Recommended Reading:James Mooney's History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas
of the Cherokees (768 pages). Description: This
incredible volume collects the works of the early anthropologist James Mooney who did extensive studies of the Eastern
Cherokee Nation (those who remained in Appalachia) at the turn of the century. The introduction is by Mooney's biographer and gives
a nice overview of both Mooney and the Cherokee Nation, as well as notes on Mooney's sources. It then goes straight into the
first book "Myths of the Cherokee", which starts with a history of the Cherokee Nation. Continued below...
It progresses from the earliest days, through de Soto, the Indian wars,
Tecumseh, the Trail of Tears, the Civil War and ultimately to 1900. Continuing, it explores Cherokee mythology and storytellers.
This book is truly monumental in its scope and covers origin myths, animal stories, Kanati and Selu, the Nunnehi and Yunwi'Tsundi
(little people), Tlanuwa (thunderbirds), Uktena (horned water snake), interactions with other Nations and numerous other myths,
as well as local legends from various parts of the Southeast (North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, etc). There is also a section
of herbal lore. Mooney closes with a glossary of Cherokee terms (in the Latin alphabet rather than the Sequoya Syllabary)
and abundant notes. We advance to the next book, Sacred Formulaes of the Cherokee, which covers a number of magical texts
amongst the Cherokee Nation. This book does a wonderful job talking about such manuals, mentioning how they were obtained,
going into depth about the Cherokee worldview and beliefs on magic, concepts of disease, healing ceremonies, practices such
as bleeding, rubbing and bathing, Shamanism, the use of wording, explanations of the formulae and so forth. It then gives
an amazingly varied collection of Cherokee formulae, first in the original Cherokee (again, in the Latin alphabet) and then
translated into English. Everything from healing to killing witches, to medicine for stick ball games, war and warfare. Both
books include numerous photographs and illustrations of famous historical figures, Cherokee manuscripts and petroglyphs and
a map of Cherokee lands. Again, this is a truly massive book and even today is considered one of the essential writings of
Cherokee religion. Anyone with an interest in the subject, whether anthropologist, descendant of the Cherokee or just a curious
person interested in Native culture, should definitely give this book a read. I highly recommend it.
NEW! Highly Recommended Viewing:Hillbilly:
The Real Story (2008) (The History
Channel). Description: Join host Billy Ray Cyrus on a journey into the hollers and runs
of Appalachia to discover the proud legacy of the region's mountain folk. Learn how hillbillies, long
misunderstood and maligned as isolated and backward, actually have a 300-year history of achievement and success that has
contributed significantly to our national identity. In this two-hour special you'll meet outcast immigrants, war heroes, isolated
backwoodsmen, hard working miners, fast moving moon shiners, religious warriors, musicians and statesmen. Continued below...
You'll learn
of their contributions, which include establishing the first labor unions, battling the British, and spawning some of the
most popular aspects of American culture today, like NASCAR and country music. And you'll see them in a whole new light. “The numerous candid interviews highlight this outstanding addition.”
Recommended Reading: The
Redneck Manifesto: How Hillbillies, Hicks, and White Trash Became America's Scapegoats. Description: Culture maverick Jim Goad
presents a thoroughly reasoned, darkly funny, and rampagingly angry defense of America's
most maligned social group -- the cultural clan variously referred to as rednecks, hillbillies, white trash, crackers, and
trailer trash. As The Redneck Manifesto boldly points out and brilliantly demonstrates, America's dirty little secret isn't racism but classism. While pouncing incessantly
on racial themes, most major media are silent about America's
widening class rifts, a problem that negatively affects more people of all colors than does racism. With an unmatched ability
for rubbing salt in cultural wounds, Jim Goad deftly dismantles most popular American notions about race and culture and takes
a sledgehammer to our delicate glass-blown popular conceptions of government, religion, media, and history. Continued below...
In a book that is destined
to be praised, reviled, cited, denounced, loved, and hated -- perhaps by the same reader -- culture maverick Jim Goad presents
a thoroughly reasoned, darkly funny, and rampagingly angry defense of America's most maligned social group -- the cultural
clan variously referred to as rednecks, hillbillies, white trash, crackers, and trailer trash (provided they're white trailer
trash, of course).
As The Redneck Manifesto
boldly points out and brilliantly demonstrates, America's dirty little secret isn't
racism, but classism. While pouncing incessantly on racial themes, most major media are silent about America's widening class rifts, a problem which negatively affects more people
of all colors than does racism. In a nation obsessed with race, this book switches the focus firmly back toward class, and
it warns in a voice loud and clear that America
will never learn the true meaning of tolerance until it learns to embrace the redneck.
Until this book, no one
has so fully explained why white trash exists in America.
Tracing the unique historical diaspora of America's white poor, The Redneck
Manifesto offers evidence that mass forceful deportations of white slaves and convict laborers from the British Isles formed
the bulk of America's white underclass.
Tracing the history of these people, the book probes the hidden cultural meanings behind jokes about inbreeding and bestiality.
It gets its hands dirty with blue-collar frustration, recreational desperation, and religious salvation. It discusses the
value of Elvis, Bigfoot, and space aliens as objects of spiritual veneration. It offers solid logical defenses of tax protest,
gun ownership, and antigovernment "hate speech." And it lists surprising reasons for why rednecks and blacks have more in
common with each other than either group does with white liberals.
With an unmatched ability
for rubbing salt in cultural wounds, Jim Goad deftly dismantles most popular American notions about race and culture and takes
a sledgehammer to our delicate glass-blown popular conceptions of government, religion, media, and history. His own socioeconomic
background leads him to prefer crackers over slackers, hillbillies over hipsters, and white trash over white cash. He is certain
that the trailer park holds more honest people than the House of Representatives, and he knows from personal experience that
truck drivers are more trustworthy than lawyers.
You've not read another
book like The Redneck Manifesto because there are no other books like it. It's the sort of book that comes along once in a
lifetime, which will be too often for some people. It's a rude awakening for a spazzed-out nation. A fire under the ass of
a culturally confused country. A literary laxative for a constipated public. It's destined to prick the conscience of a nation
which enjoys feeling guilty, but which doesn't like to do anything about it. You'll laugh, and then you'll hate yourself for
laughing. Your mind will be pried open but it'll only hurt a little while. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable
edition of this title.
About
the Author: Jim Goad himself a proud member of The White Trash Nation, was the creator
and chief writer for ANSWER Me!, a controversial "zine" that he used to publish in Los
Angeles. He does not presently live in a trailer park but is thinking about it. The Redneck Manifesto
is his first book.
Recommended Reading:The Complete Idiot's Guide
to Genealogy, 2nd Edition. Description: A very helpful genealogy reference! It
is extremely helpful if you're in the "I want to trace my roots, ancestors, family tree and heritage. How do I begin,
where do I start, and how do I go about doing it?" situation. It contains numerous helpful common sense tips that will prevent
future headaches and a lot of well thought out suggestions and tips too. One helpful hint: "Talk with your extended
family and interview them for genealogy information, be patient with them, and let them tell their stories....document everything."
Continued below...
There are plenty of well-mannered tips like these that elevate this book to excellence. A lot of the confusing
aspects of genealogical research such as document requests and providing proof and evidence are well covered. RATED 5 STARS.
Customer's Review: I bought this book when I hadn't yet done any research at all
about my family history. A year and a half later, I have a file drawer full of information, and I have needed no other reference.
I also bought a book called "The Source", which is supposed to be the 'genealogist's bible', and it has been a giant paperweight
in comparison. Idiot's genealogy is full of the kind of practical information that can carry you through years of
research. Happy hunting!!!
Recommended
Reading:Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage.Description:
A recent Maritz Poll reported that 60% of Americans are interested in their family history. And with good reason. Through
genealogy, you can go back into history to meet people who have had more influence on your life than any others -- your ancestors.
And the better you get to know your ancestors, the better you will get to know yourself: the who's and what's and why's of
you. Continued below...
Barbara Renick, a nationally-known
lecturer on genealogy, tells the uninitiated researcher the steps needed to find out who their ancestors really were, and
brings together for even the more experienced genealogical researchers the important principles and practices. She covers
such topics as the importance of staying organized and how to go about it; where and how to look for information in libraries,
historical societies, and on the internet; recognizing that just because something is in print doesn't mean it's right; and
how to prepare to visit the home where your ancestors lived. Genealogy 101 is the first book to read when you want to
discover who your ancestors were, where they lived, and what they did.
Are you Cherokee? Are you the individual that has always been told that you are
a Cherokee, but have no facts or records to prove it? To claim Cherokee membership means that you must prove it – you
must have the facts, so toss the doubt away, get the facts, and claim what is rightfully your heritage by blood quantum. Now,
are you ready to prove that you are a Cherokee? It’s not difficult if you take the time to locate the facts. Below are
proven resources for tracing your family genealogy, the family tree, roots, bloodline, and for researching your ancestors
to prove that you meet the blood requirements (qualifications) for Cherokee membership and tribal enrollment. Those that qualify
as “American Indians are American Indians” and are entitled to the rights and benefits of the tribe! Below is
a proven “how to dos” written by the foremost expert in Cherokee history, genealogy and heritage. Cherokee
membership is not like joining a gym or paying dues, it’s your blood, so claim it. Are you remotely interested
in knowing that you are a “Cherokee Indian” or are you the individual that enjoys genealogy? Do you want to locate
and preserve your Native American ancestry? Finding information about ancestors for genealogy and heritage is also a lot of
fun. Moreover, you are preserving your own family history and heritage with your relatives and loved ones for generations
and generations… Take a look below at exactly what is required to locate and organize and present your information to
prove that you meet the qualifications as a member of the Cherokee tribe. Cherokee Proud, by Tony
McClure, is referred to as the "Bible for Cherokee Genealogy." Cherokee Proud has also been rated a SOLID
FIVE STARS by every person that has read and rated it. To see if you meet the 'Cherokee qualification and requirement
for membership', then look no further -- purchase Cherokee Proud. Read the reviews below and see what people
and organizations are saying about it.
Recommended
Reading:Cherokee Proud, Second Edition, by Tony Mack McClure. Description: Absolutely the "Bible" of Cherokee
Genealogy. New, 336 page 2nd Edition. If the information in this remarkable new book doesn't lead a person to proof of their
Cherokee roots, nothing can! “It is an A-to-Z on organizing and locating the requirements / qualifications for membership.”
Continued below...
Reviews
"Cherokee Proud is the very
best book I have ever seen on tracing Cherokee genealogy." -- RICHARD PANGBURN, acclaimed author of Indian Blood, Vol. I &
II found in most libraries
"McClure unabashedly loosens
his journalistic standards for portions of this book which reach him too emotionally. Understood. Fascinating and enlightening."
BACK COVER: Among the people
of this country are individuals in whose blood runs the proud heritage of a noble and resilient people whose ways and talents
rank with the finest civilizations the world has known. They are the " Tsalagi ". . . the Cherokee. This book will help you
learn if you are one of them. -- BOOK READER
"The contents of Cherokee
Proud are exceptional - valuable information that can be used by so many readers and researchers who have Native American
(Cherokee) ancestry." -- DON SHADBURN, Famous Georgia historian and noted author of Unhallowed Intrusion and Cherokee Planters
of Georgia
"This Cherokee guide is
the best yet!" -- LAWTON CONSTITUTION
About
the Author: Well known and acclaimed Cherokee author Dr. Tony Mack McClure, a native of Tennessee, is a certified
member of the Native American Journalists Association, Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, and Committeeman
for the Tennessee Chapter of the National Trail of Tears Association. His work has appeared in numerous magazines, over 250
newspapers, on all major television networks and many cable systems.
Below is a list of additional 'must-read picks' for Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia:
List of Native
American Authors, American Indian Books, North Carolina Eastern Cherokee Indian Authors, Cherokee Nation Books, Charles Frazier,
Paul Mooney, Barbara Duncan, Heritage, History
