The Myths of the North American Indians

"The Myths of the North American Indians" by Lewis Spence is a deep look into the stories and traditions of Indigenous peoples, written in the early 1900s, that tries to explain the forgotten subject of Native American myths by mixing history and culture. It points out how different Native American and European ideas are, claiming we must understand these differences to truly understand Indigenous myths. Spence starts by noting how North American Indian myths have long been ignored and misunderstood by Europeans. He mentions the surprise of early Europeans when they met Native people, who were unlike any culture they knew before. Criticizing old, strange theories about Native Americans, the book aims to give a general picture of their myths, what they mean culturally, and how nature shaped these stories, focusing on the link between myth, environment, and the historical lives of Native peoples.