Earth always endures

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Neil Philip brings together 60 chants, prayers and songs in Earth Always Endures: Native American Poems. Often haiku-like in their spareness, the quietly magnificent poems sing of war, love, the land and animals: they do not seem to have been chosen for children in particular. This is a fine and serious collection of a largely unrecorded poetic tradition. Over 40 of Edward S. Curtis's (1868-1952) elegant duotone photographs of Native Americans accompany the text.

VOYA - Debbie Earl

Concentrated, sparsely written, and intensely spiritual, Swann's Native American song-poems might remind us of Japanese haiku or Chinese verse. Words are honed down to the absolute, most eloquent minimum, making these poems expressively simple, yet also sophisticated. Their brevity and soulfulness make them excellent reading for young adults. Philip's selections are perhaps more suitable for middle school and junior high school readers. Presented in oversize format, the pages contain sharply etched black-and-white photographs by Curtis, and following every photo is a poem or two, with the name of the tribe it comes from, the singer (if known), and the name of the translator. A table of contents and a one-page preface introduce the poems, which the selector allows to speak for themselves, such as "Magpie Song," translated from Navajo by Washington Matthews: "The magpie! The magpie! Here underneath/In the white of his wings are the footsteps of morning./It dawns! It dawns!" Swann, professor of English at the Cooper Union of New York City, offers a much more scholarly work, although the poems are still very accessible to younger readers. Swann's detailed, ten-page introduction tells readers how these song-poems were studied, written down, and given historical significance by Western scholars. A greater variety of poems is presented, and occasionally descriptions are given of how the poems were sung by their creators. Although Swann's work is not illustrated, the poems are graphically set down on the page, and small star-like graphics adorn the book's pages attractively. After the poems, notes on the poets, translators and their works are presented for interested readers. Both books are extremely attractive and would be useful in classes on creative writing, poetry, native Americans, and the settling of the American West. By including a wide variety of poems describing love and other emotions, activities such as hunting and farming, and the sacredness of the earth and all its beings, the song-poems give us a surprisingly complete vision of native American life that has all but vanished from the face of the earth. Highly recommended. Photos. Source Notes. Further Reading. Note: This review was written and published to address two titles: Earth Always Endures: Native American Poems and Wearing the Morning Star: Native American Song-Poems. VOYA Codes: 5Q 3P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written, Will appeal with pushing, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

Children's Literature - Sheree Van Vreede

A fantastic book containing photographs and poems of the Native American culture. The poems are really songs and prayers rooted in a strong heritage honoring the earth. Equally important are the photographs capturing the visual pieces of this heritage, from the Flathead mother to the Piegan Riders. This book focuses on the many different Native American tribes, providing a rich sense of the various diversities among them. This is a great learning tool for Native American culture, poetry in general, and for understanding the wonders of the land.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-The eloquent words of the Sioux, Chippewa, Zuni, Navajo, and other native nations echo throughout this powerful collection of Native American poetry. Many of the poems are prayers to the heavens and gods, lullabies, or ceremonial dances. It is easy to understand the Native Americans' oneness with the Earth through these brief, but emotional, passages. Few words are needed; some of the poems have as little as three (the book's title is an entire Mandan lyric). But the words are carefully chosen and masterfully translated. The honesty of spirit reflected in this collection is intimately enhanced by stunning sepia-tone photographs. Many are portraits, quiet, yet brimming with inner wisdom, depicting the joys and pride of warriors and wives. When strength and silence come together so effortlessly, as they do in this volume, it is a true treasure.-Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI