Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 552
•
978-1-4422-5146-5 • eBook • November 2016 • $93.00 • (£72.00)
Nancy Bonvillain is professor of anthropology and linguistics at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. She is author of several university-level textbooks (Cultural Anthropology; Language, Culture, and Communication; Women and Men) in addition to numerous specialized books written for young readers about Native Americans, including The Zuni, The Santee Sioux, The Hopi, The Teton Sioux, The Sac and Fox, The Haidas, The Cheyennes, The Mohawk, The Huron, The Nez Perce, The Navajos, Hiawatha, and Black Hawk.
Brief Table of ContentsList of Tables
Preface to the Second Edition- Introduction
Part I: Native North America- A Short History
- Native Communities Today
Part II: The NortheastIroquois Story of the Origin of the False Faces- Native Nations of the Northeast
- The Mohawks
- The Mi’kmaqs
Part III: The SoutheastChoctaw Story of Creation- Native Nations of the Southeast
- The Choctaws
Part IV: The Plains- Native Nations of the Plains
- The Teton Lakotas
- The Hidatsas
Part V: The Great Basin- Native Nations of the Great Basin
- The Shoshones
Part VI: The Southwest- Native Nations of the Southwest
- The Zunis
- The Diné (or Navajos)
Part VII: California- Native Nations of California
- The Pomos
Part VIII: The Plateau- Native Nations of the Plateau
- The Nez Perce
Part IX: The Northwest Coast- Native Nations of the Northwest Coast
- The Kwakwaka’wakw (or Kwakiutls)
Part X The Subarctic and Arctic- Native Nations of the Subarctic and Arctic
- The Innu (or Montagnais)
- The Inuit
Appendix: Websites for Native Nations in the United States and CanadaCreditsIndex
Bonvillain captures the vitality of Native peoples today as well as the current issues they face. She places Native people and their continued struggles squarely in a contemporary framework, covering a variety of crucial topics from climate change to taxation. Emphasizing the concept of nations and sovereignty, she describes reservations, reserves, and treaties in a way that is frank and refreshing.
— Erica Cusi Wortham, George Washington University
Native Nations gives a broad overview of the whole of Native North America, bringing together the historical, sociological, and cultural aspects that shape Native lives. However, it also gives the specific local contexts of Native communities that shape their reactions to contemporary issues and conditions. It is detailed, expansive, comprehensive, and well researched.
— Steven Williams, Oberlin College
I am very pleased by the substantive contemporary content in this text. Students need to hear about challenges Native peoples face today, and Native Nations does a great job with that.
— Chris Hurst-Loeffler, Irvine Valley College
Native Nations combines prehistory, anthropologically based ethnographic sketches, and consideration of modern Native America in a text that is accessible and engaging.
— Adam King, University of South Carolina
Impressive for its breadth and the diversity of tribes covered, this is a text my students enjoy.
— Katharine Kirakosian, University of Massachusetts Amherst
North American coverage—emphasizes social, economic, and political concerns of First Nations communities across the United States and Canada; explores the concepts of nations and sovereignty.
Organization by region, beginning with the Northeast and ending with the Arctic—students are able to learn about important tribes in each region and can place them in a geographical context.
Extensive historical background—discusses aboriginal or “traditional” practices and cultural transformations resulting from European contact so students can better understand each tribe.
Substantive contemporary content—helps students grasp a variety of concerns facing Native peoples today, from climate change, to the protection and promotion of native languages, to taxation.
Systematic treatment of each region—An overview chapter introduces the range of cultural practices found in each region; chapters immediately following focus on specific tribal groups. Regional differences in culture and history can be recognized that wouldn't be possible under other organizational principles.
In-depth discussion of specific Nations—the bulk of the text examines specific Native nations in detail rather than relying primarily on general overviews with brief discussions of particular tribes.
New features
New Region: the Plateau—an entirely new two-chapter section introduces the native nations of the Plateau and offers in-depth discussion of the Nez Perce.
Expanded introductory material—covers historical context and also contemporary information such as climate change, residential schools, health and illness, and decisions of the Supreme Courts in both the United States and Canada.
Up-to-date demographic and economic data—extensive sections in each chapter address population, employment, income, education, health, and other social and economic factors to provide students with current information on the status of each North American tribe.
Website listings—web addresses have been added for each tribal group mentioned in the text, allowing interested readers to find out more online.