Native American Crafts & Skills [Paperback]

David Montgomery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

An excellent introduction to the study of Native American crafts and outdoor skills.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Native American Crafts and Skills is an excellent introduction to the study of Native American crafts and outdoor skills. This book not only describes the skills Native Americans have cultivated over hundreds of years, but explains in step-by-step detail - through over two hundred illustrations by the author himself - how to create all kinds of Native American handiwork. Begin with the process of tanning leather to create authentic Native American clothing - from elaborate war bonnets to several varieties of moccasins. Discover the basics of the Native American 'kitchen,' including utensils and cookery, as well as the many foods common to the Native American diet. Chapters on Native American games and musical instruments showcase a side of domestic Native American life rarely seen before, and a section on jewelry making will give you a head start on creating your own elaborate geometric beadwork designs. Annotated with a complete list of reference books and supply sources, this is an authentic and exciting book for people who want to share in the beauty and artistry of Native American history. (5 3/4 X 9, 216 pages, map, illustrations, diagrams)

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585740705
• ISBN-13: 978-1585740703
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #442,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good But Not Great, March 9, 2008

By 

Lady Carrie (Lebanon, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Native American Crafts & Skills (Paperback)

There are a number of useful details in this book, but also some details that are inauthentic, or stereotypically over generalized. For example, the tee pee instructions are for using canvas fabric, not hides. Also, most (but not all) of the items explained are for plains Indians / tribes only, and at that, only from latter periods. If you want to learn the skills of native peoples on the east coast during the 15 and 1600's, say, then this isn't the book (C. Keith Wilbur's books are EXCELLENT for native New England technologies). You'll find some useful informatin in that case, but not much. There is some information on foods eaten, including plant I.D. drawings, but the drawings leave A LOT to be desired. For example, the drawing of "Indian potatoes" is way off from what the plant actually looks like. You could not go out in the woods and pick out an "Indian potatoe" plant based on that picture alone. Neither is there information on where any of the plants grow wild. There is a short list of what natural ingredients would have been used for what ailments - a nice little start. The information on how to make clay pots for real end use (cooking) is far from enough to experience good success. Nothing is said, either, about where to get natural pottery clay, how to prepare it, and what precautions to take when "firing" it. The instructions given on clay pot making also are limited to the pots made in the southwest. One well done section is that on natural brain tanning of hides. There is enough information there to have good success. The section on making a bow is 95% complete - you can do it if you already know what sinew is, and where to take it off of a dead animal (and what kind of dead animals). No weaving instructions (exept for the under-gird of a hut shell). There is a nice map of where various tribes were located across the US, however no dates or information specifying if this is reservation sites, locations of origin, or a mixture of both. I give this book a four star because there are not enough books like this out there, and therefore we should be glad to have even this much documented for future generations. To round out what this work lacks I would recommend adding David Wescott's Primitive Technology books to your library of native how-to titles (and don't forget to check out C. Keith Wilbur's books).

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soooo Many Things To Choose From, April 26, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Native American Crafts & Skills (Paperback)

If you get the book,or look on Amazon, you'll see that there are 4 1/2 pages in the table of contents. There is a whole lot to choose from. Buuuuut, sometimes, the author gets a little confusing, and I can't see what he's saying. It's a really good book though, ESPECIALLY if you are a person interested in native americans.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book but a little vague, April 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Native American Crafts & Skills (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book and still use it quite a bit for reference. I just wish the writer of this book would have spent a little more time on the details of the subjects of this book. It is quite vague on many things. The best part of this book is the different animal track markings.