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Native American Literature, N

NOTE: This page is from our catalog archives. The listings are from an older catalog and are on our website for reference purposes only. If you see something you're interested in, please check our inventory via the search box at upper right or our search page.
357. (Navajo). Wind Chant and Feather Chant. Santa Fe: Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art, 1946. Two Navajo tales, one told by Hasteen Klah, a Navajo elder, and the other told by "Son of Yellow Person in the Book," and retold by Mary C. Wheelwright. Small pamphlet; stapled wrappers. Owner name stamped on title page and inside rear cover; small abrasion to front cover; about near fine.

358. (Navajo). The Navajo Treaty - 1868. Las Vegas: KC Publications (1968). The eighth in a series commemorating the Navajo Centennial and consisting of the treaty and a record of the discussions leading to its signing. Bookplate inside front cover and owner name stamped on title page; a small, closed puncture wound affects the second half pages, though few words. About near fine in stapled wrappers.

359. (NEIHARDT, John G.). A Sender of Words. Essays in Memory of John G. Neihardt. Salt Lake City: Howe Brothers, 1984. Essays by Vine Deloria, Jr., N. Scott Momaday, Dee Brown, Frank Waters, Alvin M. Josephy and others. Neihardt, a poet, was perhaps most well-known -- or is at least most well-remembered -- for his book Black Elk Speaks, in which he provided the first coherent picture of Native American spirituality available to a Western readers, via the words of Oglala medicine man, Black Elk. It was not until nearly 40 years after Black Elk Speaks was first published, however, that it was perceived as an important book in the field of religion. Small abrasion front flyleaf; else fine in a rubbed, near fine dust jacket with a couple small chips and tears. Uncommon.

360. (Newspapers and Periodicals). We have available an extensive list of newspapers, periodicals and journals published by Native Americans and of Native American interest. The list will be sent free of charge to anyone ordering from this catalog or otherwise expressing interest. Free

361. NIATUM, Duane. Stories from the Land of Red Cedar. (n.p.): (n.p.) (1999). Three stories, two of them identified as having been adapted from Klallam sacred narratives. Niatum is a writer of Klallam descent. He published his first book, After the Death of an Elder Klallam, under his given name, Duane McGinnis. Later he adopted "Niatum," an old family name. He has written a number of books of poetry and edited two of the most important anthologies of Native American literature -- Carriers of the Dream Wheel, in 1974, and Harper's Anthology of 20th Century Native American Poetry, in 1988. One of 150 numbered copies. Signed by the author. Fine in saddle-stitched wrappers, with bead ornamentation.

362. NIATUM, Duane. The Crooked Beak of Love. (Albuquerque): West End Press (2000). Poetry, with a number of poems completely reworked from earlier collections. This is the very scarce hardcover edition; the bulk of the printing was issued in paperback format. Signed by the author. Fine, without dust jacket, as issued.

363. (NIATUM, Duane as Duane McGinnis). Wloptoonakun the Good Word. NY: Bleb Press, 1971. Niatum contributes two poems to this photocopied literary journal. An early appearance in print, shortly after his first book. Stapled pages; near fine.

364. (NIATUM, Duane). The Raven Chronicles, Vol. 1, No. 3. (Seattle): Raven Chronicles, 1992. Niatum contributes two poems to this multicultural magazine of art, literature and the spoken word. Fine in stapled wrappers.

365. NICOLAR, Joseph. The Life and Traditions of the Red Man. Bangor: C.H. Glass, 1893. Penobscot Indian tales by this Penobscot writer, including the story of Klose-kur-beh, the first man, and a history of the tribe through its myths and legends -- a very early collection by a Native writer. Nicolar's purpose was not only to retell the old tales but to convey the spirituality inherent in the old ways via the stories, teachings and prophecies of Klose-kur-beh. Pencil owner name and gift inscription in prelims; front hinge starting; light wear to edges, with a very small chip at the crown and a few small chips from the front free endpaper; very good, without dust jacket.

366. -. Another copy. Inscribed by the author. Photographic frontispiece excised, front hinge starting; offsetting to several pages of text; very good, without dust jacket.

367. (Nishnawbi-Aski Nation). Declarations. (Timmins): (The Ojibway-Cree Nation of Treaty #9) (1977-1982). A group of manifestos from the Ojibway-Cree Nation to the government of Canada on Indian rights and sovereignty. Including: "A Declaration of Nishnawbi-Aski," "Memo Re: Resource Development," "The Thunder Bay Pact," "Aboriginal Rights: A Concept or a Reality?," "The Land: Our Culture, Our Heritage, Our Tradition, and Our Future," and "Indian Government." Also including two versions (five years apart) of "The People and the Land" and a packet of "Goals and Objectives" of the Resource Development Project. Some of the above on photocopied sheets in cardstock folder; two declarations in stapled wrappers; one declaration ringbound. All fine, with the exception of the folder, which is worn.

368. NOEL, Linda. Where You First Saw the Eyes of Coyote. NY: Strawberry Press (1983). A collection of poems by a Native American author, published by Maurice Kenny's press. Near fine in stapled wrappers.

369. NORMAN, Howard. Archive for The Wishing Bone Cycle. (San Francisco): (Zephyrus Image) (1973-1974). Archive for an aborted 16-page edition of Wishing Bone Cycle poems to be published by Holbrook Teter of Zephyrus Image in 1973. Norman's book, The Wishing Bone Cycle, a collection of Swampy Cree Indian narrative poems, was eventually brought out, much expanded, by Stonehill Publishing in 1976, with a preface by Jerome Rothenberg, founder of Alcheringa, where several of the poems did appear in 1973. Two of the poems included here do not appear in the Stonehill edition; ten of the fourteen that appear in both places have textual variations. The archive consists of Norman's submitted photocopies, production material (galley sheets, sample pages and page proofs), and seven pieces of correspondence from Norman (2 ALS, 2 TLS, 2 TNS, 1 autograph postcard signed) tracking the production process, or lack thereof, as follows:
      From January 3, 1973, a typed note signed by Norman transmitting 16 pages of photocopied typescript poems. The pages have been folded; the letter corner creased with paper clip rust marks. Near fine, with envelope. A typed letter signed, from January 16, suggests the language for the cover and provides a five line poem by way of introduction and acknowledgement to the Cree and to Jacob Slowstream, who narrated the tales to Norman. In a holograph postscript, Norman has added, "How about 350-400 copies?" Folded for mailing; fine, with envelope. An undated autograph letter signed follows, in which Norman changes his mind on the language for the title page and cancels the little introduction. Norman also expresses hope that he can have something in his hands by April. Much folded for mailing; near fine.
      On February 8, after seeing the galleys, Norman sends a typed letter signed detailing a correction and providing a change of address, as he plans to visit Jerome Rothenberg and then head to north central Canada. He wonders if the WBC can be done by May and reports on his latest translation project, "folk-poems" from some West Indian Islands. Spotted, folded for mailing; near fine, with envelope. Together with a set of galley sheets: 3 long pages with all 16 poems. Folded and acidifying; about near fine, with printer's specs on the bottom of the third page. A typed note signed from April 9 again gives a change of address and asks for news on WBC. Folded for mailing; fine, with envelope.
      On April 26, Norman sends an autograph letter signed responding to and okaying the page proofs. Folded for mailing, sunned; near fine, with envelope. Together with the page proofs, an unbound mock-up of the finished book; printed on thin paper, fine. Also together with sample pages from an unspecified date, printing three of the WBC poems on two folded sheets; with an unrelated poem printed on the verso of each sheet. Dust-soiling; near fine.
      Finally, on February 28, 1974, Norman sends Teter an autograph postcard signed announcing that "it seems relatively certain that Antheneum [sic] will be doing a book of ten (some not in the bunch you have) of the Wishing Bone poems. . . .Perhaps -- if you haven't gone to press yet -- we should simply leave the poems as they are in Alcheringa and as they will be from Antheneum..." Fine. An interesting look at some of Norman's early efforts to bring these stories to a western readership. His later books, The Wishing Bone Cycle and Where the Chill Came From, not only helped bring these tales a wide readership but also helped promote ethnopoetics in general and the now-widespread recognition of the inherent value and transcendent importance of human cultural traditions, whatever their origins. A seminal work. For all:

370. NORMAN, Howard. The Wishing Bone Cycle. (San Francisco): (Zephyrus Image)[1973]. The galley sheets and page proofs for the aborted Zephyrus Image edition of Norman's Wishing Bone Cycle poems. The galley sheets consist of three long pages printing all 16 poems. Folded and acidifying; about near fine, with printer's specs on verso. The page proofs, an unbound mock-up of the finished book printed on thin paper, have some spotting to the covers and one gouge through the pages, affecting a small amount of (still legible) text; very good. Fourteen of these 16 poems appeared in the Stonehill edition of 1976; ten of the fourteen with textual variations. For the page proofs and the galleys:

371. NORMAN, Howard. The Wishing Bone Cycle. NY: Stonehill Publishing (1976). A collection of Swampy Cree Indian narrative poems, translated by Norman, with a preface by poet and translator Jerome Rothenberg, founder of Alcheringa. Winner of the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets. This is the scarce hardcover issue; there was a simultaneous issue in wrappers. Faint spot to top edge and faint sticker removal mark on front panel of jacket; else fine in a fine, price-clipped dust jacket.

372. NORMAN, Howard. Where the Chill Came From. San Francisco: North Point, 1982. Norman's second collection of translations of Cree Windigo tales from northern Canada. This is the hardcover issue. Fine in a fine, price-clipped dust jacket.

373. NORMAN, Howard. Northern Tales. (Mississauga): (Random House of Canada) (1990). A compilation of traditional stories of the Eskimo and other northern Indian peoples, selected and edited by Norman. This is a review copy of the Canadian edition, comprised of the simultaneously issued first American edition [NY: Pantheon Books (1990)] with a Canadian review slip mounted to the front pastedown. Recipient's information masked on the review slip; else fine in a fine dust jacket.

374. -. Same title, the uncorrected proof copy of the American edition. Fine in wrappers.

375. (NORMAN, Howard). Alcheringa, Vol. 1, No. 5. NY: Rothenberg & Tedlock, 1973. Edited by Jerome Rothenberg and Dennis Tedlock. An important magazine of "ethnopoetics," with poetry from numerous Native American cultures as well as other tribal cultures. This issue includes excerpts from Howard Norman's first collection of Cree and Ojibwa tales, The Wishing Bone Cycle, not published in book form until three years later. With two paragraphs of introduction by Norman. Also includes the transcript of a tale by a Zuñi storyteller, along with a bound-in recording of the live performance. Rubbed; near fine in wrappers.

      Please Note: Just arrived, the author's archive for the published version of The Wishing Bone Cycle (Stonehill Press edition). Please inquire for details.

376. NORTHRUP, Jim. Walking the Rez Road. (Stillwater): Voyageur Press (1993). A collection of poems and short fiction by a Chippewa writer. Inscribed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

377. -. Another copy. A review copy, stamped as such on the front flyleaf. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

378. NORTHSUN, Nila. Diet Pepsi & Nacho Cheese. Fallon: Duck Down Press (1977). Poetry by a writer of Paiute-Shoshone descent, apparently. One of 500 copies printed. Fine in stapled wrappers.

379. NORTHSUN, Nila and SAGEL, Jim. Small Bones, Little Eyes. Fallon: Duck Down (1983). Poetry. Two books -- Small Bones by nila northSun and Little Eyes by Jim Sagel -- bound in one volume. One of 500 copies printed. Near fine in wrappers.

380. NUNEZ, Bonita Wa Wa Calachaw. Spirit Woman. San Francisco: Harper & Row (1980). Posthumously published diaries of Wa Wa Chaw, an American Indian painter and activist. Edited by Stan Steiner. A volume in the Harper & Row Native American Publishing Program. Light corner bump; else fine in a near fine, price-clipped dust jacket. Illustrated with photographs and reproductions in color and black & white of the artist's works.

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