From medicine wheels to the sacred pipe - explore the cultural heritage of the Native American peoples from the Navajo to the Inuit American Indians is a richly illustrated introduction to North America's amazingly diverse indigenous cultures. The book explores the important and close relationship between the peoples and their landscapes - a connection that is preserved in rich story-telling traditions. An authoritative and accessible text covers themes that have long fascinated the popular imagination, including: creation stories; dreams and visions; the belief that everything in the cosmos makes a rich; unified whole; the epic hero and trickster figures of Turtle, Raven and Coyote; the healing powers of the shamans and holy people; sandpaintings and medicine wheels; the sacred pipe; male and female rites of passage; and hunting ceremonies. Also presented is a wealth of native artistry - beautifully decorated objects fashioned out of every conceivable gift of nature.