Shamans and Kushtakas: North Coast Tales of the Supernatural

by Mary Giraudo Beck

Book Overview

Shaman and Kushtaka, both struck terror in the hearts of the Tlingit and Haida, for both possessed frightening supernatural powers. Among the Natives of the Pacific Northwest Coast, the shaman was honored as a person who could heal the body and spirit as well as see into the future. In his struggles to protect his people, he fought the kushtaka---an evil spirit-being who was half human and half land hotter---for the souls of dying persons. Theirs...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0882404067
• ISBN13: 9780882404066
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 5.9"

Customer Reviews

My arms have fur on them!!

This book is great! I love those old stories, and like to tell them to my friends. There are many things to be learned from these tales. Next time you are lost in the woods, this would be a good book to have with you ... give it a go, eh?

Awsome book on Alaskan Indian Mythology

This book is awsome! Beck does a wonderful job retelling the legends of Tlingit and Haida mythology. This book is excellent if you want/need to learn about the old Indian tales of southeast Alaska. I'd also highly recommend Beck's other book "Hero's & Heroines in Tlingit-Haida Legend"

Good source of hard-to-find legends

Mary Giraudo Beck did an admirable job of gathering information that has not been readily available to readers for several decades. The Tlingit and Haida cultures are quite fascinating, and their Kushtaka (and some other) legends are very well elaborated here. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Northwest Coast cultures, or in the relation of wildlife to native peoples. It is a very engaging, yet quite easy read, that nevertheless loads the reader with solid research.