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Kirachi
Colonial Settler
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 04 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - February 07 2008 : 07:41:52 AM
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Just finished reading a book I found really good. It's called "Daughters of the Earth: The Lives and Legends of American Indian Women" by Carolyn Niethammer
I couldn't put it down once I started. After I'd finished reading I was left feeling great respect for these women and the huge role they played. It was also fascinating to learn about their every day lifes, customs and this book even touched upon some taboo subjects that were dealt with tactfully and honestly. Anyway I would urge anyone finding this subject interesting to run out and buy a copy.
Little more info on the book:
She was both guardian of the hearth and, on occasion, ruler and warrior, leading men into battle, managing the affairs of her people, sporting war paint as well as necklaces and earrings. She built houses and ground corn, wove blankets and painted pottery, played field hockey and rode racehorses.
Frequently she enjoyed an open and joyous sexuality before marriage; if her marriage didn't work out she could divorce her husband by the mere act of returning to her parents. She mourned her dead by tearing her clothes and covering herself with ashes, and when she herself died was often shrouded in her wedding dress.
Here, as it unfolded, is the chronology of the native American woman's life. Here are the birth rites of Caddo women from the Mississippi-Arkansas border, who bore their children alone by the banks of rivers and then immersed themselves and their babies in river water; here are Apache puberty ceremonies that are still carried on today, when the cost for the celebrations can run anywhere from one to six thousand dollars. Here are songs from the Night Dances of the Sioux, where girls clustered on one side of the lodge and boys congregated on the other; here is the Shawnee legend of the Corn Person and of Our Grandmother, the two female deities who ruled the earth. Far from the submissive, downtrodden "squaw" of popular myth, the native American woman emerges as a proud, sometimes stoic, always human individual from whom those who came after can learn much.
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RedFraggle
Mohicanite
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 13 2006
Status: offline
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Posted - February 07 2008 : 1:32:06 PM
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That sounds intersting, Kirachi. And glad you're back with us again! |
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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: May 19 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - February 07 2008 : 6:26:34 PM
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Kirachi,
Welcome back!
I corrected your typo, changing "Vative" to "Native" in your title for this topic. Moderators have the ability to do that! Hope you don't mind.....I know what you meant, but there are some who may have been 'confused'!!
Another GREAT Indian woman is Molly Brant, a Mohawk who was Sir William Johnson's consort and later his wife, sister of Joseph Brant, the great Mohawk War Chief. If you Google her name, you will turn up several books on her, including one of poems by Maurice Kenny, a contemporary Mohawk poet, published his series of poems, "Tekonwatonti, Molly Brant, Poems of War, 1735-1795" in 1992. His first works began appearing in print in the 1970s. He was awarded the prestigious American Book Award in 1984 for The Mama Poems and is now active both as a poet and an editor for the journal Contact II. He is also a dedicated performer, traveling the country by Greyhound bus to give readings at literary events, bookshops, and universities. I have his book, signed by him at an Authors' Night in the Adirondacks a few years ago. I had a wonderful hour or so visiting and chatting with him.
Molly and Joseph Brant are two of my very favorites!
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Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting '...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Kirachi
Colonial Settler
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 04 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - February 08 2008 : 06:07:33 AM
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quote: Originally posted by Seamus
Kirachi,
Welcome back!
I corrected your typo, changing "Vative" to "Native" in your title for this topic. Moderators have the ability to do that! Hope you don't mind.....I know what you meant, but there are some who may have been 'confused'!!
Another GREAT Indian woman is Molly Brant, a Mohawk who was Sir William Johnson's consort and later his wife, sister of Joseph Brant, the great Mohawk War Chief. If you Google her name, you will turn up several books on her, including one of poems by Maurice Kenny, a contemporary Mohawk poet, published his series of poems, "Tekonwatonti, Molly Brant, Poems of War, 1735-1795" in 1992. His first works began appearing in print in the 1970s. He was awarded the prestigious American Book Award in 1984 for The Mama Poems and is now active both as a poet and an editor for the journal Contact II. He is also a dedicated performer, traveling the country by Greyhound bus to give readings at literary events, bookshops, and universities. I have his book, signed by him at an Authors' Night in the Adirondacks a few years ago. I had a wonderful hour or so visiting and chatting with him.
Molly and Joseph Brant are two of my very favorites!
Thanks Seamus for the welcome back and adjusting my spelling mistake...I need to learn to type a little slower haha
Thanks for the info I will check into getting some books about Molly Brant.
Just a quick question for all, has anyone read "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West" I've read mixed reviews and was thinking of buying it but if anyone has any info on it to guide me that would be great |
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Michelle
Pioneer
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: February 02 2008
Status: offline
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Posted - February 08 2008 : 07:12:52 AM
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Good morning everyone....from the uk
And like the info you left below Kirachi very interesting!!!
Always good to find out more info on native history as we always have to realy search for the detailed info/... a great thankyou very much all the same,for sharing.
Hope everyone has a loverly day... off to finish my coffee and get on with my day...
Take care all |
Hi,im very much Interested in joining you all.I would love to know more about this venture.This would be my first time/so making new freinds in this community would be amazing. |
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Kirachi
Colonial Settler
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 04 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - February 09 2008 : 05:50:14 AM
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No problem Michelle, if you do decide to pick it up and have a read let me know what you think |
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