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Title: Native American Religious Identity: Unforgotten Gods by Jace Weaver ISBN: 1-57075-181-1 Publisher: Orbis Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.00

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Average Customer Rating: 3 (1 review)

Rating: 3
Summary: Academic Treatment of Important Issues
Comment: This book is an anthology on various topics relating to the issues of Indian spirituality. There are articles on the Sun Dance, Usen, NAGPRA issues, Indian law and property. Jace Weaver, a Yale academic and lawyer edited the book. Many of the articles come from the world of academe, but some come from ministers and the like. I had to read this book for a class on Indian religion and for the most part, the articles delivered. Some of the stuff here is quite hostile to European ideas and people. This is no surprise, as many pro-Indian intellectuals seem to define themselves in the context of opposition to European ideals.

In the style of many recent academic writings, some of the articles are seriously flawed with technical jargon. Words such as praxis, hermeneutic and discourse dominate. You know you're in trouble when you see "social construct" and "dominant culture" tossed around frequently. These words and ideas tell the reader he is deep in the universe of the politically correct multiculturalists. If the reader can get past these problems, there is a surprising amount of good information to be found. Of particular note is the excellent "Cherokee Folktale" found at the beginning of the book. One of the best pieces of literature I have read in some time! Other articles of note concern interesting interpretations of Scripture (that give such passages as John 1:1-4 a uniquely Indian aspect), a weird article on homosexuality and Indian culture that is sure to ruffle some feathers, and an article on Marx and Indian culture. The Marx article is especially noteworthy because it tries to show the reader that the best course for humanity is to revert to a sort of tribal Marxism independent of European culture. This article believes that Marxism, as we know and think of it, is closely tied to Capitalism because it relates exclusively to the European industrial system. In other words, get rid of the industrial mindset and return to a pre-industrial, tribal community. An interesting idea that is almost sure to go nowhere in the globalist system of today.

This book is sure to anger some while making others ecstatic. If you're used to plodding through scholarly journal articles, you'll make it through this relatively unscathed. For those who have zero background in modern Indian issues, this book might be too much. Of course, if you're reading this review, you are definitely ready to read this book. Recommended (with reservations).