Customer Reviews

Tsimshian Culture: A Light through the Ages

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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.

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.