Indian Nations of North America

This beautifully designed and copiously illustrated book has many virtues: It's largely written by Native American scholars; it includes detailed information on tribes and communities that are often ignored; and it clearly shows the continuing vitality of Native American communities. However, the focus on tribes that receive services from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) keeps this book from being comprehensive. Canadian First Nations are almost entirely absent, for example, other than those located in the country's northern regions. In addition, there is no mention of the largest U.S. tribe east of the Mississippi--the Lumbees of North Carolina--which was excluded from BIA services by the same law that gave the tribe federal recognition. Other groups appear only on maps or in passing references in entries about another tribe (such as the Comanche and Osage nations in Oklahoma). Even with these limitations, this is by far the best single-volume reference on Native Americans north of Mexico currently available. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Native American expert and Smithsonian curator emeritus Herman Viola consulted on and wrote the foreword for Indian Nations of North America. The book's eight Native American authors include renowned academics, national leaders, lecturers, and authors. Among them are noted lecturer George Horsecapture; Princeton University graduate, professor, and editor of the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language, Anton Treuer; Monacan official Karenne Wood; and National Museum of the American Indian training director Jill Norwood.