The Power of Kiowa Song: A Collaborative Ethnography (Religion in America)
Lassiter (anthropology, Ball State Univ.) presents a revised version of his 1995 Ph.D. dissertation. He begins his narrative with an account of his experiences in the Order of the Arrow, an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America, examining the influence of the Order's teachings on his conception of Indian culture. Then Lassiter details his evolution as he goes from powwows sponsored by hobbyists to contact with Kiowa Indians in Southwestern Oklahoma, where he travels the powwow circuit and sometimes performs as a head singer. In the book's second half, Lassiter focuses on the dance tradition known as the Gourd Dance and the Kiowa song associated with it. The power of the song, referred to in the title, comes from the way the members of the community hear and respond to it. The book works both as a personal and anthropological journey. The second half should be particularly valuable to scholars. This belongs in anthropology and folklore collections.?John Burch, Hagan Memorial Lib., Williamsburg, KYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.