The Mi'kmaq: Resistance, Accommodation, and Cultural Survival (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology) [Paperback]

Harald E. L. Prins (Author)

Book Description

Series: Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology | Publication Date: January 2, 1996

Chronicled here are 500 years of the complex dynamics of Mi'kmaq culture. This text explores the group as a tribal nation-their ordeals in the face of colonialism and their current struggle for self-determination and cultural revitalization.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Harald E.L. Prins is Professor of Anthropology at Kansas State University and guest curator at the National Museum for Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Born and raised in the Netherlands, he studied archaeology, anthropology, and comparative history at various universities in the Netherlands and the United States. He has a doctoraal from the University of Nijmegen and a Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research. He has done extensive fieldwork among indigenous peoples in South and North America, and teaches classes on American Indians, Anthropological Theory, and Introduction to Anthropology. Professionally trained in filmmaking, he has consulted on numerous films, juried documentary film festivals, and served as president of the Society for Visual Anthropology (1999-2001) and visual anthropology editor of the journal "American Anthropologist." Known for his spirited teaching, Prins has won two of his university's most prestigious teaching honors, and serves as University Chair for Distinguished Teaching Scholars (2004-2005). He was also instrumental in the successful federal recognition and land claims case of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs (1990), and served as an expert witness in several Mi'kmaq native rights cases in the U.S. Senate and Canadian courts. Dr. Prins' publications include his book "The Mi'kmaq: Resistance, and Accommodation" (Harcourt Brace, 1996), a co-edited volume "American Beginnings: Exploration, Culture, and Cartography in the Land of Norumbega" (U Nebraska Press, 1994), two co-edited special journal issues, and over 75 scholarly articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries. In addition, he co-produced OUR LIVES IN OUR HANDS, a documentary film on Mi'kmaq Indians in Maine (D.E.R. 1986), and OH, WHAT A BLOW THAT PHANTOM GAVE ME!, a film on visual anthropology pioneer Edmund Carpenter (D.E.R., 2003), and served as research advisor for the award-winning film WABANAKI: A NEW DAWN (N.E.H. Film, 1996).

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 1 edition (January 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0030534275
• ISBN-13: 978-0030534270
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #671,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harald E. L. Prins is a Dutch anthropologist (1951- ) who taught at Bowdoin and Colby colleges, and is now a Distinguished Professor at Kansas State University. A multiple award-winning scholar and native rights activist, he has done extensive fieldwork among Mi'kmaq and other tribes in North and South America. His documentary film credits include "Our Lives in Our Hands" and "Oh! What a Blow that Phantom Gave Me." Having published books and articles in seven languages, he authored or co-authored several books, including "The Mi'kmaq: Resistance, Accommodation, and Cultural Survival," "Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge," "Asticou's Island Domain: Wabanaki Peoples at Mount Desert Island 1500-2000," and "Indians in Eden: Wabanakis and Rusticators on Maine's Mt. Desert Island, 1840s - 1920s." For his research and guest lecturing, he travels across the globe, but loves returning to his wife Bunny McBride and their intrepid cats Mick & Mack with whom they share their cedar-wood and limestone home tucked away in an oak-forested valley teeming with wildlife and bordering a large lake in the beautiful Flint Hills.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important read for those studying North Eastern Tribes, October 6, 2000

By 

Helen F OBrien (Hampton, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mi'kmaq: Resistance, Accommodation, and Cultural Survival (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology) (Paperback)

As a Native, from an Eastern Woodlands Tribe, and a student of anthropology, I found this book to be very informative. The information presented put into perspective many of the stories I heard about relations between Mi'Kmaq tribes of North Eastern America and other tribes from the same location. I would recomend this book to anyone pursuing studies in Native American History, as well as to anyone who is looking for answers to the origin of thier heritage.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the most comprehensive book on Mi'kmaq culture and history, February 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mi'kmaq: Resistance, Accommodation, and Cultural Survival (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology) (Paperback)

Working at the Mi'kmaq Resource Centre I find this to be the single volume I keep returning to again and again and it is the one I recommend most often to researchers and students. It covers a wide range of topics from pre- to post contact times and I use it constantly as a reference and guide. It is a superior book and I can't praise it highly enough. It is now 8 years old and I eagerly await an updated version from Harald Prins.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Infomation packed., May 19, 2004

By 

Patricia Perkins (Manhattan Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mi'kmaq: Resistance, Accommodation, and Cultural Survival (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology) (Paperback)

This book has opened my eyes to a whole new world of people and a way of living. Thank you.