Publisher Description

This book accurately depicts Native American approaches to land and spirituality through an interdisciplinary examination of Indian philosophy, history, and literature.Indian approaches to land and spirituality are neither simple nor monolithic, making them hard to grasp for outsiders. A fuller, more accurate understanding of these concepts enables comprehension of the unique ways land and spirit have interlinked Native American communities across centuries of civilization, and reveals insights about our current pressing environmental concerns and American history.In Land and Spirit in Native America, author Joy Porter argues that American colonization has been a determining factor in how we perceive Indian spirituality and Indian relationships to nature. Having an appreciation for these traditional values regarding ritual, memory, time, kinship, and the essential reciprocity between all things allows us to rethink aspects of history and culture. This understanding also makes Indian film, philosophy, literature, and art accessible.

Author Biography

Joy Porter is senior lecturer & associate dean of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at The University of Swansea, Wales, UK.

Table of Contents

AcknowledgmentsSeries Editor's ForewordIntroduction1 Approaches to Spirituality, Tradition, Land, Wilderness, Nature, Landscape, and Place2 On Middle Way Thinking, Gardening, Parks, and Aspects of Indian Thinking about Land3 Spiritual Approaches to Life in America4 Literature, Land, and Spirit5 Art, Land, and Spirit6 Environmental Justice, Place, and Indian "Sacrifice"7 Vanishing, Reappearing, and Disappearing Indians on American Soil8 Future Directions Into and Out of the WildNotesBibliographyIndex

Review

Porter lays some of the crucial foundation for a fundamental rethinking of the vital interrelationships between religion and nature for the sake of creating a far more sustainable, just, peaceful, and spiritual society. Summing up: recommended. * Choice *
This volume offers a unique study of environmentalism and the author shows great respect for Native Americans and their beliefs and proclaims that they have much to teach wider society. Notes are at the end of the book along with a valuable bibliography. . . . College students as well as high schoolers in AP or IB classes might utilize this reference, as will teachers searching for new ideas to enrich lessons and lectures. * Library Journal *

Promotional

This book accurately depicts Native American approaches to land and spirituality through an interdisciplinary examination of Indian philosophy, history, and literature.

Long Description

Indian approaches to land and spirituality are neither simple nor monolithic, making them hard to grasp for outsiders. A fuller, more accurate understanding of these concepts enables comprehension of the unique ways land and spirit have interlinked Native American communities across centuries of civilization, and reveals insights about our current pressing environmental concerns and American history. In Land and Spirit in Native America , author Joy Porter argues that American colonization has been a determining factor in how we perceive Indian spirituality and Indian relationships to nature. Having an appreciation for these traditional values regarding ritual, memory, time, kinship, and the essential reciprocity between all things allows us to rethink aspects of history and culture. This understanding also makes Indian film, philosophy, literature, and art accessible.

Review Quote

"This volume offers a unique study of environmentalism and the author shows great respect for Native Americans and their beliefs and proclaims that they have much to teach wider society. Notes are at the end of the book along with a valuable bibliography. . . . College students as well as high schoolers in AP or IB classes might utilize this reference, as will teachers searching for new ideas to enrich lessons and lectures." - Library Journal

Promotional "Headline"

When white Europeans first encountered Native American cultures, they often regarded Indian ideas about the earth and the spiritual world as evidence of their ignorance and primitive society. Now, traditional Indian wisdom that emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance within specific places is especially valuable and relevant as we grapple with sweeping environmental changes.

Description for Reader

* Explores and contrasts Indian and Euro-American spiritual approaches to the earth * Explains the complex relationship between land, spirituality, and environmental justice, particularly "National Sacrifice Areas" and the nuclear landscape of the American southwest * Connects contemporary writing on politics, science, art, and literature to Native America * Highlights developments within Indian thinking about land, nature, and spirituality, relating these concepts to Indian history, literature, art and new commercial films

Details