Speak Like Singing honors talk-song visions for all relatives and seeks to plumb, if not to reconcile, Native and American poetics, tribal chorus, and solitary vision.

Preface : Okiya wowahwa -- Acknowledgments -- Native dialectics -- Tales to sing -- Speech like song -- Words on words -- Writ in stone -- Southwest crossings / Luci Tapahonso and Leslie Silko -- Plains ways / N. Scott Momaday -- Winter naming / James Welch -- Narrative Dakota poet / Louise Erdrich -- Singing verse, talking prose / Joy Harjo and Greg Sarris -- Medicine word warriors / Linda Hogan and Sherman Alexie -- Dine Shapeshifter / Sherwin Bitsui.