Customer Reviews

Pima Indian Legends

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Shaw grew up in a Akimel Oodham (Pima) household in the early 20th century, so she had the great opportunity to hear and record these legends so that they could be preserved for future generations. The stories cover an assortment of Akimel Oodham legends. Some of these legends are origin myths, such as how man was formed or how certain animals gained certain characteristics. Others are stories of adventure. Many of the stories, however, convey moral lessons as well.

Children will enjoy the short, simple stories. Adults, however, can learn much more. As the introduction elaborates, many of these stories were originally used to convey moral lessons. The stories, however, began to lose their importance in Pima culture when Christianity imposed itself as a moral authority. The stories therefore were being retold as children's tales during the author's lifetime, but the ingrained moral lessons were still present.

As a clearly written work with many good stories, I recommend this book for adults and children interested in the Indians of the Southwest.