Reviews

The traditional lifestyles and customs of individual North American tribes and their history after contact with encroaching whites are topics discussed in alphabetical entries ranging from Abenaki to Zuni. Cross-referenced segments on cultural areas, i.e., Northeast, supplement the information given under individual tribal headings. Sections on prehistory, Mayas, Aztecs, and Olmecs are included. Entries contain a lot of information but are often chatty, rambling discussions that stray from the topic. The work does not go significantly beyond Barbara Leitch's A Concise Dictionary of Indian Tribes of North America (LJ 4/1/80). Recommended for public libraries lacking Leitch.Mary B. Davis, Museum of the American Indian Lib., New York

Gr 5 Up-A splendid revision. While not exhaustive, this volume provides an examination of more than 150 groups of Native American peoples. The alphabetically arranged entries vary in length from a few paragraphs to several pages. The content has been updated to reflect both new information about the past and current issues, and the language has been significantly modified to reflect more contemporary sensibilities and to make the text more readable. The colorful drawings, almost exact duplicates of those in the 1988 edition, are mostly of artifacts, structures, or costumes and serve nicely to clarify descriptions. The brightness and color have been enhanced, adding luster to the overall look of the book. Maps provide a frame of reference for the articles on major cultural groups. All libraries, including those that own other titles on the subject, should give serious consideration to this valuable work.-Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.