"Shows examples of pipes, effigies, war clubs, bowls, spoons, and whistles, discusses themes and carving techniques, and looks at the place of these objects in the Indians' culture"--Amazon.com.

Fourteen authorities explore sociology, anthropology, art history of Native American creativity.

Illustrated with 120 color and black-and-white reproductions showcasing works by George Catlin, Worthington Whittredge, Albert Bierstadt, Georgia O'Keefe and others, Plain Pictures is the first book to address representations of the midwestern prairie as a genre distinct from American western art. In a wide-ranging narrative, Kinsey argues that images of the grassland, far from being plain, offer a paradox of their own: the significance of the subject is equalled only by the struggle to express it.

Native American Studies covers key issues such as the intimate relationship of culture to land; the nature of cultural exchange and conflict in the period after European contact; the unique relationship of Native communities with the United States government; the significance of language; the vitality of contemporary cultures; and the variety of Native artistic styles, from literature and poetry to painting and sculpture to performance arts.