|
Nebraska
Press Series 1
|
Series Ceremonies of
the Pawnee
Douglas R. Parks, James R. Murie,
Cloth: 1989,xiv,497,CIP.LC 88-28290,0-8032-3138-5
Paper: 1989,,,CIP.LC ,0-8032-8162-5
Studies in the Anthropology
of North American Indians Series
|
 |
For more information
or to purchase this book, you can also visit the
University
of Nebraska Press
"Here it is -Murie as it should
have been, beautifully and expertly edited, embellished
with forgotten pictures, and ready for use and study-
a permanent gift to the world of anthropology, the Caddoans,
and the Plains." -Alexander Lesser. "These
detailed descriptions of the major Pawnee Indian ceremonies
are unique in Plains Indian literature." -John
C. Ewers. Of all the American Indian tribes of the Plains,
the Pawnee and the closely related Arikara developed
their religious philosophy and ceremonialism to its
fullest; in fact, they may have developed it more highly
than any other group north of Mexico. Ceremonies of
the Pawnee is the first and only systematic, comprehensive
description of that rich and complex religious life.
Written under the direction of the anthropologist Clark
Wissler between 1914 and 1920, it is the culmination
of the ethnographic studies of James R. Murie, himself
a Pawnee, who witnessed and participated in revivals
of the ceremonialism just before it finally died out.
Part I presents the annual ritualistic cycle of the
Skiri band, giving detailed accounts of the major ceremonies
and describing the role of priests, doctors, and bundles
in Pawnee religion. Part II is devoted to three major
doctors' ceremonies -the White Beaver Ceremony, the
Bear Dance, and the Buffalo Dance- one of the three
groups known collectively as the South Bands. The descriptions
include, in both the original Pawnee and an English
translation, several hundred songs as well as a number
of ceremonial chants and speeches that are virtually
unique in the literature on American Indian religion
and provide invaluable material for linguistic study.
Equally valuable is the collection of vision stories
that underlie the songs. As a body they provide a new
perspective on the vision and its cultural patterning,
and allow for a deeper understanding of the cultural
and psychological bases of Pawnee religion. Dr. Douglas
R. Parks of the American Indian Studies Research Institute
at Indiana University has provided an overview of Pawnee
social organization and religion, along with explanatory
notes and a biography of Murie.
Back
to Nebraska Press Series 1
|
