This Land Was Theirs: A Study of Native North Americans

By Wendell H. Oswalt and Wendell H. Oswalth

Book Overview

This Land Was Theirs: A Study of Native North Americans, Ninth Edition, 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. After introductory chapters devoted to pan-tribal issues, 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 in order to ensure an accurate record of the present-day situation.

Features of the Ninth Edition
*Each chapter on an extant tribal group now includes a table with a timeline summarizing the group's ethnohistory
*Includes an expanded section on the original peopling of the Americas
*Emphasizes the major issues band and tribal governments in North America face today
*Addresses the increasingly important diamond mining industry in Canada and the Subarctic
*Includes more than 150 illustrations and chapter-opening native poems or songs
*Offers expanded coverage of the Navajo, the transcontinental railroad's impact on Indian life, and contemporary issues encountered on reservations

Provides pedagogical aids including maps of each region discussed, a glossary, a pronunciation guide, and two appendices: a guide to artifacts and a list of additional resources for further study

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195367405
• ISBN13: 9780195367409
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.5" 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.