9781496232151

9781496223388

"In Under Prairie Skies, C. Thomas Shay asks and answers the question: What role did plants play in the lives of early inhabitants of the northern Great Plains? Since humans arrived at the end of the Ice Age, plants played important roles as Native peoples learned which were valuable foods, which held medicinal value, and which were best for crafts. Incorporating Native voices, ethnobotanical studies, personal stories, and research techniques, Under Prairie Skies shows how, since the end of the Ice Age, plants have held a central place in the lives of Native peoples. Eventually some groups cultivated seed-bearing annuals and, later, fields of maize and other crops. Throughout history, their lives became linked with the land, both materially and spiritually. "-- Provided by publisher.

"Writer and anthropologist C. Thomas Shay traces the key roles of plants since humans arrived in the Northern Plains at the end of the Ice Age and began to hunt the region's woodlands, fish its waters, and gather its flora"-- Provided by publisher.

Machine generated contents note: List of Illustrations

List of Maps

List of Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction Wide Vistas, Azure Skies

Chapter 1 Sculpting the Land

Chapter 2 Land of the Restless Wind

Chapter 3 The Land Is Sacred

Chapter 4 Life Among the Ancient Archives

Chapter 5 From Gathering to Growing

Chapter 6 Nature's Bounty

Chapter 7 Medicinal and Mystical Plants

Chapter 8 From Tools to Toys

Epilogue Under Autumn Skies

Appendix

Glossary

Bibliography

Notes

Index.

Human ecology > Great Plains.

Ethnobotany > Great Plains.

Indians of North America > Ethnobotany > Great Plains.