Traces the history of the Indians of North America and discusses the cultures, migrations, and wars of the major Indian tribes. - (Baker & Taylor)

No longer an archivist for the New York State Historical Association, Waldman has devoted himself to writing about Native Americans. Black-and-white maps and other illustration abound here, but the focus is on the text. Together they provide information on history, culture, languages, and lifeways of Native American groups across the US and Canada and on early peoples of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Molly Braun, a freelance illustrator and cartographer, contributes the original maps. The first edition appeared in 1985; the second not only updates information, but has been redesigned. Paper edition (unseen), $21.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) - (Book News)

Booklist Reviews

This revision of a 1985 title provides "a series of overviews for understanding the challenging subject of the American Indian, and a framework or frameworks for pursuing further historical and cultural studies." Text is accompanied by 110 black-and-white maps. According to the preface, maps are a useful way to convey Indian-related information both because of "the great" number of tribes and their movement over the centuries" and because "one's homeland is at the heart of the Native American worldview." Among the changes from the earlier edition are redrawn maps, 16 new maps (for example, "The Territory of Nunavut"), updated language (e.g., Inuit rather than Eskimo), a new glossary, an expanded bibliography, and revised lists of tribal groups and museums. Content is arranged in seven chapters, including "Ancient Indians," "Indian Lifeways," and "Contemporary Indians." The largest single section, "Indian Wars," covers the early conflicts of the Arawal (1492) through the Canadian Indian Wars in the 1870s. Each chapter is broken down into sections discussing culture, events, tribes, and individuals. Appendixes provide a chronology of prehistory and history; listings of Indian Nations; Indian place-names; and a directory of museums, historical societies, and archaeological sites. A glossary, bibliography, and index complete the volume. Canadian coverage is better than in many similar works. Several chapters have sections specific to Canada, an appendix is devoted to contemporary Canadian First Nations, and other appendixes include Canada in their listings. This book is recommended for collections needing general information, historical coverage, and material on the Canadian region. It is a good companion to Waldman's Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes [RBB Ap 1 00] and well suited for the academic or public library. Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews