American Indian Religious Traditions: An Encyclopedia

How is peyote used in Native American religious ceremonies? How do various tribes conduct the rites of birth, adolescence, marriage, and death? What is potlatch and why was its practice forbidden? Readers will learn how religious tradition influences Native American social, political, and material culture and vice versa.

From Booklist
The purpose of these volumes is to compile a "set of articles to define the study of American Indian religious traditions" as they are understood by the people within the communities. More than half of the nearly 100 authors are of Native American descent. The editors felt that it was important to represent the true nature and context of Native religious life, and to that end, they have taken some liberties with the encyclopedia format, making the index in the third volume essential for locating specific information. In some entries, first-person accounts and the citing of Native elders as authoritative sources represent further departures from standard encyclopedia conventions.

In general, content is presented in long entries covering topics broadly rather than in short, dictionary-style treatments. Coverage of topics such as dance, ritual and ceremony, and religious leadership is divided by geographic region (for example, Religious leadership, Alaska; Religious leadership, Great Lakes). Each entry is followed by suggestions for further reading and research. Names and terminologies are given in their original language (Kwakwak'wakw instead of Kwakiutl), but the index helps alleviate confusion. Preceding the entries is a regional survey with maps. A table of contents is repeated at the beginning of each volume, and an appendix at the end of volume 3 lists the 500 tribes recognized by the U.S Bureau of Indian Affairs. The encyclopedia includes a wide variety of black-and-white photos.

Perhaps the only other book covering this topic is the Encyclopedia of Native American Religions (Facts On File, 2000), which is not as academic in its coverage but gives more complete detail on individual rites and persons, making it a good companion volume. American Indian Religious Traditions: An Encyclopedia is highly recommended for academic and large public library collections. Diana Shonrock
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