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Native people from what is now Michigan had seashells in their garments that came from what is now Florida, and copper from Michigan was used by the American Indian peoples of Florida. Trade routes were in existence throughout what is now called North America for thousands of years before the mass European immigration to this land. Thus the idea of trading/buying is nothing new for Native people. So....
This section of Native Circle is how we keep the lights on, but it is more than that. We offer cultural lessons alongside music, books and other items that you can purchase via their links to our other sites. Some of what we offer comes from John Two-Hawks, who is the founder of Native Circle and the provider of all the content for this site. But we also showcase other artists and products. For example, we have taken the time to review and recommend American Indian related books and offer them to you via Amazon. With so many books on America's shelves that contain incorrect and damaging information about the history, culture and customs of Indian people, we believe it is necessary to direct readers to books that are authentic and correct. So take a scroll, learn a bit, and make a 'trade' with us! Thanks!
This section of Native Circle is how we keep the lights on, but it is more than that. We offer cultural lessons alongside music, books and other items that you can purchase via their links to our other sites. Some of what we offer comes from John Two-Hawks, who is the founder of Native Circle and the provider of all the content for this site. But we also showcase other artists and products. For example, we have taken the time to review and recommend American Indian related books and offer them to you via Amazon. With so many books on America's shelves that contain incorrect and damaging information about the history, culture and customs of Indian people, we believe it is necessary to direct readers to books that are authentic and correct. So take a scroll, learn a bit, and make a 'trade' with us! Thanks!
Music
Music, song and dance has long been an integral part of Native cultures. First there was the voice. Then came the rasp. After that came the rattle, the drum and the flute. Indigenous music all has a sacred center. You cannot separate the human being from the Spirit. The two are truly one in the same. Therefore, any music or song which is performed in a traditional style by a Native person will always have the indelible nuance of Spirit contained within. Having said that, there are old songs which are considered sacred, and those songs are for praying and ceremony. So you will not, with a few rare exceptions, find recordings of these old ceremonial songs for sale. Those songs are passed down from mouth to ear, from teacher to student. But suffice it to say that most, if not all, contemporary traditional style Native music albums will have spiritual undertones. In old times music, song and dance was a way to pray. The same is still true today. When Native people dance, that dance is an expression of spirituality. It is sacred. The drum, the songs, they too are sacred. The regalia worn by the dancers is sacred as well. So when you hear contemporary Native music, know that it too has a sacred heart, and that those songs, though not the old ceremonials, still honor and speak of Spirit....
Books
A LOT of books have been written about Native culture, history and peoples. We prefer books written by Indigenous authors. That is not to say that there aren't great books written on Native topics by non-Indian authors; there are, and we have included some of those here as well. Having said that, there is no better vantage point for understanding than from the source. No one can comprehend the subtle nuances of the American Indian experience better than the person who is American Indian and has walked in those shoes and lived it. Thus the list of our recommended books will be predominantly by Native authors. If you wish to buy any of these books, just click/tap on the image or link.
Children's Books
"Gift Horse - A Lakota Story"
S.D. Nelson
A beautiful told and illustrated story of a Lakota youth whose father gives him a horse in preparation for his making the transition from boyhood into manhood and becoming a Lakota Warrior.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
S.D. Nelson
A beautiful told and illustrated story of a Lakota youth whose father gives him a horse in preparation for his making the transition from boyhood into manhood and becoming a Lakota Warrior.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back"
By Joseph Bruchac & Jonathan London - Illustrated by Thomas Locker
In Native American legend, the thirteen scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to the thirteen cycles of the moon and the changing seasons. These lyrical poems and striking paintings celebrate the wonder of the seasons, from the Northern Cheyenne's Moon of the Popping Trees to the Big Moon of the Abenaki.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Joseph Bruchac & Jonathan London - Illustrated by Thomas Locker
In Native American legend, the thirteen scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to the thirteen cycles of the moon and the changing seasons. These lyrical poems and striking paintings celebrate the wonder of the seasons, from the Northern Cheyenne's Moon of the Popping Trees to the Big Moon of the Abenaki.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"A Boy Called Slow"
By Joseph Bruchac - Illustrated by Rocco Baviera
Anxious to be given a name as strong and brave as that of his father, a proud Lakota Sioux boy grows into manhood, acting with careful deliberation, determination, and bravery, which eventually earned him his proud new name: Tatanka Iyotanka - Sitting Bull.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Joseph Bruchac - Illustrated by Rocco Baviera
Anxious to be given a name as strong and brave as that of his father, a proud Lakota Sioux boy grows into manhood, acting with careful deliberation, determination, and bravery, which eventually earned him his proud new name: Tatanka Iyotanka - Sitting Bull.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"Jingle Dancer"
By Cynthia Leitich Smith - Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu
Jenna loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared by generations of women in her family, and she hopes to dance at the next powwow. But she has a problem—how will her dress sing if it has no jingles? The affirming story of how a contemporary Native American girl turns to her family and community to help her dance find a voice.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Cynthia Leitich Smith - Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright & Ying-Hwa Hu
Jenna loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared by generations of women in her family, and she hopes to dance at the next powwow. But she has a problem—how will her dress sing if it has no jingles? The affirming story of how a contemporary Native American girl turns to her family and community to help her dance find a voice.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
Adult Readers
"An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States"
By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire. Spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples’ history radically re-frames US history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative. One of our most highly recommended books.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire. Spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples’ history radically re-frames US history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative. One of our most highly recommended books.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"Red Earth, White Lies"
By Vine Deloria Jr. PhD
This book should be required reading in all high schools and universities. Deloria masterfully challenges and effectively discredits the widely accepted but grossly inaccurate scientific theories of evolution, radiocarbon dating techniques, and the Bering Strait migration hoax. This book is for anyone who seeks the truth.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Vine Deloria Jr. PhD
This book should be required reading in all high schools and universities. Deloria masterfully challenges and effectively discredits the widely accepted but grossly inaccurate scientific theories of evolution, radiocarbon dating techniques, and the Bering Strait migration hoax. This book is for anyone who seeks the truth.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"The Sacred Pipe"
By Black Elk - with Jospeh Epes Brown
Joseph Epes Brown lived with Hehaka Sapa - Black Elk on the reservation while he recorded the Lakota Holy Man's account of the seven most sacred rites of the Oglala Lakota people. This book is a detailed expression of the function and purpose of these ancient ceremonies, and imparts a great understanding of the awesome complexity, order and beauty of Lakota community and culture of the past.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Black Elk - with Jospeh Epes Brown
Joseph Epes Brown lived with Hehaka Sapa - Black Elk on the reservation while he recorded the Lakota Holy Man's account of the seven most sacred rites of the Oglala Lakota people. This book is a detailed expression of the function and purpose of these ancient ceremonies, and imparts a great understanding of the awesome complexity, order and beauty of Lakota community and culture of the past.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"To Make a Voice - Native Flute Lessons and Wisdom"
By John Two-Hawks
This is a unique book. Though there are a few basic pointers on playing the Native American Flute, this book is not intended to be a tutorial manual, so don't buy it if you are seeking a 'how to play' songbook. There are plenty of those. This humble little book explores much more than 'how to play' the Native American flute. It is a total immersion into the history, lessons, wisdom and cultural meaning hidden deep within the sacred voice of all American Indian flutes, from an Indigenous perspective.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at JohnTwoHawks.com
By John Two-Hawks
This is a unique book. Though there are a few basic pointers on playing the Native American Flute, this book is not intended to be a tutorial manual, so don't buy it if you are seeking a 'how to play' songbook. There are plenty of those. This humble little book explores much more than 'how to play' the Native American flute. It is a total immersion into the history, lessons, wisdom and cultural meaning hidden deep within the sacred voice of all American Indian flutes, from an Indigenous perspective.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at JohnTwoHawks.com
"Good Medicine - Finding Inner Balance and Healing Through Indigenous Wisdom"
By John Two-Hawks
Originally written to accompany the CD by the same name, this book has since transcended its beginnings. It explores 14 thoughts on life, wisdom, balance and purposeful living, all from an Indigenous perspective.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at JohnTwoHawks.com
By John Two-Hawks
Originally written to accompany the CD by the same name, this book has since transcended its beginnings. It explores 14 thoughts on life, wisdom, balance and purposeful living, all from an Indigenous perspective.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at JohnTwoHawks.com
"Neither Wolf Nor Dog - On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder"
By Kent Nerburn
In this 1996 Minnesota Book Award winner, Kent Nerburn draws the reader deep into the world of an Indian elder known only as Dan. It’s a world of Indian towns, white roadside cafes, and abandoned roads that swirl with the memories of the Ghost Dance and Sitting Bull. This book is the story of two men struggling to find a common voice, and it takes readers to the heart of the Native American experience. Highly recommended.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Kent Nerburn
In this 1996 Minnesota Book Award winner, Kent Nerburn draws the reader deep into the world of an Indian elder known only as Dan. It’s a world of Indian towns, white roadside cafes, and abandoned roads that swirl with the memories of the Ghost Dance and Sitting Bull. This book is the story of two men struggling to find a common voice, and it takes readers to the heart of the Native American experience. Highly recommended.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"Crazy Horse - Strange Man of the Oglalas"
By Mari Sandoz
In his forward in the newly revised edition of this incredible book, Vine Deloria Jr. goes to great lengths to validate this literary work as one of the most accurate accounts ever written of the life of the 3rd generation, and most famous, Tasunke Witko - Crazy Horse, who was called Curly, or Light Haired Boy in his early years due to his light hair, grey eyes and fair complexion. Crazy Horse was 100% Lakota, and had a spiritual power, hence the term 'strange man of the Oglalas'. This book is a fabulous insight into the life of this quiet and humble, yet fierce leader of the Lakota.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Mari Sandoz
In his forward in the newly revised edition of this incredible book, Vine Deloria Jr. goes to great lengths to validate this literary work as one of the most accurate accounts ever written of the life of the 3rd generation, and most famous, Tasunke Witko - Crazy Horse, who was called Curly, or Light Haired Boy in his early years due to his light hair, grey eyes and fair complexion. Crazy Horse was 100% Lakota, and had a spiritual power, hence the term 'strange man of the Oglalas'. This book is a fabulous insight into the life of this quiet and humble, yet fierce leader of the Lakota.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"
By Dee Brown
Brown's eloquent, fully documented account of the systematic destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the 19th century. A national bestseller for more than a year after its initial publication, it has sold nearly four million copies worldwide and has been translated into at least 17 languages. Brutally honest and truthful regarding the atrocities committed against Indians by the United States of America.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
By Dee Brown
Brown's eloquent, fully documented account of the systematic destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the 19th century. A national bestseller for more than a year after its initial publication, it has sold nearly four million copies worldwide and has been translated into at least 17 languages. Brutally honest and truthful regarding the atrocities committed against Indians by the United States of America.
Click/Tap the book to buy it at Amazon
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