Overview

Combining historical background with discussion of contemporary Native nations and their living cultures, this comprehensive text introduces students to some of the many indigenous peoples in North America. The book is organized into parts corresponding to regional divisions within which similar, though not identical, cultural practices developed. Each part opens with an overview of the topography, climate, and natural resources in the area, and describes the range of cultural practices and beliefs grounded in the area. Subsequent chapters are devoted to specific tribal groups, their history, and the conditions of contemporary Native communities. Nancy Bonvillain provides context for the regional and tribe-specific chapters through a brief overview of Native American history beginning around 1500 and covering the early period of European exploration and colonization. She details both U.S. and Canadian policies affecting the lives, cultures, and survival of more than five hundred Native nations on this continent. Finally, she offers up-to-date demographics and addresses significant social, economic, and political issues concerning Native communities. The second edition featured new material throughout, including a new two-chapter section on the Native nations of the Plateau, expanded introductory material addressing topics such as climate change and recent Supreme Court decisions, up-to-date demographic and economic data, and more. In this updated and revised new edition, Nancy Bonvillain has expanded and improved the existing text, updating the data with the latest research, and adding a new chapter that discusses contemporary issues that effect and crosscut reservation, national and international boundaries.

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9781538170403

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Reviews

Bonvillain's Native Nations offers a comprehensive view of indigenous history, technology, and modern life in each region of North America. By providing both regional and tribe-specific chapters, Bonvillian engages the reader with her exploration into the diverse cultural practices and political issues surrounding native communities. --Cameron Lacquement

Bonvillain's Native Nations offers a comprehensive view of indigenous history, technology, and modern life in each region of North America. By providing both regional and tribe-specific chapters, Bonvillian engages the reader with her exploration into the diverse cultural practices and political issues surrounding native communities. --Cameron Lacquement, The University of Alabama

Author Information

Nancy Bonvillain received her PhD from Columbia University, Department of Anthropology, with specialties in Linguistics and Native American studies. She is currently a professor of Anthropology and Linguistics at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She has written four textbooks in cultural anthropology, language and culture, gender studies, and Native American studies. She is also the author of 20 separate ethnographies of some Indigenous societies and has written articles dealing with aspects of Iroquoian and Mohawk languages.

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