Native North American Shamanism - (Bibliographies and Indexes in American History) Annotated by Shelley Anne Osterreich (Hardcover)

About the Book

Shamanism is part of the spiritual life of nearly all Native North Americans. This bibliography gives the reader access to a wealth of information on shamanism from the Bering Strait to the Mexican border and from Maine to Florida. It includes articles and books focusing on the spiritual connections of Native Americans to the world through shamans. The books covered compare practices from tribe to tribe, make distinctions between witchcraft or sorcery and shamanism, and discuss the artifacts and tools of the trade. Many are well illustrated, including collections from the nineteenth century.

Book Synopsis

Shamanism is part of the spiritual life of nearly all Native North Americans. This bibliography gives the reader access to a wealth of information on shamanism from the Bering Strait to the Mexican border and from Maine to Florida. It includes articles and books focusing on the spiritual connections of Native Americans to the world through shamans. The books covered compare practices from tribe to tribe, make distinctions between witchcraft or sorcery and shamanism, and discuss the artifacts and tools of the trade. Many are well illustrated, including collections from the nineteenth century.

Review Quotes

?[t]his work is a thorough and comprehensive account of shamanic practices cross-culturally and as such is an important and invaluable resource for anyone interested in the topic. Moreover, the impressive breadth of Winkelman's multidiciplinary research will ensure that the book will be of interest to individuals participating in a variety of differing areas of research and theorizing.?-Transcultural Psychiatry

?The annotations are quite lengthy and give the compiler's perspective on what the book or article included, making it convenient to locate particular information, and many of the book selections are readily available in many bookstores and most libraries.?-American Reference Books Annual

?What a gem! Rarely does one encounter a title so interesting and informative in the form of a bibliography....The superb annotations for each entry are clearly the most noteworthy feature of this volume; most run about 500 words, but some are as long as 1,000. Even the shorter annotations provide a wealth of information and detail. An extensive, detailed index is also included. Very highly recommended, undergraduate through professional.?-Choice

"Ýt¨his work is a thorough and comprehensive account of shamanic practices cross-culturally and as such is an important and invaluable resource for anyone interested in the topic. Moreover, the impressive breadth of Winkelman's multidiciplinary research will ensure that the book will be of interest to individuals participating in a variety of differing areas of research and theorizing."-Transcultural Psychiatry

"[t]his work is a thorough and comprehensive account of shamanic practices cross-culturally and as such is an important and invaluable resource for anyone interested in the topic. Moreover, the impressive breadth of Winkelman's multidiciplinary research will ensure that the book will be of interest to individuals participating in a variety of differing areas of research and theorizing."-Transcultural Psychiatry

"The annotations are quite lengthy and give the compiler's perspective on what the book or article included, making it convenient to locate particular information, and many of the book selections are readily available in many bookstores and most libraries."-American Reference Books Annual

"What a gem! Rarely does one encounter a title so interesting and informative in the form of a bibliography....The superb annotations for each entry are clearly the most noteworthy feature of this volume; most run about 500 words, but some are as long as 1,000. Even the shorter annotations provide a wealth of information and detail. An extensive, detailed index is also included. Very highly recommended, undergraduate through professional."-Choice

About the Author

SHELLEY ANNE OSTERREICH is Assistant Librarian at Central Connecticut State University and the author of The American Indian Ghost Dance, 1870 and 1890: An Annotated Bibliography (Greenwood, 1991).