Ojibway Heritage - Paperback

by Basil Johnston (Author)

"A colorful, beautiful book which teaches us about ourselves as much as about one of North America's native peoples."--Vancouver Sun

Rarely accessible to the general public, Ojibway mythology is as rich in meaning, as broad, as deep, and as innately appealing as the mythologies of Greece, Rome, and other Western civilizations. In Ojibway Heritage Basil Johnston introduces his people's ceremonies, rituals, songs, dances, prayers, arid legends. Conveying the sense of wonder and mystery at the heart of the Ojibway experience, Johnston describes the creation of the universe, followed by that of plants and animals and human beings, and the paths taken by the latter. These stories are to be read, enjoyed, and freely interpreted. Their authorship is perhaps most properly attributed to the tribal storytellers who have carried on the oral tradition that Johnston records and preserves in this book.

Back Jacket

'A colorful, beautiful book which teaches us about ourselves as much as about one of North America's native peoples.' -Vancouver Sun This compilation of the basic beliefs, ideals, values, and ceremonies of a North American native group is a beautiful and sacred document.

Author Biography

Basil Johnston (1929-2015) was a linguist and lecturer in the Department of Ethnology at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. His other works include Ojibway Ceremonies, also a Bison Book.