Native American History: A Chronology of a Culture's Vast Achievements and Their Links to World Events

Judith Nies presents an excellent overview of both native american and european events as they parallel and eventually coincide with one another. Until reading her book, I was unaware of the extent of the brutality of the hispanic history towards the natives of all the areas of the americas; their responsibility for the genocide of millions of natives through a combination of enslavement, warfare and disease, creating a world where the natives preferred to kill their children and commit suicide rather than to continue to live. This is followed by a second tragedy, the establishment of the african slave trade to replace what they destroyed. Perhaps what is most effective in her writing is the objective and factual presentation of a complete history, free of personal or cultural bias. Recommended reading for anyone.

like the title says, it's a great referrence book for those who wish for a brief overview of native history in the present-day united states as well as much of mesoamerica. good starting off point for further investigation. the great thing about the book is that it not only is a chronology of native events (which appear on the right side of a page), it also displays many significant events throughout the world (which appear on the left side of a page) so the reader may gain a greater perspective. also includes short articles thrown in for good measure and to expand a bit on topics such as the iroquois influence on the u.s. constitution, to tenochtitlan (present-day mexico city, site of ancient aztec capital), as well as brief introductions to certain time periods. not a thorough examination, but a nice listing of significant events in native history. recommended nonetheless.

This book should be required reading, at least for any member of the government who has dealings with Native Americans, if not for every American History class in the country. It is a bit dry stylistically, which is all that keeps it from five stars, but it contains an amazing wealth of information that balances out the general viewpoint of American history as it is taught in public schools. It should be considered an invaluable asset in any attempt to present a balanced perspective on our country's history. Ignoring the criminally dishonorable way in which those of European descent have treated the Natives will NOT make it go away, nor even lessen the karmic debt. Only by learning about and acknowledging the truth can we even BEGIN to decide what steps need to be taken now and in the future.

This book is indispensable for every reader interested in how America got to be that way. In side-by-side columns, the author chronicles the experiences of America's indigenous peoples set against global events. It sheds light on events both little and well known--everything from the construction of a pyramid on the banks of the Mississippi that is second in size only to those of Egypt to the contributions in agriculture that Native Americans gave to European settlers, including corn and tomatoes. It punctures myths like the idea that America was a virgin continent. Extremely well researched and illustrated.