The Crow Indians (Sources of American Indian Oral Literature) [Paperback]

Robert H. Lowie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1983 | Series: Sources of American Indian Oral Literature

For nearly ten years between 1907 and 1931, anthropologist Robert H. Lowie lived among the Crow Indians, listening to the old men and women tell of times gone forever. Lowie learned much about what had been, and still was, a society remarkable for its variability and cohesion, and for its resistance to the encroachments of white civilization.

Written with clarity and vigor, Lowie's study makes instantly accessible what had taken him years to discover. He sacrificed neither personal sensitivity nor narrative skill to scientific scruples, but brought his scientific work to life. Crow religion, ceremonies, taboos, kinship bonds, tribal organization, division of labor, codes of honor, and rites of courtship and wedlock receive their due.

The Crow Indians is a masterpiece of ethnography, foremost for Lowie's portrayal of the different personalities he encountered: Gray-bull and his marital troubles; the great visionary Medicine-crow; Yellow-brow, the gifted storyteller; and many more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[T]his is perhaps the most well-rounded contemporary. . . . account of traditional American Indian life on the Great Plains. . . . It''s a worthy addition to its publisher''s list, which contains the most important collection of books on western and American Indian history."—Benjamin Schwarz, The Atlantic Monthly

(Benjamin Schwarz The Atlantic Monthly )

“One of the truly classic ethnographies in American anthropology. It is based on the extensive fieldwork that Lowie did beginning in 1907 and continuing through 1931. The study is clear, well-written, and broadly informative. . . . [The Crow Indians] is also an excellent presentation of the theoretical presumptions, methods, and world views of mid-century American anthropology.”—Wyoming Library Roundup

(Wyoming Library Roundup ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

First published in 1935, The Crow Indians offers a concise and accessible introduction to the nineteenth-century world of the Crow Indians. Drawing on interviews with Crow elders in the early twentieth century, Robert H. Lowie showcases many facets of Crow life, including ceremonies, religious beliefs, a rich storytelling tradition, everyday life, the ties of kinship and the practice of war, and the relations between men and women. Lowie also tells of memorable individuals, including Gray-bull, the great visionary Medicine-crow, and Yellow-brow, the gifted storyteller.

The Crow nation today is vital and active, creatively blending the old and the new. The way of life recounted in these pages provides insight into both the historical foundation and the enduring, vibrant heart of the Crow people in the twenty-first century. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (March 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803279094
• ISBN-13: 978-0803279094
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,019,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A look at a culture at it's Zenith before American intrusion, September 14, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Crow Indians (Sources of American Indian Oral Literature) (Paperback)

Back in the early 1900's, Robert Lowie lived with the Crow, listening to the elders, men & women, speak of the old times. Even though forced to stay on a tiny portion of the original Crow territory and no longer having any buffalo to hunt, the people still practiced their language, religion, beliefs & customs as always.
This is an excellent, book sized "glimpse" at the Crow or Absalooka worldview; clan relationships, marriage customs, religious ceremonies, warrior societies, coyote stories and more.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a view into a different worldview, February 18, 2008

By 

G. B. Talovich (Wulai, Taiwan, ROC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Crow Indians (Second Edition) (Paperback)

Robert Lowie first published this book in 1935, from his research living with the Crow Indians. This is a detailed account of a fading lifestyle, soon to be gone. It is worth reading to get an idea of how Amerindians thought and lived.

Something I like about the book is that you can tell Lowie respected the Crow. In too many recent anthropology texts you feel that the researcher could be studying just any old group, has little real concern for them as people, and is in it mainly for tenure. I got the feeling that Lowie enjoyed being with the Crow. Also I like the way he relates their beliefs and concepts at face value, rather than qualifying by saying, "The X tribe believes that this and that," or "According to Y tribe superstition, this and that." He simply tells it as the Crow would.

I learned a lot from this book. Frankly, I know little about the Crow beyond the scope of this book, so I carefully read Phenocia Bauerle's excellent Introduction before and after I read the book. She is a Crow, an insider, so she pointed out some of Lowie's mistakes. Some were obvious even to me, such as the way he was using his own religious frame to understand the Crow: an understandable error. I think that even if Lowie did make some mistakes, the book still stands as a valuable record. Maybe the Crow could issue an annotated version, with their comments and corrections!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now offering a thoughtful introduction by Phenocia Bauerle, June 7, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crow Indians (Second Edition) (Paperback)

First published in 1935, and written by one of the most respected American anthropologists of the twentieth century, The Crow Indians is a classic, brief, and highly accessible introduction to Crow Indian culture, challenges, everyday life, traditions, and much more during the early nineteenth-century. Memorable anecdotes of individual Crow such as Grayboll the great visionary and Yellow-brow the gifted storyteller embellish the more general information drawn from the author's thorough fieldwork and interviews from 1907 to 1931. This superbly presented edition of a classic resource is very highly recommended for inclusion on Native American Studies reading lists and acadmeic library reference shelves, now offers a thoughtful introduction by Phenocia Bauerle, a member of the Crow Nation and the editor of The Way Of The Warrior.