The Primal Mind: Vision and Reality in Indian America

by Jamake Highwater

Examines Native American ritual, art, oral traditions, architecture, and ceremonial dance and presents an analysis of these societies, whose ideas, intellectual aims, and attitudes differ fundamentally from Western culture

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1337

About the author

Jamake Highwater, born as Jackie Marks, and also known as Jay or J Marks (14 February 1931–June 3, 2001), was an American writer and journalist of eastern European Jewish ancestry.[1] From the late 1960s he claimed to be of Native American ancestry, specifically Cherokee. In that period, he published extensively under the name of Jamake Highwater. One version of his shifting story was that he had been adopted as a child and taken from his Indian home in Montana to grow up in a Greek or Armenian family in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Brent Ranalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A valuable attempt to explain Native American culture to the dominant culture, using the the dominant culture's understanding of the Artist (as visionary individual) as a plank to bridge the conceptual gap. Highwater is sensitive to the varieties of individualism within Native cultures and between Native culture and the dominant culture. The book is slightly marred by too-facile generalizations about European culture (e.g., would we really want to classify Richard Wagner as a twentieth-century composer?), and in my mind it places to much weight on emerging convergence between modern art and Native art--not only because what was "emerging" in the late seventies now seems hopelessly dated, but also because in retrospect we can see that Highwater was grasping optimistically at a convergence that did not come to pass. What passes as Modern Art today, it seems to me, is more baubles for the leisure class than a cultural vanguard. Still, Highwater is right that many in the dominant culture seek, rightly, some knowledge of indigenous cultures to fix what is bankrupt in their own culture. Dialogue is valuable and necessary. There is a lot of wisdom in this small book.

[David Griscom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating addition to any post-colonial philosophical investigation. Jamake Highwater's arguments give the reader the opportunity to traverse the transitional space between the 'western' philosophical canon and Native American philosophy. By addressing the different conceptions of concepts like time and story Jamake is able to provide the reader with a more comprehensive understanding of different views. Not only does this text give the individual the ability to engage with an under-taught and under-appreciated discipline it also makes useful critiques and analysis of continental philosophical theories. Highly recommended.