The Primal Mind: Vision and Reality in Indian America

by Jamake Highwater

Book Overview

This pioneering work on American Indian culture provides an uncommon insight into the world of Indians and into Western civilization itself. Jamake Highwater examines the cultural aspects of American... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452009669
• ISBN13: 9780452009660
• Release Date: October 1982
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An Intellectual Gem of Native American Perspectives on Creativity

The most important thing that I got out of reading this book is that there is an indigenous perspective and a western perspective and they are different. Mr. Highwater made these differences very clear and interesting for me to understand. I loved the examples he gave of different ways that Native Americans see creativity and experience creativity. The fact that they don't have a word for "art" is atonishing and gives Native Americans a whole new way of seeing that will always be different from the established westernized artworld. One of my most treasured quotes form his book is: "Freedom is not the right to express yourself, but the far more fundamental right to "be" yourself."

A Must Read For Artists

I constantly refer back to the section titled "Image". A great read !!!

A must-read; Primal Mind gives a new perspective

We've both read and re-read this life-changing book. It has not only given us a new perspective on the mind and world of the Native American, but it has helped us realize the value of the "primal" view in attaining a sense of "wholeness to the otherwise shattered experience of twentieth century life." Highwater demonstrates the value of diversity as well as the importance of tradition. This is a "must read."