"Through five years of literally sitting at the kitchen tables of members of various tribal nations, Cunningham and his wife, Kathy, came to know a people more divers, complex, and accommodating that the stoic, rustic, Indian displayed in popular myth. The inhabitants of this world watch movies on the home VCR, wear imprinted T-shirts, scour magazines for recipes, and battle diabetes. But they also arrowheads for protection from witchcraft, participate in ceremonial dances, and practice medicine through bone pressing and herbal remedies. More than 200 narratives from contemporary American Indian storytellers portray a people open to new ideas and technology, blessed with a healthy sense of humor, and able to live among and communicate with the Anglo world around them while retaining tribal identities and awareness. The power of these conversations come from their simplicity and directness. But there is another story here. While listening to American Indians tell their stories, Cunningham found his own life story oddly affected. When he became disabled following back surgery only to be persuaded by Helen, one of his Zuni informants, to undergo a bone-pressing treatment by a local medicine man, it was clear that she was willing to share with him more than stories. The story of the Cunninghams' healing and revelations is a moving and unforgettable one. Through their eyes, the reader participates in discovering and experiencing the art and power of stories." -- Publisher's description