Customer Reviews

Understanding Tolowa Histories: Western Hegemonies and Native American Responses

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

 

 

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.

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.

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."

I am an avid reader and collector of ethnological and cultural writings of the Pacific NW as well as being a native of the region. This book lacks the scholarship and detail necessary for a definitive work about the Tolowa people. It is too ambitious. It also follows the pattern of prescribed Anthropology in ignoring the fact that U.S. State boundaries are artificial in terms of culture. Oregon native cultures are as closely related to the Tolowa as California native cultures. In the linguistics section there is not enough information. This book is simply too thin to really say anything important. I also think the editing and writing could have used a few more drafts. For anyone doing research on the Tolowa, I can not recommend this book.