i loved this book. as did everyone in my family. i borrowed this book from my mom three years ago to check it out and i ended up keeping it and reading it all the time. as a matter-of-fact, i'm currently re-reading it.

for me, this was a great look into the past and at the old ways. it proved to me that the Kiowa are some of the strongest people on the plains. and i am proud to be one.

I stumbled on this book years ago, and I joyfully re-read it each year. It is a wonderful, engrossing look at a long-ago time, beautifully captured through the words of Spear Woman, Hunting Horse, and their families and friends.

Although not a novel, it sure reads like one!

My favorite parts? The chapter where Spear Girl and Hunting Horse elope, the poignant journey of Apiatan and the piece where the grandmother and granddaughter go to visit the buffalo. Truly a wonderful read!

This should be required reading for anybody interested in Indian culture, lifestyles, history. Heck, for anybody who's a student of human nature.

The Ten Grandmothers, required reading for a course in anthropology, inspired a lifelong interest in and appreciation of Plains Indian culture. It is romantic without romanticism, sentimental without bathos, realistic and uplifting.

Written by an anthropologist who tells Maria's story through short stories as told to her by Maria. This book begins with Maria's accounting of pueblo life during her childhood. You learn of her life with her artistic, but alcoholic, husband Julian. An interesting accounting of their work which earned world acclaim for the unique pottery they produced. This book is a window to a time long forgotten and into the soul of a creative artist. The community spirit of the pueblo is well described and inspiring. You can't put this down once you begin. It's a great read!

"Peyote" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

It is certain that the number of cultures that existed in the area now covered by the United States before the substantial influx of Europeans will never be known. From what records remain, it is clear that the locations of the tribes were not static, but migrations of displacement, wars of conquest for brides and slaves; border interactions and peace treaties all led to a mingling of the cultures. After several hundred years of cultural "assimilation", much of their heritage has been lost. However, some has been preserved, and as is the case with much of the old ways in other lands, this heritage is preserved in mythology.
While some of the tales recounted in this book are clearly ancient, several are of recent origin. Tales of the arrival of Smallpox on his horse clearly originated in the last few centuries. In fact, all tales involving the horse are relatively recent, as they were introduced by the invading Spaniards.
In reading the stories, there is one recurring theme, that of the animals being spirits and humans being transformed into animals. At other times, the animals assist humans in their tasks, doing so voluntarily and never filling the role of a slave. From the ferocious warriors of the west to the settled agricultural groups of the east, this is a theme common to their myths.
Another common theme that is significant more by the absence is the lack of human foibles and whim that the Indian "Gods" lack. There is none of the moodiness that is often part of the behavior of the gods in western mythology.
All myths must be read while thinking about the context of the times and what has happened since the origins of the tales. This is more true of the Indian myths than others as there was no written language to record the tales, so most have been stored since their assimilation by the Europeans. Despite all of this, it is possible to learn much about the mindset and lifestyle of the American Indians from these tales, making this a book well worth reading.