Customer Reviews

Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8: California

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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!

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.

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."