Sacred sites : the secret history of southern California / Susan Suntree; foreword by Gary Snyder; introduction by Lowell John Bean; photographs by Juergen Nogai.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Suntree, Susan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cosmology--Poetry.

Cosmology.

Natural history--North America--Poetry.

Natural history.

Indians of North America--Poetry.

Indians of North America.

Indian mythology--California, Southern--Poetry.

Indian mythology.

California, Southern--History--Poetry.

California, Southern.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (316 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

A history that is equal parts science and mythology, Sacred Sites offers a rare and poetic vision of a world composed of dynamic natural forces and mythic characters. The result is a singular and memorable account of the evolution of the Southern California landscape, reflecting the riches of both Native knowledge and Western scientific thought. Beginning with Western science, poet Susan Suntree carries readers from the Big Bang to the present as she describes the origins of the universe, the shifting of tectonic plates, and an evolving array of plants and animals that give Southern California its unique features today. She tells of the migration of humans into the region, where they settled, and how they lived. Complementing this narrative and reflecting Native peoples' view of their own history and way of life, Suntree recounts the creation myths and songs that tell the story of the First People and of unforgettable shamans and heroes. Featuring contemporary photographs of rarely seen landmarks along with meticulous research, Sacred Sites provides unusual insight into how natural history and mythology and scientific and intuitive thinking combine to create an ever-deepening sense of a place and its people.

Contents:

""Title Page ""; ""Copyright Page ""; ""Table of Contents ""; ""List of Illustrations ""; ""Foreword ""; ""Introduction""; ""Author�s Note""; ""Book One: Western Science ""; ""Part 1. Light, Space, Matter ""; ""Part 2. Galaxy, Planet, Moon, Rain ""; ""Part 3. Wandering North America, Life, Death""; ""Part 4. Reptiles, Flowers, Mammals, Rivers""; ""Part 5. Southern California Coming: Mountains in Motion""; ""Part 6. Southern California Ice Age: Bountiful Homeland""; ""Book Two: Indigenous Myths and Songs ""; ""Part 1. Universe, World, People""

""Part 2. The Great Captain Wiyot: Death, Spirit, Power""""Part 3. Food, Feasting, Deer, Moon""; ""Part 4. The First People""; ""Part 5. Human Beings: Singers, Balance Keepers""; ""White People""; ""Epilogue: Chinigchinich, the Spanish, the Yankees ""; ""Postscript""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Notes""; ""Bibliography""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786613051134

9781283051132

1283051133

9780803234642

0803234643

OCLC:

703155206