Understanding Tolowa Histories: Western Hegemonies and Native American Responses [Hardcover]

James Collins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415912075 | ISBN-13: 978-0415912075 | Publication Date: November 5, 1997 | Edition: 1

Developing a multi-leveled historical inquiry of the Native Tolowa of the US, James Collins explores the linguistic and political dynamics of place-claiming and expropriation as well as the relation between otherness and subjugation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An academic but nonetheless personally informed exploration of the assumptions behind the way history is recorded and recounted, examined in the context of history in general and the history of the Tolowa people specifically.
–News from Native California

About the Author

James Collins is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Albany.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (November 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415912075
• ISBN-13: 978-0415912075
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,995,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was pleased., August 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Understanding Tolowa Histories: Western Hegemonies and Native American Responses (Paperback)

Contrary to the previous reader, I found this book both interesting and accessible. It presents a small Native California group, the Tolowa, in an historical narrative that explains who they were before Americans settled California (and Oregon), how they were changed by conquest, and how they have survived. It does not write in arcane detail about the traditional culture, but it does provide considerable amounts of information organized into an intelligent argument. Unlike many traditional anthropological studies, it doesn't stint the periods after the Northwest was settled by Americans, that is, contemporary history. Although it is not a linguistic book, it presents a clearly-written and detailed argument about language, place, and identity, and the final chapter has a long discussion of how Tolowa efforts to preserve their native language have been part of cultural persistence. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tolowa, in an accessible history of Native Californians and Native Americans as part of the broader currents of U.S. History, or in a sensitive discussion of the politics of identity and why it matters. But be sure to buy the paperback, the hardback is way overpriced.

5.0 out of 5 stars I was pleased., August 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Understanding Tolowa Histories: Western Hegemonies and Native American Responses (Hardcover)

Contrary to the previous reader, I found this book both interesting and accessible. It presents a small Native California group, the Tolowa, in an historical narrative that explains who they were before Americans settled California (and Oregon), how they were changed by conquest, and how they have survived. It does not write in arcane detail about the traditional culture, but it does provide considerable amounts of information organized into an intelligent argument. Unlike many traditional anthropological studies, it doesn't stint the periods after the Northwest was settled by Americans, that is, contemporary history. Although it is not a linguistic book, it presents a clearly-written and detailed argument about language, place, and identity, and the final chapter has a long discussion of how Tolowa efforts to preserve their native language have been part of cultural persistence. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tolowa, in an accessible history of Native Californians and Native Americans as part of the broader currents of U.S. History, or in a sensitive discussion of the politics of identity and why it matters. But be sure to buy the paperback, the hardback is way overpriced.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I now understand, February 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Understanding Tolowa Histories: Western Hegemonies and Native American Responses (Hardcover)

My wife is of Tolowa descent and I have found this book to be a fascinating read. Over the years, I have been quite puzzled, and intrigued, by what I interpreted to be the quirky behaviors, of my wife and family, such as: refusing to talk about the past; only using the native tongue to scold children and family pets; embarrassment on being identified as an Indian; an easy acceptance of the appearance of poverty even when they have good incomes; in-laws jokingly offering to bring old cars and other junk to the house so that we would look more Indian; a fascination verging upon obsession for poaching fish, game, and firewood; and, a general reluctance to do anything in a legal manner when other options are available.

This book has helped me tremendously in understanding my Tolowa kin and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to learn about the present-day Tolowa people. As a benefit, the book briefly covers traditional culture and language -- for which a previous reviewer regrettably found great fault for its lack of detail. However, one only has to reread the title to see that the focus of this work is not traditional culture and language, but rather, how real people, whose assimilation into the American culture only appears to be complete, cope with living in two cultures.

Where else in America do the young men quietly slip out of a warm house full of family, food, and friends to illegally fish for salmon they could easily afford to buy because the fish and game wardens are, as they say, "never out on Thanksgiving"? So, to Mr. Collins I say: "Well done."