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Historically, Native American peoples believed that life was to be lived in a sacred manner. There were ceremonies for nearly every act of life that formed the very basis of Native American religious life and were a means of invoking good fortune. Entries include the names and results of medicine ceremonies, renowned shamans famous for their powers, techniques used by shamans to acquire and control the power of sacred ceremonies, technical terms used by anthropologists, biographies of anthropologists who research these ceremonies, cross-cultural symbolic motifs, plants and sacred paraphernalia associated with ceremonies, and recurring themes that structure these ceremonies.

Scholars, students, and everyone interested in Native American cultures or shamanism will find this work fascinating and informative.

Customer Reviews (1)

Genuine Anthropology
So much anthropology is caught up in the detached scientific method.People don't realize that for all its powers, that science has its limitations.Einstein realized that, but many lesser scientists in many fields don't seem to realize that.The author of this volume utilizes science -- to the extent that it works, but he strikes a balance by looking the spiritual aspects of societies from their perspective.

Native American Shamanism without bias.Extensively researched, with sources noted.Entries include reference to the culture group and/or tribe. ... Read more

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Religion mattered to the prehistoricSouthwestern people, just as it matters to their descendents today. Examining the role of religion can help to explain architecture, pottery, agriculture, even commerce. But archaeologists have only recently developed the theoretical and methodological tools with which to study this topic. Religion in the Prehispanic Southwest marks the first book-length study of prehistoric religion in the region. Drawing on a rich array of empirical approaches, the contributors show the importance of understanding beliefs and ritual for a range of time periods and southwestern societies. For professional and avocational archaeologists, for religion scholars and students, Religion in the Prehispanic Southwest represents an important contribution. ... Read more

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More than 40 years ago, Thomas E. Mails began a personal exploration of the spiritual richness of traditional Native American customs and secret ceremonies. Using his gifts as a talented illustrator and writer, he tirelessly worked to bring the spiritual culture of Native Americans to readers until his death in November 2001.

The new edition of Secret Native American Pathways: A Guide to Inner Peace authentically details the religious beliefs and rituals of four major tribes (Apache, Cherokee, Hopi, and Sioux) as practiced since ancient times. In this beautifully illustrated "how-to why-to" book, Mails' includes instructions for applying Native teachings to contemporary life. His central premise is that each tribe he discusses has triumphed over adversity through "walking the pathways" that led to inner peace, and that each of us can use these pathways to find our own inner peace.

For more than a century, Native American medicine men have predicted the advent of a new era in which the spiritual practices of their peoples would be revered by the white man and the Native American alike. Thomas E. Mails could be considered a principal figure in helping that prediction come true. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Helpful to me, as a start.
I found help in this book. I think it fulfills the intended purpose, for those of us who were not raised within the culture to find peace within ourselves using the terminology of the Native American to break us out of our linear thinking. I don't believe the author meant for the book to be a guide to "becoming an Indian" or anything like that. This was the first step on my road. It has also helped me to understand some of the things my Grandfather said to me. I feel very strongly that this book can help those who may be searching for a spiritual way to connect with the Universe, so much so I am here today buying one for a friend.

Native American Pathways
Thomas Mails, a well known artist, spent most of his adult life painting Native American subjects and recording their vanishing culture. In Secret Native American Pathways Mails provides valuable information on Native rituals. A friend of some of the great Native American shamans and holy men of the last century Mails preserved much information about the spiritual paths of Native people. Mails died several years ago but the legacy he leaves in Secret Native American Pathways is invaluable and thanks to him will survive.

Don't waste your time, money, or energy on this book!
I detest writing negative reviews, but when the author says the following on page 230. My hands are tied.

"I do not in any instance give youenough guidance to duplicate any of the rituals. The native Americans wouldbe rightfuly displeased if I did, amd I would be breakingconfidences."

If Mr. Mails did not have permission to releaseaccurate information he should not have written the book!

Now to my minornitpicks about the book.

I was personaly offended at the title of chapter4 "Marauding Apache".

On page 189 Mr. Mails talks of women aswell as men being pierced in the sundance. Both sexes may participate inthe sundance but only the men are pierced.

On page 211, 258, and 259 theauthor discusses the Sioux medicine wheel, and he lists different colorsassociated with the directions.

Page 211& 259: West-Black, North-Red,East-Yellow, South-White.

Page 258: West-Black, North-White, East-Red,and South Yellow.

Page 258 has the correct color associations accordingto Nick Black Elk's vision, and these same colors are shown on the cover of"Native Wisdom" Ed McGaa.

I have no idea why the author wouldhave the colors right on page 258 and wrong again on the very nextpage.

If you have questions or comments E-Mail me. Two Bears.

Wah dohOgedoda ... Read more

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This innovative cultural history examines wide-ranging issues of religion, politics, and identity through an analysis of the American Indian Ghost Dance movement and its significance for two little-studied tribes: the Shoshones and Bannocks. The Ghost Dance has become a metaphor for the death of American Indian culture, but as Gregory Smoak argues, it was not the desperate fantasy of a dying people but a powerful expression of a racialized "Indianness." While the Ghost Dance did appeal to supernatural forces to restore power to native peoples, on another level it became a vehicle for the expression of meaningful social identities that crossed ethnic, tribal, and historical boundaries. Looking closely at the Ghost Dances of 1870 and 1890, Smoak constructs a far-reaching, new argument about the formation of ethnic and racial identity among American Indians. He examines the origins of Shoshone and Bannock ethnicity, follows these peoples through a period of declining autonomy vis-a-vis the United States government, and finally puts their experience and the Ghost Dances within the larger context of identity formation and emerging nationalism which marked United States history in the nineteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ghost Dance
Adequate information relative for our need to promote greater understanding from Native American perspective of what it was really all about.
Thank you ... Read more

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With abundant photographs, more than 150 in color, NATIVENORTH AMERICA illustrates tribal life, sacred arenas, spiritualtraditions, and artifacts of the indigenous peoples of North America,from the Inuit of the Canadian north to the Navajo of the Americansouthwest.

Beginning with a brief history of Native Americans, Larry Zimmermanand Brian Molyneaux explore individual culture areas, region byregion. They discuss Native American spiritual observances, includingpersonal and communal rituals, initiation rites, and curingceremonies. Through descriptions of the powwow, rites of passage,plant rituals, oral storytelling, dreams, the ghost dance, and thedrum, the authors provide a sensitive introduction to Native Americanspiritual traditions and examines issues that face Native Americanstoday. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent Book!
I bought this book on sale at B&N, and gave me a chance to look through it before buying it. Although I mainly was going to buy The Shaman book, since I study shamanism for anything that could help evolve to spiritual as a clairsentient, I was also interested in Native American Spirituality and history. This book is awesome! It covers all that one would need to know without having to buy so many books just to get little information. It covers different tribes, areas, beliefs and practice, history of first people and conflict caused by whites, awesome photos, quality book, well up to date of present conflicts and progresses. This book is the only book for me, it covers all that I was seeking to know.

Vividly illustrated, very highly recommended
Larry Zimmerman and Brian Molyneaux successfully collaborate in Native North America to illustrate tribal life, sacred arenas, spiritual traditions, and artifacts of the indigenous peoples of North America, from the Inuit of the Canadian north to the Navajo of the American southwest. After a brief introductory history of Native Americans, individual aboriginal cultures are explored, region by region. The informative surveys include Native American spiritual observances, personal and communal rituals, initiation rites, and curing ceremonies. The reader is provided informative descriptions of the powwow, rites of passage, planting rituals, oral storytelling, dreams, the ghost dance, and the drum. Of special note is an examination of issues facing Native Americans today. A very highly recommended title for students of Native American studies and history, Native North America is vividly illustrated with more than 160 color photographs.

Native North America Review
Great overall introduction to the indigeneous peoples of North America.Author succintly covers the basics.Have used this book in American Indian World Views class for a number of years as a required text.Highly reccommended as an introductory overview of topics fom identity through creation stories to current issues, etc. Gerri Parker, Chair American Indian StudiesDe Anza College ... Read more

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Ranging from Eskimos of the far North to the Aztecs and Incas of South America, the author offers a lucid concise introduction to the traditions of the Native American peoples. ... Read more

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'Provides real insight into the religion of the nineteenth-century Gros Ventre (Atsina) Indians. Known to themselves as the White Clay People, this little-known tribe now shares the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana with the Assiniboines. However, throughout much of their recorded history they were allied with the Blackfeet. The book is a record of the spiritual life of Bull Lodge (born ca 1802, died 1886), religions leader, healer, and for a time, keeper of the Feathered Pipe, one of the two tribal objects of the Gros Ventres...[It] makes absorbing reading. Beginning at the age of twelve. Bull Lodge sought spiritual power through the tribal Feathered Pipe. From the ages of seventeen to twenty-three he was favoured with a series of seven visions on seven buttes that together outline a Gros Ventre cultural geography...''The strength of the narrative is the rich detail of ritual description: fasting, sacrifices, vision experiences, the practices of healing. By describing ritual in the context of a man's life, the book gives a uniquely historical understanding of the dynamics of traditional religious life.It provides deeper understanding of the Gros Ventres' way of life and gives a valuable comparative perspective on plains Indian religion' - Raymond J. DeMallie, "Western Historical Quarterly". George Horse Capture is field manager of Fort Belknap Ventures Inc., a tribal enterprise to develop and market traditional Indian art. At present he is helping to establish a tribal museum. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Seven Visions of Bull Lodge
A great book about the White Clay Nation's (Gros Ventre) Leader, Healer, and Chief, Bull Lodge.
It's such a good book, I read in one sitting and that rarely happens.

A Lesson in SpiritualGrowth
The Seven Visions of Bull Lodge is one of a very limited literary source or documentation of the Gros Ventre (Grow-Von) American Indain Tribe of Northern Montana.Known to themselves as the White Clay People, Bull Lodge was a powerful spiritual healer and warrior, being one of the last fully authorized Keepers of the White Clay People's sacred Feathered Pipe.The information comes from the Depression Era (1930) as told by Bull Lodge's daughter, Garter Snake.Fred Gone translates the story of her father's spiritual and leadership journey.George Horse Capture, Sr. ed. the text to introduce the reader to the issues and worldviews of the White Clay People.

Anyone interested in authentic tradtional culture and an understanding of the sacred lands of Montana will find the book of interest.Anyone seeking to learn more about the Great Plains Cultures will find this book insightfull. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent resource
Having known both James and Willie was a priviledge.This book provides some wonderful insight into the life and philosphy of Willie Lena and his belief system as a tradtional Oklahoma Seminole.Willie was a tremendous artist (many of his illustrations are included in the book)and used his skill to capture Seminole material culture, social and ceremonial practices.Is the book flawless?No.However, James did an excellent job telling the story from Willie's viewpoint.If you are interested in Oklahoma Creek/Seminole culture, read the book.

Sacred Ways of Seminole
What James Mooney's "History, Myths and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee" did for the Cherokee, this book does for the Oklahoma Seminole. Another excellent book in University of Oklahoma's "Civilization of the American Indian" series, this book provides a wonderful ethnography for the Oklahoma Seminoles, covering medicine, religion, ceremonies and beliefs. Howard worked extensively with Willie Lena, a Seminole traditionalist, and his work shows a great respect for the Seminole people. Furthermore, Howard also makes it clear in his preface that this book is concerned with the Oklahoma Seminole specifically, not those in Florida (or Texas, Mexico or anywhere else). Those looking for specifics on the Florida Seminoles or the Nation as a whole must look elsewhere. Despite many similarities, there are differences in culture and (interestingly enough) because of the Trail of Tears many more traditional beliefs were preserved in Oklahoma. Furthermore, he also points out the many differences of religious persausion within the Nation, ranging from Christians (mainly Baptists and Presbyterians) who are 100% assimilated into white society to ultra-conservative traditionalists. The book then goes on to a wonderful foreword by Willie Lena which is well worth reading.

The book itself starts with a brief history of the Seminole Nation, from their origins in Florida to the Seminole Wars, the Trail of Tears, life in Oklahoma and ultimately modern times. Understanding the past is essential to understanding the Seminole Nation. The book then moves on to Seminole herbal medicine. In a brief introduction, Seminole beliefs of disease, medicine and tools used are examined, and occaisonal comparisons are made to other Southeastern Nations or with Euro-American views. It then gives roughly 60 or 70 herbs, with their names in English and Muskogee, scientific names, medical properties and notes on their uses amongst other Nations. A few medical compounds and formulas are given as well, such as cures for hot weather, whooping cough and high blood pressure. This chapter is followed by a brief section on non-herbal remedies, such as animal parts, minerals, bleeding, scratching, shooting with a minature bow and arrow and so forth. This is quite interesting reading, though I don't recommend people try these remedies at home unless they know what they are doing. After all, Seminole doctors and healers need to train for a long time before practicing.

From there, beliefs of magic and witchcraft are mentioned. These include practices such as love medicine, weather control, sapiyas (magical stones used for love and hunting), horned water snake medicine and magic dolls. There are also many anecdotes about witches, malignant people who eat hearts and fly around in the shape of an owl at night. In the next chapter, a general overview of ceremonialism in the traditional Seminole world view is given, including symbolism, practices and paraphernalia. The book then focuses much attention on specific ceremonies, such as the Green Corn Ceremony and the numerous night time dances. These are especially important to traditional Seminole beliefs, being the main religious focus. These are followed by mention of sports and games, mainly stickball. This may seem odd, until one considers that stickball played both a social and religious or cultural role not only to the Seminoles, but also to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and other Nations of the Southeast. Indeed, the game seems to go back to the Mound Builders, and has parallels amongst the Aztecs and Mayan Indians of Mesoamerica. The book then gives some general aspects of Seminole life, including birth, childhood, hunting, folktales, warfare, pottery, flute playing, sign language, picture writings, folk lore and so forth, and a short chapter on mortuary practices.

Closing out the book is an thought provoking epilogue in which Howard mentions changes he saw in Seminole life, as more and more youth adopted Pan-Indianism and saw themselves less as Seminole and more as North American Indians. He mentions how tipis, powwows and Plains-style dress and dance has become more common, and contrasts these to uniquely Seminole things like Green Corn Ceremonies, Stomp Dances and stickball. These same comments hold true for the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Shawnee, Yuchi and other Southeastern Nations too. Ultimately, this is a wonderful book, and well worth checking out. As I said, the focus is on Oklahoma Seminoles rather than the Nation as a whole but the book is still an excellent ethnography. Indeed, the fact that it was written with the help of Willie Lena and shows great respect towards the Seminole makes it stand out above other studies of Native American culture. I strongly recommend that an interested reader purchase this book, and others in the series. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Great insight into this multifaceted ceremony!
This book was a wonderful source of information for me to learn more about a ceremony that I'd been through countless times.The Sweatlodge is a powerful ritual on many different levels & this book sheds some light on that, especially for those of us not brought up in the Lakota culture.

Good introduction
This book was very well done. Many people who are looking for information on what to expect from sweatlodges in general will benefit from this book. The author gives a good amount of information about the history and the many different styles of the inipi ceremony. I personally have been in many different inipi (sweatlodge) ceremonies and found that there are different styles but there are a lot of common things as well. This book is well written and well worth the read. The author sticks to just the plains indians style of lodges and does not go to compare with the many different styles of sweatlodges around the country and around the world. I liked that he kept his information consistant and from the people who wanted to share it first hand. There were quite a few people who shared information that might take a lifetime of looking to find.

Good work!
Not only the most throughout chronicle of the sweat lodge ritual, but also one of the best books on contemporary Lakhota religion. Good work!

great book
I read through this book in one day. I couldn't put the book down except to make a coffee. Excellent reading. ... Read more

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A famous warrior and medicine man of the Oglala Sioux, Black Elk describes the sacred rites that are at the heart of Native American religious life. 2 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Good Reading Of Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 8, With "Interesting" Non-Siouan Musical Accompaniment
While conducting research for my review of Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions I came across this item.Dr. Joseph Epes Brown, the co-author of "Teaching Spirits" is best known for his highly acclaimed work, The Sacred Pipe Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux, which is one of my favorite books."The Sacred Pipe" is a very technical and in-depth book, which makes it difficult for many to read and easily comprehend--let alone understand.So, when I saw this listing I decided to purchase a copy--despite the fact that it was listed as abridged and that it was on cassette tapes rather than on CD disks.Moreover, this is the first time I have ever purchased or listened to an audio version of a book.

After getting the tapes, I learned what "abridged" meant in this case: it included only four of the eight chapters of the very slim book (the current edition listed above is 152 pages).These four chapters cover what are likely the most popular and easiest to comprehend: Chapter III, Inipi: The Rite of Purification (or the Sweat Lodge Ceremony); Chapter IV, Hanblecheyapi: Crying for a Vision (or the Vision Quest Ceremony); Chapter V, Wiwanyag Wachipi: The Sun Dance (Ceremony); and Chapter VIII, Tapa Wanka Yap: The Throwing of The Ball (the seventh Sacred Rite of the Oglala Sioux that encapsulates the path through life that one should follow).The reason I say this, is because most people approach Dr. Brown's "The Sacred Pipe" after reading the immensely more popular book by John G. Neihardt, Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, the Premier Edition or because they are looking for information on Sweat Lodges, Vision Quests, or the Sun Dance.As a grader and teaching assistant for Joseph Epes Brown, I learned that most students were more interested in learning how to do these ceremonies than learning their significance, function, role, and place in Oglala life and culture, and, therefore, seldom read about the other rites told in the unabridged book.Books such as Joseph Bruchac's The Native American Sweat Lodge: History and Legends, Vision Quest by Terry Davis, or, even worse, books like Wolf MoonDance's Spirit Medicine: Native American Teachings to Awaken the Spirit and Hank Wesselman's Visionseekers have became more popular than the "tedious" tombs like The Arapaho Sun Dance: The Ceremony Of The Offerings Lodge, James R. Walker's Lakota Belief and Ritual, or Peter Powell's Sweet Medicine: The Continuing Role of the Sacred Arrows, the Sun Dance, and the Sacred Buffalo Hat in Northern Cheyenne History (Civilization of the American Indian Series).

Regrettably, the much more difficult and less interesting chapters (for most non-Native Americans) concerning the powerful gifts of White Buffalo Woman (as explained in the unabridged book), the Rite of the Sacred Pipe, the Rite of Keeping of the Soul, the Rite of Making of Relatives, and the Rite of Preparing A Girl for Womanhood are not included.

Since I never knew about this version of Joseph Epes Brown's book, I never spoke to him about it, but I am sure that he was aware of it himself.On the other hand, I have to wonder why Lakota music and a Lakota reader were not used.I also know Joseph was very eclectic, so perhaps he had no problem with Fred Contreras, whose native heritage is not given in the description on the box, doing the reading; and he did go on to record "Black Elk Speaks" as well.And I found some irony for myself in the fact that the drumming and chanting that accompany the narrative are performed by an Ohlone (in the Miwuk language it means "people of the West"), named Chemo Candelaria.I was raised in Fremont, California, not six blocks from an Ohlone cemetery and the Mission San Jose, while I attended Mission San Jose High School, whose "mascot" at the time was (sadly) the Ohlone Indians; and the yearbook was called "Costanoan," the Spanish name for Ohlone Indians.I find this interesting because when I went to high school in the late 1960s, the Ohlones were considered "extinct;" that is, there were no known people of Ohlone descent.It was not until Interstate 680 was proposed to pass through the Ohlone cemetery that it then became known that there were, in fact, Ohlones still alive, as individuals began divulging their heritage in order to stop the Interstate from crossing sacred ground.

So, from that stand point, I very much enjoyed the tapes.However, as a visual learner, Mr. Contreras's readings are way too fast to obtain a visual picture in my mind of what he is saying.I would have to rate this version as a three star item because I feel that a Lakota reader and music were required and, for people like me, the reading was too fast.On the other hand, the unabridged book itself is most definitely five stars.Therefore, overall I have given it a four star rating.It is not the "real" thing, but it is pleasant enough.

Please Note: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks. ... Read more

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The Tomáraho, a subgroup of the Ishir (Chamacoco) of Paraguay, are one of the few remaining indigenous populations who have managed to keep both their language and spiritual beliefs intact. They have lived for many years in a remote region of the Gran Chaco, having limited contact with European or Latin American cultures. The survival of the Tomáraho has been tenuous at best; at the time of this writing there were only eighty-seven surviving members.

Ticio Escobar, who lived extensively among the Tomáraho, draws on his acquired knowledge of Ishir beliefs to confront them with his own Western ideology, and records a unique dialogue between cultures that counters traditional anthropological interpretation. The Curse of Nemur-which is part field diary, part art critique, and part cultural anthropology-offers us a view of the world from an entirely new perspective, that of the Ishir. We acquire deep insights into their powerful and enigmatic narrative myths, which find expression in the forms of body painting, feather decoration, dream songs, shamanism, and ritual.

Through dramatic photographs, native drawings, extensive examination of color and its importance in Ishir art, and Escobar's lucid observation, The Curse of Nemur illuminates the seamless connection of religious practice and art in Ishir culture. It offers a glimpse of an aesthetic "other," and in so doing, causes us to reexamine Western perspectives on the interpretation of art, belief, and Native American culture. ... Read more

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For Native Americans, religious freedom has been an elusive goal. From nineteenth-century bans on indigenous ceremonial practices to twenty-first-century legal battles over sacred lands, peyote use, and hunting practices, the U.S. government has often acted as if Indian traditions were somehow not truly religious and therefore not eligible for the constitutional protections of the First Amendment. In this book, Tisa Wenger shows that cultural notions about what constitutes "religion" are crucial to public debates over religious freedom.

In the 1920s, Pueblo Indian leaders in New Mexico and a sympathetic coalition of non-Indian reformers successfully challenged government and missionary attempts to suppress Indian dances by convincing a skeptical public that these ceremonies counted as religion. This struggle for religious freedom forced the Pueblos to employ Euro-American notions of religion, a conceptual shift with complex consequences within Pueblo life. Long after the dance controversy, Wenger demonstrates, dominant concepts of religion and religious freedom have continued to marginalize indigenous traditions within the United States. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awsome!
This is a beautifully written treatise that answers the question of Pueblo Indian religious practice and the inability of the U. S. government and Constitution to adequately address the needs of these indigenous peoples. Wenger follows the history from the 1880s through 1929 and briefly touches on several court cases involving Native
American legal conflicts.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this social-cultural-legal history of the New Mexico Pueblo controversy regarding costumbres and dances. ... Read more

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Mary Greyfeather experiences the traditional Shawnee ceremony by which children are given a tribal name. ... Read more

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Joseph Rael, of Pueblo and Southern Ute descent, shares visionary experiences about the ceremonies of his people.

He writes of the various aspects of ceremony -- sounds, chanting and song, fasting and sweatlodge purification, the vision quest, storytelling, and dancing -- and shows how each of these provides a connection with spirit.

Rael shows how readers can construct powerful ceremonies for themselves, ceremonies that bring inspiration and insight, that help one grow into new states of being. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A deeper understanding of ceremonial ways
Here's another Beauty by Joseph Rael. My teacher has a wonderful capacity to write as if he were having a 'teaching day' with you personally. You can hear him speaking through the pages.

This little book is chock-full of clear explanation of the nature of ceremony and why we find ourselves, in this harsh century and demanding urbanized time, craving deeper understanding and ceremony in our lives. The pages unfold appetizing ideas and a wealth of chants to use to begin to more deeply understand how we can interact with our lives and everything in them. Beautiful Painted Arrow has given us another gem! ... Read more

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In Mesoamerican Ritual Economy, scholars examine the extent to which economic processes were driven by and integrated with religious ritual in ancient Mesoamerica. The contributors explore how traditional rituals--human blood sacrifice and self-mutilation, "flowery wars" and battling butterfly warriors, sumptuous feasting with chocolate and tamales, and fantastic funerary rites--intertwined with all sectors of the economy. Examining the interplay between well-established religious rites and market forces of raw material acquisition, production, circulation, and consumption, this volume effectively questions the idea that materialism alone motivates the production, exchange, and use of objects.

Exploring the intersection of spirituality and materiality, Mesoamerican Ritual Economy will be of interest to all scholars studying how worldview and belief motivate economic behavior. The authors consider a diverse set of Mesoamerican cultural patterns in order to investigate the ways in which ritual and economic practices influenced each other in the operation of communities, small-scale societies, and state-level polities. ... Read more

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This extensive work goes beyond similar surveys that focus only on anthropology and history and explores the religious practices, movements, institutions, key figures, ceremonial systems, and religious accoutrements indigenous to North America, from the precontact era to the present. Taking a deep and informed look specifically at the religious and spiritual nature of Native Americans, the encyclopedia places traditions within their historical and theoretical context, examining their relevance within Native religious life and practice as well as within the academic study of religion.

Topics covered include key ideas and issues, religious and political leaders, primary ceremonies, mythic figures, and related cultural subjects, such as basketry, whaling, farming, and bison hunting, which have religious significance for Native peoples. Contributors include noted scholars of American Indian religious culture, including many who come from tribal traditions and can offer valuable insights and observations from their personal experience.

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