Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners (Paperback)

~ (Author), Gail D. Tierney (Author)
Key Phrases: threeleaf sumac, yellow beeplant, desiccated human feces, Four Corners, Mesa Verde, Ancestral Puebloan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is the second book in a series by Dunmire and Tierney, exploring native plant uses. The book emphasises prehistoric uses of plants in the Four Corners area; focusing on Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Aztec Ruins, Hovenweep, and other major sites of the region once occupied by the Navajo, Ute, Paiute, Hopi, and Apache people. Dunmire and Tierney are able to eloquently illustrate: the importance of the people-plant relationship that has existed throughout the ages among native people; and how ancient traditional uses of these plants inform contemporary uses today. Through vignettes of background information drawn from lore and cultural traditions and interviews with tribal elders, "Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners" describes uses for edible, medicinal, and dye plants, as well as plants used for making baskets, tools, and shelters. Complementing these essays are profiles of fifty new trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and grasses common to traditional Native America.

From the Publisher

Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners is the second book in a series by Dunmire and Tierney exploring native plant uses. Following the much-acclaimed Wild Plants of the Pueblo Province, this new book emphasizes prehistoric uses of plants in the Four Corners area, focusing on Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Aztec Ruins, Hovenweep, and other major sites of the region once occupied by the Navajo, Ute, Paiute, Hopi, and Apache peoples. Dunmire and Tierney are able to eloquently illustrate the importance of the people-plant relationship that has existed throughout the ages among native peoples and how ancient traditional uses of these plants inform contemporary uses today. Through vignettes of background information drawn from lore and cultural traditions and interviews with tribal elders, Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners describes uses for edible, medicinal, and dye plants, as well as plants used for making baskets, tools, and shelters. Complementing these essays are profiles of fifty new trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and grasses common to traditional Native America. RMBPA, Runner-up Design Competition, 1997 Guide/Travel Book

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Museum of New Mexico Press (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890133190
• ISBN-13: 978-0890133194
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,244 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Ethnobotany
  #25 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Folklore
  #58 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Special Groups > Native American Studies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book those interested in Southwest Ethno-Botany, August 23, 2007

By	Padraic Gallagher (New Mexico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are interest in the Soutwest, mainly the four corners area, Botany and entho-botany this is a very informative book. It is well written and will appeal to both the novice and expert alike. What I really like about the book it is one of the few "text-book" style books that was interesting enough to read cover to cover.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Native Uses for southwest plants, February 13, 2009

By	CZ Coyote (Enoch, UT USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a good balance between a plant guide (most of the book) and a description of past and present uses and contexts (the first chapters).

5.0 out of 5 stars JUST WHAT I EXPECTED, September 5, 2009

By	Maryann M. Marks (PHILLY AREA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

THE BOOK IS A GREAT REFERENCE TO WHAT PEOPLE ATE (NATIVE AMERICANS) TO SURVIVE AND STAY HEALTHY. I AM VERY INTERESTED ALWAYS IN USING NATURAL NON CHEMICAL ITEMS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.
THE BOOK WAS A GREAT PRICE AND IT WAS IN GREAT SHAPE.