This book features an exciting collaboration between a great variety of experts—279 of them—who span several disciplines and hold a variety of world-views. Because it takes an open-ended approach to the history of place, it expands beyond the traditional boundaries of a reference manual. Archaeologists, professors, Native American scholars, museum directors, writers, historians, administrators, and tribal dignitaries all contribute to this insightful guidebook, which documents 366 important Native American landscapes and is skillfully compiled and edited by Frances Kennedy.
The book is segmented into five regions encompassing the lower 48 states. Significant places are noted in brief entries that may include anything from a legend, to contemporary uses and controversies, to a simple site description. This approach encourages the reader to browse. The United States is a big place, and we are reminded of the grand scale of its landscape, as well as the layers of history that mark the land and the memories of the people who have inhabited it. The volume includes maps, color photographs, a bibliography, brief biographies of the contributors, and an index.
This would make a wonderful gift for those who enjoy traveling by car or armchair. It should certainly inspire numerous road trips and further reading. Royalties from the book will go to the National Museum of the American Indian. —Cynthia Martin
