Native Ways: California Indian Stories and Memories [Paperback]

Malcolm Margolin (Editor), Yolanda Montijo (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

California Indians vividly describe various aspects of traditional and contemporary Indian life, in a clear, easy-to-read style. With eighty photographs, index, map of Native California, and listing of California Indian resources.

Native Ways has been approved by the California Department of Education and is listed in the Instructional Materials Approved for Legal Compliance Catalog.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. This collection of stories, memories, and descriptions reflects the richly varied California Indian cultures. From the opening description of a contemporary Indian celebration at Point Reyes National Seashore to highly personalized recollections, the book covers topics as varied as basket making, cooking, and religion, smoothly integrating scenes from both past and present. Together with numerous black-and-white photographs, the text, which neither glosses over nor dwells on harsh realities, provides a complex and many-faceted look at a group that is often oversimplified. The narrow geographic focus may limit appeal, but the lively account offers readers much greater depth than most books about American Indians. A listing of California Indian Resources and text and photo credits are appended. Karen Hutt

About the Author

Malcolm Margolin is the author of several books on California Indians, including _The Ohlone Way_ and _The Way We Lived_. He is also the publisher of Heyday Books and founder and co-editor of "News from Native California", a quarterly magazine devoted to California Indian culture and history.

Yolanda Montijo is a former associate editor of "News from Native California" and Heyday Books.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Heyday Books (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930588738
• ISBN-13: 978-0930588731
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Native Ways: California Indian Stories and Memories, March 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Native Ways: California Indian Stories and Memories (Paperback)

This wonderful book has been a treasured resource in my classroom. It has some outstanding historical and modern photos of Native Californians in authentic settings, with their crafts, etc. The text is great, too. For instance, I wrote up an info page on Miwok government, then I had the kids read in Native Ways about Captain John. A friend of his was describing how he was a respected leader and his qualities that made him so... it exactly matched the info article. It has some good legends, one of which I'm using for a retelling practice, but what I appreciate most are the first person accounts and interviews of Native people explaining themselves and their way of life. They are short and a good length for 3rd and 4th grade readers. Enjoy, everyone.

5.0 out of 5 stars Far better than any text book!, August 20, 2010

By 

Crease in the Page (Hills of Northern California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Native Ways: California Indian Stories and Memories (Paperback)

My 3rd- and 4th-grade children are studying California history (we homeschool). I went to the library and gathered everything I could find about early CA history, but it all seems like just history--gone--of no interest to kids. This book is narratives of real people remembering what it was like when they were young. I used to love to hear my grandma's stories of her childhood, and this book feels very much like sitting at Grandma's feet and listening to her reminisce. I am reading it aloud to my kids and they love it. I think this book alone is sufficient coverage of the culture of Native Californians; I see no reason to supplement with texts or anything, but each of my kids has chosen two skills they want to learn--my son is currently in the backyard building a home out of sticks and mud like some of the homes in the black-and-white photos in this book. My daughter is attempting to sew some clothes by hand to look like some of the original native clothing.

5.0 out of 5 stars My boys love it, January 23, 2009

By 

T. Crum - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Native Ways: California Indian Stories and Memories (Paperback)

My boys are both half Native American and they didn't get that from me. Their dad isn't around so I wanted something to help them learn about their culture and more specifically their tribe or tribes that are in the same general area. They really like this book and read it everyday. They have to read for a certain amount of time everyday for school and they have numerous books but go for this book all the time. The illustrations are great too. My boys are 9 and 7 years old.