> I am looking for a book that provides basic information on
> religious beliefs of Native American tribes. Many books I have
> consulted describe various individual ceremonies but have yet to find
> something that simply states this is what this tribe believes and this
> is how they practice this belief.
> Any and all information will be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks in advance
Lori, Their are a number of books that make the claim to represent the
religious beliefs of Native Americans, i.e. Ake Hultkrantz's _Belief and
Worship in Native North America_, Lawrence Sullivan's _Native American
Religions_, etc. One needs only to read a bit further to find these
compendiums sorely inadequate and in some cases downright inaccurate.
More specifically addressed books are far more likely to provide insight
to _basics_. I suggest Gladys Reichard's _Navajo Religion_, Ray DeMallie
and Douglas Parks' _Sioux Indian Religion_, and a host of others such as
Lessa and Vogt's _Reader in Comparative Religion_, Lehman and Meyers
_Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion_, and Walker's _Witchcraft and Sorcery of
the American Native Peoples_. What I have cited are all quite academic in
style and presentation, less rigorous scholarship can be found in
Neihardt's _Black Elk Speaks_ and Frank Waters" _Book of the Hopi_, these
have serious flaws in truth. Then there are the Lyn Andrews, Hemeyotsa
Storm, and Leslie Silko authors who frequently have little or no authority
to speak for traditional religions of the Native American peoples.
jamie