The Tsimshians are a Northwest Coast Native people known for their dazzling works of art and rich array of social, religious, and oral traditions that have captured the attention of scholars for over a century. Jay Miller brings together for the first time a wealth of material about the Tsimshians, presenting an unforgettable picture of their cultural universe. That universe is built around the metaphor of light, which was brought into the world by Raven; its refraction forms the chief social, religious, and symbolic institutions of Tsimshian culture. Family heraldic crests express light in one way, masks in another. Miller argues convincingly that the genius of Tsimshian culture, and one of the main reasons for its continuing vitality, is that its people are sensitive to different, and often creative, ways of capturing and embodying light.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"a welcome addition to the literature on the Tsimshian poples of the northern British Columbia coast...This is a significant book and an important contribution to the field, and it will be valued for its innovative analysis of Tsimshian culture through the ages." -- The British Columbian Quarterly Studies
About the Author
Jay Miller is the editor of Mourning Dove, A Salishan Autobiography (Nebraska 1991) and the author of Lushootseed Culture and the Shamanic Odyssey (Nebraska 1999).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, detailed account!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Tsimshian Culture: A Light through the Ages (Hardcover)
The past year or so I've been studying Tlingit and Haida art and culture. Miller's book is the first detailed and current account I've found on Tsimshians. I found Miller's book to be very readable. The book covers many aspects of Tsimshian culture including their art, ceremonies, myths, kinship structure, and also this concept of "light." It also highlights the work of other anthropologists such as Violet Garfield who conducted early 20th century field studies on Tsimshian.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tsimshian Culture,
By Jean Gortner (Des Moines, WA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tsimshian Culture: A Light through the Ages (Paperback)
A tough read. This book dives into the complexities of the Northwest Coast Tsimshian culture and, to a much lesser degree, other Northwest Native cultures. The culture is incredibly complex and difficult to understand to someone from outside the culture. Although the book includes an extensive review of and attempt to integrate prior research into this culture, if one does not have significant prior understanding of Northwest Native cultures, it will be difficult to understand. With some prior knowledge, the book is fascinating as it integrates the Tsimshian lifestyles and activities into their belief systems.
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