Combining historical background with discussion of contemporary Native nations and their living cultures, this comprehensive text introduces students to some of the many indigenous peoples in North America. The book is organized into parts corresponding to regional divisions within which similar, though not identical, cultural practices developed. Each part opens with an overview of the topography, climate, and natural resources in the area, and describes the range of cultural practices and beliefs grounded in the area. Subsequent chapters are devoted to specific tribal groups, their history, and the conditions of contemporary Native communities. Nancy Bonvillain provides context for the regional and tribe-specific chapters through a brief overview of Native American history beginning around 1500 and covering the early period of European exploration and colonization. She details both U.S. and Canadian policies affecting the lives, cultures, and survival of more than five hundred Native nations on this continent. Finally, she offers up-to-date demographics and addresses significant social, economic, and political issues concerning Native communities. The second edition featured new material throughout, including a new two-chapter section on the Native nations of the Plateau, expanded introductory material addressing topics such as climate change and recent Supreme Court decisions, up-to-date demographic and economic data, and more. In this updated and revised new edition, Nancy Bonvillain has expanded and improved the existing text, updating the data with the latest research, and adding a new chapter that discusses contemporary issues that effect and crosscut reservation, national and international boundaries.
Nancy Bonvillain received her PhD from Columbia University, Department of Anthropology, with specialties in Linguistics and Native American studies. She is currently a professor of Anthropology and Linguistics at Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She has written four textbooks in cultural anthropology, language and culture, gender studies, and Native American studies. She is also the author of 20 separate ethnographies of some Indigenous societies and has written articles dealing with aspects of Iroquoian and Mohawk languages.
Preface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: A Short History Part I: The Northeast Chapter 3: Native Nations of the Northeast Chapter 4: The Mohawks Chapter 5: The Mi'kmaq Part II: The Southeast Chapter 6: Native Nations of the Southeast Chapter 7: The Choctaws Part III: The Plains Chapter 8: Native Nations of The Plains Chapter 9: The Teton Lakotas Chapter 10: The Hidatsas Part IV: The Great Basin Chapter 11: Native Nations of the Great Basin Chapter 12: The Shoshones Part V: The Southwest Chapter 12: Native Nations of the Southwest Chapter 14: The Zunis Chapter 15: Navajos Part VI: California Chapter 16: Native Nations of California Chapter 17: The Pomos Part VII: The Plateau Chapter18: Native Nations of the Plateau Chapter 19: The Nez PercePart VIII: The Northwest Coast Chapter 20: Native Nations of the Northwest Coast Chapter 21: The Kwakwaka'wakw (or Kwakiutls) Part IX: The Subarctic and Arctic Chapter 22: Native Nations of the Subarctic and Arctic Chapter 23: The Innu (or Montagnais) Chapter 24: The Inuit 2 Chapter 25: Native Communities Today Chapter 26: Contemporary Challenges Chapter 27: The Arts, Pop Culture, and Representation Index About the Author
