Pueblo Indian Wisdom: Native American Legends and Mythology [Paperback]

Teresa Pijoan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

Anyone interested in mythology and legends will enjoy these stories which have been passed down orally for generations by the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest. They reveal Pueblo customs and traditions as well as the ceremonial aspects of Pueblo religion. A character called Grandfather, the fictional narrator of these stories, embodies the collective wisdom of the Pueblo Indians, the attitudes about universal dilemmas and conflicts in human life that developed through many generations. Some of the stories are realistic; others involve the supernatural. Some evoke the initial contact between the pueblos and the Spanish conquistadors. There are also tales of the joy and bitterness of interactions between parents and children, husbands and wives, and humans and spirits. Rites of passage and 'vision quests' often enter into the characters' attempts to live in harmony with nature, other humans, and spirits. Lessons on how to live, of growing up, marrying, parenting, and growing old sometimes emerge straightforwardly in these stories, but more often, readers are left to draw their own conclusions. These stories, collected by the Teresa Pijoan since she was eight years old, actually came from many different storytellers, some of them childhood friends of the author. She had heard several versions of each story before writing it down and she often used elements from one version to fill in the parts missing from other versions. She then showed her drafts of each story to members of several different pueblos and weighed their comments before putting each story in its present form.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"PUBELO INDIAN WISDOM will be of great interest to readers who care about myth, legend and tale...." -- NEW MEXICO MAGAZINE, June 2001

About the Author

Ms. Pijoan grew up on the San Juan Pueblo reservation and the Nambe Indian reservation in New Mexico, even though she herself is not Native American. But her early experiences and bicultural background instilled in her a deep respect for and an understanding of pueblo life. She is a national lecturer, storyteller, research writer, college professor, and teacher. She has lectured throughout Central Europe, Mexico, and the United States. She is also the author of American Indian Creation Myths and Ways of Indian Magic, as well as the mystery novel Dead Kachina Man, all published by Sunstone Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Sunstone Press; 1st edition (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865343195
• ISBN-13: 978-0865343191
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,191,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absorbing and thought-provoking assemblage of folklore, October 18, 2003

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pueblo Indian Wisdom: Native American Legends and Mythology (Paperback)

Pueblo Indian Wisdom: Native American Legends And Mythology is a collection by Teresa Pijoan of the legends, folktales, and myths which were passed down orally for generations among the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest. Powerfully rendered, the recorded drafts of each individual story was shown to multiple storytellers, with their comments taken into account for the final draft. An absorbing and thought-provoking assemblage of folklore, Pueblo Indian Wisdom is a welcome and commended addition to any personal, academic, or community library Native American Studies collection.