Between Earth and Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places

Bruchac, Joseph. 1996. BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY: LEGENDS OF NATIVE AMERICAN SACRED PLACES. Ill. by Thomas Locker. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace and Company.
ISBN 0152000429

*Plot Summary

By telling Little Turtle stories about sacred places, Old Bear teaches his nephew about Native American cultures and about finding sacred places all around him.

*Critical Analysis

Joseph Bruchac retells ten legends which tell of the importance of various sites in North America. Using a short narrative about Little Turtle and his uncle Old Bear at the beginning and end of the book, Bruchac uses Old Bear’s stories to share knowledge with Little Turtle and readers alike. Within each legend are important figures. For example, in the legend of the North a young woman is saved by the Thunder Beings and continues to keep watch and remind us that each gift we give, gives a blessing back. Another example is the ogre who was finally knocked off the cliff by the Hero Twins; that ogre became El Capitan. As the introduction to the book states, each legend represents a place that readers may or may not know of, but does exist. This makes the legends more accessible to readers.

Each legend poses some problem or lesson to be learned. The solution arrives by magic or an act of extreme bravery – by a human or an animal. The legends explain some place or occurrence in nature. In the legend of Below, the Grand Canyon “was meant to remind us of those worlds that were lost before we reached this rainbow world no one wants to leave behind.” The settings of each legend are important. Each takes place in North America, and each represents one of the seven directions recognized by Native American cultures throughout the continent.

Themes of the legends vary, but all relate to the idea of appreciation and being aware of our environment. Although each legend comes from and represents different Native American cultures, the style of writing is similar in each. The stories are told simply in poetic form organized in stanzas. Each legend is told in first-person just as Old Bear would tell the stories to Little Turtle. This brings an oral quality to the legends – perfect for reading aloud.

There are many cultural markers within the text of BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY. Each legend is identified by the direction it represents and by the specific cultural group from which it originated. Names such as Little Turtle and Old Bear are used as well. Native language is used along with English; a list of these words with suggested pronunciations is included at the end of the book. The style of language perfect for retelling/reading aloud is also true to the cultures represented.

The illustrations in the book are arranged in an orderly fashion. The text for each legend fills one page and faces a full page color illustration portraying the setting that legend represents. Locker’s oil paintings show beautiful scenes of nature in a realistic style. Locker’s use of color is effective; within each illustration the colors are similar and Locker uses shading and shadows to create depth. Although the paintings main focus is the natural environment ,people and shelters can be seen in a few of them – serving as markers for the culture represented. Finally, the book ends with a map which shows the location of Native American tribes throughout the United States along with the ten sacred places described within the book. All together the illustrations add to the mood and effectiveness of the book.

*Response

This is a beautiful book that I look forward to sharing in the library. Because it is divided by the ten different legends, it is a great book for browsing and reading a bit at a time. The illustrations are stunning.

*Review Excerpts

More than a guide to places sacred to Native Americans, this reverent book prompts readers to look within themselves to find the hallowed ground that "sets our sprits on the right path.
Publishers Weekly

Here, short, easy-to-understand legends are accompanied by full-page oil paintings in Locker's dramatic signature style. Pairing places familiar to many students, such as Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, with legends offers readers new perspectives on the natural world and an excellent curricular connection.
BookList

It is difficult to convey the beliefs of an entire people in one brief legend divorced from the rest of their tradition, yet these selections point to the richness possible in looking at the Earth in a spiritual way.
School Library Journal

*Connections

-Conduct research about one of the Native American cultures represented in the book.
-Read other books written by Joseph Bruchac.
-Conduct research about one of the locations included in the book.
-Read other Native American folktales.
-Become familiar with one of the legends and use it as a source for storytelling.