This Land Was Theirs: A Study of Native North Americans

By Wendell H. Oswalt and Wendell H. Oswalth

Book Overview

This Land Was Theirs examines the traditional and contemporary lifeways of twelve North American Indian tribes. Ranging from the Netsilik hunters who straddle the Arctic Circle to the Natchez farmers of the lower Mississippi River area, the tribes represent each culture area and various levels of socioeconomic complexity among Native Americans. Each chapter focuses on a specific group and culture area, providing students with a detailed portrait of the geographical and cultural adaptations of that region.

As he has done for previous editions, author Wendell H. Oswalt has visited virtually all of the extant groups discussed in the text to ensure an accurate and complete picture of the contemporary situation.
Updates and major changes featured in this edition include:

* A new chapter on the Western Shoshone--a Great Basin tribe centered in Nevada--including a discussion of the 2004 partial resolution of their long-standing major land claim against the federal government
* A description of how in recent years some Pentecostal church congregations among the Crow and Tlingit have rejected their Indian backgrounds
* A discussion of how the discovery of vast diamond deposits in northern Canada may dramatically change the lifeway of some Chipewyan and the Netsilik
* Coverage of timely issues for Native Americans, including the management of individual trust accounts by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; the disposition of Kennewick Man; and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Lara case in 2004, which centered on an aspect of Indian sovereignty
* A more detailed examination of Indian casinos, including typical non-Indian reactions to them

This Land Was Theirs, Eighth Edition, incorporates more than 150 photographs and illustrations, and each chapter-opening offers pertinent text about the subject matter covered in that chapter. Abundant pedagogical aids include maps of each region discussed, a glossary, a pronunciation guide, and two appendixes: a guide to the various artifact types discussed in the text and an extensive list of additional resources for learning about Native Americans.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195178106
• ISBN13: 9780195178104
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 1.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.4" x 1.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A Must Read

I would read this book even if I wasn't required to, it's just interesting to know these things. It came in excellent condition and fast shipping.

excellent book

Had to buy this as an anthropology textbook and I really did enjoy reading it. Informative but read-able to even non-anthro majors.

Very informative

From the history of specific indigenous tribes, to current issues and religious traditions every chapter in this book provides a lot of information and stresses the differences and similarities between various groups. This was a required book for one of my college classes and it has helped me gain an appreciation for North American Indians in termes of their struggles for federal recognition and their assimilation into mainstream society while maintaing their interesting traditions and practices. This is a must read for anyone interested in cultural anthropology and/or Native Studies.

Best introduction

If you have an interest in Native Americans and want to learn more, start here. This is the best of the eight or so editions of This Land Was Their.

Interesting textbook!

This textbook is great! It gives very detailed information on how the North American Indians lived before contact with "Euro-Americans", as well as post-contact.