Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 13: Plains, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 (Hardcover)

~ Raymond DeMallie (Editor), William Sturtevant (Editor)

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From Library Journal

Edited by DeMallie, director of the American Indian Studies Research Institute at Indiana University, this latest addition to the distinguished "Handbook of North American Indians" series documents approximately 10,000 years of Native American habitation in a geographically defined region that extends from the Upper Mississippi River valley to the Rocky Mountains and from the Saskatchewan River valley in present-day Canada to the Rio Grande. It is a region largely comprising grasslands that served into the late 19th century as the grazing area for the large herds of buffalo that provided basic sustenance for Native American groups such as the Blackfoot, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Comanche. Divided into 67 chapters over two volumes, this work features the most current research available from some of the foremost experts in their respective fields. Thirty-five of the chapters focus on specific native groups, while the remaining 32 explore such varied topics as "Hunting and Gathering Traditions," "The Languages of the Plains," and "Intertribal Religious Movements." More than 30 years in the making, this scholarly work is simply the most authoritative and comprehensive title available on the topic and should be acquired by all public and academic libraries. Academic libraries should also strongly consider purchasing DeMallie's equally outstanding Documents of American Indian Diplomacy: Treaties, Agreements, and Conventions, 1775-1979 (Univ. of Oklahoma, 1999), which he coedited with Vine Deloria Jr. John Burch, Campbellsville Univ., KY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

William C. Sturtevant, General Editor; Raymond J. DeMallie, Volume 13 editor.  Describes the prehistory, history, and culture of the aboriginal peoples who lived in the region of tall-grass prairies and short-grass high plains of North America.   Note: Preface indicates mistakenly that this is the twelfth volume in a 20 volume set.  2 parts in two books, sold as a set.



 

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1392 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Institution; 1 edition (November 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0160504007
• ISBN-13: 978-0160504006
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.6 x 3.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #714,597 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A caveat, July 2, 2003

By A Customer

This encyclopedic, 2 part volume was first planned in 1971 and was much anticipated for more than two decades. Despite revisions, by the time of publication some of the material was out of date. This is especially true of some of the sections on archaeology that were authored during the 1970s by now-deceased senior scholars. While this is a disappointment for serious students of the Plains, the volumes contain a wealth of useful information and citations and have become the standard reference.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading, November 17, 2002

By A Customer

After a long wait volume 13 of the Handbook of North American Indian series has been published. This book will become the new standard reference work on the area. It is a massive book coming in 2 parts. Part 1 covers the climate and natural resources, archaeology of the Plains, languages, history of anthropological research and chapters on the village tribes and the nomadic tribes on the northern plains. Part 2 continues with chapters on the remaining nomad tribes as well as on music, arts, the sun dance and other more general chapters.

There is a wealth of information here for anyone interested in the Plains Indians and a 200 page bibliography for those who which to delve even deeper into the subject. In general I loved this book, one or two chapters I found a little disappointing - not being up to the high standards of the rest of the book. My main complaint is that for a book so long in production and with a high price it is full of little mistakes - spelling mistakes, wrong captions to photographs, mistakes in authors names, even tables badly formatted. I was left with the impression of a book rushed into production.

Despite this gripe this is a marvellous book and essential reading