Includes bibliographical references (pages 308-312) and index.

Published in conjunction with the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian's new building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Native Universe offers readers a deeper understanding of Native philosophies, histories, and identities. Featuring essays by such distinguished Native Americans as Vine Deloria, Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux), Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee), Victor Montejo (Maya), and many more, Native Universe reveals the rich heritage and true diversity of the Indian Americas. Seneca author John C. Mohawk explores the profound meaning of ceremonial life and its intimate connections with the land, while Luci Tapahonso shows how ancestral traditions still shape modern Navajo life. Brenda J. Child (Red Lake Ojibwe) presents a poignant chronicle of the impact of Indian boarding schools on Native families and cultures, while Comanche writer Paul Chaat Smith recounts his days as an activist in the turbulent 1970s, when the American Indian Movement's drive for justice and political recognition led to new confrontations at Alcatraz, Wounded Knee, and Washington, D.C. Poems by Louise Erdrich and N. Scott Momaday, and a scene from Sherman Alexie's screenplay, Smoke Signals, are examples of a literary renaissance in which Native writers have captured the respect and imagination of the world. In visual counterpoint, 300 full-color illustrations depict examples of indigenous cultures, from dramatic ceremonial masks to intricate baskets and exquisite beadwork, that speak of the historical experience of Native peoples throughout the hemisphere and attest to their vitality today. Here too are photographs that depict the full range of Native life, from vibrant images of powwow dancing to the concentration of an artist at work, as well as contemporary Indian art that melds long-established themes with a thoroughly modern sensibility.

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