Presents detailed coverage of the deities, legendary heroes and heroines, important animals, objects, and places that make up the mythic lore of the many peoples of North America.

Alphabetically listed entries identify and explain the characters, events, important places, and other aspects of South American and Meso-American mythology.

The mythology of Native Americans is filled with clever creatures, such as Great Rabbit and Coyote, using their wits to overcome adversity. A reverence for nature, especially animals, is key to understanding these timeless tales. Readers will love the fun way these famous stories are presented, with humor and vivid illustrations. "Believe it or not!" boxes offer more facts about Native American cultures.

Mythology and religious-studies teachers will appreciate World Mythology for its thematic approach, historical background information, commentary, and discussion questions provided for each myth from a range of geographic regions. For the same reasons, any reader interested in mythology will enjoy the contents and format of the book.

A collection of traditional tales from around the world, reflecting the cultures and religions from which the stories come.

Native North Americans have rich and diverse cultures and traditions. However, many misconceptions, prejudices, and stereotypes exist due to the lack of understanding and ignorance of these cultures. It is important that children and adolescents learn about and appreciate the invaluable contributions that North American Native groups have made to American society. Equally important is the availability of resources that accurately and objectively portray the historical events that occurred when European settlers displaced thousands of Native North Americans from their ancestral homelands. In Native North Americans in Literature for Youth, Alice Crosetto and Rajinder Garcha identify hundreds of appropriate and quality resources, including books, Internet sites, and media titles for K-12 students and educators. Entries are subdivided into chapters covering geographic regions, history, religions, social life, customs and traditions, nations, oral tradition, biographies, and fiction. Additionally, there are chapters for general reference resources, curricular resources for educators, media, and Internet sites. Annotations provide complete bibliographical descriptions of the entries, and each entry is identified with the grade level for which it is best suited. Reviews, awards, series, and URLs for supplemental online resources are also included. Anyone—especially students, teachers, librarians, and parents—interested in locating useful and accurate resources regarding Native North Americans will find this reference book a helpful and essential tool.

Features over four hundred entries that explore such topics as the core beliefs of various tribes, creation accounts, and recurrent themes throughout North American native cultures. The beliefs of many Native American peoples emphasize a close relationship between people and the natural world, including geographical features such as mountains and lakes, and animals such as whales and bison. Therefore, many of the myths of these peoples are stories of strange occurrences where animals or forces of nature and people interact. These stories are full of vitality and have captured the attention of young people, in many cases, for centuries. Native American Mythology A to Z presents detailed coverage of the deities, legendary heroes and heroines, important animals, objects, and places that make up the mythic lore of the many peoples of North America from northern Mexico into the Arctic Circle. A comprehensive reference written for young people and illustrated throughout, this volume brings to life many Native American myths, traditions, and beliefs. Offering an in depth look at various aspects of Native American myths that are often left unexplained in other books on the subject, this book is a valuable tool for anyone interested in learning more about various Native American cultures. Coverage includes creation accounts from many Native American cultures; influences on and development of Native American mythology; the effects of geographic region, environment, and climate on myths; core beliefs of numerous tribes; recurrent themes in myths throughout the continent. The beliefs of many Native American peoples emphasize a close relationship between people and the natural world.

Those unfamiliar with the prehistory of North America have a general perception of the cultures of the continent that includes Native Americans living in tipis, wearing feathered headdresses and buckskin clothing, and following migratory bison herds on the Great Plains. Although these practices were part of some Native American societies, they do not adequately represent the diversity of cultural practices by the overwhelming majority of Native American peoples. Media misrepresentations shaped by television and movies along with a focus on select regions and periods in the history of the United States have produced an extremely distorted view of the indigenous inhabitants of the continent and their cultures. The indigenous populations of North America created impressive societies, engaged in trade, and had varied economic, social, and religious cultures. Over the past century, archaeological and ethnological research throughout all regions of North America has revealed much about the indigenous peoples of the continent. This book examines the long and complex history of human occupation in North America, covering its distinct culture as well as areas of the Arctic, California, Eastern Woodlands, Great Basin, Great Plains, Northwest Coast, Plateau, Southwest, and Subarctic. Complete with maps, a chronology that spans the history from 11,000 B.C. to A.D. 1850, an introductory essay, more than 700 dictionary entries, and a comprehensive bibliography, this reference is a valuable tool for scholars and students. An appendix of museums that have North American collections and a listing of archaeological sites that allow tours by the public also make this an accessible guide to the interested lay reader and high school student.

"Here there be dragons"--this notation was often made on ancient maps to indicate the edges of the known world and what lay beyond. Heroes who ventured there were only as great as the beasts they encountered. This encyclopedia contains more than 2,200 monsters of myth and folklore, who both made life difficult for humans and fought by their side. Entries describe the appearance, behavior, and cultural origin of mythic creatures well-known and obscure, collected from traditions around the world.

"Ancient North American cultures shared long-standing philosophical precepts, the most important of which was the Twinned Cosmos of Blood and Breath, as it spun out fractally in pairs from serpent-eagle to dwarf-giant. Spirits of Blood, Spirits of Breath unravels this philosophical balance using traditional thought"--Provided by publisher.