On-LINE SOURCES: For Native American Materials

On-Line Sources

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Amazon On-Line Bookstore claims to be able to fill your order for mor than 1,000,000 books. Powerful database searching lets you pull a list of "Native American" books that is very long (many thousands), and contains many older books they must special-order -- if still obtainable from publishers' backlists. They list only title, author, publisher, price -- no descriptive info. But a nice feature is that users of the system can enter their own book reviews, when the book's individual record has been pulled, so if someone has written reviews you can see what they thought of it -- or you can write your own. This bookstore is plain vanilla, in comparison with some who show pix, covers, etc., but its searching tools are powerful, and what's most appreciated is that if good books of yesteryear can be had at all, at least ones by major publishers, probably you can get them here.

The Mail Order Catalog -- Vegetarian foods (protein substitutes, gluten-free flour) and cookbooks, that's all that appears on their web page. Carries a big selection of Native books for all ages, none on the web. Toll free ordering: 800/695-2241, ask for their catalog. Books are often discounted below cost at other booksellers. They also carry older books disposed of by publishers who don't want to keep them on a backlist, and books from small presses that are often the only publishers of work by Native writers.

Native Book Centre--1,100 books on many Indian topics. Toronto book dealer has existed since 1986. 150 York Hill Blvd, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 2P6. Carries many books, but may be hard to find what you want. Books are listed by the dealer's idea of their subject, many are in odd places. Most books are not described, just title, author, price. Theoretically, they have a paper catalog. I have not yet received one asked for several times. Contrary to descriptions posted on some other web pages, NBC is not a Native-owned business, nor is it non-profit (and they do not claim to be).

Lonewolf Multimedia Books, Cree, Dene, other tribal curriculum materials -- mostly stories -- in Native or English language versions. Lonewolf is a serbvice that prepares books and talking books for Canadian Bands and private native schools. No books have been seen, no price info.

Shen's Bookstore specializes in multicultural children's books. A good search database lets you search by subject, author, title. Oddly using the searchterm "Indian" brings up many more books not found using the term "native American".

Native Rights--Carswell Publishing, a Canadian publisher of lawbooks, has a good selection of legal and historical books on this subject for Canadian Natives.

NATIVE CATALOG DISTRIBUTORS

Purchase of books through these non-profit Native sources contributes to various Native causes or to the continuation of the nonprofit distributors, which are attempting to make books by/about Native peoples more accessible to broader publics.

OYATE is a native non-profit group formed in the mid-80's "to se that our lives and histories are portrayed honestly, and so that all people will know our stories bwlong to us. For Native children, it is important for them to know who they are and what they come from. For all children, it is time to learn the truths of history. Only in this way will they come to have the understanding and respect for each othr that will be necessary for life to continue.". Oyate's mission includes evaluation of text and reading books by and about Native people (primarily for h.s. age or below). See review of their Through Indian Eyes. Oyate conducts teacher workshops in which participants learn to evaluate material for anti-Indian biases, and does catalog distribution of children's, YA and teacher books and materials emphasizing writing and illustration by Native people. Book sales and distribution are on a non-profit basis; if there are any surplus funds generated thereby, it finances the continuation of Oyate. Send for Oyate's 1996 catalog and supplements ($3) at:


	Oyate

	2702 Mathews Stret

	Berkley, CA 94702

	(510)848-6700

NATIVE AMERICAN AUTHORS DISTRIBUTION PROJECT, The Greenfield Review Press, 2 Middle Grove Road, P.O. Box 308, Greenfield Center, NY 12833 (tel. 518-583-1440 or 518-584-1728; fax 518-583-9741). 60 page 1995 catalog of Native North American writers.

Distributes only work written or co-authored by Native American authors, now more than 600 titles from more than 90 different publishers, mostly books, but also including audio tapes and current issues (and some back issues) of these periodicals: Akwe:kon Journal ($5), The Eagle ($2), The Four Directions ($6), Gatherings 3 ($15), News From Indian Country ($1), News From Native California ($4.50), Turtle Quarterly ($4), Wicazo Sa Review ($10), and the new Wordcraft Circle quarterly journal, Wordtrails ($10); New 1995 60-page catalog is $1.00 and includes capsule summaries of each book and three indexes, one by title, one by author (with tribal affiliation), and one by tribe. All books and periodicals and audio tapes from all of the different publishers in the catalog can be ordered directly from the Greenfield Review Press; postage and handling $2 for 1-2 items, and .50 for each additional item (overseas orders, $5 for 1-2 items, and $1 for each additional item); NY residents add 7% sales tax; no credit card payments can be accepted. Reviewed by . PG Note: This is a project of Abenaki author and storyteller Joseph Bruchac and family. The 2 phone numbers are tapes. Please send them $1 to mail you their catalog and pre-pay your orders. They cannot readily invoice, and if you treat this family nonprofit enterprise as if it were just another catalog bookseller, you will destroy this unique resource of genuine, hard-to-find Native literature! Schools, in particular, are urged to find genuine Native books by Indian writers here, not the homogenized non-Indian ones most major publishers offer.

AISS: Amrican Indian Science and Engineering Society -- AISES supports college and high school science activities for Native students with (among other sources) profits on any of th books it sells from its colorful expensive catalog. Unlike Oyate and the NADP, AISES tends to purvey establishment-type books from major and university publishers. AISES has a variety of "society and chapter" web pags, but no book catalog web page as of last time checked. You can browse thir server and see if thy ever managed to get anything going for the books they sell.

Children's Reading List--Artistically illustrated traditional stories by Native writers. Books recommended by the Heard Museum (Arizona) and available for purchase from the bookstore there.

The Faithkeeper--On-line bookstore (Mystic Fire) carries a number of Indian titles. They are all described in longish notes. These are writings by and about Oren Lyons, Onondaga faithkeeper.

Canadian Children's Literature -- an on-web version of a periodical that tries to rview all current books of Canadian children's literature, including Native ones. In March, the selction is a Native-published book; there are also several relevant articles discussing cxhoices and purposes of children's literature for multi-cultural uses.

Multicultural book reviews for educators -- Native American Relatively few NA books and none are reviewed from Native perspectives. No effort has been made to find or list books by Native authors. No books are looked at from the viewpoint of distortions or authenticity.

Children's Literature Web Guide Very comprehensive site of weblinks to all sorts of pages of interest to those seeking info, reviews, etc on children's lit. Maintained by David K. Brown, Children's Lit prof at University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. No specific orientation to multicultural or native lit

Red Crane Books -- Small New Mexico publisher who publishes a number of Native books, described on-line.

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Last Updated: Monday, June 17, 1996 - 6:55:46 AM