Not looking for any time period as such, but 19th century would be the target - think 'American West'.

Any suggestions are helpful, even if you think it's slightly outside of my area of interest.

RUNN1NGMAN

You can probably find something at the National Museum of the American Indian's Bookstore.

Masked_Mullet

well it's not a book directly about Native Americans it is more that they are the characters in the plot but Medicine River may be something he likes.

Grislo

I wasn't looking for novels as such. Was Medicine River turned into a movie or tv series at some point? The name seems familiar.

UnarmedOracle

If you want a kind-of reputable overview of things, Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee might be a good place to start out.

ManonvonSuperock

Are you guys American? does he have native american blood in him? Most of us do. If so, find out what tribe, and try to find a book specifically about it.

LavaKnight

Hmm, the only Native American literature I've read was a set of four autobiographical narratives of Zitkala-Sa, who is a Native American author of some renown.

They were really interesting, and portrayed her Americanization in Indian Schools very accurately, but they probably wouldn't provide an overview of sorts that you're looking for.

For something even more anthropological, you might look at Nabokov's Two Leggings..., but that's even less big picture.

Do you have any local tribes? Maybe a Native American museum? You could try those, or go with RUNN1NGMAN's suggestion for the bookstore. Seems like you'd find more overview, photo oriented books somewhere like that.

Grislo

Yeah, I ordered some promising looking books from RUNN1NGMAN's suggestion from the library to have a look, hopefully one of those will fit the bill.

CheyenneWay

The book American Myths and Legends is pretty good, it is comprised of short stories handed down from generation to generation. You can find it at any bookstore chain fairly cheap. I am Cheyenne Arapaho on my fathers side and German/Irish on my mothers side but due to my lineage I was able to attend Haskell Indian Nations University where they taught from this book.

I would also like to recommend a DVD that I think your pops may enjoy just as much. It's called "DreamKeeper" and actually takes alot of the stories from American Myths and Legends. Good luck and I'm sure whatever you get he will enjoy!


American Myths and Legends

Dreamkeeper

CheyenneWay

oh and anything by Vine Deloria Jr.

Mike Danger

CheyenneWay wrote: »

oh and anything by Vine Deloria Jr.

Custer Died for Your Sins is incredibly interesting.

I have not read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven but the film that was made out of one of the short stories in it (Smoke Signals) wasn't half-bad.

Edit: For clarity, that second one is by Sherman Alexie (not DeLoria the Younger).

endlesswaltz

I second anything written by Sherman Alexi.

I took his class in my last quarter at University of Washington. He is just amazing and I wished he wasn't married.