Coming to Light: Contemporary Translations of the Native Literatures of North America

Description

The vitality of the spoken word is essential to Native American cultures. Because of their dependence on oral performance| the stories| songs| legends| and ceremonies of a Native people often died with the last speaker of the language. Of the two hundred or so native languages in North America today| perhaps forty-five are spoken by over a thousand people| in contrast to pre-Columbian times| when there were as many as five hundred distinct tongues spoken by millions. But now| with the revival and heightened awareness of this vital tradition| more of the surviving literatures are being studied and translated into English so that they can be enjoyed and appreciated anew. Brian Swann| professor of English at the Cooper Union in New York City| has collected many of the new translations in Coming to Light| and in his introduction provides an overview| detailing changing attitudes toward the cultures of Native Americans| and the state of those cultures today. Coming to Light is a showcase of stories| songs| oratory| and prayer of the indigenous peoples of the continent. Unlike in previous anthologies of Native American literature| each of the translations is placed| through the use of individual introductions by respected scholars| in its appropriate cultural and linguistic context.