Indigenous peoples' wisdom and power : affirming our knowledge through narratives /

In the prologue, readers are told that this volume "signifies a struggle to rebuild the self-worth and self-esteem" that indigenous people lost through dispossession and the destruction of their spirituality. If the process of recovery entails the receiving and passing on of "ancient wisdoms," the stated frame for this task is "a global and balanced view of who indigenous people are." The collection contains excellent contributions, and the most accessible are those that link oral history or customary usage to contemporary matters. There are fine chapters on indigenous research and mobilization in New Zealand, Australia, North America, India, and Kenya. Not a few of these take note of the influence of global social movements--feminism, civil rights, indigenous rights--on local debates and agendas. Unfortunately, some other pieces are marred by essentialism--a universe where Maori wisdom "dates back over 12,000 years" and "all African dances are earth-centered." If it is difficult to argue with such claims, it is legitimate to note that of the book's 16 chapters, only three deal with peoples and places not touched by British rule. Indigenous movements in Latin America are conspicuous by their virtual absence. Summing Up: Recommended. Most levels/libraries. O. Pi-Sunyer University of Massachusetts at Amherst