Susan-Marie, Like katlaughing I admire Ms. Curtis's book. It was published in paperback by Dover, and may be available in that edition at your local bookstore. It contains material collected from Abenaki folk and from a number of Plains and Southwest nations. The title page in mine differs from katlaughing's though. Mine has: The Indians' Book: An Offering by the American Indians of Indian Lore, Musical and Narrative, to Form a Record of the Songs and Legends of their Race, recorded and edited by Natalie Curtis. The cover has The Indians' Book: Songs and Legends of the American Indians, recorded and edited by Natalie Curtis.

katlaughing, I didn't mean to question the sincerity of anyone's religious belief. I'm sorry if what I wrote came across that way. What I think is that making rash assumptions about the antiquity or origin of certain practices, or combinations of practices, can impede understanding.

T.