Indian Books

This book reads more like oral history or narrative, than 'native american studies' as it says on the back cover. Margot Liberty has added just the right academic footnotes to explain and clarify, without getting in the way. There aren't any books by a Native and an anthropologist that I know of that are as enjoyable, entertaining, and informative as this one. It is the perfect accurate, objective, in-depth, real counterpoint to much of the cotton candy fluff one finds about native ways and history in the New Age, and the dead, ponderous, dry, over-intellectual tomes that usually come out an institution as prestigious as the Yale University Press. I have rarely learned so much, and enjoyed doing it. I could hardly put it down.

The Cheyenne was undoubtably one of the most remarkable tribes of the Great Plains. Now you can have a very convenient one volume tribal history of them by John Stands In Timber with the help of anthropologist Margot Liberty. Stands In Timber,an old time Cheyenne, in his whole life collected the memories of his elders about the history of their Nation and he succeeded in editing it to a narrative from the creation to the reservation times. The effort of the author is of a rare kind and the result is also a rare one: you can learn the history of a native nation from the inside.

John Stands in Timber is my daughter's great-grandfather on her father's side. I am purchasing this book to let her know the history she shares as a Northern Cheyenne and to show her how much her great-grandfather cared about his people. I have read the book previously and appreciated the sense of cultural awareness John portrayed through his words. It is a lesson for us all to remember where we came from and appreciate how we got where we are now. I would recommend reading this book, to learn the history of the people and to appreciate that he wasn't just a historian, but a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather and also a good person.

I am a naturalist and a student of Native American cultures and I love this book. I'm reading it now. It is rare to find an author so expert in the natural world, the specific local and the Miwok culture. She takes you to the time of Marin with her descriptions of the plants, sights and smells of that time. I've already given this book to several friends.

Marin County, California, is named after a Native American tribal chieftain of the Coast Miwok who resisted Spanish colonization at a time when the infamous system of Spanish missions collapsed and California was being rapidly transformed by the Americans. "Chief Marin: Leader, Rebel, And Legend" is a compelling biography of a hitherto obscure figure by anthropologist and archaeologist Betty Goerke who drew upon her seminal research efforts with mission records, ethnographies, the diaries and correspondences of missionaries and explorers, and other source materials. Of special note is the section of thematically relevant photographic illustrations. An enthusiastically recommended addition to academic and community library Native American Studies and American Biography reference collections, "Chief Marin" is a vividly written, informative biography of a remarkable man and his epic struggle to emancipate his people from the Spanish colonial system in an ultimately doomed effort to preserve his people's aboriginal lifestyle.

This book is well written and provides a comprehensive and fair handed assessment of Native American history in the Bay Area. This book is long overdue and well worth reading.

Book Review:
Childhood in South Asia: A Critical Look At Issues, Policies, And Programs

Reading Pattnaik's Childhood in South Asia: A Critical Look at Issues, Policies, and Programs has broadened my understanding of issues surrounding children in South Asia. Undoubtedly, the challenges and dilemmas encounter by children in South Asia are heartbreaking and disturbing. Nevertheless, it is within this context that local and global resources work together to empower and improve programs and policies pertaining to early childhood, as depicted in this book. Pattnaik cleverly weaves diverse perspectives on issues of poverty, violence, education, and social injustice with government policies and education for children of all ages. Moreover, the in-depth analysis of issues surrounding children's human rights and existing policies and programs provided by authors in this edited volume remind readers of similar issues faced by children in their own societies and across the globe. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect presented in this book is the image of the child as a member of society. It is when the child is given a voice and the right to participate in society that we can clearly comprehend the need for efficient and effective government policies dealing with health issues, child care provision, nutrition, education, and many other immediate childhood needs.
Childhood in South Asia: A Critical Look at Issues, Policies, and Programs collectively gathers a monument of valuable research data to vividly expose concrete circumstances that demand international awareness and local intervention by the community, government and powerful entities such as the United Nations. As a graduate student, I truly felt empowered in learning more about issues facing children within a global perspective for social justice. This book has truly and remarkably set the standard for bringing awareness to children's issues on a psychosocial, cultural, and analytical level of consciousness.

Childhood in South Asia: A critical look at issues, policies and programs
By A. E. Wright

The book Childhood in South Asia edited by Jyotsna Pattnaik provides the reader with insight into the issues, policies, and programs that directly and indirectly affect children. Seven of the nine chapters in the book have been written by natives of South Asian countries, including India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The other two chapters have been written by authors who have worked extensively in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Together they provide a lens into the life of children in these countries that is truly enlightening and deeply moving.
The titles alone are intriguing and draw the reader into the challenges presented: "Caught between a crocodile and a snake" (life in one's home country and refugee camps in an alien host country) and, "Mad dogs and traffic jams: The psychosocial concerns of children in Kabul, Afghanistan" (the return of refugees to a war torn but changing and more stable country). These two chapters along with chapter 8 "Children: Broken promises and silent casualties of conflict in Nepal" highlight the direct and indirect long range impact of violence on children. Something the headlines never capture in their sound bites of war and upheaval. These three chapters provide a much needed wake up call to the true impact of such traumatic events on children.
Feeny's chapter 1 on life in a Rohingya refugee camp, sets a tone for the entire book in that it challenges the reader to rethink the long range impact of policies and programs, such as refugee camps, on the life of children. "Trapped between a traditional homeland that denies them citizenship and a host country that still refuses to offer anything other than the most temporary asylum even after a decade, the Rohingya are, like so many millions of refugees around the world, caught in a transitional state of limbo..." (p 6). The reader must rethink his/her notion of refugee camps as temporary "safe havens" and come to grips with the fact that such camps are often not temporary and have long lasting psychological and sociological impact on individuals.
DeBerry's chapter 3 focuses on the need for a community based "psychosocial" approach for war-affected children that is complemented by local, national, and international advocacy efforts. She argues that those working with children truamatized by war must look beyond its impact on their mental health. The Children of Kabul research shows that the risks to children's psychosocial well being are broader than the experience of violence alone and includes: "family loss and separation, family tensions and violence, the condition of the physical environment, children's work and responsibilities, comparing oneself with others, the attitude of teachers, and even falling in love" (p.73).
In chapter 8, Niraula points out what happens to children and the larger society when political ideologies clash. One chilling reality the reader is left with is why young people often become guerrillas. The author argues that the needs of Nepali children must be at the top of the agenda in seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict that exists in what was once perceived as one of the "most peaceful nations on earth". Unfortunately, children everywhere often pay the price for conflict and are seldom considered in any solutions.
India has the largest population of children in the world with 158 million children between the ages of 0-6. Hence, it is quite appropriate that three chapters seek to draw attention to their issues. Sharma chooses to focus the reader of chapter 2 on the estimated 30 million children under the age of 14 who have one or more disabilities. He skillfully uses four case profiles to illustrate the life of disabled children in India today. Sharma elaborates quite appropriately on the need to "change people's attitude toward disabilities; ensure that maternal and children's health care is available and used; implement inclusive education in schools; empower families and communities; and, provide impetus for voluntary action" (p. 42).
Sriram elaborates in chapter 6 on the need for ensuring infant and maternal health care in India. Probably the most notable message given to the reader is that there is no foolproof methodology that works in all contexts. Child advocates must understand the cultural, social and economic context in which different circumstances exist as well as the need to find ways to sustain efforts if real change is to occur.
In chapter 4, Datta focuses on the daunting task of providing early childhood care and educational intervention to every young child in India. The chapter examines both the efforts that have been made in India as well as some of the factors that impede progress. Datta claims that interventions must be multifaceted, comprehensive, and collaborative in order to address the multiple risks of children coming from economically deprived backgrounds.
Several authors, including Dharmadasa and Wickramaratne in chapter 5, Rasheed in chapter 7, and Pattnaik in chapter 9, reference the impact that ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child have had on initiatives within their respective countries to address the physical, psychosocial, safety and nutritional needs of children. Chapter five specifically examines the responses of Sri Lanka with the help of UNICEF and other agencies to educate communities, families, and caregivers about quality childcare and the rights of children. The authors emphasize the need to "build up joint support groups, including the leaders of state, provincial, and local bodies, as well as leaders from businesses, the media, community organizations, and religious institutions, so that comprehensive services can be provided to children and families..." (p. 130). Chapter 7 emphasizes an issue that is frequently in the news, namely, equal access for females to employment, health care, education, and the political/legal systems.
In Chapter 9, Pattnaik discusses debates and discourses surrounding children and childhood in South Asia as well as implications of these discourses and debates for policies and programs for children. The chapter draws attention to continuing violations of children's rights in the region despite the fact that all the South Asian nations have ratified the UN "Convention on Children's Rights" to protect the human rights of all children. Pattnaik argues that governmental policies such as inadequate state provisions and commitment, failure to prioritize children's issues, failure to highlight the long-term values of education, and failure to see interconnections among issues have contributed to violations of children's rights in the region.
The specific examples of real situations provide a powerful reminder of the realities of many children in this world and the work that must be undertaken to ensure that no child is denied his or her rights. The failure of societies to adequately address the rights of ALL children in the world is poignantly addressed. However, the text also provides concrete real suggestions for moving forward. The impact of economics and conflict on children are underlying themes throughout this book; and, these should be thoughtfully considered by policy makers in every region of the world! Childhood in South Asia will stimulate all child advocates to examine more closely the policies and programs that they set up to address the needs of disenfranchised children, whether in a developed or emerging nation!
One thing is certain, in a world where much of the world's population is in transition, children who have faced many of the challenges highlighted within this book will be in the classrooms of developed nations. How will we respond to their needs unless we have a clear understanding of the complex nature of their prior existence and its impact upon them? Childhood in South Asia provides a clearly written glimpse into the realities of children in emerging and ravaged nations; and, provides the reader with kernels of wisdom on ways to protect children's rights and well-being.

I read this book as a part of a course reading. It introduced me to the realities of childhood in South Asian countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The book reawakened an inner compulsion to get involved in the growing global movement to positively impact the lives of children in developing nations. This book provides great descriptive details of the unhealthy life conditions and desolate existence of children and families through thought- provoking and compelling narratives for those interested in the issues of child labor, illiteracy, disability, child and maternal health issues, refugee condition, and social equality.

For the novice getting a first glimpse at life in this part of the world, it is an ideal introduction to the politics of South Asia. From the dire states of children's life in a refugee camp to their victimization through child trafficking, sexual exploitation, insurgency and war, and extreme poverty, the book exposes the lives, struggles, and aspirations of the people of South Asia, an echo of lives in other developing nations. The book also critically examines programs and policies for children as impacted by the politics within the region's own shores and influences and pressures from the `developed nations.'

For the ethnographic and educational researcher in the field of childhood research, this book is invaluable. It raises questions that beg for investigation and the findings of which will remind national and international communities of their social/political responsibility to make children's welfare a universal reality irrespective of their place and family of birth.

For someone who strongly believes in advocacy for children and looking for ways to make a difference, this book is a must read - one that adds multiple agenda to the on-going discussions on children's issues around the world.
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Being from the dry place called "The Uintah Basin", I enjoyed reading about Chipeta. I read a lot of sports books and I thought the Chipeta book might be boring. It was the best book I've read this year. It was better than Phil Jackson and Paul Hourning's books. It was super.

The collaborative effort of Cynthia S. Becker and P. David Smith, Chipeta: Queen Of The Utes is the simply fascinating biography of the wife of Ute Chief Ouray, and who was to become as well-known as her famous husband. Regarded in stature as a "queen" by both whites and Utes, Chipeta outlived her husband by nearly half a century, adopted many orphaned children (she could not have children of her own), and remained a strong, caring individual in spite of difficult times. Offering a unique glimpse of the woes of the Utes as a tribe, as well as the particular challenges Chipeta and her husband faced at the turn of the century, Chipeta: Queen Of The Utes is an inspirational account of personal character and a welcome contribution to Native American Studies.

Chipeta: Queen of the Utes is an engaging story of life on the Colorado (American) frontier. It was unusual for a woman to be in such an influential and important position in Indian tribes. The authors apparently not only did extensive research (yes, this is a well-documented book) but are delightful storytellers. The oral tradition of Ute tribal legend is codified in a readable book.

Few women had a voice in 19th and early-20th Century America. Chipeta stood out. She became her husband's most trusted advisor. She was also an accomplished artisan, sang and played the guitar. At a time when Indians were marginalized, this Ute woman, Chipeta, traveled with her husband Chief Ouray to Washington DC. She even testified before a Congressional inquiry panel.

There are many historic photographs. The writers dug deep to locate archives not seen before. Ouray and Chipeta had their photograph taken by the famous Mathew Brady. Through the eyes of the writers we see the setting of Brady's studio and such details as the chair Chipeta sat in was the same one used in a famous photo of President Lincoln and his son.

Some of the vignettes tell of the danger and discrimination the Utes felt after the Manifest Destiny doctrines of the 19th Century legislators. The incident at the Pueblo [Colorado] train station is spell-binding. So-called Americans had great animosity for the Native Americans. When the delegation traveled to Washington DC, the officials of the US government wanted to show the military power of the nation. The Utes were not intimidated.

Chipeta's later life was one of mixed blessings. She found a second husband after Ouray's death and adopted a number of children. But she lived a hard life on a reservation in Utah. The stories of her reemergence as a celebrity in Colorado during her senior years is rewarding. The authors draw on newspaper accounts and oral histories by people who knew Chipeta to recount her later life (she died in 1924). She became so popular in Colorado that two towns vied for the right to bury her.

The book includes an Epilogue of related events that occurred after Chipeta's death. An Appendix identifies many places and things that are named in honor of Chipeta. This book would be an excellent high school or college text for classes studying the Native American culture. For the pleasure-reader Chipeta: Queen of the Utes is a nice flowing, well written text about an early American culture.

In City of Rains the reader will not find surface inuendos nor the modern liberalism that has made the word "relationship" meaningless and temporary, rather, he will be drawn into the journey of his own soul...in all of its multilayered forms...to see that the seed of love in its purest state yearns to break through the soil of life experiences. I will read it again to nurture that seed in my own soul.

City of Rains is a quiet, gentle read; a truly refreshing work of art. It is a journey that I believe we can all identify with on some level. I hightly recommend this rare find.

I bought this book because I was intrigued with the author's credentials. There is a saying (Russian, I think) that for every language you learn, you earn a new soul. So what to expect of an author who is Canadian, with an apparently East Indian name, who has published translations of old French, and who knows Sanskrit, ancient Greek, and who knows what else?

The result I found was a many-souled story. Literary? Yes, but as accessible as it is lyrical. In parts it reminded me of my favorite passage in "Moby Dick", where Ishmael wanders the night streets of New Bedford. (A good book for a rainy night.) In other parts it brought to mind "Winesburg, Ohio," with characters who are stories.

Overall it is a modern Odyssey, crossing a world of political boundaries, seeking, what? One soul of humanity?

My favorite books are those I could not have written, but would have wanted to. Perhaps because I have been able to master only one language (not for lack of trying), I could never have written this book, but I wish I had.

Very informative history of the Cleveland franchise from the late 1800's to the present. Comments and player stats for every season. Bios on all players, front office, ballparks, Hall of Famers, Great Moments and many other features. There really isn't much of note that you could want to know about the team that isn't included. This effort must put the Indians fans in a more knowledgeable position about their team than any other fans

The wealth of expertise from author/editor Russell Schneider is demonstrated in this hefty volume of facts and history of the Cleveland Indians.

Schneider was a long-time Indians beat reporter/columnist for The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer and ended his newspaper career several years ago as a sports columnist for a small weekly chain based in northeast Ohio. He has written a number of books on the team.

This is a definitive exploration of the franchise, with the sketches on each season a major highlight. And since the 2008 team has stumbled to its 10th consecutive loss, the information is readily available on the last time the club reached such futility (for the record, it was 1979, in a season where the club stole more bases than hit home runs).

The encyclopedia will be a welcome addition to the clubhouse of any fan of the team and is certainly a first-round draft pick for those who enjoy exploring the history of "America's Favorite Pastime."

The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia(2nd Edition) is even better than the first! I don't actually own the book, my mother-in-law, Lillian Zupancic, does. She is not only a die hard fan of The Cleveland Indians but a fan of both the authors as well. Russel Schneider has a co-author who also worked on the 1st edition with him, Mr. Joseph Simenic. He is a prominent baseball researcher and co-founder of the Society of American Baseball Reasearch. He is a long-time Indians fan.

The authors have done a marvelous job on the book. It is complete with beautiful color photos and a color insert of the current home of The Cleveland Indians, Jacob's Field. Facts included are all players from the origins of The Cleveland Indians to present time complete with stats. This is a book that you definitely must own if you are a fan of the Cleveland Indians.

I say this not only because Mr. Simenic is my mother-in-law's brother and my husband's uncle, but because The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia (both editions) are a valuable asset to any fans' library!

Everyone who has scoured the used bookstores looking for a copy of this Gerry Roach classic can now rest easy. With this new 1998 edition, it's back and better than ever. It includes topo maps with routes, detailed mileage and elevation gain for each route, and more pictures than the original. Indian Peaks Wilderness is one of my favorite areas in Colorado - it runs the gamut from very accessible, popular hiking trails with spectacular scenery to the pure wilderness experience. Gerry's enthusiasm and love for this area come through loud and clear in this definitive hiking and climbing guide to IPW.

As you might expect with a Gerry Roach guide, this one is very good. For those that aren't familiar with Gerry's work, then wait no longer and buy the book. You'll see why...

This one is on par with his excellent 14ers guidebook. I suppose if I had no nitpick (its why we write reviews I guess?) then I'd wish for color photos instead of b & w. Oh and yes my one complaint with Gerry's stuff is that there really isn't any off-season climbing info. However, since many, heck if not most, people do their climbing in the summer it won't be an issue. All in all an excellent guide that is especially strong in its route descriptions, approach details, and climbing information. Also Gerry's classic rating (basically his stamp of an outstanding climb) is included as with the 14ers guide. Don't go climbing in the Indian Peaks without this in your pack.

I can't believe climbing guide got republished the same month I moved out of the area. The CU Hiking club almost had to chain down their copy so it didn't get lifted.

Great climbing beta. I never would have tried to climb Skywalker with so much snowpack had the guide been availble at the time.

That's it! I'm moving back.

Osimiti Pine

While many underground cartoonists of the `60s and `70s focused their stories on counter-cultural issues of the time, writer/artist Jack Jackson headed in the other direction, bringing the stories of early Texas personalities to life. COMANCHE MOON tells the epic story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her famed son, Quanah. Set during the final days of the Comanche, who once roamed from the Kansas Territory to central Texas, it is a fascinating and moving historical portrait.

At age 9, Cynthia Ann, the daughter of Anglo settlers, is kidnapped by Comanches during a raid in 1836. Renamed Naduah, she adapts to their ways, marrying a chief and bearing a son, Quanah. Quanah rises from an uncertain beginning to become a powerful and feared warrior, and the last chief of the Quahadi Comanche. But his most startling transition was yet to come, as he adopted the white man's ways and introduced Native American culture to white society.

Jackson pulls out all the stops for this graphic novel. While I recall studying Quanah Parker and these events in my Texas history class many years ago, it was not presented with this level of detail. This is certainly not your typical read-in-an-hour trade paperback - you actually have to focus, and you may even learn a thing or two if you're not careful. Jackson's historical sources are numerous, events and characters are clearly identified, and maps are abundant. I especially enjoyed his casual presentation of the Comanche's speech, almost as if they were using modern slang. The art is very detailed, at times almost approaching photorealism. Jackson takes great pains to accurately depict historical figures from daguerreotypes. At times, it resembles the early black and white work of his contemporary, Richard Corben.

With all that said, there are certain parts that should appeal to the purely underground comic fan - Jackson's depictions of Quanah's mystic vision, his first experience with peyote, and his death resemble psychedelia straight out of Zap Comics. Great reading, fully educational, and very cool.

This is the finest and most intricate graphic book (not quite a novel) I've ever read. The illustrations reach levels of beauty and artistry seldom seen in this genre of storytelling. Comanche Moon (not to be confused with the Larry McMurtry novel of the same name) tells the end times history of the Comanche peoples, with emphasis on their great leader, Quanah Parker, and his mother, the "white Comanche" Cynthia Ann Parker. The story of the Comanche's' violent way of life, their struggles against the whites in Texas and across the Southwest, and of the brilliant leadership of Quanah Parker, are rendered in a way that provides as much meaningful information to a reader as most text-only tales of the Comanche and the brutal period of the mid-1800's thru the 1870's. This is a great (though often sad and bloody) segment of North American history, and this rapidly-paced, carefully produced graphic re-telling of it is a more than worthy read.

Historically accurate biography of Quanah Parker, last Commanche to live free on the LLana Estacata of Texas. Also bio information about his mother Cynthia Ann Parker, a European girl captured and raised by Commanches as their own, later taken back by her white family by force after she had married and had children as a Commanche woman. Lots of information regarding the everyday life of Commanche people. Told in a graphic novel format , the drawing is not particularly beautiful, but the story and accuracy make up for it. My copy is bound in psuedo leather, looks nice. Highly recomended for adults or older adolecents. Especially those who are intellectually curious, who may or may not have trouble with standard written texts.

This book is awesome...made doubly so because I had the luxary of taking a class with Suneeta at Central Market in Houston. If you ever have the chance....she offers classes around the country...RUN don't walk to sign up. It is an awesome experience. The recipes in the book are just wonderful. I've already made several and each has come out perfectly.

I have cooked about a dozent meals out of this book, and each of them has come out perfectly delicious. I am so glad I bought this book and can very happily recommend it to others.

This is a beautifully written book with easy-to-follow recipes that aren't time-consuming. I've gotten raves about everything I've made from the book and the flavors are very authentic. All the little tips help me sound like an expert in Indian cooking. I love the background about the varying regional foods and spices in India. It makes a great gift, too!

If you are looking for a Caribbean cookbook you've got to have this one. You won't be disappointed. Just wait for the right price. I paid $90 for my book and later found another one for my kid for half the price.

This hardcover reference is chock full of great recipes from the region. Although from Guyana, Pamela Lalbachan offers recipes from all of the Caribbean islands. Lots of great colour photos compliment this work. An excellent compliment to the web site "Recipes from Guyana and the Caribbean.

A beautifully written and constructed book, containing every recipe from Guyana, Suriname, and from the Caribbean (U.S. French, Spanish, British, etc.) that you could possibly wish for; e.g. Souse, Pepperpot, Metagee, Jerk Chicken, Sancocho, Garlic Pork, Crab (& Calloo) Soup, Foo Foo, Cou-cou, Roti, Tooloom, Muzik Di Zumbi. The recipes are very easy to follow, even if you are new to this type of cusine. Full colour photographs throughout make the reading soooo satisfying .