This land was theirs : a study of Native North Americans

Summary: From the Publisher: This Land Was Theirs: A Study of Native North Americans, Ninth Edition, examines the traditional and contemporary lifeways of twelve North American Indian tribes. Ranging from the Netsilik hunters who straddle the Arctic Circle to the Natchez farmers of the lower Mississippi River area, the tribes represent each culture area and various levels of socioeconomic complexity among Native Americans. After introductory chapters devoted to pan-tribal issues, each chapter focuses on a specific group and culture area, providing students with a detailed portrait of the geographical and cultural adaptations of that region. As he has done for previous editions, author Wendell H. Oswalt has visited virtually all of the extant groups discussed in the text in order to ensure an accurate record of the present-day situation. Features of the Ninth Edition: Each chapter on an extant tribal group now includes a table with a timeline summarizing the group's ethnohistory. Includes an expanded section on the original peopling of the Americas. Emphasizes the major issues band and tribal governments in North America face today. Addresses the increasingly important diamond mining industry in Canada and the Subarctic. Includes more than 150 illustrations and chapter-opening native poems or songs. Offers expanded coverage of the Navajo, the transcontinental railroad's impact on Indian life, and contemporary issues encountered on reservations. Provides pedagogical aids including maps of each region discussed, a glossary, a pronunciation guide, and two appendices: a guide to artifacts and a list of additional resources for further study.

Record details

ISBN: 9780195367409
ISBN: 0195367405
Physical Description: print
xvii, 531 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
Edition: 9th ed.
Publisher: New York : Oxford University Press, 2009.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Formatted Contents Note:

1: Learning About Native Americans -- Bison and Americans -- Indians in popular culture -- Who is a Native American? -- Population figures -- Where did Native Americans originate? -- Synopsis of pre-Columbian archaeology north of Mexico -- How have Native American cultures been studied? -- What do non-Natives know about indigenous American languages? -- Grouping tribes -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 2: Indian-Non-Indian Relations -- Early contact -- Destruction and displacement of peoples -- US treaties -- Canada, the first nations -- Greenland in brief -- Administration of US Indian affairs -- Forces fostering Native American identity -- Recent history -- Native American and anthropologist -- Comparing cultures -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 3: Netsilik: Seal Hunting And Snowhouse Eskimos -- Traditional life -- Historical developments -- Recent changes -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 4: Chipewyan: Subarctic Hunters -- Traditional life -- Historical developments -- Becoming modern at snowdrift (Lutselk'e, Lutsel k'e) -- Contemporary Lutselk'e -- Sayisi band -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 5: Lower Kootenai: Plateau Fishers And Hunters -- Traditional life -- Historical developments -- Selected comparisons -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 6: Western Shoshone: Subduers Of The High Desert -- Traditional life -- Historical developments -- Battle mountain colony -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 7: Crow: Plains Raiders And Bison Hunters -- Baseline ethnography -- Historical developments -- Later history -- Other dimensions -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 8: Cahuilla: Gatherers in the Desert -- Traditional life -- Historical developments -- Agua Caliente band -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 9: Tlingit: Alaskan Salmon Fishers -- Traditional life -- Early history -- Later history -- Regional corporation -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 10: Hopi: Farmers Of The Desert -- Traditional life -- Historical developments -- Becoming modern -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 11: Navajo: Transformations Among A Desert People --Background -- Historical developments -- Earlier reservation years -- Recent past -- Contemporary scene -- Additional issues -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 12: Iroquois: Warriors And Farmers Of The Eastern Woodlands -- Early historic life -- Historical developments -- Six nations reserve -- Sovereignty -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 13: Eastern Cherokee: Farmers Of The Southeast -- People, population, and language -- Ethnographic background -- Historical developments -- Eastern band of Cherokee -- Contemporary scene -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 14: Natchez: Sophisticated Farmers Of The Deep South -- Traditional life -- Ceremonies -- Tattooed serpent's oration -- Natchez history -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- 15: Overviews -- Indian gaming highlights -- Federal administration -- Relocation programs -- Unrecognized tribes -- Diabetes and Native Americans -- Indians as environmentalists -- Tribalism -- National Museum of the American Indian -- Tribal sovereignty -- Summarizing thoughts -- Additional sources -- Selected bibliography -- Appendix A: Material culture sample -- Appendix B: Additional Native American resources -- Glossary -- Pronunciation guide -- Name index -- Subject index.