At a time when most modern young women are seeking fulfillment and enrichment along bold new roads, teenage girls of the Apache people (or Ndé) continue to follow a traditional path to womanhood -- through a sacred rite of passage handed down over generations. Called na ih es, ("getting her ready"), this ceremony predates the near annihilation of the tribe in the 1870s and 1880s, when the U.S. was at war against the Apache.
As illustrated and chronicled in this beautiful volume, the young women embark upon an extraordinary four-day, four-night personal journey in which they undergo a spiritual transformation to become White Shell Woman, the mother of the Apache people. John Annerino's spectacular photographs show the dedication of the girls and their initiators (both women and men), dances by firelight, elaborate costumes and disguises, and the various stages that must be experienced. He describes the journey, rarely witnessed by non-Indians, and its significance in the accompanying essay.
John Annerino is a world-renowned photojournalist. For the past two decades, he has documented the West's natural beauty, indigenous peoples, and political changes. He lives in Tucson, AZ. John Annerino's photographs recently appeared in the March issue of the Life magazine cover article "Kids and God."
"Apache is graphic and well-told as a photo story, which is rare indeed." - - LIFE Magazine
"I was touched by the pictures and words. It's very moving -- a wonderful book!" -- People Magazine
"For the last two decades, with his camera and pen, John Annerino has told the stories of indigenous people -- the Tarahumara and the Indé (Apache people) -- their struggles and triumphs, their political strife and quiet dignity." -- Heard Museum, Native Voices
"Apache turned out real good. I'm fortunate to have a friend like John Annerino. Everybody (the Apache people) liked it." -- Robertson Preston, Apache di yih (medicine man)
"Annerino's extraordinary vignettes and empathic photography convey powerfully the spiritually grounded cultural heritage of Native America." -- Sandia Review of Books, on People of Legend: Native Americans of the Southwest
From the Author
* View images from this collection at johnannerinophotography.com * Read the author's illustrated biography at johnannerino.com * Get updates about the author's published work at Author Central * Order now from Amazon * Autographed and inscribed copies available at johnannerinobooks.com
Images from this photo collection were featured in: * Arizona Highways Magazine * The Arizona Republic, series on Arizona's Native Americans and their cultural traditions * Centauro, Mexico City * Conozca Mas, Argentina * Epsilon, Greece * Geomundo, Latin America * Newsweek, online photo gallery * Nordfoto, Denmark * Travel Holiday Magazine * Veronica, Nertherlands
John is pleased to share the exciting news two of his new photography and literature books were published on January 24, 2012: the "Land if Enchantment's" 100 Year Centennial Edition, New Mexico: A Photographic Tribute; and the "Grand Canyon State's" 100 Year Centennial Edition, Arizona: A Photographic Tribute. His third new book, The Virgin of Guadalupe: Art and Legend, will be published by Gibbs Smith on March 1, 2012. His landmark photograph commemorating the World Trade Center was recently published in the 2011, 10th Anniversary editions of the New York Times No. 1 bestselling books, LIFE One Nation, America Remembers September 11, 2001, and LIFE In the Land of the Free. The iconic image and others can be viewed online at www.johnannerinophotography.com. John Annerino's indelible photographs were published previously in the New York Times No. 1 bestselling book, America 24/7: 24 Hours, 7 Days, Extraordinary Images of One American Week, and the Grand Canyon state sequel Arizona 24/7: Amazing Photographs of an Extraordinary State. John is the author and photographer of many books, among them 17 distinguished photographic essays and thirty-two single-artist calendars, including Wild & Scenic Arizona, Wild & Scenic New Mexico, La Virgen de Guadalupe, and the award winning books Indian Country, Desert Light, Grand Canyon Wild, Vanishing Borderlands, Canyons of the Southwest, The Wild Country of Mexico, and Roughstock: The Toughest Events in Rodeo, (acclaimed by the Rodeo Hall of Fame). John's credits include Arizona Highways Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, LIFE, Newsweek, People, Scientific American, Time, Travel & Leisure, and many prestigious clients worldwide. In his quest to explore the renowned landscapes and secret places of the Great Southwest and Old Mexico with a camera and pen over last 25 years, John has climbed its hallowed mountains, rafted its wild and scenic rivers, journeyed on foot through its mystical chasms, and crossed its alluring deserts. He has photographed and come to know the region's Native peoples and ceremonies, Western cowboys and traditions, and Spanish heritage and celebrations. John Annerino is a member of The Authors Guild, New York. Visit his illustrated bio online at www.johnannerino.com.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 starsThis is a fine pictoral essay on the Apache Puberty Ceremony, January 7, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Apache, Sacred Path Womanhood (CL) (Hardcover)
John Annerino portrays the Apache Puberty Ceremony, known as Na ih es, with a pictoral essay in a way that shows the sacredness of this rite. In "Dreams and Journeys", the first third of the book, the author tells of the experiences that brought him to the Apache. In "Images"(the reason I would recommend adding Sacred Path to Womanhood to your library), he takes you through "the Sunrise Ceremony" from the time they dress the girl to the point where she is filled with power and becomes White Painted Woman and blesses her people. Included are glossary terms and an extensive bibliography. In Annerino, I see respect for the Apache(Ndee). I recommend this book particularly for girls approaching and who have recently come into puberty, of any cultural background.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 starsAPACHE is magical., August 11, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Apache, Sacred Path Womanhood (CL) (Hardcover)
When we hear the word Apache we often think of "savage" because that's how these Native Americans were callously portrayed by Hollywood in movies of the Wild West. So I was especially attracted the book entitled, APACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood by John Annerino. It's a beautiful book. When you turn each page, you can see and feel the magic in Annerino's beautiful color photographs - how Annerino manages to capture the magic of the ceremony of a young Apache girl who becomes "the mother of the Apache." You can also read about the Apache's life and history in Annerino's book, including the legendary Geronimo, and Annerino's own poignant experience among the Apache today. Annerino does not hide behind the mask of the New Age and writes openly, "I'm not Native American. I do not claim to have quarter-Cherokee blood ancestors." Yet, there is a profound spirituality in Annerino's writing I found extraordinary. Annerino also explains how difficult it is for Native Americans to maintain their traditions: "Few Native Americans were as fortunate as the Apache to survive the holocaust [of Native America] with their spiritual traditions intact...passed on from one generation to the next." Take a journey, and experience the magic of the Apache's coming of age ceremony, in this wonderful new book.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
5.0 out of 5 starsAPACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood is really good., August 10, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Apache, Sacred Path Womanhood (CL) (Hardcover)
APACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood turned out really good. I am so fortunate to have a friend like John Annerino. Thank you! Everyone (the Apache people) liked it. nde di yih, Apache medicine man,
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
