The Native Peoples of North America: A History, Volume 1

Front Cover
Rutgers University Press, 2006 - History - 487 pages

From the earliest traces of first arrivals to the present, Native Americans represent a diverse and colorful array of cultures. Ranging North America and topics as diverse as archaeological discoveries from thousands of years ago and accounts of reservation life today, this study draws on traditional records as well as oral histories and biographical sketches to bring the history of these varied peoples to life.

Johansen's account, now available for the first time in one comprehensive volume, tackles the various theories that date Native Americans' first probable appearance perhaps 30,000 years before Columbus's arrival. Chapters trace the explosion of westward expansion and include personal sketches of some of those famous for native resistance such as Tecumseh's six-nation alliance, among many others. The book also explores the new wave of Native American activism that began in the 1960s, reservation life today, the repatriation of artifacts, and the current and widespread revival of native language studies.

Written in a compelling and accessible style, this book not only provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of North American Indians, but also offers an uncommonly rich description of the material and intellectual ways that Native American cultures have influenced the life and institutions of people across the globe.

 

Contents

Cornell University
51
Hendrix Janey B Redbird Smith and the Nighthawk Keetoowahs Journal of Cherokee
70
The American Indian Contact Population Debate
152
John Marshall and the Rule of Law Lawrence
216
Back Home on the Range NationalGeographic 1865November
291
Inside the Mohawk Civil War New York
444

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About the author (2006)

Bruce Elliott Johansen is an American academic and author. He is the Frederick W. Kayser Professor of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is the author or editor of many books and articles, notably on environmental and Native American issues.