Native America Today: A Guide to Community Politics and Culture

by Barry M. Pritzker

Book Overview

Using an organizational scheme unique among reference works, Native America Today presents 13 "mini-chapters" on individual topics (e.g., "Crafts," "Media," "Representation"), each of which gives an overview of the subject and provides case studies that relate the topic to recent events in select tribal groups.

The second major section of the work is devoted to contemporary profiles of tribes and tribal groups, from Apache to Zuni,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1576070778
• ISBN13: 9781576070772
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: ABC-CLIO
• Length: 453 Pages
• Weight: 2.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

An excellent, balanced, comprehensive resource.

Native America Today is divided into three sections, Contemporary Issues, Contemporary Profiles of Tribes and Groups, and Documents, Acts of Congress, Executive Orders, Court Decisions, Laws and Resolutions. The focus of this balanced text if on political/cultural/economic issues of contemporary rural Native Americans. Although three fourths of the Native American population in the U.S. live in cities, the rural communities' land base contains crucial connections to the Native American identity(ies). Native America Today is a fine textbook and reference work for students of Native American studies. Profiles of thirty-two tribes are concise yet complex, and as complete as possible. The author specifies his bias towards the use of written resources. Many complex issues of Native American history are condensed within the tribal histories and descriptions. The text is enlightened by judicious use of black and white photos of contemporary rural Native Americans. Issue studies include gaming, land re-acquisition, education, identity, health and economic development. The primary thrust is to educate non-Natives regarding history and present plight of rural Native Americans plus the need to allow self determination in planning for future needs. Native America Today is an excellent resource, including a full bibliography, a key to other resources on Native American studies. Three appendices include lists of Federally Recognized Tribes as of December 21, 1998, First Nations in Canada as of March 19, 1999, and Indian Groups who have petitioned for Federal Recognition Unrecognized as of March 2, 1999. Native America Today is an excellent, balanced, comprehensive resource.Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer