People of the Red Earth [Paperback]

Sally Crum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1996

Lavishly illustrated with maps, drawings, and historic photographs, People of the Red Earth is the most complete historical guide to Colorado's Indians and a comprehensive guidebook to archeological sites, museums, cultural centers, and other sources of information.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Through the centuries, Colorado has been home to a wide variety of Native American groups. Colorado archaeologist Crum here begins with the earliest occupants, the paleo-Indians, then discusses the succeeding Archaic, Anasazi, and Fremont cultures. She then examines the cultures of the Plains, the Mountain tribes, and the Athabascan-speaking groups from the North and follows these groups to where they reside today. Crum achieves an overview of the cultural elements and history of each group, which she complements with suggestions of relevant places to visit and pertinent further reading. Appropriately, since only the Utes now live on reservations in Colorado, the author includes a discussion of the state's contemporary urban Indian population. For Colorado and general collections that need a basic overview of the Indians in that area.?Mary B. Davis, Huntington Free Lib., N.Y.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

For at least 12,000 years, Native Americans laid claim to the land that, with the coming of the Europeans, came to be called Colorado. From paleolithic hunters to contemporary Arapahoe, Ute, and Shoshone peoples, Native Americans have adapted again and again to the demands of this unpredictable land, its climate and its invaders. Their history and tenacity are revealed in Colorado archaeologist Sally Crum's People Of The Red Earth. Lively, accessible, authoritative, and exceptionally well written for the non-specialist general reader, People Of The Red Earth explains how the earliest agriculturists kept their fields green despite long droughts, how hunters knapped tools and points so precise they can barely be duplicated, and how features announced a warrior's reputation. Each culture (from the Anasazi to the Arapahoes) has its own medicinal herbs, shaman's powers, women's dress styles, children's games, lovesongs, battles and truces. Crum's research and archaeological experience brings all this rich heritage to life again. Crum also shows how the story of Colorado's earliest inhabitants continues to be rewritten through new techniques in excavation, lab research, and dating tests. Organized by era and region, People Of The Red Earth is also a comprehensive guide to recommended archaeological sites, museums, and cultural centers. Crum's informative text is further enhanced by numerous maps, drawings and historic photographs. A splendid work of exemplary scholarship. -- Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941270890
• ISBN-13: 978-0941270892
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,992,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great source for clear facts, October 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the Red Earth: American Indians of Colorado (Hardcover)

This book is well researched. This book is an excellent resource for a look at the Native Americans who spent time in Colorado, beginning with the earliest people in Colorado. This book gives the readers a clear picture of who was where in the history of Colorado. This is a super resource for teachers.

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