Encyclopedia of Native Tribes of North America

by Johnson, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781554073078
• ISBN10: 1554073073
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-09-14
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

Review of the previous edition: "A model of excellence in the art of reference volume publishing... Every public and school library... should acquire this treasure. It will remain the standard for many years to come." - Dr. James A. Clifton, Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan UniversityThis superb, fully illustrated reference offers the most up-to-date and essential facts on the identity, kinships, locations, populations and cultural characteristics of some 400 separately identifiable peoples native to the North American continent, both living and extinct, from the Canadian Arctic to the Rio Grande.The concise information is organized for easy use and covers all cultural/geographical regions: the Northeastern Woodlands, Southeastern Woodlands, Plains and Prairie, Plateau, Great Basin, California, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Subarctic and Arctic. Tribes are grouped by linguistic family. The spiritual beliefs and the role of Native Americans in history and modern culture are addressed in detail.More than 300 color and archival photographs, 21 regional maps and a dazzling portfolio of over 100 specially commissioned color illustrations give a dramatic visual introduction to the vast range of Native American culture. Population and settlement trends based on recent census figures paint detailed portraits of all officially recognized tribes. Appendices include the Powwow Trail and a list of museums holding Native American artifacts (including the new Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian).This is one of the most comprehensive, up-to-date and useful references on the subject and an important record of Native American peoples.

Author Biography

Michael Johnson has researched and written about Native American history and culture for more than 35 years. He received The Denali Press Award (2000) from the American Library Association for the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes.

Richard Hook is an illustrator with an international reputation for his knowledge of Native American culture. His work has enhanced hundreds of books.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Classification of Indian Languages

Distribution of Cultures

The Tribes

Northeastern Woodlands

Southeastern Woodlands

Plains and Prairie

Plateau

Great Basin

California

Southwest

Northwest Coast

Subarctic

Arctic

The Indian Today

Glossary

Select Bibliography

Museums

Native Populations

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Excerpted from the IntroductionIn 1993 the first edition of this book was published; it was very different to this version in presentation and content. To begin with, economic exigencies meant the book was produced in black and white and the excellent color illustrations, so meticulously prepared by Richard Hook, were reproduced in a short central section, divorced from their captions. A new edition allowed the publisher to separate these paintings, integrate them with the text, and -- where possible -- increase their size. Richard Hook has touched-up and added to most of them to ensure that this separation is effected well and a selection of new paintings has been included.Second, the photographs -- again produced in black and white and in sections in the first book -- have been integrated with the text and much additional material has been added. Where possible it has been added in color, although the age of many of the original photographs precludes this. The photographs show a broader range of time than in the first edition, with many more recent images: the story of the Native Americans, so long considered effectively to have ended following their displacement by settlers, is in fact a continuing reality: census figures show that numbers of enrolled Indians are increasing, although these increases may not be purely for natural reasons. The discovery of mineral resources, the erection of casinos and the benefits of tourism have all contributed to increasing wealth for some Native American populations; this increase in wealth has seen an increase of per capita enrollment leading to the questionable rise in populations.The third form of illustration, the maps, has altered most in this edition -- they are now fully colored, a few minor errors have been corrected and new maps have been added.So, the presentation and design of the book have changed considerably; additionally, the body text has been corrected and updated: a few typographical errors have been corrected and there has been updating of current information and population figures particularly in the light of Census 2000, and close work with the Canadian authorities. The short section "The Indian Today" has been substantially altered. The reference section at the end of the book has also seen significant changes. The bibliography has been expanded, as has the glossary, illustrated with specially commissioned artifact photography by Simon Clay. There are brief sections on museums and websites that concentrate on, or have major exhibits concerning Indians and the history of North America.Finally, census figures are provided at the end of the book to give an indication of population levels in the United States and Canada, and a detailed index replaces the functional list of tribes from the first edition.