Customer Reviews

Plateau Indians and the Quest for Spiritual Power, 1700-1850

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is rare that one finds a scholarly book which is informative, interesting, and well-written. This book is, unquestionably, all three. Dr. Cebula presents his scholarly work in a flowing, engaging manner, providing historic information as well as intelligent analyses and conclusions in a manner that an educated layperson can understand and appreciate. I had little knowledge of the subject before I opened the book. Yet, I was able to follow, and be drawn into, the narrative of the book: the impact that contact with Europeans, their diseases, their goods, their culture, and their religion, had on the Plateau Indians, and most of all, the spiritual journey that these peoples took in response to these impacts, and where this journey took them.

I agree with the reviewer above that this is a must-read for anybody with interest in the history of North America.

I came away from reading this feeling a satisfaction at the author's statements, those of which I find truths within, describing what I know and understand about my own Plateau/Salish Flathead Culture. Our oral history tells us many things, the educational/religious system impressed upon us from 1843 tells us many things, and the world of the Salish Flatead continues to tell those who wish to listen - many things. However, so many 'academics', anthropologists, archaeologists, economists, scientists and 'ologists of many types... can write a great many things about what they have understood about Native Salish Culture - with the exception of... the 'real' insiders P-O-V. This book comes close.

Larry Cebula offers a thoughtful, insightful look on the Plateau Indians of Northwest U.S. and Canada. Instead of a mere recitation of facts, this history focuses on the spiritual life of the Indians of that period, and how their spirituality drove their relationship with the whites moving into the area. A must-read for anyone interested in American history.

The best book I've ever read about the Plateau Indians. I recommend it for anyone with a deep interest in the period. By coincidence I recently read a great textbook called Collective Behavior (Locher 2002) that helped me understand how some of these events could have taken place.

This is a very poor indication of the American Indian's quest for spiritual power. I was expecting something a little more based on hard factual information. I found the book disappointing. I expected some more colorful examples to support it's thesis. Save your money. A book like The spiritual Legacy of The American Indian might be a better choice.The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian: Commemorative Edition with Letters while Living with Black Elk (The Perennial Philosophy Series)