Historical Atlas of Native Americans: 150 Maps Chronicle the Fascinating and Tragic Story of North America's Indigenous Peoples

by Ian Barnes

Historical Atlas of Native Americans  is a detailed and comprehensive exploration of the social, political, and geographical history of the indigenous peoples or North America.

With beautiful, computer-generated maps and charts based on the latest academic research, readers can see the original positioning of Native American peoples before the arrival of Europeans. Traditional language groups and trade routes are charted, along with their enforced movements to make way for colonizers. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of women in tribal society, the traditional familial and societal structures of Native Americans, and their diverse cultural values and practices.

The atlas starts with the early migration of peoples across the Bering Land Bridge and follows how they spent their lives before European settlers arrived. This thorough guide includes detailed chapters on the remarkable civilizations of the Incas, Maya, and Aztecs, as well as the lesser-known Mississippian society, the Hohokum, and the Anasazi. The creation stories of different people , their art and culture , plus kinship and the way their societies were constructed are discussed, while maps show the complex trade routes that crossed the continent and the different languages they spoke. The book explores the crucial first contacts with European colonists, as well as the sometimes hostile interactions they had with explorers like the Vikings and Christopher Columbus.

Over 100 color photographs and illustrations help illuminate the events that have shaped Native American history.

Take a journey through history with the Historical Atlas Series . Perfect for any history buff, these beautifully illustrated collections explore the vast histories of different civilizations and historical events. Packed to the brim with incredible maps and charts based on the latest research, anyone can find themselves an expert on the topics covered.
Other titles in this series Historical atlas of Judaism , Historical Atlas of Knights and Castles , Historical Atlas of Native Americans , Historical Atlas of North American Railroads , Historical Atlas of The Bible , Historical Atlas of The Celtic World , Historical Atlas of the Civil War , Historical Atlas of World War II , Historical Atlas of Prehistoric Life , Historical Atlas of Religion , Historical Atlas of The Civil War , Historical Atlas of the World at War , and Historical Atlas of Weaponry .
 
 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, Native American, Native Americans, American History

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2015

Reviews

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel the book focused FAR too much on the battles between Native Americans and Europeans/Americans and way too little on the histories, movements, and story of the tribes prior to contact with whites. There was a very long history of tribes battling other tribes, migrating (sometimes in reaction to those battles), and so on, and this book didn't come close to doing that justice.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly the depth of other Native American books I've picked from my nearby library. I don't really like the layout either. Lots of white-space on pages. Majority of text is like a size 7 or 8 font. Why? There was room on the page for a readable font! The maps are easy to read, but I stopped reading this book too early to appreciate. Maps tend to focus on battles and strategies.

[Julia Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. In addition to the reasons already given (focus on military engagements with whites, somewhat shallow analysis), I encountered a number of surprisingly paternalistic statements for a book published in 2019. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, especially given that the subtitle says outright that this book “chronicles” the “tragic story.”

One example is from the passage about epidemic diseases, after describing the traditional sweat lodge/cold water plunge method used by sick Natives: “Not surprisingly, such treatment proved more detrimental than beneficial.” I can just imagine Dr. Barnes sipping tea with his pinky out after saying this. Statements like this do a lot to reinforce harmful narratives of Natives being backwards somehow. What Barnes doesn’t explain is that Natives didn’t have the millennia of close contact with farm animals in filthy conditions that Europeans did, and their immunities (and sicknesses) were very different. The traditional sweat/plunge method was widely used; suggesting it had some merits. There is current research that suggests a link to health benefits as well.

Another irksome example is the passage on art, in which Barnes claims that Natives didn’t have the same concept for art as the “accepted concepts” (i.e. Anglo definitions). It’s a pretty flaccid argument. He says that their art was functional and ritualistic, as if that isn’t also the function of much of the world’s art (Catholic stained glass windows, decorative dishware, Spanish casta paintings, just to scratch the surface!).

As an “encyclopedic” resource, this book has merits. And of course I recognize that with a scope this large, fully-fledged analysis is difficult and deeper interpretations are bound to get missed. That being said, it’s undeniable that this book has some outdated Eurocentric leanings.

[Michael Hinsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but shallow.

[Dave Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extensive overview of the tribes of North America

There is much positive to say about this historical atlas, particularly its extensive timeline of tribal development. Of course, part of the problem with trying to comprehensively study indigenous American history is that little of the pre-Columbian history was documented and scientists are still uncovering long gone civilizations.

Regardless, the structure, designed as a rough chronology does provide extensive detail about North America indian culture, constantly pushed and relocated across two continents until.the bulk of the surviving community is grouped into a very small geographic footprint.

One problem of so many maps is my tendency to study them so meticulously. To that point, most of the 150 maps contained within the book do an excellent job of mapping the generation by generation migration.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting account of Native American history, written in an episodic style. As others have already referenced, it is mostly an account of the Native's interaction with white settlers and their political representatives and military forces, invariably to their disadvantage. Accordingly, it is not an easy read, nor does the amount of ground covered allow for great detail om any particular aspect. But, as an overview, it works fine. I'd only warn that the small font size, in my edition anyway, will challenge anybody with less than 20/20 vision or good reading glasses.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

It failed to live up to its promise of a “detailed and comprehensive exploration of the social, political and geographical history” of indigenous peoples in the Americas. Written mostly from the European descendant’s perspective with indigenous peoples reacting. Consisted more of military history than any other. It read like a series of Wikipedia articles and was far from detailed, leaning or context and reaching conclusions without support. I give it two stars solely because it can be used as a reference guide.

[Kyla Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didnt finish this book, but I was dissapointed by the lack of depth. The author only explains the information within a page or two before moving onto a new topic. For example, the section on Jamestown, one of my favorite historical events, didnt mention Pocahontas, little of John Smith or the settlement and very little of the Powhatan culture. It felt as if too much was crammed in.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book on a road trip this past summer while in South Dakota. The maps give a great overview of the history, movements and displacement of many Native American tribes. There are so many things to learn so this is a great starting point. My primary concern is that the text that accompanied the maps was very small, and I ended up skimming some parts.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry for every day reading but very concise and full of information.