Man Corn: Cannibalism and Violence in the Prehistoric American Southwest

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"The primal command," writes anthropologist Christy Turner, "is, do not eat people." Historically, cultures across the world have violated this prime directive, some regularly and without apparent afterthought, some only under harshest duress. Turner has uncovered what he considers to be incontrovertible evidence of human sacrifice and cannibalism in a part of the world once thought to have been free of such horrors: the American Southwest. There, Turner maintains, thousands of burned and broken human bones, sometimes buried en masse, have been uncovered, most in sites ranging from a thousand to a few hundred years old. In one such site, the Arizona village of Awatovi, dozens of suspected witches were massacred by their fellow Hopis; in another, the great mountaintop city of Mesa Verde, Colorado, several pits containing the remains of cannibalized murder victims have been excavated. Turner suggests that the great Anasazi city of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, may have been a center of violent ritual and cannibalism, which helps explain why modern Indian residents of the region shun it as a place of bad medicine.

Turner and his coauthor, the late Jacqueline Turner, are careful not to conjecture too widely on the whys of prehistoric Southwestern cannibalism, perhaps having guessed that the whats and hows would be controversial enough--and their book, challenging received wisdom as it does, is sure to generate significant controversy among archaeologists working in the region. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Until quite recently Southwest prehistory studies have largely missed or ignored evidence of violent competition. Christy and Jacqueline Turner's study of prehistoric violence, homicide, and cannibalism explodes the myth that the Anasazi and other Southwest Indians were simple, peaceful farmers. Using detailed osteological analyses and other lines of evidence the Turners show that warfare, violence, and their concomitant horrors were as common in the ancient Southwest as anywhere else in the world.

The special feature of this massively documented study is its multi-regional assessment of episodic human bone assemblages (scattered floor deposits or charnel pits) by taphonomic analysis, which considers what happens to bones from the time of death to the time of recovery. During the past thirty years, the authors and other analysts have identified a minimal perimortem taphonomic signature of burning, pot polishing, anvil abrasions, bone breakage, cut marks, and missing vertebrae that closely matches the signature of animal butchering and is frequently associated with additional evidence of violence. More than seventy-five archaeological sites containing several hundred individuals are carefully examined for the cannibalism signature. Because this signature has not been reported for any sites north of Mexico, other than those in the Southwest, the authors also present detailed comparisons with Mesoamerican skeletal collections where human sacrifice and cannibalism were known to have been practiced.

The authors review several hypotheses for Southwest cannibalism: starvation, social pathology, and institutionalized violence and cannibalism. In the latter case, they present evidence for a potential Mexican connection and demonstrate that most of the known cannibalized series are located temporally and spatially "near" Chaco great houses.

Customer Reviews:

Superbly written, strongly documented, provocative thesis.......2005-01-10

That violence and cannibalism were practiced during the Chaco/Mesa Verde Anasazi period should no longer be in serious doubt. Chapter 3, an extensive look at over seventy sites throughout the Southwest effectively silences any critics who might claim that Turner's assertion is not based on physical evidence. Turner chooses an interesting order of presentation, reviewing the sites in their chronlogical order of discovery. This is probably to underline that many archaeologists and anthropologists in the past came to similar conclusions. Claims of cannibalism are not new, and this is not a sensationalist theory created from a questionable interpretation of previous work in the field. It is a scientific reinforcement of previous observations and masterful overview that confirms that the early pioneers in Southwestern Archaeology were correct. Cannibalism did occur.

Had Turner stopped at a description of his methodology and the sites he reviewed, Man Corn would have been a valuable resource, but only half of what it could have been. Fortunately, Turner goes on to propose a theory explaining cannibalism and the extreme violence accompanying it. In 1993 he made a surprising discovery--the sites showing evidence of cannibalism had a strong correlation with the "Chaco Phenomenon." That is, the sites were from the same geographic area and within the same time period of the Great Houses. In fact, some sites are in fact inside the Great Houses themselves (Pueblo Bonito, Penasco Blanco).

Using this as a base, Turner devotes a chapter to body-processing in Mexico, where cannibalism had long been practiced, a fact well-known to archaeologists. He then makes the connection between Chaco's ties to Mesoamerica and the appearance of cannibalism in the American Southwest. He proposes that actual warrior/priests cultists from the Toltec culture arrived in Chaco, bringing their political system with them, a system built not on peaceful cooperation, but on ritutalistic terror. It's a convincing argument, especially when backed up by a skull found in a high-status burial at Pueblo Bonito--a skull showing dental modification characteristic of Mexican Indians; a modification unknown in the Southwest.

Turner theorizes that they might have been refugees from the collapsing Toltec Empire. My guess would be that they were imperial colonizers intent on taking over the turquoise trade and building it up to be a high-capacity monopoly. But whichever the case, they seem to have brought more than architectural ideas with them. And if, as many have suspected, Mexican religious beliefs influenced the Anasazi, then it's very likely that rituals associated with those religious beliefs were also present.

The book generated a storm of controversy. Not surprisingly, many critics mistakenly assumed that Turner was claiming that all Anasazi at all times were cannibals. This certainly wasn't the case and Turner of course proposes no such thing. But just as Darwin's pioneering work was reduced by misinformed critics to some kind of proof that man was descended from apes, so many critics have assumed Turner's book is somehow racist or culturally insensitive. In fact, just like some of Darwin's more vocal opponents, one gets the impression that some critics haven't even read "Man Corn."

Too bad. Unlike so many other books on the Anasazi, it's not as dry as dust. It's presented in an intriguing way, a survey of the past and a voyage of discovery. It has tons of data, but for each section of data, there is an interesting discussion of what it means.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Especialy for those who've tired of the "peaceful stargazers" school of Anasazi research. "Man Corn" makes the Anasazi appear more real, a people who had a dark side as well.

Professional.......2000-08-22

(I'm just a lifetime Arizona resident/spectator) This book is a scholastic report from years of intensive work about a sensitive subject. One that most of us seem to automatically stay away from and think is not PC to even mention. Just read it for what it is: facts collected and reported on by professionals and add it to your data base. Its amazing the number of people in the field an average Arizonan like me has bumped into that seem to want to think there's another agenda here. I don't sense one; they seem to have done a fine job and one that is long past due. Now we need more information...from 4Corners, Hohokam, Mogollon and Mexico, and about the Mesoamerica connections at all these areas.

NPR Interview.......2000-02-03

Actually....I havent read the book.

However, I did listen to the interview last night (2/1/00) on NPR. It was one of the more remarkably clear descriptions of the complicated logical and reasonings used to determine what happened. Given the blurred interpretations of reality and undisciplined reasoning that predominates today's society (Monica scandal to NASA's estimating probability of failure on shuttle missions) it was refreshing to listen to a mind that didnt mince logic nor dumb down his reasoning. But what made the interview extraordinary was the eloquence with which the argument was made. It made following the deductions and reasonings a pleasant and even exciting experience.

PS. Just picking: I have to disagree with his assertion that there is no such thing as proof in science. Proofs exist in the realm of mathematics and logic but no where else; e.g. if A=B and B=C then A=C. However, this point is irrelevant to his arguments.

A controversial topic.......1999-12-18

Many readers find this and Tim White's book to be controversial, equating any references to cannibaliam as racism; cannibalism is not politically correct.

Some feel this book should be removed from press for that reason.

Having read both books, I feel that Turner & Turner make some convincing arguments for cannibalistic activity during periods of the southwestern US. If one reads this book with an open mind as to the culture and the difficulty of life during periods of stress in one of the world's most rugged landscapes, it can be a valuble reference.

The butchering, defleshing, cooking and disposal of human bones with other faunal remains is strongly suggestive of cannibalism--for ritual, subsistence or both. I find some of Turner's conclusions to be based on some rather scant evidence, but time will tell if he is correct.

Like the Maya, the Anasazi have long been viewed as peaceful; the myth of the platonic Amerind living in harmony with nature. But over time the dwellings of the Anasazi became increasingly defensive structures, suggesting there was some sort of conflict. And as with the Mayans, the myth is slowly melting away to show the Anasazi as a far more warlike people. Just like the rest of us.

After this book was written and I first reviewed it over five years ago, more evidence of cannibalism has surfaced, including a human coprolite (preserved fecal material) containing digested human myoglobin (from heart or striated muscle tissue) at Cowboy Wash. This is fairly conclusive evidence that some cannibalsim has occured, though we still don't know why. I suggest readers draw their own conclusions from all the evidence.

Remember that some extant cultures like the peoples of New Guinea have practiced cannibalism within the last twenty years, and that does not make them any less wonderful of people; it's always dangerous to project one's own views of right-and-wrong upon another culture. In particular if that culture crashed 800 years ago.

A previous writer's comment that this book will lead to an increase in looting is without merit; sites have been described in thousands of publications over the years (including USGS topographic maps), and a book is hardly likely to be a guide to looters who usually live nearby.

Excellent! The content MUST be considered!.......1999-06-02

Man Corn addresses, with scientific data, the possibility of cannibalism in the American Southwest. Defining how cannibalism can be recognized through taphonomic evidence, Turner systematically addresses 76 sites in the Southwest. Many of the sites hold up to these criteria for cannibalsim and many do not. Turner's detailed descriptions and excellent photographs make this book a must for anyone interested in REALLY addressing cannibalism in the Southwest. As with any good scientific study, Turner has made his argument with easy to understand criteria that can be scientifically challenged should someone choose, instead of dismissing the argument. Turner's explanation for cannibalism includes a Mesoamerican connection with evidence as well as ideas that do not have evidence to back them up. Turner has succeeded in opening up a subject that many do not want to address. Because of this, Turner will be accused of sensationalism. I suggest looking at the evidence in "Man Corn" before making any decision on the side of sensationalism or science. Turner puts before us a scientific study with no intent of sensationalism!

Even the Women Must Fight: Memories of War from North Vietnam

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Fascinating book; difficult truths
Very useful, interesting, and important
Must needed information about an important historical event.
A Compassionate look at Viet Nam's strongest fighters
A gendered perspective of the Vietnam War

Even the Women Must Fight: Memories of War from North Vietnam
Karen Gottschang Turner
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471327239

Book Description

Even the Women Must Fight

"Karen Turner and Phan Thanh Hao have brought scholarship and compassion to a long-neglected aspect of the Vietnam Warâthe contributions of Vietnamese women to the independence struggle of their nation and the terrible price they paid for their courage and patriotism."âNeil Sheehan, author of A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam.

A searing chronicle of wartime experiences, Even the Women Must Fight probes the cultural legacy of North Vietnam's American War. Unflinching in its portrayal of hardship, valor, and personal sacrifice, this wrenching account is nothing short of a revelation, banishing in one bold stroke the familiar image of Vietnamese women as passive onlookers, war brides, prostitutes, or helpless refugees.

"Karen Turner has given us a book that will change our understanding of the Vietnam Warâand of Vietnam today. I found it enthralling." âCynthia Enloe, author of The Morning After:

Sexual Politics at the End of the Cold War.

"A first-rate book that will add substantially to our understanding of the human tragedy associated with one of the most bloody conflicts in recent history."âRobert Brigham, Professor of History, Vassar College.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating book; difficult truths.......2004-12-30

This book is a well-written and straightforward account of women who fought on the side of the North Vietnamese in the "American War," and what happened to them when they attempted to return to peacetime life. Most of the stories come from the women themselves, and are reported in their words.

I found the book particularly affecting, because it presented some difficult truths for me as a nurse on the American side. It is always revealing to know your enemy; in my case, the supposed enemy in this book could be my mirror image. And if the similarities are fascinating, the differences are wrenching: these women fought on their own soil, to protect it from soldiers from half a world away who, for reasons that were far from clear, dropped bombs and chemicals on them. When the war was over, and I went home to marry and raise a family, these women found that their service had, in many cases, made it impossible for them to marry and have children--a cultural imperative that in large part determined their worth in the eyes of their country. Certainly, the war created physical and psychological problems for women who served on the US side--PTSD, birth defects in children due to chemical exposure, and a raft of health conditions that still persist for us in our fifties and sixties. But for the Vietnamese women warriors, the effects were far more direct. They lived, and still live, on soil salted with Agent Orange. Most of them suffered from malaria. They lost potential mates in the war, or by leaving them behind when they went to serve--not for one year, as was our case, but for many. They faced the very immediate possibility that their children, if they could have them, would be severely deformed. And there has been little enough social support under their new government for THEM, let alone their handicapped children.

The women in this book are fascinating individuals shaped by their unique experiences, and Turner and Hao do an excellent job of interviewing and presenting them. They are brave, resilient survivors of a war they should never have had to fight, and they are still fighting for their place in the country they defended. *Even the Women Must Fight* ranks with such classics as *When Heaven and Earth Changed Places* and *The Sorrow of War* as an unflinching and empathic window into the damage war wreaks on the land where it is fought and the people there who fight it.

Susan O'Neill, author
Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

Very useful, interesting, and important.......1999-09-18

I am currently going to college and I took a course on the Vietnam crisis and war, and Even the Women Must Fight was one of the last books that we read. After reading books that focused mainly or even completely on the American experience in Vietnam, it was extrmely interesting to read about how the Vietnamese saw and dealt with the war. The thousands of civilians who added such strength to the North Vietnamese war effort were people who had been described in all of the sources we read as 'coolie' laborers--people conscripted by the govenment to do necessary work. To read the accounts of women who fought in the war, or risked their lives to maintain the Ho Chi Minh trail simply added a new dimension to my understanding of the Vietnamese side, and indeed of the entire war itself.

Must needed information about an important historical event........1999-06-25

As a college student studying the America's war with Vietnam, I was struck by the determination and nationalism that the Vietnamese displayed in their battles against foreign occupation. Seeking to further my study and learn more about the perspectives of the Vietnamese I turned to Turner's book Even the Women Must Fight. The information that I found in the book I could not have found anywhere else. Turner's extensive interviews and personal memoirs from women who fought in the Viet Cong opened up a previously unreported accounts of what Vietnamese women accomplished in their war with America. These women's successes are truly amazing and much deserving of a book documenting their vital contributions.

A Compassionate look at Viet Nam's strongest fighters.......1998-07-17

Karen Turner's book is a well researched, interesting and compassionate discussion of women who made up the backbone of Viet Nam's fighting forces. She does not overwhelm the reader with intellectual theory and in doing so she brings us closer to a source of history ignored and overlooked for decades. It's difficult to write about and interview former soldiers who continue to suffer the effects of such enormous violence, but Turner does it with great insight and awareness. This is the perfect book for history students or university faculty who want to hear the voices of Viet Nam's strongest fighters.

A gendered perspective of the Vietnam War.......1998-07-12

Finally, a book documenting women's experiences on the Vietnam War and women fighters at that! For years, we have been reading materials and watching movies on the Vietnam War from a pre-dominantly American point of view. Although written by an American, the book originated from the extraordinary women of Vietnam and is a channel for silent voices to finally speak out. This book presents a very real and perhaps disturbing account of the hardships that the women in Vietnam have gone through in order to save their homeland. The accounts are heart-breaking and serves as a stark reminder of the horrors of war but more importantly, highlights the bravery and courage of the Vietnamese women who have been stereotyped as Miss Saigons. The book provides detailed interviews with survivors of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and how sacrifices are not rewarded by the state. Appreciate the book for its honesty and the difficulties that the author went through to get the survivors to open their hearts to her, an American, a former enemy. A refreshing read.

The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl, New Mexico, 1864 (Dear America)

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Great but sad story
The Book that Chased Away Sorrow
Whites vs. Navajos
Whites vs. Navajos
Beeee Swazy

The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl, New Mexico, 1864 (Dear America)
Ann Turner
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0590972162

Book Description

In her first book for the Dear America series, acclaimed historical fiction writer Ann Turner brings readers the deeply affecting story of a Navajo girl on the long walk.

Customer Reviews:

Great but sad story .......2006-06-24

I enjoyed the story greatly. It was fun learning about tbe Navajos. I liked Sarah a lot. The Long Walk was completely heart breaking.

The Book that Chased Away Sorrow.......2006-03-16

I loved this book. It is about a young Navajo Girl who travels on the Trail of Tears. This book is a great story showing a followable example of courage, optomisticity (Is that a word?), strength, integrity, and individual worth. It also gives a lot of interesting information. I enjoyed this book because it was easy reading but it was exciting the suspensive at the same time.

Whites vs. Navajos.......2006-03-08

This book is about Sarah Nita and her sister . It starts out In their home a normal day. After coming back from the forest, herding their sheep closer to home, the sisters find that their family has been taken by the white men. Sarah Nita tells Sister that they need to head to tseyi, that they have family there. They travel many days and nights then finally arrive in tseyi, met by a miracle, their fathers family. Sarah Nita endures trouble as the white men come to round up the Navajos again. Everyone in the canyon is moved out for the long walk to the white mans fort. Along the way the book tells of the troubles that Sarah Nita and her family encounter, also of love stirring between her and High Jumper. When they arrive at the white mens fort they are treated with very little food and harsh conditions. I won't give away the ending for you.
I liked the book because it showed what really happened to the Navajos and so many Native Americans like them. I also liked Sarah Nita's stories and her courage too.

Whites vs. Navajos.......2006-03-08

Beeee Swazy.......2004-05-27

TheGirl Who Chased Away Sarrow is a change in emotions that switches throught the story. The begining started out very slow and borning so we did not have any interest in it.So it draged until the middle. My friends say the middle was getting intesting and we read more about when sara nita,kaibah,silver coat, and their fathers side of the clan family got captured and put through the intense feeling of sarrow. I did not inpreticular like the part of the story when the white soilders mistreated the Dine.While the Dine travled many miles to reach nothing.

A Field Guide to Stone Artifacts of Texas Indians (Gulf Publishing Field Guide Series.)

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It's a must have for Texas artifact collectors
A MUST for point hunters in TEXAS !
Fld Guide to Stone Artifacts of Texas Indians
Great stuff!
Disappointing

A Field Guide to Stone Artifacts of Texas Indians (Gulf Publishing Field Guide Series.)
Ellen Sue Turner
Manufacturer: Gulf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0891230513

Book Description

This book identifies and describes more than 200 dart and arrow projectile points and stone tools used by prehistoric Native Americans in Texas.

Customer Reviews:

It's a must have for Texas artifact collectors.......2007-03-04

I have personally used this field guide in all areas of Texas and it is essential for serious collectors. This book is for the Texas area only,of course. Worth every penny.

A MUST for point hunters in TEXAS !.......2007-01-10

This is a good book for point hunters in the great state of Texas. Easy to read, clear and concise, with maps and point sketches that aid in identifing the types of points. I have given several copies to worthy avid hunters.

Fld Guide to Stone Artifacts of Texas Indians.......2007-01-09

Great book. Full of good info and illustrations. Recommend

Great stuff!.......2004-12-16

A million drawings of arrowheads and lithic artifacts. All drawings are very professionally done. The description of all the types of points, the geographic area that each type of point is found in Texas, etc. Lots of useful information..a book that should be either on your bookshelf or on the dash of your truck if you are a arrowhead hunter.

Disappointing.......2004-12-13

This is not at all useful to me as a reference book. I had hoped to learn a lot about what I am finding. I learned very little and rarely find it helpful.

Turners and Burners: The Folk Potters of North Carolina (Fred W Morrison Series in Southern Studies)

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One of the Best
Well-written, in-depth account of folk pottery in N.C.
A teriffic account of the history & tradition of NC pottery.

Turners and Burners: The Folk Potters of North Carolina (Fred W Morrison Series in Southern Studies)
Charles G., III Zug
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807842761

Book Description

This richly illustrated portrait of North Carolina's pottery traditions tells the story of the generations of "turners and burners" whose creations are much admired for their strength and beauty. Perhaps no other state possesses such an active and extensive ceramic heritage, and one that is entirely continuous. This book is an attempt to understand both the past and the present, the now largely vanished world of the folk potter and the continuing achievements of his descendants. It is a tribute that is long overdue.

From the middle of the eighteenth century through the second quarter of the twentieth century, folk potters in North Carolina produced thousands of pieces of earthenware and stoneware—sturdy, simple, indispensable forms like jars and jugs, milk crocks and butter churns, pitchers and dishes, ring jugs and flowerpots. Their wares were familiar and everyday, not innovative or unusual, because they were shaped through generations of use for specific functions. The utilitarian forms were so commonplace and embedded in daily life that few individuals documented the craft. Turners and Burners is the first book to chronicle these pottery traditions, with close attention to distinct regional and temporal patterns and the major families involved. It explores in detail the traditional technologies used, from the foot-powered treadle wheel to the wood-fired groundhog kiln.

Terry Zug became interested in North Carolina pottery in 1969 shortly after moving to Chapel Hill. In 1974 he began documenting the craft and traveled throughout the state recording the reminiscences of potters, former potters, and members of potters' families who recalled the old craft in remarkable detail. He systematically photographed and cataloged old pots, located early shop sites, and carefully recorded the remaining waster dumps of broken shards and decaying equipment. His primary source, however, was the potters themselves. Their tape-recorded interviews provide an insider's view of their world and reveal the powerful underlying logic and autonomy of their craft.

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best.......2006-02-23

My wife purchases unique pottery, antiques, etc. on a regular basis. As we live on the border of North Carolina, we often were advised to get this book. I recently gave it to her as a gift, and she loved it. She has an extensive library of reference works, and considers this book "one of the best".

Well-written, in-depth account of folk pottery in N.C........2002-03-30

This book is for anyone who is interested in the history of pottery in North Carolina. The book focuses on pottery as necessary to the rural way of life. Turners and Burners makes the reader appreciate the functional designs of the early potters.
It explores three rich pottery areas in the state - Catawba Valley, Seagrove area and Moravian potters. Many families in these areas are still turning out pottery. The book goes into great detail about Burlon Craig, who is considered the last folk potter in North Carolina.
Sections of the book reviews glazes, kiln construction and functionality of different container designs. Also, it reviews whimsies, face jugs and ring jugs and their place in the pottery tradition of North Carolina.
Turners and Burners gives the reader a great appreciation for the history of pottery in the North Carolina. It will make you want to plan a trip to Seagrove or the Catawba Valley.

A teriffic account of the history & tradition of NC pottery........1998-08-31

Turners and Burners is a must for anyone interested in North Carolina Folk pottery. It presents the history starting with the first potters to settle in the region to the evolution of the trade that lives on today.

Charles Zug does an outstanding job of presenting the culture and the mindset that guided the craft through generations of potters spanning over two centuries.

And the technologies of the craft is given ample attention, through interesting descriptions, drawings, and photographs. A prime example is the discussion of how alkaline glaze kilns differed from the salt kilns in terms of design, firing methods, and durability.

Book Description

In this invaluable guide, learn how to identify a toxic plant—in the wild as well as house plants—and how to treat a poisoning victim.

This book contains all the information needed to identify toxic plants, including house plants. Each plant is fully described and pictured for easy identification, and instructions for treating the poisoning victim are given.

Customer Reviews:

Best poisonous plant book to date!.......2004-07-03

Common Poisonous Plants by Dr. Nancy Turner is the top of the line field guide to deadly botanical beauties you could come across while exploring the great outdoors.
This book is top quality in information, details, poisoning symptoms, and content! It is well worth the expense, which is a good amount. The book itself contains, plants, mushrooms, and fungi that could be hazardous to humans and animals alike. The main highlight, by far, is the toxicity section on each of the poisonous plants. The symptoms of ingestion, (contamination) are well described and could easily compell the reader to shudder. The symptoms are specific to every single plant, so that an infected person's life could easily and efficiently be saved. There is also a very helpful insight on treatment of potential poisoning.
The book is so specific, it even tells you the degree of toxicity! Unfortunately, this book is very expensive and going out of print. So, any hardcore naturalist or interested botanist should purchase this online ASAP!

good tips regarding wild and garden plants.......2002-11-16

This is a beautiful book, both in the quality of the photos and the depth and readability of the information within. Perhaps its greatest strength is that it covers both native plant species and cultivated garden plants. This book is enough to convince any parent of the wisdom of edible plant gardening, and to shy away from the deadly, flashy ornamentals.

Plant Lore is Unequaled but Mushroom Data is Often "Lore"........2000-10-25

Dr. Turners books are without a doubt unparalleled regarding her ability to use the trust she has cultivated with the indigenous peoples of the PNW. This gives her an entirely unique and very interesting look at hows plant were used by the native populations of this and surrounding areas. The people who would find her writing fascinating would cut across many disciplines from of course not only botany but anthropology, archaeology, paleontology; perhaps even modern "new-age" religious seekers. Having said that though, I dearly wish she would quit deviating in to the field of mycology. I'm not exactly sure where she gets her info from, but I suspect that working under the auspices of the BC Provincial Museum, that she has elected to defer to the often antiquated mycological texts from the among the ranks of those in the possesion of professors in the back rooms of the museum that are gathering as much dust as are the books that they in turn rely upon for ID'ing the fungi.

Plant Lore is Unequaled but Mushroom Data is Often "Lore"........2000-10-25

Beyond Geography: The Western Spirit Against the Wilderness

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The Fear of Going Native

Beyond Geography: The Western Spirit Against the Wilderness
Frederick W. Turner
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0813519098

Customer Reviews:

The Fear of Going Native.......2003-02-14

Here Frederick Turner advances a spiritual and religious thesis for the destruction of nature by Western civilization. What sets the West apart from almost everyone else in the world is a lack of connection with nature, which has lead to vast environmental destruction and the extermination of entire peoples. With great historical insight Turner traces this tendency way back to the very earliest cultures of the Near East such as Sumer and Mesopotamia, which were besieged by hostile nomads who resisted their attempts at the settled life. This influence continued into the Roman Empire which was constantly on the verge of collapse from barbarians at the gates, and Western culture developed an innate fear of unstructured and unknown nature. Meanwhile, as Christianity became the world's most bureaucratic religion, God was removed from the world and confined to the church, and stifling dogma prevented followers from attaining new revelations and awareness. In turn the outside natural world became the realm of Satan and had to be conquered and controlled. Turner extends these dire trends into the eras of exploration and expansion into the new world, with the stipulation that the inherent Western disconnection from nature led that culture to destroy it out of hatred and repressed desires.

This is a very strong thesis and Turner's research and insights are sound, especially for the time he wrote the book (1980), though he does tend to do a lot of stretching. An example is the implication that Westerners were so likely to slaughter other peoples because Christianity did not allow ritual sacrifices. Another problem is the inconsistent writing in this book, as Turner's distinct history and anthropology often drift into sentimentality and repetitive complaining about the West's evil deeds. Early in the book he condemns the doctrine of the "noble savage" as a patronizing effect of hypocritical Western culture (which it is), but in the final two chapters Turner is dangerously close to this attitude himself. Despite some inconsistencies, Turner has delivered a very insightful look into the culture that destroyed much of the natural world and the deep historical influences that prevented remorse and guilt, except in the subconscious of every nature-deprived Western person.

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This Is Not a Peace Pipe: Towards a Critical Indigenous Philosophy
Dale Turner
Manufacturer: University of Toronto Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Political | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Native American Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0802037925

Book Description

How can indigenous people best assert their legal and political distinctiveness? In This is Not a Peace Pipe, Dale Turner explores indigenous intellectual culture and its relationship to, and within, the dominant Euro-American culture. He contends that indigenous intellectuals need to engage the legal and political discourses of the state, respecting both indigenous philosophies and Western European intellectual traditions.

According to Turner, the intellectual conversation about the meaning of indigenous rights, sovereignty, and nationhood must begin by recognizing, firstly, that the discourses of the state have evolved with very little if any participation from indigenous peoples and, secondly, that there are unique ways of understanding the world embedded in indigenous communities. Further, amongst indigenous peoples, a division of intellectual labour must be invoked between philosophers, who possess and practice indigenous forms of knowledge, and those who have been educated in the universities and colleges of the Euro-American world. This latter group, Turner argues, must assert, protect, and defend the integrity of indigenous rights, sovereignty, and nationhood, as they are the ones able to `speak the language' of the dominant culture while being guided by their indigenous philosophies.

This is Not a Peace Pipe is a work that will be controversial amongst indigenous scholars by upsetting the assumptions many have about how best to fight for recognition of their legal and political distinctiveness. It will be debated for years to come.

Fogswamp: Living With Swans in the Wilderness

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Fogswamp: Living With Swans in the Wilderness
Trudy Turner , and Ruth M. McVeigh
Manufacturer: Hancock House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0888391048

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Is she serious?

Ceramic Uncles & Celluloid Mammies
Patricia A. Turner
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Race Rebels : Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class

ASIN: 0385467842
Release Date: 1994-08-01

Customer Reviews:

Is she serious?.......2007-03-19

While there are some valid points made in this book, the one thing that completely destroyed any validity it might have had was the author equating "Gremlins" to racist propaganda.

Credibility can only be stretched so far.

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