Native American History and Culture

Contrary to the white man's early expectations, the Indian tribes of North America neither vanished nor assimilated. Despite almost four hundred years of contact with the dominant--and often domineering--Western civilization, Native Americans have maintained their cultural identity, the size,social organization, and frequently the location of their population, and their unique position before the law. This classic book reviews the history of contact between whites and Indians, explaining how the aboriginal inhabitants of North America have managed to remain an ethnic and cultural enclave within American and Canadian society from colonial times to the present day.The late D'Arcy McNickle--renowned anthropologist and member of the Flathead Tribe of Montana--shows that while Native Americans have always been eager to adopt the knowledge and technology of white society, they carefully adapt these changes to fit into their own culture. He maintains that by emphasizing tribal self-determination, the federal government can best help Native Americans to modernize and achieve independence even as they preserve their ancient heritage. Iverson's introduction discusses McNickle's singular contribution to Native American Studies, and provides an overview of recent events and scholarship in the field. The appendix describes the geographical distribution of the principle tribes in the United States and Canada. With its comprehensive coverage and unique perspective, Native American Tribalism is essential reading for those who want to understand the past and present of our first Americans.