Native American Books

This book is a series of papers initially presented at a symposium during the Southeastern Archaeological Conference. It summarizes what was known at that time (1993) about the Paleoindian and early Archaic periods in the Southeast; that is, the time when the first ancestors of later Native American cultures first settled in what is now southeastern North America.

The book covers the entire southeastern region, with site reports and syntheses from Florida out to Arkansas and north to Virginia. It presents a good picture of what we know of the first human settlers in this region, including their believed use of "staging areas" - that is, places the first settlers could learn about their new environments before moving outward into more marginal territory - as well as the environmental factors, such as stone outcrops and plant and animal communities, that would have affected patterns of human settlement.

My only complaint against the book, like so many others in archaeology, is that it does not address what is known or what could be known of the cultures themselves beyond the merely physical. That is, there is far too much attention paid to environmental and technological factors at the expense of attempts to understand what these first settlers may have been thinking, or what their cultural systems or worldviews may have been. However, this alone does not mar what otherwise is a well-written and comprehensive synthesis.

I enjoyed the book, and recommend it to anyone interested in Native American cultures and archaeology.

If you have ever wondered about your ancestors, whether or not you have Native blood, this is a worthy read. I have been hunting for and collecting American Indian artifacts for many years and studying the material discussed in this book. It not only informs but leads the reader to think. I also highly recommend another book: Walking the Trail by Cherokee author, Jerry Ellis. He was the first person in modern history to walk the 900 mile route of the Trail of Tears and the book was nominated for a Pulitzer and National Book Award.

Very useful collection of papers and summaries of papers on paleo and early archaic Americans in this region. The thought provoking theories on settlement and hunting practices that evolved along with the changing climate make this well worth reading. I keep my copy handy and refer back to it often.

I love this book! It was very interesting and I couldn't put it down.It is about a boy named Dakota and he is half Lakota and half Irish. He is walking home from visiting the Little Bighorn battle site and gets thrown back into time. He meets the great ledgend, Sitting Bull and all of his family! Dakota is confued about his being half Lakota and half Irish and feels angry that he is mixed. He is captured by two Lakota boys and is shot with their arrow! They capture him and take him back to their camp! He trys to get aways many times but is always captured! The Lakota are very interested in him because he is not all Lakota! He proves he is good at riding a horse by the great pony race! He also participates in the great Sundance ritural and steals Crow enemy horses! He is getting to know his people and their languageand forgets to try to leave!I liked the childs eye view of life! And how he accomplishes tasks that make him grow to br a very stong and mature young man! The end is the best part but you will have to read it to find out!!!!!

I love this book! It was very interesting and I couldn't put it down.It is about a boy named Dakota and he is half Lakota and half Irish. He is walking home from visiting the Little Bighorn battle site and gets thrown back into time. He meets the great ledgend, Sitting Bull and all of his family! Dakota is confued about his being half Lakota and half Irish and feels angry that he is mixed. He is captured by two Lakota boys and is shot with their arrow! They capture him and take him back to their camp! He trys to get aways many times but is always captured! The Lakota are very interested in him because he is not all Lakota! He proves he is good at riding a horse by the great pony race! He also participates in the great Sundance ritural and steals Crow enemy horses! He is getting to know his people and their languageand forgets to try to leave!I liked the childs eye view of life! And how he accomplishes tasks that make him grow to br a very stong and mature young man! The end is the best part but you will have to read it to find out!!!!!

In short, I loved this book. The central character is a teenager who is easy to relate to. He is caught between two cultures and his own internal conflicts as a young boy becoming a man. This might not seem like a unique theme but the atmosphere of the book combined with the historical value as we relive Little Bighorn is invaluable. I think we are always learning about how we see family and how we fit into that picture and the wisdom in this book is beautiful.

Trimble gives careful, in-depth and complete descriptions of each tribe of the Southwest (here defined as New Mexico, Arizona, southern Utah and Colorado and southeastern California). Each tribe is studied on its own grounds except to develop linguistic and other inter-tribal connections.

Even if you are familiar with major tribes such as the Navajo, Apache and the best-known Puebloan peoples, Trimble still has a wealth of information for you.

A decade of research and a number of photographs by Trimble himself underscore the interest, depth and care he brings to this book and the tribes of his study.

An invaluable bonus at the end is Trimble's calendar of major religious ceremonies of the various tribes, a helpful vacation planning assistant.

This one of my favorite books. It is an excellent resourse for information on Native American peoples of the Southwest conveniently divided into three parts and includes personal as well as scholarly information on the Pueblo, Navajo, Pai, Yavapai, Apache, Ute, Southern Paiute, O'odham, Maricopa, Mojave, Chemehaevi, Quechan, Cocopah, and the Yaqui people. The writing of such a book by one author must have been a huge undertaking but the author pulled it off exceptionally well and as other noted authors have declared, "it will probably become a classic in Native American studies." If you have an interest in Native American culture - past/present/and future - this book belongs in your library!

Stephen Trimble's The People is an excellent account of Southwestern Native American history and culture. Trimble outlines the history of the several groups inhabiting these three divisions of the Southwest: the Pueblo people, the Upland people, and the Desert people. His ten years of ethnographic field research have given him personal relationships with many Native Americans, allowing him to share the words and emotions of the people he studies. Trimble's well-taken photographs also add to the understanding the reader gains of the cultures of the Southwestern groups. This ethnography does more than outline history and bring the reader up to date with the most recent accomplishments of the people, but also illustrates the strong traditions of the culture that are still practiced today.

The Southwest is an area with a diverse environment, and the groups of people living in the many areas practice different lifestyles to coexist in harmony with their surroundings. Trimble's photographs are helpful in giving examples of these varied environments, some so surprising that they could not be equaled in the reader's imagination. By seeing the places that these people call home, the reader has a greater understanding of lives that Trimble describes. Trimble approaches this extremely varied area by describing one group at a time...After fully describing their history up to present living conditions, he moves on to the next group. For example, when studying the Pueblo people, Trimble first describes the Anasazi, the people who first practiced the ancient Archaic tradition of adobe and masonry building. As time went on, the Anasazi became several groups of Pueblo people practicing the same traditions. As Trimble says, "The Anasazi grew corn, Pueblo people grow corn" (47).

American movement into the Southwest is the single force that most drastically changed the lives of these Native Americans. Trimble not only states the facts of the events involved in this history, but also gives accounts of the highly emotional attitudes of these people when recalling such events. Thus, the reader is presented with accounts given by the people whose lives were radically changed in our country's history. The Quechan are one of the Colorado River Tribes that used to thrive on the rich farmland around the river...Trimble describes decades of poverty suffered by these people. Harold Chaipos, a Quechan, is quoted by Trimble, saying, "I really miss that big river. Those were good old times" (410).

Personal accounts are also important in Trimble's description of the present status of the Southwestern groups. In his conclusion, called "We Are The Land," Trimble emphasizes the connectedness that these people have with the land. This is something that most Americans do not understand...The attachment that these people have to the land makes attempted relocations and constant environmental threats that have come along with the spread of American inhabitation all the more devastating. According to Trimble, many Southwestern Native Americans feel that they live a life in which they practice a balancing act. In order to survive and protect their land, the groups need to be able to interact with Americans while still upholding their traditional culture...[T]he Southwestern Native Americans continue to live rooted in their homeland, while taking what they know from their cultural traditions and applying it to modern American culture. They say, "We are the people. We are the land. We will persist" (457).

Trimble provides a wonderful source of information about the widely diverse groups of Southwestern Native groups...In The People, Trimble captures the attitudes of the native people of the American Southwest and presents them in a form that educates the rest of the world on aboriginal lifestyles and present Native American values.

I did a report about Goshut people and I learned a lot from this book. I use three places and this book had the best info. I'm glad my school libary has it. It was hard to type a half a page with out this book. I love it but you might think it's boring but it is not. Have fun reading this book and I hope this review helped.

This is a charming book. Amazingly, the children of the Goshute Indian Reservation have produced this book, complete with the native legend and their own artwork. In an age of super media over-production and superficial holiday glitz and consumption, this book is a welcome change. But it is professionally produced by a university press. How often do kids get published by university presses?

The elementary school children have created beautiful images along with the story. Each page has a differnt look to it, representing that child's contribution.

If you like native american legends, in the tradition of the old coyote, etc., then you will like this book. The story is beautiful and warm. The fact that it comes from the next (young) generation of Goshutes, and represents their desire to reach out to our busy world, is what makes it unique and wonderful.

Enjoy!

Every child will want to experience the creation story of the Goshute Mountains time and again, and every adult will want to display the simple, yet elegant water colors associated with this story. The story is made more powerful with a description of the small community defining the Goshute Tribe of today and their dedication to natural resources. Readers will find this book to be delightful in presentation, storyline, and purpose.

This little book provides the reader with a basic history of the Powatan starting with a bit prior to first contact with europeans (ironicly the Spanish) to Jamestown (proving ample insights into the minds of the cultures involved) to the modern age, including their experiences of the racial Jim Crow nonsence of the South. Nothing spectacular just the bare and basic facts. I did find the comparison of how the Powatans fared in comparison to the Tribes of New England most impressive.

Most informative and filling for the mind.

A good book to have for those interested in the region, or just the story of Jamestown and the beginning of America.

As the previous reviewer said, this book does a wonderful job examing the history of the Powhatana Confederation of Virgina through the past four centuries. Often forgotten about by the American public at large the Powhatans (actually several different Algonquian speaking Nations joined together into a single Confederacy) played a major role in US history almost from the beginning. Indeed, as the title suggests, Pocahontas herself was one of their most well known members.

Starting with an examination of pre-contact Powhatan life and culture, Rountree goes on to examine the first meetings between the Chickahominies and the Spanish conquistadors, early encounters with the British settlers, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and Indian removal. Especially interesting are the last couple chapters which focus on Indian rights activism in the last century. The Powhatan (like any of the other First Nations) never went away and have had to struggle to gain their own reservation, and even federal recognition. The book ends with a wonderfully long and detailed bibliography.

This book really tells of their struggles and triumphs, and more than anything else I would say that this book gives a wonderful background for understanding where the peoples of the Powhatan Confederation have come from. Anyone with an interest in Native American studies should definately check out this book and the others in the Civilization of the American Indians series.

Being a descendant of the Wicocomico Indian Tribe, a chiefdom of the Powhatan Empire and a 7th great grandson of King William Taptico of the above tribe; Ms Rountree's book took me on a trip back into time and verified much of my previous research into my Native American Heritage.

This was a well written book on a subject that has been neglected for years. It discusses the terrible clash between Colonial America and the Powhatan Empire; a period that set the tone for the treatment of Native Americans in America for years to come and continues today. Considering the poor records that Colonial America maintained, Ms Rountree did an exceptional job in uncovering long lost information and at last brought to light the treatment the Powhatans received at the hands of Colonial America. The period of 1607 thru 1775 was the Powhatans "Wounded Knee". Ms Rountree did an excellent job in bringing to light much of the injustices done to the Powhatans.

For the Powhatan Empire researcher,this is a book that should be on your shelf.

This outstanding book was well received by my preschool class. The illustrations are wonderful and the story was easy to follow.

I rate childrens books on how much I enjoy reading them the 2nd, 12th, and 500th time. Based on this criteria, this book is a winner! The story is simple and universally appealing. It touches on the themes of the stupidity of violence and anger, and the transcendence of love and loyalty, and provided a good starting point for discussions about these themes with my 5 year old. The resolution of the story is very reassuring, even inspirational, so it also rates high in my comfort book collection (along with classics such as the Runaway Bunny, Goodnight Moon, I Love You This Much, and the Little Bear Books.)

What really makes this book a pleasure to come back to again and again is the illustrations. They are simple but suggestive, rich in emotion, and just plain beautiful. I pored over each picture for a long time, soaking in their atmosphere and emotions which are conveyed sweetly, gently, and strongly. The book gives one a flavor for this distinctive culture while being universally appealing.

Get a copy of this book and snuggle up with a favorite child!

This is a stunning book. The story is simple and universally appealing, dealing with themes of love, loyalty, and mothering that any young child/caregiver will identify with. The pictures are absolutely beautiful - they are simple, yet convey strong, and universal emotions. As I read the book the first time, I savored every page of evocative illustrations, and couldn't wait to start reading it again.This is an incredibly appealing book that , while rich in ethnic/local flavor, could appeal to anyone who experiences basic human emotions. I read the book over immediately, and will enjoy reading it over and over again.

A sure winner - buy it and read it and re-read it with your favorite child!

Very well researched, very readable. I bought the book originally because I was interested in the period, and was glad I did.

This is one of the most well-researched books on the Federal period of our country that has been written. It has become the "bible" of anyone interested in this turbulent period of our nation's history. If you want to know anything about the settlement of the Northwest Territory, this is the book to read. It has a lot of historical detail in it, but it is still a very readable book. I use it for reference all of the time, living is one of the historical towns mentioned in the book

Wiley Sword has written the definitive book on one of the most important chapters of our national history; a chapter that has unaccountably remained obscure and understudied despite its overwhelming importance to the development of the United States. The Indian War of 1790 to 1795 was an important postscript to the Revolution, involving undefeated belligerents and a continuing, undeclared cold war with Britain. It was central to the eventual development of a professional, standing army in the United States, an idea that had previously been anathema to many Americans who preferred the idea of national defense through state militias. It contained the worst single defeat of an American army in the 100 years of war between the United States and the Native tribes, a defeat that dwarfed Custer's much more famous one, and was comparable to the Braddock Massacre of the French and Indian War. And it was the single most important action in the one hundred year history of war between the United States and Native American tribes. It marked the best chance the tribes ever had to gain their objectives, and their eventual lose of that war was a mortal body blow to the tribes, making all their proceeding wars little more than the inevitable death throes of their cause. Finally, it cleared the way for the American settlement of the Northwest Territory; modern Ohio, Indiana, Illinios, Michigan, and Wisconsin - it created the heartland of America.

In the Treaty of Paris of 1783, the British not only gave up their claims to the thirteen colonies, but ceded the vast track of land beyond them that would become known as the Northwest Territory - the homeland of many of the tribes that had been their allies during the war. The treaty made no provisions for or any acknowledgement of their former allies, the tribes that inhabited that land. Americans prepared to expand their nation westward, and settlers began pouring into the Ohio country. The undefeated tribes were determined to protect their homeland from the encroachments of an alien civilization, and began to resist with all possible force. The British, seeing in this an opportunity to maintain their influence and their profitable fur trade, as well as a possibility of regaining some of their lost territory, broke their treaty agreements, and continued to maintain several frontier forts on American territory from which they provisioned the tribes and encouraged their resistance to the Americans. For the next seven years, intrepid American settlers floated down the Ohio River to make a life in Indian country, and determined Natives resisted them ferociously and effectively, until the Washington administration decided that they must move decisively against the tribes to make continued westward expansion of the nation possible.

Sword's book effectively captures all the elements of the war, the drama leading to it, and its aftermath. He examines it not only from the American perspective, but from the point of view of the tribes and the British as well, without injecting value judgments. He chronicles not only the military action, but the often flawed and usually deceitful diplomacy that was carried on, and the goals and strategies of all three of the players involved. His descriptions of the battles are riveting, and he captures a sense of the times and the people involved in the action believably. While his writing here had not yet developed to the full potential of his later books, it is still a cut above the typical fare of scholarly histories, and anyone at all interested in the subject should find reading his book enjoyable, as well as enlightening. I know of no other single book that details this crucial chapter of American history half as well as does Sword's book, and I recommend it highly.

Theo Logos

These wonderful woodcuts and related text take the reader into a world vastly different from mainstream culture. The images are taken from Kris Hotvedt's own experiences as she partakes in Pueblo and Navajo life. Owning several of the actual color woodcuts depicted in the book has given our family great pleasure. We especially love "The Coming of the Rivermen" (Cochiti Pueblo), a tradition not observed in any other New Mexico pueblo. This book is a highly recommended look at Pueblo and Navajo traditons as they are still practiced today.

A wonderful little book featuring original woodcuts, by the author, along with informative text explaining each illustration.

One greatly appealing aspect of this book is its simplistic depiction of Pueblo and Navajo life. It is an ideal learning tool for adults and children alike.

I enjoyed both the art work and the text in this short but well-written book. It certainly gives an outsider real information about the lives of Indians living on the reservation today. MS Hotvedt is able to convey in her block prints something of what the dances and traditions must mean to these people. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in contemporary Indian life.

Wonderful illustrations make this retelling of this Cherokee tale very special. The author and the artist certainly compliment each other's work.

I am a former fifth grade instructor, a National Board Certified Teacher, and a college professor in Teacher Preparation. I highly recommend the Grandmother Stories series to elementary and early childhood instructors and parents who are homeschooling their children. The books have appropriate vocabulary and tell stories that explain nature in a creative manner. I learned several things I did not know about nature and its interactions from these books. Children love to have the books read to them and to read them to themselves. Duvall and Jacobs are a wonderful creative force as they merge their talents to produce books that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

One of the traditional Grandmother Stories, Rabbit Goes Duck Hunting is here freshly delivered, proving the eternal value of traditional lore. Ji-Stu the Rabbit gets involved in adventures in the Smoky Mountains with Otter, his friend, as they attempt to catch a wood duck. The illustrations that accompany this tale are striking black-and-white line art, heavily framed with traditional design elements. The text and art combine to produce an elegant statement, contemporary but respectful of the past. - Kim Long

Race To The Moonrise is a carefully researched adventure tale of two young Mogollon trader children who run an exciting race against the full moonrise in prehistoric (1200 A.D.) northern Mexico and southwestern U.S. Little Basket, the young girl prophetess and her brother Long Legs make the arduous journey from their village in northern Mexico to the area of Chimney Rock and Finger Rocks, near the Four Corners area of today, before the 19th full moonrise to participate in a religious ceremony. All details are carefully researched and help authenticate this exciting children's educational action adventure book. Note: Race To The Moonrise was approved for use with Native American children by the Intertribal Cultural Committee of the Council for Indian Education. It is fascinating to follow the ebb and flow of this exciting tale. So much of early Native American prehistory is not known, yet what can be surmised of these ancient MesoAmericans is both intriguing and of enduring value to the young people of today. Race To The Moonrise is a fine work to honor one's ancestors with.

Race to the Moonrise, by archaeologist Sally Crum, is a wonderful resource for teachers teaching the history and cultures of the Southwest and Colorado. It is a fictional story which contains a vivid picture of the cultures of the Southwest from Casa Grande to Chimney Rock in Colorado. I used it with my fourth grade students to enable them to visualize the people and their lifestyle, compare the environments, weapons, religions, clothing, tools, foods, building styles, use of natural resources, trade, household objects, and travel of the Pre-Puebloan people. The story is appropriate for fourth grade and above and through a fictional narrative with carefully researched background, keeps students interested and learning throughout. The author has also published a teacher's guide with questions and activities to use with the book. I would recommend Race to the Moonrise to other teachers. It has been a great addition to my unit on Colorado History.

I have a really difficult time reviewing children's books. Until now. I have just finished "Race to the Moonrise: An Ancient Journey" by Ouray, CO author Sally Crum. It is a wonderful book. It was written for the fourth grade level, but let me tell you, I think readers of any age will not only enjoy the book but will finish it with a greater understanding of native American culture and feel good about having read it. The setting of the book is around 1200 AD and centers around Little Basket, a young girl with some very special powers, and her brother, Long Legs. These two, with their uncle, embark on a journey from their home in Mexico to what is now southwestern Colorado. The purpose of the journey, which takes them through the country of the Mogollon of New Mexico, the Hohokam of the Gila and Salt River Basins, the Sinagua of Wupatki Pueblo, the Hopi, and the Chaco Canyon, Aztec, Mesa Verde and Chimney Rock Pueblo peoples, is to save their village. Besides being a great read, the book is impressively accurate in its description of the native American cultures, and geographic and archaeological places which exist today. On a recent trip which included many of those places I was amazed at the author's accuracy. Do Little Basket and Long Legs save the village? To be sure, it's not here today. But then, when a little girl has special powers and a strong, brave, and protective brother...who knows? Sally Crum is a working archaeologist and has worked for numerous national parks and monuments over the past 16 years. The book has been approved for use with Native American children by the Intertribal Cultural Committee of the Council for Indian Education and published by Western Reflections Inc., so you know the quality is second to none. This is a wonderful, enchanting book. It is truly for children of all ages...right up into geezerhood!