Thirty years since its original publication, Ceremony remains one of the most profound and moving works of Native American literature, a novel that is itself a ceremony of healing. Tayo, a World War II veteran of mixed ancestry, returns to the Laguna Pueblo Reservation. He is deeply scarred by his experience as a prisoner of the Japanese and further wounded by the rejection he encounters from his people. Only by immersing himself in the Indian past can he begin to regain the peace that was taken from him. Masterfully written, filled with the somber majesty of Pueblo myth, Ceremony is a work of enduring power.

Firsties Tim Underwood and Jonathan James compare class rings. "This is the greatest feeling ever," James said. "I've been waiting for this for four years, since prep school, so I'm just happy to finally get this." Immediately following the Class of 2011 Class Ring Ceremony at Trophy Point on Aug. 20, firsties gather with Family, friends and colleagues to show off their new rings. Photo by Mike Strasser/West Point Directorate of Public Affairs and Communications

West Point tactical officers and noncommissioned tactical officers presented the class rings to the firsties during the Class of 2011 Class Ring Ceremony at Trophy Point on Aug. 20. Photo by Mike Strasser/West Point Directorate of Public Affairs and Communications

Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, the most important novel of the Native American Renaissance, is among the most most widely taught and studied novels in higher education today. In it, Silko recounts a young man's search for consolation in his tribe's history and traditions, and his resulting voyage of self-discovery and discovery of the world. The fourteen essays in this casebook include a variety of theoretical approaches and provide readers with crucial information, especially on Native American beliefs, that will enhance their understanding and appreciation of this contemporary classic. The collection also includes two interviews with Silko in which she explains the importance of the oral tradition and storytelling, along with autobiographical basis of the novel.