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Show FALL 2013 pp 386-404_UHQ BReviews/pp.271-296 9/16/13 1:22 PM Page 394 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY prophetic warnings of Navajo elders about signs of the coming of the end of the world and how they relate to creation myths and observations of cultural deterioration. The strength of the work is McPherson’s correlation of material from standard anthropological texts on Diné thought and culture with voices from his many oral interviews gathered over the past thirty years. The result is an accessible record of Navajo beliefs and heritage that updates and illustrates, but does not necessarily extend, our understanding of these select aspects of Navajo traditional culture. The linguistic chapters, likewise, record and preserve various Navajo language metaphors, both old and new. The author should have spent more time, however, in his sections on history by giving context to the underlying contrasts and conflicts between traditional Navajo culture and the worldviews of outsiders, such as a government agent (Sheldon), Episcopalian missionary (Father Baxter), and LDS bishop (Ephraim Pectol). To this reviewer, the actions and motives of the Anglo participants in these sections seem to go largely unquestioned. This book is highly recommended for readers interested in a knowledgeable and sensitive description of some of the basic aspects of traditional Navajo teachings, thought, and language and how the infringements of the dominant American culture in the past decades has undermined the application of those teachings in the lives of the contemporary Navajo people. BRUCE GJELTEMA University of New Mexico–Gallup Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation The Utah Historical Quarterly (ISSN 0042-143X) is published quarterly by the Utah State Historical Society, 300 S. Rio Grande, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101-1182. The managing editor is Holly George with offices at the same address as the publisher. The magazine is owned by the Utah State Historical Society, and no individual or company owns or holds any bonds, mortgages, or other securities of the society or its magazine. The following figures are the average number of copies of each issue during the preceding twelve months: 2,400 copies printed; 1,732 mail subscriptions; 0 other classes mailed; 1,705 total paid circulation; 78 free distribution (including samples) by mail, carrier, or other means; 1,810 total distribution; 350 inventory for office use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after printing; total, 2,400. The following figures are the actual number of copies of the single issue published nearest to filing date: 2,500 copies printed; 2,100 mail subscriptions; 0 other classes mailed; 0 dealer and counter sales; 1,780 total paid circulation; 48 free distribution (including samples) by mail, carrier, or other means; total distribution; inventory for office use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after printing, 352; total, 2,500. 394 |
