Warrior, Shield, and Star: Imagery and Ideology of Pueblo Warfare

Rating:
Summary: A work of undoubted value to students of rock art & myth.
Review: Warrior, Shield, And Star is distinguished by being the definitive first study of symbolism and ideology of war in Pueblo rock art. Complete with numerous black and white photos of selected rock art sites, drawings and maps, the text is further enriched by several magnificent color photographs of a famous Pottery Mound Kiva mural in several sections, plus various petroglyphs at different locations in the Southwest. The scholarship and research done by author Schaafsma seem impeccable. The tone and content of the chapters of interpretation are undoubtedly authentic. Schaafsma states "Knowledge of past ideas is imperative if one is to understand prehistoric cultures and map past behavior.. (p. ix)" in her introduction. To answer the question of why do we study rock art, she adds "Recording, describing, and classifying are necessary steps in the early stages of any discipline, or whenever new data are found. These steps, however, are not an end in themselves. It is one's hope that such preliminary work will eventually cut a path granting access - however variable it may be - to ideas, religion, and cosmologies of prehistory (p. x)." Thus armed, we may undertake to explore the author's descriptions and interpretations of the prehistoric rock art sites. One caveat experienced by this reader may be not intended as a criticism of the author's treatment of her subject matter. I felt as though I were viewing and discussing (fragile) sacred representations, and it felt uncomfortable, perhaps intrusive. I trust that the prominence of these sites should not lead to casual or indiscriminate site viewings or (sacreligious?) inappropriate seeking or misuse of the knowledge. What shall guarantee respect? What protects these fragile sites today? How does it feel to present day Pueblos to see this publication? What is their reaction, or the reaction of their religious leaders? This fear of theft, vandalism and sacrilege is exemplified in the Ahayu:da - living icons of the Zuni War Gods which were stolen and returned in 1978 (p.183). Because the theft or removal of these living icons is believed by religious leaders to unleash dangerous energies, a major effort was made to find and restore all the absent war god icons, enshrining them in a high security, sky-accessible location, in the interest of world peace. My hopeful wish is for the same level of security and respect to be applied to the sites examined in this publication, to protect the sites and ancient knowledge explicated . I wonder if it would be possible to invoke the sanction or review of contemporary Pueblo religious leaders to determine their attitude towards the content of Warrior, Shield, And Star. Though this may have been done, I did not find ithe results prominent in the text. Perhaps it is simply a matter of defining what is respectful treatment of prehistory. Otherwise, the content of Warrior, Shield and Star is undoubtedly of great value and interest to Southwest Native American students of rock art, religion, mythology, Pueblo and Zuni culture, and related areas.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: A work of undoubted value to students of rock art & myth.
Review: Warrior, Shield, And Star is distinguished by being the definitive first study of symbolism and ideology of war in Pueblo rock art. Complete with numerous black and white photos of selected rock art sites, drawings and maps, the text is further enriched by several magnificent color photographs of a famous Pottery Mound Kiva mural in several sections, plus various petroglyphs at different locations in the Southwest. The scholarship and research done by author Schaafsma seem impeccable. The tone and content of the chapters of interpretation are undoubtedly authentic. Schaafsma states "Knowledge of past ideas is imperative if one is to understand prehistoric cultures and map past behavior.. (p. ix)" in her introduction. To answer the question of why do we study rock art, she adds "Recording, describing, and classifying are necessary steps in the early stages of any discipline, or whenever new data are found. These steps, however, are not an end in themselves. It is one's hope that such preliminary work will eventually cut a path granting access - however variable it may be - to ideas, religion, and cosmologies of prehistory (p. x)." Thus armed, we may undertake to explore the author's descriptions and interpretations of the prehistoric rock art sites. One caveat experienced by this reader may be not intended as a criticism of the author's treatment of her subject matter. I felt as though I were viewing and discussing (fragile) sacred representations, and it felt uncomfortable, perhaps intrusive. I trust that the prominence of these sites should not lead to casual or indiscriminate site viewings or (sacreligious?) inappropriate seeking or misuse of the knowledge. What shall guarantee respect? What protects these fragile sites today? How does it feel to present day Pueblos to see this publication? What is their reaction, or the reaction of their religious leaders? This fear of theft, vandalism and sacrilege is exemplified in the Ahayu:da - living icons of the Zuni War Gods which were stolen and returned in 1978 (p.183). Because the theft or removal of these living icons is believed by religious leaders to unleash dangerous energies, a major effort was made to find and restore all the absent war god icons, enshrining them in a high security, sky-accessible location, in the interest of world peace. My hopeful wish is for the same level of security and respect to be applied to the sites examined in this publication, to protect the sites and ancient knowledge explicated . I wonder if it would be possible to invoke the sanction or review of contemporary Pueblo religious leaders to determine their attitude towards the content of Warrior, Shield, And Star. Though this may have been done, I did not find ithe results prominent in the text. Perhaps it is simply a matter of defining what is respectful treatment of prehistory. Otherwise, the content of Warrior, Shield and Star is undoubtedly of great value and interest to Southwest Native American students of rock art, religion, mythology, Pueblo and Zuni culture, and related areas.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer