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 University
This 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.