Customer Reviews

Native American History: A Chronology of a Culture's Vast Achievements and Their Links to World Events

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book should be required reading, at least for any member of the government who has dealings with Native Americans, if not for every American History class in the country. It is a bit dry stylistically, which is all that keeps it from five stars, but it contains an amazing wealth of information that balances out the general viewpoint of American history as it is taught in public schools. It should be considered an invaluable asset in any attempt to present a balanced perspective on our country's history. Ignoring the criminally dishonorable way in which those of European descent have treated the Natives will NOT make it go away, nor even lessen the karmic debt. Only by learning about and acknowledging the truth can we even BEGIN to decide what steps need to be taken now and in the future.

Judith Nies presents an excellent overview of both native american and european events as they parallel and eventually coincide with one another. Until reading her book, I was unaware of the extent of the brutality of the hispanic history towards the natives of all the areas of the americas; their responsibility for the genocide of millions of natives through a combination of enslavement, warfare and disease, creating a world where the natives preferred to kill their children and commit suicide rather than to continue to live. This is followed by a second tragedy, the establishment of the african slave trade to replace what they destroyed. Perhaps what is most effective in her writing is the objective and factual presentation of a complete history, free of personal or cultural bias. Recommended reading for anyone.

like the title says, it's a great referrence book for those who wish for a brief overview of native history in the present-day united states as well as much of mesoamerica. good starting off point for further investigation. the great thing about the book is that it not only is a chronology of native events (which appear on the right side of a page), it also displays many significant events throughout the world (which appear on the left side of a page) so the reader may gain a greater perspective. also includes short articles thrown in for good measure and to expand a bit on topics such as the iroquois influence on the u.s. constitution, to tenochtitlan (present-day mexico city, site of ancient aztec capital), as well as brief introductions to certain time periods. not a thorough examination, but a nice listing of significant events in native history. recommended nonetheless.

This book is indispensable for every reader interested in how America got to be that way. In side-by-side columns, the author chronicles the experiences of America's indigenous peoples set against global events. It sheds light on events both little and well known--everything from the construction of a pyramid on the banks of the Mississippi that is second in size only to those of Egypt to the contributions in agriculture that Native Americans gave to European settlers, including corn and tomatoes. It punctures myths like the idea that America was a virgin continent. Extremely well researched and illustrated.

Many Americans have some Indian Ancestry. We need a book such as this to give us an accurate view of history, and recognize the accomplishments and the tragedies of the Native Americans. Judith Nies did the world a great service by documenting these events in an easy to follow format.

If you want to learn about what was going on in the world of Native American Indians this has a timeline that contrasts world history and Native American History. This book is good but I would have liked more detail in the discriptions of the timeline. Perhaps a reference companion to this book be a helpful asset.

This book allows you to compare the histories of Native Americans and much of the early American events by year

I purchased this book after developing an interest in the Dakota War of 1862. When the book arrived, I naturally went to that section. The text indicates that Little Crow was hanged in Mankato with 37 other Dakota which is false. Indeed, that is not only stated falsely in the general narrative, but also under the photo of Little Crow (one of a dozen or so photos in the book) on page 267. It is well documented in other sources that Little Crow fled to Canada after the Dakota war. Well after the uprising, in 1863, he returned to Minnesota where he engaged in stealing horses. He was mortally shot in a firefight in a farmer's field (Lamson Farm). There, Little Crow and his son were happened upon while foraging for berries.

I don't feel this is nitpicking - Little Crow was a prominent figure and feel the story should have been stated correctly. I admit I have not read the entire book and fact checked the rest, but to find this significant inaccuracy within a minute of opening the book was disappointing.