Customer Reviews:
a beautiful story.......2007-10-06
I'm adding this book to my short list of best books I have read, those that I want my children to read as they grow up. It left me crying, and happy.
A heart touching reading experience.......2007-09-16
This is a book that has truely stood the test of time. First published in Canada in 1967, it was later published in the US in 1973 and rose to #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
I started reading "I Heard the Owl Call My Name" at 11 pm and simply could not put down. I finished it 3 hours later. From the first page, author Margaret Craven drew me into this novel of the lives of a Native Canadian tribe living in coastal British Columbia and the young vicar who is sent to minister to them.
The vicar, Mark, does not know that he has only two to three years left to live but in the prologue, we, the readers, find out when the doctor informs his Bishop. Being aware of that looming shadow of death makes the other deaths in the book even more poignant; the human deaths, as well as, the death of the Native way of life.
We travel with Mark on his path of discovery as he learns how to live and work among the people he's come to serve. We experience his loneliness, his uncertainty and share in the joy and sadness as he comes to love and respect this tribe and the individuals in it, just as they come to love and respect and ultimately to accept him as one of their own.
By the end, tears were streaming down my face. I can't remember the last time I was affected so profoundly by a book.
If you haven't read this, I highly recommend it. And if you are one of those who were forced to read this as a high school English assignment, I encourage you to come back to it in a few years time and read it again. You'll be able to see it then with different eyes.
I heard the owl call my name.......2007-07-26
the book was interesting and a wonderful story sad at the end but it was wonderful I couldn't put the book down and had to read it all.
Owl re-visited.......2007-02-01
I ordered this recently because I passed the copy I purchased in 1975 to my grandaughter , who has asked me if she can keep it.Of course I said "Yes" , but find I really miss having a copy in the house.
Story takes you out of the hubbub and into the essentials.
The Owl..........2007-01-21
What does one do for a friend who has only a year or two to live? Do you coddle him or challenge him? That's the premise of I Heard the Owl Call My Name. The bishop who is faced with this question, chooses to send his young ill vicar off to the hardest and most remote parish, a small village in British Columbia. The book covers the remaining months of the vicar's life without dwelling on his situation.
Instead, the book focuses on how the vicar learns the culture of the Kwakiutl and likewise how the Kwakiutl begin to slowly accept that the outside world is beginning to seep into their culture as their children seek education outside of the village.
I Heard the Owl Call My Name is a tender story about two cultures learning from each other as seen through the eyes of a young vicar sent to Kingcome, a village in the Pacific Northwest. It's one of the few books where neither culture is favored in how they are portrayed. Both have their good bits and their bad bits. Characters have good days and bad days and are allowed to grow into well rounded individuals.
Book Description
Inspired by Robinson Crusoe and Jack London, Michael Modzelewski, jettisoned all baggage accompanying life in the comfortable middle class and set out to find raw, unharnessed wilderness. He found it on Blackfish Sound ("Blackfish" is the Kwakiutl Indian word for the killer whale) in the Inside Passage, the rugged coastline between Seattle and Alaska.
Leaving his home in Aspen, which had become a false Shangri-La for him, Modzelewski settled on a desolate island in the Inside Passage, a place which "after seducing you with beauty would shake you with fear. An unpredictable place that kept you always prepared, honed to the keen edge of life." Here he lived alone for months on end.
Inside Passage describes his experiences in this unspoiled setting, where the sky is his ceiling, mountains are his walls, and physical challenges test him down to the marrow. He also forms unusual friendships with passing yachters, salmon fishermen, Kwakiutl Indians, loners, and the owner of the house he is staying at, Will Malloff, a man of oversized personality -- a healer, builder, woodsman, and thinker. Modzelewski writes with a love for nature and gentle humor about his interactions with the native animals (eagles, whales, wolves), local animals (cats, dogs, "tame" wild boars), and other settlers.
Inside Passage is the powerful story of one man learning the ways of self-reliance in a soul-filled search through the northern wilderness.
Customer Reviews:
Real Deal.......2006-04-25
I live in Alaska and a friend recommended Mr. Modzelewski's book. And now I recommend it to the world. Sure, there's the usual descriptions of animals, ocean, weather and solitude but what makes this book special is the author goes so much deeper into the Spirit behind things. Haven't stopped thinking about his experiences and it's been a month now since I finished the book.
PURE DRAMA.......2005-06-19
I'm an actress and read scripts, rarely books -- but after a producer friend recommended Inside Passage to me, I couldn't put it down! In fact, I read it three times. It was like watching a movie -- that's how vividly Michael Modzelewski writes. Alaska is a far different world than Los Angeles and I escaped completely to a pure and inspiring reality. Thank you, Michael! You are gifted and blessed. And who knows? Maybe we can turn this captivating story into a film, with the author and animals the main characters and could there be a more beautiful setting than the Inside Passage to Alaska -- as evoked so wonderfully in this poetic prose.
Interesting but too idealistic.......2005-04-01
Quick read. Definitely worth it if you have been or are going to be in the region. Some of his scientific stuff is a little off but it's not the right book if you are looking for exacting detail on these subjects. Modzelewski's perspectives were very idealistic and I found it a little difficult to believe that the experiences he relates were quite a spiritual or mind altering as he sometimes makes them seem. The author does pull series of stories or facts together well. The chapters addressed themes - like the tribes, animals, the island's owner, etc. Modzelewski doesn't try to tell you everything there is to know about any of these subjects but selects what he thinks is interesting and relates it briefly. Often the points he makes or the stories he chooses to tell are not ones that you might have expected.
Inside Passage -- Captivating!!!!!.......2004-09-08
A wonderful voyage in mother nature's womb, evoking feelings of awe, and revere at the colossal universe, inhaling the powerful imagery of wilderness through Michael.
Beyond Human.......2004-08-11
Michael Modzelewski writes like a wild animal. If the beasts could speak it wouldn't come out much different than how Michael describes them. The author knows no limits -- extending into and giving shape to all animate matter in super insightful poetic prose.
Book Description
For more than a generation, this pioneering book has been an indispensable introduction to the field of anthropology. Here, in her study of three sharply contrasting cultures, Benedict puts forward her famous thesis that a people's culture is an integrated whole, a "personality writ large." Includes a preface from Margaret Mead.
Customer Reviews:
readable, classic ethnography.......2007-01-10
Very, very easy to digest. Anyone interested in the history of anthropology or in Native American Indians will find this book a good read. It's a bit dated, but if you can let that go, you'll get a lot out of it.
This Book Has At Least One Significant "Insight".......2006-04-16
I read this book many years ago and I haven't looked at it lately. So, this is strictly from memory. What I remember about the book is that from the book I acquired this "insightful idea" : that as we learn our own culture we become a "prisoner" of our ONE culture. We become a prisoner because we only know ONE culture. If we only know ONE culture we have "no choice" but to "live and think" WITHIN that ONE culture. But, if we know two or three or twenty cultures we can then "free" outselves from living and thinking and perceiving in ONE way. We will then have choices BETWEEN more than one way of life, we will have choices between more than one way of thinking and we will have choices between more than one way of perceiving the world. The knowledge of more than one culture gives us "more freedom" of choice. Thus we cease to be "a prisoner of culture". We become somewhat of an "overman" because we are "free to choose" among many cultural possibilities that people with only ONE culture cannot. And, we can become a "participant observer" among many cultures. We can choose how to live, perceive, and think among many more possibilities which gives us "more freedom" of action. This "insight" has freed me to choose "the best" aspects among many cultures thus enriching my life and giving me more choices about how to live my life. If this book does the same for you, then it has served its purpose. I recommend the book because of the "cultural freedom" you may acquire from reading it. Email: Boland7214@aol.com
Outdated and Outlandish.......2002-12-21
To put it bluntly, this book is garbage. The language is so dry and the tone of the anthropologist so condescending, it makes one picture Ms. Benedict smoking a pipe in an armchair of a library somewhere.
This book should come under fire because Benedict let others do much of the research for her. This is a theme revisited in many of her works (i.e. "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword"). She received much flack for it, as well she should. Anthropology lived vicariously is not anthropology at all.
a classic in the field.......1998-10-16
This book describes several diverse cultures in depth and detail. The emphasis is on overall world view and the conceptual foundations of each culture. The writing is lucid, involving and evocative. This book sheds more light on the issue of what is basic to all human nature, and what is culturaly influenced, then any other I know.
Average customer rating:
- A Story Steeped in History
- Breaking The Silence
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Secret of the Dance
Andrea Spalding , and
Alfred Skow
Manufacturer: Orca Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Canada
| History & Historical Fiction
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Canada
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ASIN: 1551433966 |
Book Description
A boy will never forget witnessing a forbidden Potlatch.
Customer Reviews:
A Story Steeped in History.......2007-05-14
For young Watl'kina, taking the fishing boat with his family to a small village nestled in an inlet starts out as an adventure. He's not sure why they're going, or what the strangely wrapped bundles contained that were hidden on board the boat during the night. When he and his siblings are put to bed while his parents meet with the Elders, Watl'kina is disappointed to not be part of the feast and festivities. He knows, though, that if an Indian Agent were to have followed their boat from home, there would be trouble.
After his younger siblings are asleep, Watl'kina is unable to resist the lure of the drums and chanting he hears outside his window. He sneaks away, only to meet masked figures who allow him entrance into the Big House. There, he's able to watch the ceremony, the dancing, and the chanting. He even sees, for the one and only time in his life, his masked father dancing.
SECRET OF THE DANCE is based on history, when the Canadian government instituted laws forbidding the Aboriginal people to hold their ritual ceremonies. Offered a choice between prison and having their ceremonial garb and regalia confiscated, many chose prison.
Although this story might be too complicated for older children who don't understand true oppression or the Aboriginal customs, it's still an interesting look in how the world has come full circle.
Breaking The Silence .......2006-12-19
Picture a man whose life's work has been to uphold the law. Picture that same man with a childhood secret that could have sent his family to jail. Now picture Canada in 1935 when Aboriginal cultural practices like the Potlatch were forbidden. Award-winning children's author Andrea Spalding and Judge Alfred Scow, a Kwakwa'ka'wakw Nations elder have teamed up to tell a story based on the judge's childhood, Secret of the Dance. It is beautifully illustrated by Darlene Gait whose blend of high realism and native motifs enrich every page.
"Many years ago, when the world and I were younger, my family defied the government." begins Judge Scow's story. The narrator, Watl'kina tells us that in 1935, an Indian Agent (government representative) warned his parents that the Potlatch and the dancing that were a part of a Potlatch ceremony were illegal. Watl'kina's family knew that the Potlatch was an essential part of their cultural identity. They used a fishing trip to disguise a visit to family in a nearby village hosting a Potlatch. They were careful to keep the reason for their visit secret even from their children. Their attendance at a Potlatch ceremony could result in the adult members of the family being jailed and their children being taken away. As the oldest child, Watl'kina was charged with looking after his younger siblings while his parents attended the village long house. But, the drums from the long house called him and Watl'kina could not resist. He crept through the night to the long house where he witnessed not only the unforgettable ceremony, but a familiar figure dancing. It was his father.
The great joy in reading quality picture books lay in the many levels that they can be read at. Secret of the Dance definately resides in this quality picture book category. A young child could simply enjoy the adventure of a trip and sneaking out at night to witness something special but forbidden, while the more experienced reader will understand the historical and cutural importance of bearing witness and yet having to hide that knowlege. Furthermore, First Nations readers can take tremendous pride in being part of a cuture able to withstand repeated and often times brutal attemps to destroy it.
While Secret of the Dance is fictional, the danger of being caught at a Potlatch would have been all too real. It created a blanket of silence during Judge Scow's childhood and a climate of secrecy. Secret of the Dance is another step in throwing off the blanket of silence over a shameful chapter in our history, and one that nearly destroyed the rich cultural heritage of Coastal First Nations. Healing can only happen when a wound is exposed and treated. Stories like Judge Scow's are a long needed medicine for wounds too long covered up. It is a compelling story that brings recent history to life.
Book Description
An excellent portrayal of the life and values of a Kwakiutl group! Gilford Island, home to a contemporary Kwakiutl community in British Columbia, is the setting of this case study. This village, representative of other Kwakiutl communities, is comprised of a fishing people who have retained much of their age-old social and cultural identity as an Indian population. The authors both describe the distinctive quality of Kwakiutl life as observed on Gilford Island and outline some of the major characteristics of the traditional Kwakiutl social system including the rank-class structure, potlatches, and the impressive winter ceremonial.
Customer Reviews:
Story of a Community in Transition.......2005-02-17
This book is an ethnographic description of a group of Kwakiutl Indians living in Gilford, British Columbia, a coastal fishing community in the 1960s. The Rohners lived in Gilford for about 14 months altogether from 1962-1964. During this time, Evelyn served as the community schoolteacher in the one-room schoolhouse, while Ronald occupied himself with ethnographic research. The Kwakiutl were not familiar with profession of anthropology, and were quite suspicious, especially at first, of Ronald's activities, particularly his constant note-taking. Eventually, they came to accept the couple, mostly because of Evelyn's treating them with respect as the parents of her charges. Through their observations of the village and villagers, they were able together to compile a broad description of village life. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photographs and maps. There is a short list of references at the end of the book, but no index.
The book is divided into two parts, contemporary society, and society in the past, the Potlatch Period. The majority of the book is devoted to describing contemporary society. The Rohners begin by telling us of the environment in the Gilford area, both physical and man-made. They note that the population is ever fluctuating, with migrants coming to town for labor, or leaving for other jobs. Empty housing is often taken over by newcomers, leading to conflict if and when the original inhabitants return. The economic life of villagers is captured by a description of what people are doing during a two-day period in December. The authors note that there is a prominent division of labor according to gender, with men engaging in commercial and subsistence activities, and women doing the domestic chores. Men dig clams, fish and hunt, but mainly fish. They prefer to run their own fishing boats rather than work on the boats of others, as the very old and very young must do. The authors note that the community seems to be becoming increasingly dependent on industrial goods such as nylon fishing nets rather than making these items themselves as they did in the past. They note that the Kwakiutl currently dress like others and live in a way that is similar to non-Kwakiutls in the area. On this basis, they claim that the Kwakiutl "can be viewed as a rural working-class, a sub-cultural variant of the North American class structure, rather than being a distinctive cultural group." Nevertheless, they claim that the Kwakiutl share a distinctive value-system, based on generosity, borrowing and sharing, forming friendships, avoiding interfering in the lives of others, and gaining power and prestige through interpersonal relationships. The authors also discuss the impact that drinking has had on the society, suggesting that it serves to fill the void of cultural loss and can be positive in that it facilitates interpersonal communication by lowering inhibitions.
Much of the second part of the book is historical, in which the authors describe the structure of society in the past, when giant potlatches were held. They note that during this period, "wealth was important only insofar as it could be publicly displayed and redistributed in feasts and potlatches, thereby raising the esteem of the donor." They also describe a potlatch in a neighboring community that they attended.
The text is clearly written in language that is accessible to general readers. It includes information about a variety of aspects of life. However, the style is not particularly engaging, and readers may find that many topics common to other ethnographies are not touched upon in this volume.
Average customer rating:
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Kwakiutl Texts
Franz Boas , and
George Hunt
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Native American
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ASIN: 1428645470 |
Book Description
Publications Of The Jesup North Pacific Expedition. New York: Memoirs Of The American Museum Of Natural History, December 1902. Whole Series, Vol. V. Anthropology, Vol. IV.
Average customer rating:
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Smoky-Top, the Art and Times of Willie Seaweed (Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum monograph)
Bill Holm
Manufacturer: Univ of Washington Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0295960388 |
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Upholsterers and Interior Furnishing in England, 1530-1840 (Bard Studies in the Decorative Arts)
Geoffrey Beard
Manufacturer: Bard Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
History & Criticism
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ASIN: 0300071353 |
Book Description
This richly illustrated book is a history of the upholstery trade in Britain over three hundred years. It surveys the changing styles that affected this art form, the crafts-men who made the furniture and the kings and courtiers who purchased it, and the events-from coronations to funerals-at which upholstery played a leading role.
Book Description
A Victoria and Albert Museum Publication
Unmatched in its breadth of coverage, with over 1,000 stunning illustrations, this important new book tells the story of British design and decorative arts over four centuries. From the time of Henry VII through the reign of Queen Victoria, British designers soared in influence, creating a rich diversity of furniture, textiles, silver, metalwork, and porcelains as well as painting, sculpture, prints, and drawings.
Divided into sections on the Tudor and Stuart, Georgian, and Victorian periods-and treating style, taste, fashion, and innovation in each-this book accompanies the opening of the Victoria and Albert Museum's refurbished British Galleries. History buffs, interior designers, and anyone with an affinity for the decorative arts will find this an invaluable resource.
1,080 illustrations in full color, 480 pages, 93/4 x 111/4"
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Victorian Britain 1837-1901 (V&A's Design & the Decorative Arts, Britain 1500-1900)
Michael Snodin , and
John Styles
Manufacturer: V & A Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Schools, Periods & Styles
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| Abstract Expressionism
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ASIN: 185177422X |
Books:
- In the Shadow of Revolution
- Indigenous Traditions and Ecology: The Interbeing of Cosmology and Community (Religions of the World and Ecology)
- Insect Sampling in Forest Ecosystems (Methods in Ecology)
- Kimura: Paintings and Works on Paper, 1968-1984: The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., January 19-March 10, 1985
- La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West (Modern Library Exploration)
- Latin Grammar: Grammar Vocabularies and Exercises in Preparation for the Reading of the Missal and Breviary
- Let's Discover Texas! (The Texas Experience)
- Library Of American Literature From The Earliest Settlement To The Present Time, A (11 Volumes ) (BCL1-PS American Literature)
- Licensing Art 101: Publishing and Licensing Artwork for Profit (Licensing Art 101)
- Lord Haw Haw: The English Voice of Nazi Germany
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