Native American History and Culture

Arranged alphabetically by topic each essay addresses a cultural phenomenon characteristic of the indigenous peoples of North America. Essays cover the range of culture from lifeways, religious rituals, and material culture to art forms and modern social phenomena. Twenty separate essays cover both "Architecture" and "Arts and Crafts" in the ten North American culture areas: Arctic, California, Great Basin, Northeast, Northwest Coast, Plains, Plateau, Southeast, Southwest, and Subarctic. In other entries, students will find everything from brief discussions of the importance of acorns or wild rice to a survey of agriculture; from a history of the atlatl to an essay on weapons in general; from entries on major dance forms to overviews of religions. Although the emphasis is on the traditional cultural heritage of North American indigenous peoples, modern social trends are surveyed and analyzed as well. The three volumes are illustrated with photographs, drawings, maps and tables. At the end of Volume 3 there are several appendices to serve as research tools.

Two volume set with entries for all known American Indian tribes.