Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8: California [Hardcover]

Robert F. Heizer (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0874741882 | ISBN-13: 978-0874741889 | Publication Date: June 17, 1978 | Edition: 1st

William C. Sturtevant, general editor; Robert F. Heizer, volume editor. 
Summarizes what is known of the aboriginal culture forms and practices of about 60 California tribes. Describes the environment, prehistoric archeology, historical archeology, language classification, culture, population numbers since the time of European discovery, and the history of exploration and settlement by Whites.
Contains copyright material. L.C. card 77-17162. Item 909-D-1.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Editor, the anthropologist William C. Sturtevant, who had a long career in the field of anthropology and with the Smithsonian, died in 2007.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Institution; 1st edition (June 17, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874741882
• ISBN-13: 978-0874741889
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.3 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #854,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rare, authentic, and information-replete to the brim..., March 9, 1999

By 

Yaan Ts'udenbesdai - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8: California (Hardcover)

These handbooks of North American Indians by Goddard are some of the most information-replete contain some of the most rare data available. The 100+ dollars for any of these volumes is well worth the money. I've ordered (via interlibrary loans) 3-4 of them (primarily, because I'm a scholar of several groupings of Native North Americans) and have found them beyond enjoyable and fascinating, to say the least. If this is your 'bag of barnucles,' then you can't go wrong with Goddard!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful, March 1, 2010

By 

Scaramouche - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 8: California (Hardcover)

After years and years of borrowing my boss's copy of this book, I gave in and bought one of my own. I'm an archaeologist, but (O Gad, the irony!) Native Americans bore the bejeezus out of me, thus my prolonged reluctance to fork out the cash. As a reference for professionals, it's about as good as can be found if what's needed is a brief account of each tribe. For Indian enthusiasts, it's non-technical enough for amateurs, but maybe a bit dry. Since it was completed in 1978, it could probably do with some updating, incorporating more recent archaeological and ethnographic data. Get one of the lower-priced used copies. Keep checking back because when I retire in 2019 I'll be selling mine cheap.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable Reference., February 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8: California (Hardcover)

This volume, number 8 in the series, is an absolute necessity in anyone's library who studies the Native Americans of California. Edited by the late Dr. Robert Heizer, a student of Alfred Kroeber who authored "Handbook of the Indians of California."