Native Ways: California Indian Stories and Memories
Gr. 5^-8. This collection of stories, memories, and descriptions reflects the richly varied California Indian cultures. From the opening description of a contemporary Indian celebration at Point Reyes National Seashore to highly personalized recollections, the book covers topics as varied as basket making, cooking, and religion, smoothly integrating scenes from both past and present. Together with numerous black-and-white photographs, the text, which neither glosses over nor dwells on harsh realities, provides a complex and many-faceted look at a group that is often oversimplified. The narrow geographic focus may limit appeal, but the lively account offers readers much greater depth than most books about American Indians. A listing of California Indian Resources and text and photo credits are appended.Karen Hutt