The World of the American Indian (1993, Hardcover, Revised)

I purchased this cloth-covered hardback book at a used book sale with the intention of selling it on eBay. When I got it home, I started browsing through it and simply couldn't put it down until I'd absorbed as much information as I could hold at that time.

The photo of Geronimo and the quote attributed to him "I think I am a good man, but...all over the world they say I am a bad man." just broke my heart.

Below is a brief chapter by chapter look at this incredible book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the story of the American Indian.

Originally published in 1974 by the National Geographic Society, this book is filled with 448 illustrations, 362 are in full color.

The purpose of this book is to show the American Indian as he was--his beliefs, his customs, his appearances---and to provide an understanding of what he is today.

The National Geographic Society spent intensive hours searching in museums, private collections and photographic sources to include in this book. Many of these remarkable illustrations were never before published.

The text was written by distinguished authors on the subjects in which they are recognized authorities.

The chapters start at the beginning when the first people crossed the Arctic Bridge from Siberia to Alaska millenniums ago (Ch.2). From there we read about the Nomads of the North (Ch.3)and Woodsmen and Villagers of the East(Ch.4).

The languages are discussed in Chapter 5, described as a "babel of tongues, a richness of words.")

Farmers and Raiders of the Southwest (Ch.6), Fishermen and Foragers of the West (Ch.7), and the Horsemen of the Plains (Ch. 8) are covered in the next three chapters.

The Clash of Cultures (Ch.9), is a close look at terrible conflicts between the Indians, the settlers and the American Government.

Chapter 10, From Wounded Knee to Wounded Knee, tells the story of the American Indians' struggle to keep their cultures alive against all the odds they have faced throughout the ensuing years. Even to this day, they struggle to maintain their religion, language, and cultural heritage.

A Tribal Supplement which lists all Indian groups of the United States and Canada follows the last chapter.