THE EARTH IS SORE: Native Americans on Nature

by Aline--Adapt. & Illus. Amon ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 1981

Amon matches brief selections from North American Indian statements and songs of seasons, storms, growing, the land, and other natural subjects with similarly brief explanations of their contexts and black-and-white nature prints long on leaves and wood grain and short on connection to the pieces they accompany. The first section, called ""celebrating nature,"" emphasizes the Indians' kinship with nature; then come the white men and laments for ""the abuse of the earth."" There is as always food for contemplation in the material, particularly in the stronger second section, but the viewpoint is so familiar by now that Amon's introductory ""The Indians. . . did not try to control nature. They were in harmony with it,"" becomes pious cliche. Her notes are barely functional and the illustrations uninspired if not insipid. Houston's notes and pictures for Songs of the Dream People (1972) better convey the spirit represented in Amon's first section, and there have been many more substantial collections of Indian comments on the white man's offenses. Where they seem too imposing, this might do for early exposure.

Pub Date: March 16, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1981

Categories: NONFICTION