Handbook Of North American Indians Indians In Contemporary Society

"Everything you know about Indians is wrong." As the provocative title of Paul Chaat Smith's 2009 book proclaims, everyone knows about Native Americans, but most of what they know is the fruit of stereotypes and vague images. The real people, real communities, and real events of indigenous America continue to elude most people. The Oxford Handbook of American Indian History confronts this erroneous view by presenting an accurate and comprehensive history of the indigenous peoples who lived-and live-in the territory that became the United States. Thirty-two leading experts, both Native and non-Native, describe the historical developments of the past 500 years in American Indian history, focusing on significant moments of upheaval and change, histories of indigenous occupation, and overviews of Indian community life. The first section of the book charts Indian history from before 1492 to European invasions and settlement, analyzing US expansion and its consequences for Indian survival up to the twenty-first century. A second group of essays consists of regional and tribal histories. The final section illuminates distinctive themes of Indian life, including gender, sexuality and family, spirituality, art, intellectual history, education, public welfare, legal issues, and urban experiences. A much-needed and eye-opening account of American Indians, this Handbook unveils the real history often hidden behind wrong assumptions, offering stimulating ideas and resources for new generations to pursue research on this topic.

New from the Smithsonian, the ultimate reference book on Native American communities and their past, present, and future Handbook of North American Indians Volume 1 is the definitive introduction to Native American history and culture. The book provides a much-anticipated opening volume to the Smithsonian’s 20-volume series, the largest collection of knowledge on Indigenous peoples of the US, Canada, and Northern Mexico. The Smithsonian’s Handbook of North American Indians series spans decades, but this introductory volume includes updates on the studies and research of North American Indigenous peoples, as well as contemporary perspectives on issues facing the communities today. Volume 1 is the collaborative effort of 75 contributors from the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, and Germany, including 19 Indigenous authors from across North America. The comprehensive volume contains 36 chapters, 4 appendices, an extensive bibliography with more than 8,000 entries, and 350 illustrations. Handbook of North American Indians Volume 1 brilliantly details the rich and diverse lives, cultures, and experiences of Native Americans.

This essential reference examines the history, culture, and modern tribal concerns of American Indians in North America. Despite the fact that 565 federally recognized tribes exist on the continent of North America, non-Native Americans typically know very little about the modern world of American Indians. In a few instances, the uneasy coexistence of the two cultures has served to create controversy, such as fake Indians fraudulently leveraging ethnicity-based benefits, U.S. officials disposing of nuclear waste near reservations, and sports clubs basing mascots on cultural stereotypes. This unique survey scrutinizes the historical background as well as the contemporary issues of American Indian societies as both part of—and completely separate from—the world around them. Encyclopedia of American Indian Issues Today features subjects commonly discussed, including reservations, poverty, sovereignty, the problem of solid waste on reservations, and the lives of urban Indians, among other contemporary issues. Organized into ten sections, the book also provides helpful sidebars and informative essays to address topics on casinos and gaming, sexual identity, education, and poverty.