As 85 color images reveal the beauty and craftsmanship of these unique toys, 25 historical sepia-toned photos place them in the context in which they were used, all accompanied by fact-filled captions and an authoritative text. Seven tales illustrate the role of toys in passing on valuable lessons.

A variety of Native American dolls - from prehistoric ceramic figures to striking contemporary creations by Inuit and Pueblo artists - fill the pages of Small Spirits. These miniature forms have played rich and diverse roles in indigenous cultures from antiquity to the present, serving as toys and learning tools for children, sacred and magical figurines, props and performers in drama and dance, and in recent years, as items manufactured for sale. Some dolls today are created as artworks and coveted by collectors. Full-color images portray the beauty and craftsmanship of the dolls - among the most enchanting objects in the National Museum of the American Indians's vast collections - in Small Spirits. Each doll, from the simplest toy made of sticks and cloth scraps to the exquisitely dressed replica of a woman in her finest regalia, offers a glimpse into a particular cultural world, like that of the Navajo, Cree, or Tapirape - and into the mind of an individual maker, perhaps a grandmother reflecting on the past, a child fashioning a plaything, or an artist creating a gallery piece. The great variety of form and materials - such as walrus tusk ivory, cornhusks, and beeswax embellished with the brilliantly colored feathers of tropical birds - reflects the vibrancy and range of Native American lifeways.

Noted paper doll artist Kathy Allert's keen eye for authentic detail is reflected in this meticulously researched and accurately rendered collection. It contains a boy and a girl doll, each approximately 5 1/2" high, and 31 different full-color outfits accurately re-creating the native dress of 19 tribes that span a vast area of the North American continent. Among the traditional costumes (identified on each plate) are an Apache coming-of-age dress; a Tlingit dress with button blanket; an Inuit costume of the Far North, complete with ivory snow goggles and harpoon; the dress of a modern Kiowa princess; the feathered short and fringed leggings of a Crow warrior; the lace-trimmed blouse and multicolored skirt of a young Seminole girl; the brightly decorated trousers and tunic of a Choctaw boy playing stickball; a Pueblo Deer Dancer's costume, decorated with evergreen sprigs; as well as colorful tribal outfits of the Algonquin, Iroquois, Cheyenne, Ojibwa, Sioux, Hopi, Navajo, and other Indian tribes. Headdresses, hats, baskets, jars, dolls, and other accessories complete the authentic native costumes. A unique addition to any paper doll collection, this charming volume offers hours of educational entertainment for doll lovers of all ages. It is an especially useful resource for social studies classes or for anyone interested in the clothing and culture of North American Indians.

Dress little Morning Star for a number of important tribal events. She comes with brightly colored outfits worn by the Shoshone, Kiowa, Apache, Cheyenne, Sioux, and Seminole. 1 doll, 22 costume stickers.

Illustrating the diversity and beauty of Native American horse tack and gear, Jaye Oliver traces their evolution from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Drawing upon objects from North American museum and historical society collections, Oliver’s lush, full-color paintings sample equine finery of the various tribes of the North American Southwest, Plateau, and Great Plains. Including a historical narrative and illustrated glossary, as well as curatorial descriptions of each object portrayed, this work is as instructive as it is breathtaking. Including pictorial instructions for assembling the tack and gear, this work is for students, collectors, and aficionados of all ages, offering an unprecedented survey of the following collections: Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming; Denver Art Museum; Glenbow Museum, Alberta, Canada; Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University; Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of New Mexico; Montana Historical Society; Minnesota Historical Society; State Historical Society of North Dakota; Nez Percé National Historical Park, National Park Service; National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution; National Museum of Natural History/Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution; Portland Art Museum, Oregon; School of American Research, Santa Fe.

Little Sara models the dresses, hats, shoes and handcrafted items of 8 different Northwest Indian tribes.

Hands-on activities, games, and crafts introduce children to the diversity of Native American cultures and teach them about the people, experiences, and events that have helped shape America, past and present. Nine geographical areas cover a variety of communities like the Mohawk in the Northeast, Ojibway in the Midwest, Shoshone in the Great Basin, Apache in the Southwest, Yupik in Alaska, and Native Hawaiians, among others. Lives of historical and contemporary notable individuals like Chief Joseph and Maria Tallchief are featured, and the book is packed with a variety of topics like first encounters with Europeans, Indian removal, Mohawk sky walkers, and Navajo code talkers. Readers travel Native America through activities that highlight the arts, games, food, clothing, and unique celebrations, language, and life ways of various nations. Kids can make Haudensaunee corn husk dolls, play Washoe stone jacks, design Inupiat sun goggles, or create a Hawaiian Ma'o-hauhele bag. A time line, glossary, and recommendations for Web sites, books, movies, and museums round out this multicultural guide.