A Companion to American Indian History captures the thematic breadth of Native American history over the last forty years. Twenty-five original essays by leading scholars in the field, both American Indian and non-American Indian, bring an exciting modern perspective to Native American histories that were at one time related exclusively by Euro-American settlers.
- Contains 25 original essays by leading experts in Native American history.
- Covers the breadth of American Indian history, including contacts with settlers, religion, family, economy, law, education, gender issues, and culture.
- Surveys and evaluates the best scholarship on every important era and topic.
- Summarizes current debates and anticipates future concerns.
List of Contributors vii
Introduction 1
1 Historiography 6
Philip J. Deloria
PART ONE: CONTACTS 25
2 First Contacts 27
John E. Kicza
3 Wag the Imperial Dog: Indians and Overseas Empires in North America, 1650–1776 46
Gregory Evans Dowd
4 Health, Disease, and Demography 68
Russell Thornton
PART TWO: NATIVE PRACTICE AND BELIEF 85
5 Native American Systems of Knowledge 87
Clara Sue Kidwell
6 Native American Spirituality: History, Theory, and Reformulation 103
Lee Irwin
7 Indians and Christianity 121
Willard Hughes Rollings
8 KinlS%