Book picks similar to
Offering Smoke: The Sacred Pipe and Native American Religion by Jordan Paper


anthropology
history-religion-politics-culture
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native-american-studies

The Suppressed History of America: the Murder of Meriwether Lewis and the Mysterious Discoveries of the Lewis and Clark Expedition


Paul Schrag - 2011
    And he was murdered to keep it all secret. Examining the shadows and cracks between America’s official version of history, Xaviant Haze and Paul Schrag propose that the America of old taught in schools is not the America that was discovered by Lewis and Clark and other early explorers. Investigating the discoveries of Spanish conquistadors and Olmec stories of contact with European-like natives, the authors uncover evidence of explorers from Europe and Asia prior to Columbus, sophisticated ancient civilizations in North America and the Caribbean, the fountain of youth, and a long-extinct race of giants. Verifying stories from Lewis’s journals with modern archaeological finds, geological studies, 18th- and 19th-century newspapers, and accounts of the world in the days of Columbus, the authors reveal how Lewis and Clark’s finds infuriated powerful interests in Washington--including the Smithsonian Institution--culminating in the murder of Meriwether Lewis.

The Mystical Life of Jesus: An Uncommon Perspective on the Life of Christ


Sylvia Browne - 2006
    At the heart of these controversies is Jesus. With a unique perspective only Sylvia Browne could bring, The Mystical Life of Jesus is filled with the details of Jesus’ inspiring life. Including his birth, childhood, travels, ministry, miracles, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, she addresses all of the major controversies: • Was there a virgin birth? • Was there a Star of Bethlehem? • What did he do for the first thirty years of his life? • Was he married? • Was he divine? • Was it a miracle at Cana (and who was getting married)? • Is there a Jesus lineage? Using her unique relationship with her spirit guide and her years studying the controversial Gnostic texts, Sylvia answers all of these questions with a confidence and authority only someone who has visited the afterlife can have.

Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter, & GPS


Bob Burns - 2012
    Whether you are climbing a glacier, orienteering in the backcountry, or on an easy day hike, Mike and Bob Burns cover all the latest technology and time-tested methods to help you learn to navigate-from how to read a map to compasses and geomagnetism. Bob Burns is a long-time member of The Mountaineers. He has taught classes in the use of map and compass since the late 1970s. Mike Burns is an avid climber. He has instructed climbing and navigation classes, and written articles for Climbing magazine.Part of the The Mountaineers Outdoor Basics series! Created for beginning-to-intermediate enthusiasts, this series includes everything anyone would need to know about staying safe and having fun in the backcountry.

Cartographia: Mapping Civilizations


Vincent Virga - 2007
    These maps show how our idea of the world has shifted and grown over time, and each map tells its own unique story about nations, politics, and ambitions. The chosen images, with their accompanying stories, introduce the reader to an exciting new way of "reading" maps as travelogues---living history from the earliest of man's imaginings about planet earth to our current attempts at charting cyberspace. Among the rare gems included in the book are the Waldseemuller Map of the World from 1507, the first to include the designation "America"; pages from the Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of 1570, considered the first modern atlas; rare maps from Africa, Asia, and Oceania that challenge traditional Western perspectives; William Faulkner's hand-drawn 1936 map of the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi; and even a map of the Human Genome. In an oversized format, with gorgeous four-color reproductions throughout, Catrographia will appeal to collectors, historians, and anyone looking for a perfect gift.

The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living


Joseph M. Marshall III - 2001
    Marshall’s thoughtful, illuminating account of how the spiritual beliefs of the Lakota people can help us all lead more meaningful, ethical lives.Rich with storytelling, history, and folklore, The Lakota Way expresses the heart of Native American philosophy and reveals the path to a fulfilling and meaningful life. Joseph Marshall is a member of the Sicunga Lakota Sioux and has dedicated his entire life to the wisdom he learned from his elders. Here he focuses on the twelve core qualities that are crucial to the Lakota way of life--bravery, fortitude, generosity, wisdom, respect, honor, perseverance, love, humility, sacrifice, truth, and compassion. Whether teaching a lesson on respect imparted by the mythical Deer Woman or the humility embodied by the legendary Lakota leader Crazy Horse, The Lakota Way offers a fresh outlook on spirituality and ethical living.

American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World


David E. Stannard - 1992
    Army's massacre of Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee in the 1890s - the indigenous inhabitants of North and South America endured an unending firestorm of violence. During that time the native population of the Western Hemisphere declined by as many as one hundred million people. Indeed, as historian David E. Stannard argues in this stunning new book, the European and white American destruction of the native peoples of the Americas was the most massive act of genocide in the history of the world. Stannard begins with a portrait of the enormous richness and diversity of life in the Americas prior to Columbus's fateful voyage in 1492. He then follows the path of genocide from the Indies to Mexico and Central and South America, then north to Florida, Virginia, and New England, and finally out across the Great Plains and Southwest to California and the North Pacific Coast. Stannard reveals that wherever Europeans or white Americans went, the native people were caught between imported plagues and barbarous atrocities, typically resulting in the annihilation of 95 percent of their populations. What kind of people, he asks, do such horrendous things to others? His highly provocative answer: Christians. Digging deeply into ancient European and Christian attitudes toward sex, race, and war, he finds the cultural ground well prepared by the end of the Middle Ages for the centuries-long genocide campaign that Europeans and their descendants launched - and in places continue to wage - against the New World's original inhabitants. Advancing a thesis that is sure to create muchcontroversy, Stannard contends that the perpetrators of the American Holocaust drew on the same ideological wellspring as did the later architects of the Nazi Holocaust. It is an ideology that remains dangerously alive today, he adds, and one that in recent years has surfaced in American justifications for large-scale military intervention in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. At once sweeping in scope and meticulously detailed, American Holocaust is a work of impassioned scholarship that is certain to ignite intense historical and moral debate.

The Bible in a Nutshell


Casper Rigsby - 2014
    With an estimated word count of well over 700,000 words, the book is not an undertaking for the casual reader. The book can be a very tedious and boring read. This turns many people off from wanting to commit any time to understanding the foundational doctrine of Christianity. However, as atheists we really need to have at least a basic understanding of the Bible if we are going to make a judgment call about the religion. No matter which sect of Christianity someone subscribes to, the Bible is the foundation of Christian belief. This book is a mere 7,000 words to tell a slimmed down version of the basic story of the Bible. This book focused on the narrative rather than any underlying allegory or metaphor inherent in the narrative. The author attempts to challenge the notion of biblical literalism by showing that the story in its most basic form is simply too fantastic for any rational person to believe.

Maps and Dreams: Indians and the British Columbia Frontier


Hugh Brody - 1981
    It is also a world of boomtowns and bars, oil rigs and seismic soundings; of white energy speculators, ranchers, and sports hunters. Brody came to this dual world with the job of "mapping" the lands of northwest British Columbia as well as the way of life of a small group of Beaver Indians with a viable hunting economy living in the path of a projected oil pipeline. The result is Maps and Dreams, Brody's account of his extraordinary eighteen-month journey through the world of a people who have no intention of vanishing into the past. In this beautifully written book, readers go on a moose hunt; trap beaver; mourn at a funeral; drink in white bars; visit camps, cabins, and traplines by pickup truck, on horseback, and on foot. Brody's powerful commentary also retraces the history of the ever-expanding white frontier from the first eighteenth-century explorer to the wildest corporate energy dreams of the present day. In the process, readers see how Indian dreams and white dreams, Indians maps and white maps, collide.

Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America


Daniel K. Richter - 2001
    But only in the beginning. After the opening act of the great national drama, Native Americans yielded to the westward rush of European settlers.Or so the story usually goes. Yet, for three centuries after Columbus, Native people controlled most of eastern North America and profoundly shaped its destiny. In Facing East from Indian Country, Daniel K. Richter keeps Native people center-stage throughout the story of the origins of the United States.Viewed from Indian country, the sixteenth century was an era in which Native people discovered Europeans and struggled to make sense of a new world. Well into the seventeenth century, the most profound challenges to Indian life came less from the arrival of a relative handful of European colonists than from the biological, economic, and environmental forces the newcomers unleashed. Drawing upon their own traditions, Indian communities reinvented themselves and carved out a place in a world dominated by transatlantic European empires. In 1776, however, when some of Britain's colonists rebelled against that imperial world, they overturned the system that had made Euro-American and Native coexistence possible. Eastern North America only ceased to be an Indian country because the revolutionaries denied the continent's first peoples a place in the nation they were creating.In rediscovering early America as Indian country, Richter employs the historian's craft to challenge cherished assumptions about times and places we thought we knew well, revealing Native American experiences at the core of the nation's birth and identity.

Reiki For Dummies


Nina L. Paul - 2005
    Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a simple but profound healing system that was originally developed in Japan. Reiki means "spiritual energy" or "universal life-force energy." The Reiki system is universal because it can be used by people of any background or religion. Reiki For Dummies explains how you can harness this energy for yourself. Reiki For Dummies is a plain-English Reiki guidebook. Discover what Reiki is, where it came from, and how to:Find and get the most from a Reiki treatment Use Reiki to boost your physical and emotional health Locate a Reiki class and become a Reiki practitioner Reiki For Dummies is amply illustrated and full of useful information on:Reiki symbols (plus nontraditional symbols) Reiki hand positions (for giving Reiki to yourself or others) Reiki for pets and animals Reiki for children and adults Reiki and surgery or medicines Reiki at birth or end-of-life Reiki in the house, in the car, or at work When you're ready to go further, Reiki For Dummies covers: Western and Japanese Reiki techniques; crystals, long distance Reiki, and setting up a successful Reiki practice.Reiki For Dummies is for you whether you are just finding out about Reiki or you are a seasoned professional who is looking for a clearly written, up-to-date, inclusive, and comprehensive source of Reiki information.Nina Paul, PhD (New York, NY), is a Reiki Master who uses Reiki to help herself and others. She has a doctorate in immunology and epidemiology and she believes in a holistic approach to health and wellness . Nina is also the author of the compassionate guide: Living with Hepatitis C For Dummies (0-7645-7620-8).

Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache


Keith H. Basso - 1996
    Apache conceptions of wisdom, manners and morals, and of their own history are inextricably intertwined with place, and by allowing us to overhear his conversations with Apaches on these subjects Basso expands our awareness of what place can mean to people.Most of us use the term "sense of place" often and rather carelessly when we think of nature or home or literature. Our senses of place, however, come not only from our individual experiences but also from our cultures. "Wisdom Sits in Places," the first sustained study of places and place-names by an anthropologist, explores place, places, and what they mean to a particular group of people, the Western Apache in Arizona. For more than thirty years, Keith Basso has been doing fieldwork among the Western Apache, and now he shares with us what he has learned of Apache place-names--where they come from and what they mean to Apaches."This is indeed a brilliant exposition of landscape and language in the world of the Western Apache. But it is more than that. Keith Basso gives us to understand something about the sacred and indivisible nature of words and place. And this is a universal equation, a balance in the universe. Place may be the first of all concepts; it may be the oldest of all words."--N. Scott Momaday"In "Wisdom Sits in Places" Keith Basso lifts a veil on the most elemental poetry of human experience, which is the naming of the world. In so doing he invests his scholarship with that rarest of scholarly qualities: a sense of spiritual exploration. Through his clear eyes we glimpse the spirit of a remarkable people and their land, and when we look away, we see our own world afresh."--William deBuys"A very exciting book--authoritative, fully informed, extremely thoughtful, and also engagingly written and a joy to read. Guiding us vividly among the landscapes and related story-tellings of the Western Apache, Basso explores in a highly readable way the role of language in the complex but compelling theme of a people's attachment to place. An important book by an eminent scholar."--Alvin M. Josephy, Jr.

Ishi in Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America


Theodora Kroeber - 1961
    For more than forty years, Theodora Kroeber's biography has captivated readers. Now recent advances in technology make it possible to return to print the 1976 deluxe edition, filled with plates and historic photographs that enhance Ishi's story and bring it to life.Ishi stumbled into the twentieth century on the morning of August 29, 1911, when, desperate with hunger and terrified of the white murderers of his family, he was found in the corral of a slaughter house near Oroville, California. Finally identified as a Yahi by an anthropologist, Ishi was brought to San Francisco by Professor T. T. Waterman and lived there the rest of his life under the care and protection of Alfred Kroeber and the staff of the University of California's Museum of Anthropology.Karl Kroeber adds an informative tribute to the text, describing how the book came to be written and how Theodora Kroeber's approach to the project was a product of both her era and her special personal insight and empathy.

From Naked Ape to Superspecies: Humanity and the Global Eco-Crisis


David Suzuki - 1999
    We learn about how human arrogance—demonstrated by our disregard for the small and microscopic species that constitute the Earth's engine and our reckless use of powerful herbicides or genetically engineered crops—is threatening the health of our children and the safety of our food supply. But it's not too late to change our course.From Naked Ape to Superspecies shows us that we are at a turning point—we can either push ahead on our path to destruction or we can reshape our place in nature and prosper. A new introductory chapter provides an overview of how the world has changed since the first edition was published. The final chapter of the book has been revised, and new examples and analyses have been added to the existing chapters throughout the book.Published in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation.

The Book of Chakras: Discover the Hidden Forces Within You


Ambika Wauters - 2002
    The word chakra originated with the Vedic teachings of ancient India. It comes from the Sanskrit word for "wheel of light," and denotes the energy centers that exist in every man and woman. The Book of Chakras explores the nature of these energy sources, explains where they dwell in each of us, and instructs on how to use them. The author identifies seven energy centers in the human body. The Root Chakra, located in the lower torso, anchors us in life. From that point on the rising ladder of love and healing, we become aware of the Sacral Chakra, the Solar Plexus Chakra, the Heart Chakra, the Throat Chakra, the Brow or Third Eye Chakra, and the Crown Chakra. The last, the Crown Chakra, located in the head, is the most refined and spiritual center in the human energy system. Chakra teachings describe seven bodies that make up every person's aura. They are the Physical, Etheric, Astral, Mental, Divine, Spiritual, and Soul bodies. Chakra teachings say that each of these bodies vibrates in ways that are allied to the colors of the universe. However, only one of these bodies, the Physical, is visible. When we understand these bodies in detail, we become able to correct chakra imbalances and harness our powers for peaceful and productive living. The author advises on ways of restoring balances, healing through the power of thought, and employing colors, sounds, crystals, acupuncture, and other means. More than 300 color illustrations.

Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom


Erynn Rowan Laurie - 2007
    Rather than working from the commonly known tree alphabet paradigm, Erynn Rowan Laurie takes us back to the roots of each letter's name, exploring its meanings in the context of Gaelic language and culture. Like the Norse runes, each letter is associated with an object or a concept -- "sulfur," "a bar of metal," "terror." These letters are deeply enmeshed in a web of meaning both cultural and spiritual, lending power and weight to their symbolism. With two decades of experience with the ogam and over thirty years of working with divination, Erynn offers insights into the many profound meanings hidden in the ogam letters and their lore. She explains each letter in context and shows how to expand the system in new and innovative ways while acknowledging and maintaining respect for ogam's traditional language and culture. In this book, you will find ways to use the ogam for divination, ideas on incorporating ogam into ritual, discussions of how ogam relates to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism, and instructions for creating your own set of ogam feda or letters for your personal use.