The Tsimshians are a Northwest Coast Native people known for their dazzling works of art and rich array of social, religious, and oral traditions that have captured the attention of scholars for over a century. Jay Miller brings together for the first time a wealth of material about the Tsimshians, presenting an unforgettable picture of their cultural universe. That universe is built around the metaphor of light, which was brought into the world by Raven; its refraction forms the chief social, religious, and symbolic institutions of Tsimshian culture. Family heraldic crests express light in one way, masks in another. Miller argues convincingly that the genius of Tsimshian culture, and one of the main reasons for its continuing vitality, is that its people are sensitive to different, and often creative, ways of capturing and embodying light.

Presents an unforgettable picture of the Tsimshian cultural universe

About the Author
Jay Miller is the editor of Mourning Dove, A Salishan Autobiography (Nebraska 1991) and the author of Lushootseed Culture and the Shamanic Odyssey (Nebraska 1999).

Reviews
"a welcome addition to the literature on the Tsimshian poples of the northern British Columbia coast...This is a significant book and an important contribution to the field, and it will be valued for its innovative analysis of Tsimshian culture through the ages." -- The British Columbian Quarterly Studies



Book Information
ISBN 9780803282667
Author Jay Miller
Format Paperback
Page Count 204
Imprint Bison Books
Publisher University of Nebraska Press
Weight(grams) 340g