Mother Earth, Father Sky: Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest [Hardcover]

David Sievert Lavender (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Discusses the culture, history, and society of the Pueblos.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up-Lavender has combined a study of the Anasazi with a general overview of recorded Pueblo Indian history and culture. The Anasazi civilization has intrigued scholars since the discovery of the Cliff Dwellings in 1888. Their architecture, distinctive pottery, and abrupt disappearance have been studied, but no definitive evidence explains the whereabouts of their descendants. The assumption that the Pueblo peoples are the descendants of the Anasazi cannot be completely supported by the archaeological evidence. Nevertheless, this is a lively, intriguing exploration into the archaeological study of the Anasazi culture. Readers experience the adaptation and change of a powerful culture over time, from their diet and artistry to their religious practices. The last three chapters sum up Pueblo peoples from the Spanish invaders to education efforts today. This seems an abrupt change of topic as if two books, one of the Anasazi and one devoted to the Native people of the Southwest today, were intended. Some of the modern photographs, all in black and white, are disappointing, but the illustrations and little-seen historical reproductions add interest to the narrative. A higher-level, if less inspiring, companion to Caroline Arnold's The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde (Clarion, 1992).
Mary B. McCarthy, Windsor Severance Library District, CO
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. Lavender begins his historical overview with a literal one: an aerial ride over New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. He describes physical features and the geographic spot known as Four Corners, where the four states meet. He notes, of course, that the first people who lived there saw the land as a single entity, and he carries that alternative point of view throughout. In his workmanlike story of the Anasazi/Pueblo cultures, he traces the influence of corn and tries to untangle how the cliff dwellings and kivas were constructed and why they were abandoned. He also tries to give shape to sometimes conflicting information about Pueblo religious beliefs, notably the kachina spirits. Sixteenth-and seventeenth-century domination by the Spanish, new diseases, and the Santa Fe railroad nearly wiped out the culture, which was saved from extinction when late-nineteenth-century Indians began to duplicate and sell ancient pottery. In this century, Pueblo people regained control of the schools so that they could teach their own languages and cultures again. Black-and-white illustrations and photographs help but, unfortunately, leave to the imagination the magical reds and golds of this sun-dyed landscape. GraceAnne A. DeCandido

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823413659
• ISBN-13: 978-0823413652
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,076,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)