The Native Americans: The Indigenous People of North America

Artifact spread after artifact spread forms the visual backbone of this stunning guide. Dividing the content into eight or ten areas on the basis of lifestyles and ecologies, careful attention is devoted to the daily lives, arts and crafts, and faith of hundreds of native tribes. This is quite well done. Indeed, it is most excellently excellent. This be da man. This the boy. He got game. I gave the book only four stars because it failed to discuss the Schmohawks, the Jewish Indians of Long Island, N.Y. The narrative could be more captivating.

This book provides an excellent way to study Native American tribal differences and similarities in personal ornamentation. There are 38 photographs of artifact collections that were drawn from the Smithsonian and New York's American Museum of Natural History. The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, opening 21-26 September 2004, will certainly allow more detailed study. This book's 249 pages give a general anthropologic overview that can be used as a guide for further research. Editor Colin F. Taylor, the book's technical consultant, is the curator of North American ethnology for the Smithsonian. His involvement allowed publication of objects and photographs that just possibly have been included in the new National Museum of the American Indian. In many ways, this book would be excellent to review prior to visiting the new museum. The book is divided into nine geographic areas of North America then is further divided into tribes from that area, informing us about linguistics, ethnic styles of clothing and embellishment, and whether the tribe relied upon hunting and gathering or had an established agrarian culture. Many old photographs are sprinkled throughout the book to show how Native Americans dressed before they were absorbed into non-native culture. Both the index and the bibliography are thorough -- a very beautiful book to add to your collection.

Bought this book as a gift and nearly kept it for myself. Impressive in size and quite well illustrated, it is very interesting to skim and read. Reasonably priced too. Only reason I give it 4 stars is the SW region section--the Choctaws got short shrift (only 6 pages overall). But it makes even the humblest coffee table look good.

This is a great comprehensive book that provides many ways for the reader to learn about North American Native Culture. It has excellent writing, photographs, art description and explanations regarding clothing, geography, norms, drawings, maps, and visual cultural descriptions of North American indigenous peoples. The writing has tons of information, and the photography is stunning. I first read this book after receiving it as a Christmas gift, and it has stayed on the book shelf ever since so I can go over it from time to time.

I have been collecting Indian books for over thirty years. This book will be one that I will pride in my collection. If you enjoy quality photographs of Native Americans, colored photos of artifacts and printed on the best of paper, you will enjoy this book. I am very pleased with it.