MBR: The Native American Shelf

The Native American Shelf

While God Was Hidden
Loren Dean Boutin
North Star Press of St. Cloud
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0451
9780878392728, $14.95 www (dot) northstarpress (dot) com
1-888-820-1636

Like Christianity, Native American spirituality is not monolithic,
but, while based on certain universal concepts of morality and ethics,
it is as diverse and variable as the tribes and tribal traditions that
comprise the varied Native American tribal cultures. A psychologist
who has extensively worked as a volunteer with the Mankato Wacipi in
Minnesota for many years, Loren Dean Boutin became a kind of
'reluctant convert' to concepts and practices embodied within Native
American spiritual traditions and practices. His experiences with the
Native American people he has encountered, worked with, and came to
respect is represented within the pages that comprise "While God Was
Hidden: A Spiritual Evolution". This articulate, deftly written,
engagingly anecdotal, and candidly biographical account is as informed
and informative as it is inspired and inspiring. Especially
recommended reading for students of Native American culture, "While
God Was Hidden" is a seminal and valued contribution to personal,
academic, and community library Religion & Spirituality as well as
Contemporary Native American Studies reference collections and
supplemental reading lists.

In the Shadow of the Eagle
Donna M. Loring
Tilbury House, Publishers
8 Mechanic Street, Gardiner, Maine 04345
9780884483021, $20.00 www (dot) tilburyhouse (dot) com 1-800-582-1899

Maine is the only American state to have tribal representatives seated
in its legislative body, a practice that originated in the 1820s. The
representatives from the Penobscot Nation and the Passamquoddy Tribe
don't have the power to vote, but they do serve on committees and may
chair study committees. Author Donna Loring served as a representative
of the Penobscot Nation; In the Shadow of the Eagle: A Tribal
Representative in Maine is the story of her fight to have her voice
heard. She was deeply involved in issues such as the drive to change
offensive names; the teaching of Native American history in Maine
schools; casinos and racinos; and the interpretation of sovereign
rights for tribes. Written in first-person perspective, In the Shadow
of the Eagle tells Loring's story of her tireless job from the
beginning of 2000 to the spring of 2002, interspersed with a handful
of black-and-white photographs. Highly recommended, especially for
Native American studies shelves. "I find that most people who are
against a casino are well-to-do or are against it for moral reasons.
In Kittery, for instance, they are often people from out of state who
have moved to Maine to retire or who are wealthy and have moved to
Maine to be left alone... Maine people who are poor or who have lost
their jobs are more willing to consider the casino alternative."

Aboriginal Architecture: Living Architecture
Mushkeg Productions with the National Film Board of Canada
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
0772212090, $295.00 www (dot) bullfrogfilms (dot) com 1-800-543-3764

Aboriginal Architecture: Living Architecture is an educational DVD
that examines the wondrous diversity of North American Native
architecture - both through history and with regard to its
ramifications upon modern-day construction. Offering a virtual tour of
seven Aboriginal communities (Pueblo, Mohawk, Inuit, Crow, Navajo,
Coast Salish and Haida), Aboriginal Architecture portrays native
design concepts not as a dead, abandoned art form, but as a living,
breathing source of inspiration and practicality for architecture in
the present day. Modern Aboriginal architects drawing upon the ancient
precepts present their stories and revelations, in this wonderfully
enriching documentary. Aboriginal Architecture: Living Architecture is
especially recommended for classroom viewing by students in grades
seven to twelve as well as adult, particularly those engaged in
architectural or Native American studies. 93 minutes, closed
captioned, color.

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