Weaving ourselves into the land
Subtitle: Charles Godfrey Leland, "Indians," and the study of Native American religions
By: Thomas C. Parkhill.
Series: SUNY series in Native American religions
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Albany
Language: eng
Number of pages: 238
Subjects: Leland, Charles Godfrey, 1824-1903; Indians of North America -- Religion; Algonquian mythology; Indians of North America -- Public opinion; Stereotype (Psychology); Public opinion -- North America
Description: It is now over half a millennium since the first sustained contact between the peoples of Europe and North America, yet Native Americans and especially their religious traditions still fascinate those who are not Native. In Weaving Ourselves in to the Land, Thomas Parkhill argues that this fascination draws much more on a stereotype of the "Indian" than on the lives and history of actual Native Americans.

This stereotype, whether used approvingly or disparagingly, has informed the work of authors writing about Native American religions for audiences with both general or professional interest. The figure of Charles Godfrey Leland plays an important part in Parkhill's investigation. Leland's 1884 collection of "legends" about the Micmac, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot culture hero Kluskap becomes the touchstone for reflection on the larger study of Native American religions.

The author argues that most scholars of these religions, including himself, continue to be - like Leland over a hundred years ago - bewitched by the stereotype of the "Indian."
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-227) and index.