The Civilization of the American Indian series

In this volume Ruth Underhill presents the absorbing and authoritative account of the Navajos, from the time of their myth-shrouded appearance in the Southwest to their present-day position as America's largest Indian tribe, with a population of 100,000 occupying a reservation of fifteen million acres. The Navajos, blood relations of the Apaches, once virtually ruled the area now known as Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, which they robbed with impunity. Unable to tolerate their depredations any longer, Anglo-Americans, Mexicans, and other Indians rose up in protest, demanding the subjugation of the Navajos, who were accused of every crime and held responsible for almost every Indian attack in the area. The job was given to Colonel Kit Carson, who defeated the Navajos in 1864 and moved them to a small reservation at Fort Sumner, where they remained for nearly four years before being returned to their original home. It was upon their agriculture, sheepherding, and artistry in blanket weaving and silversmithing that the Navajos, now unable to continue their profitable raiding, became dependent during the early, trying days of reservation life. Miss Underhill's careful examination of the complex mythical aura that surrounds the early Navajos offers an interesting insight into their colorful history and rich cultural background, but it is her sensitive portrayal of their adjustment to a new way of life that distinguishes her account of this great tribe.

"A few of the letters included in this volume were obtained from the libraries of the University of Texas and the Northeastern state teachers' college at Tahlequah, Oklahoma. One or two were secured from the private collection of Professor T.L. Ballenger ... Nearly all of them, however, together with some two thousand more ... are to be found in the Frank Phillips collection of southwestern history at the University of Oklahoma."--Preface.

Chronicles the life of Crowfoot, the most important chief of the Blackfeet Indians in the 1870s and 1880s.

Francis La Flesche (1857-1932), Omaha Indian and anthropologist with the Bureau of American Ethnology, published an enormous body of work on the religion of the Osage Indians. His informants were among the most knowledgeable Osage religious leaders of their day, and La Flesche could speak fluently with them in their own language. His goal in writing was remarkably different from that of most of his Anglo-American colleagues: rather than simply describe Osage religion, he wanted to explain it in order to demonstrate to the academic world the true intellectual achievements of the American Indian. Consequently he left a unique record of the once-secret initiation rituals of the last functioning Mississippian priesthood. . In this book, Garrick Bailey brings together in a clear, understandable way La Flesche's data for two important Osage religious ceremonies - the "Songs of Wa-xo'-be," an initiation into a clan priesthood, and the Rite of the Chiefs, an initiation into a tribal priesthood. To put La Flesche's work into perspective, Bailey offers a short biography of this prolific Native American scholar and an overview of traditional Osage religious beliefs and practices - in effect, a synthesis of La Flesche's work.

Historical information concerning Indian tribes located in the Pacific Northwest. Major tribes described include the Cathlamet, Cowlitz, Klamath, Lummi, Nez Percé, Paiute, Puyallup, Shoshoni, Spokane, (Spokan), Suquamish, Tillamook.

The personal narratives of Indians from various tribes reveal their ways of life as well as their attitudes toward nature and man.

More than one hundred Indian tribes in fifteen language groups inhabited the area of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Western Montana in the nineteenth century. This important work, the first composite history of the region’s native inhabitants, covers the period roughly from 1750 to 1900, from the first white contacts to the aftermath of the Dawes Act. It is a valuable resource both for the serious scholars and general readers. Many extraordinary individuals are portrayed in this history. The authors have written their account colorfully and movingly from the Indian point of view, and they effectively present the special identity of Pacific Northwest Indians.

Located in the Oklahoma Collection.

"Essential two-volume translations of recently discovered examples of Chimalpahin's work held by the Bible Society Library at Cambridge Univ., given in parallel with transcriptions of Nahuatl texts. In both volumes, brief introductions by Schroeder provide useful information about Chimalpahin and his work. In v. 1, Ruwet provides as well a 'Physical Description of the Manuscripts.' An important addition to the growing body of indigenous language records and accounts in translation"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.

In The Indian Southwest, 1580-1830, Gary Clayton Anderson argues that, in the face of European conquest and severe droughts that reduced their food sources, Indians in the Southwest proved remarkably adaptable and dynamic, remaining independent actors, some even prospering. Groups such as the Jumanos and Coahuiltecans, decimated by warfare, Spanish slave-raiding, and disease, either temporarily joined Spanish missions or assimilated into other tribes. Others, including the Caddos and Wichitas, survived the Spanish onslaught by remaining on its fringe, migrating in order to survive and expanding their involvement with other tribes. Yet others, such as the Comanches and Apaches, incorporated remnant bands and individuals, experienced population increases, and developed stronger economic systems. By 1780, when Spanish settlements on the southern plains faced economic stagnation, Indian tribes who had forged new alliances and trade networks enjoyed a thriving exchange-based political economy. These native power structures remained in the Southwest long after the Americans arrived. In fact, the vibrancy of Indian societies in the Southwest today is explained in part by the success of their ancestors almost three centuries ago.