"Each of these chapters presents a very personal perspective on Sioux religious traditions. The academicians live up to scholarly canons and present analytical points of view. The nonacademic contributors express personal convictions, and some of their facts and ideas may contradict the academic findings of historians or anthropologists. This volume, like the symposium from which it results, juxtaposes diverse points of view. It is intended to provide source material for further discussion, not to stifle debate or articulate consensus. Our hope is that these essays will stimulate study and demonstrate that even in so vital an area as religion, the presentation and explication of a wide spectrum of opinion, from both insiders' and outsiders' perspectives, can generate mutual understanding."--Page 21.