From Library Journal
Taking the view that the Native rights struggle began at European contact, Grossman (Guide to the Persian Gulf War, LJ 5/1/96) offers a valuable resource of information drawn from the voluminous annals of American Indian affairs. The alphabetically arranged articles reach back to the Laws of Burgos (Spain, 1512) but emphasize North American treaties, legislation, court decisions, presidential messages, commissions, and reports. Cross-cultural biographies include reformers, Indian commissioners, historic Native leaders, and 20th-century activists, while ethnology, pan-Indianism, archaeological protection, Native religious practice, gaming regulations, and taxation are among the topics covered. Native American rights have been addressed in many narrative texts, e.g., Wilcomb E. Washburn's classic Red Man's Land, White Man's Law (LJ 9/1/71), and several impressive encyclopedias on Natives have appeared recently, e.g., Encyclopedia of North American Indians (LJ 12/96). Yet Grossman's work is unique in drawing together Native rights issues and including material (especially descriptions of federal cases) not found in other works. Enhanced by a 30-page bibliography and a 25-page timeline, this is an important source. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.?Margaret W. Norton, Morton West H.S., Berwyn, Ill.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
In 1492, an estimated one million Native Americans lived in what was to become the United States. By 1890, three-quarters of that number had perished, their fate (like that of the buffalo) determined by white men. It wasn't until the 1960s that an organized civil rights movement began to penetrate the desperate poverty and despair of reservation life. In recent years, the Native Americans' struggle for cultural preservation has grown to include the politics of treaty obligations, as well as other social and economic issues. The development of the Native American rights movement is chronicled in this The ABC-CLIO Companion to the Native American Rights Movement. Within this concise reference, hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries explore the key issues, personalities, events, legislation, and organizations of historical significance to this relatively new movement. Extensive cross-referenc-ing, a subject index, and numerous illustrations further enhance this easy-to-use reference guide designed for students, teachers, and anyone interested in the Native American struggle for civil rights. Highly recommended as an essential reference work for academic and public library Native American studies collections. --
Midwest Book Review
