Review
''Even traditional folktales often have an element of collaboration--but one that is not at first apparent. Stories with an oral root have been told and retold, often by different people and in somewhat different versions, until the final version of the story is like a well-polished stone. Storyteller Teresa Pijoan grew up in San Juan Pueblo and on the Nambe Reservation, not as a Native American but living in her family's mercantile. As a result, she collected stories since she was 8 years old. These are now written so that others may share Pueblo Indian Wisdom. The structure of the book is an appealing one--Pijoan is visiting the storyteller she calls Grandfather, who also has a storytelling neighbor, the widow. Stories are exchanged back and forth, between more mundane conversations about taking the dogs to the vet or what to have for supper. The tales here, like all oral ones, may not be as tidy as fairy tales that have been written down for centures. Conflict resolution and moral conclusions are a bit more sprawling in the oral tale. There are some fascinating historical bits here, such as the arrival of the Spanish and tales of war and raids. There are traditional tales of magic hunters, of women in love with White Buffalo, of snakes, of drought, of rain and redemption. The collection might have benefited from a bit more about Pijoan herself, a storyteller with insider-outsider status and from even more about her central storyteller, Grandfather, whose personality and history are intriguing but a bit vague. In general, however, Pueblo Indian Wisdom will be of great interest to readers who care about myth, legend and tale--and the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest.'' --NEW MEXICO Magazine, June 2001
''Pueblo Indian Wisdom: Native American Legends and Mythology is a collection by Teresa Pijoan of the legends, folktales, and myths which were passed down orally for generations among the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest. Powerfully rendered, the recorded drafts of each individual story was shown to multiple storytellers, with their comments taken into account for the final draft. An absorbing and thought-provoking assemblage of folklore, Pueblo Indian Wisdom is a welcome and commended addition to any personal, academic, or community library Native American Studies collection.'' --Wisconsin Bookwatch, October 2003
''...extraordinary, with many nuggets of poetry, wisdom, and gentle humor, not only in the tales, but in the humanity of the storytellers themselves.'' --Michelle Miller Allen, New Mexico Woman, November 2006
About the Author
Ms. Pijoan grew up on the San Juan Pueblo reservation and the Nambe Indian reservation in New Mexico, even though she herself is not Native American. But her early experiences and bicultural background instilled in her a deep respect for and an understanding of pueblo life. She is a national lecturer, storyteller, research writer, college professor, and teacher. She has lectured throughout Central Europe, Mexico, and the United States. She is also the author of American Indian Creation Myths and Ways of Indian Magic, as well as the mystery novel Dead Kachina Man, all published by Sunstone Press.INCLUDES GLOSSARY.
