Description
Book SynopsisA history that is equal parts science and mythology, Sacred Sites offers a rare and poetic vision of a world composed of dynamic natural forces and mythic characters. The result is a singular and memorable account of the evolution of the Southern California landscape, reflecting the riches of both Native knowledge and Western scientific thought. Beginning with Western science, poet Susan Suntree carries readers from the Big Bang to the present as she describes the origins of the universe, the shifting of tectonic plates, and an evolving array of plants and animals that give Southern California its unique features today. She tells of the migration of humans into the region, where they settled, and how they lived. Complementing this narrative and reflecting Native peoples' view of their own history and way of life, Suntree recounts the creation myths and songs that tell the story of the First People and of unforgettable shamans and heroes. Featuring contemporary photographs of rare
Trade Review“Susan Suntree’s mythopoetic
Sacred Sites: The Secret History of Southern California weaves science, Native legend, and natural history into a two-hundred-plus-page poem. . . . [It comes] rooted in diversity and complexity, what many of the best books are about.”—David Ulin,
Los Angeles Times “‘Human beings are the ones who have the power, through their songs, to affect the balance of the world.’ What an immensely beautiful book!”—Stephen Greenblatt, Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University and author of
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award
“After sailing through this triumph of literary montage the Southland will never seem the same—it has become Indian Country again.”—Peter Nabokov, professor of world arts and cultures at the University of California at Los Angeles and author of
Where the Lightning Strikes: The Lives of American Indian Sacred Places "Suntree tells the story that is least often told, and for that alone readers can be grateful."—Brett Garcia Myhren,
Western American Literature“A geological and cultural human history of Southern California in verse? Impossible, right? Not so, as this is exactly what California-born Susan Suntree has done. And to Suntree’s credit, her performance of this ‘impossible’ feat is not only competent, it shines.”—Thomas Crowe,
Bloomsbury Review “I simply cannot express adequately my appreciation for
Sacred Sites: The Secret History of Southern California. It is wonderful! So full of beauty and knowledge.”—Glen MacDonald, UCLA Distinguished Professor and John Muir Memorial Chair of Geography
“Meticulously researched geology, geography, history, and oral traditions are put in motion by a performer’s touch. . . .
Sacred Sites is an outstanding literary work, combining science with the spirituality of Native oral traditions.”—Jurgita Antoine,
Tribal College Journal “
Sacred Sites is a glowing monument to the magic that trails behind each one of us humans, a sweet testament to imagination and whatever God we may acknowledge. I have nothing but respect and awe for this absolutely unique work of art.”—Carolyn See, author of
Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers“
Sacred Sites honors the power and beauty of our indigenous heritage and homeland. By knowing our history we better understand the present and our journey into the future.”—Anthony Morales, tribal chair, Gabrielino Tongva Council of San Gabriel
“Susan Suntree presents a readable and broadly accessible account of the history of the universe, Earth, and Southern California in this scholarly and creative blend of ancient myth and modern science.”—Raymond V. Ingersoll, professor of geology at the University of California, Los Angeles
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Foreword
Introduction
Author's Note
Book One
The Origins of Southern California: Western Science
Part 1. Light, Space, Matter
Part 2. Galaxy, Planet, Moon, Rain
Part 3. Wandering North America, Life, Death
Part 4. Reptiles, Flowers, Mammals, Rivers
Part 5. Southern California Coming: Mountains in Motion
Part 6. Southern California Ice Age: Bountiful Homeland
Book Two
The Origins of Southern California: Indigenous Myths and Songs
Part 1. Universe, World, People
Part 2. The Great Captain Wiyot: Death, Spirit, Power
Part 3. Food, Feasting, Deer, Moon
Part 4. The First People
Part 5. Human Beings: Singers, Balance Keepers
Part 6. White People
Epilogue: Chinigchinich, the Spanish, the Yankees
Postscript
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
