Native Americans of California and Nevada

by Jack D. Forbes

Revised Edition. Jack Forbes wrote this ethnographic study of Indian cultures from the prehistoric to present day times, covering an area that today is known as the states of California and Nevada. Includes a fascinating history of Indian-white relations with a section on the multicultural approach to Indian education and suggestions for teachers and administrators in public schools, and personnel training programs.

Genres: History, Native American

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1982

About the author

Jack D. Forbes was a Native-American writer, scholar and political activist. He is best known for his book, Columbus and Other Cannibals, which has become a primary text of the Anti-civilization Movement.

Reviews

[Jerome Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

He gave a detailed history of the tribes inhabited in California and other western states particularly along the Colorado river. It is not for the faint-at-heart because he tells a compelling story of the ill treatment of the Native people and how the government broke treaty after treaty until the Natives were left with nothing. Heart-breaking, but a necessary read if you are seeking the truth in American historical matters.

[J Haeske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack D. Forbes never leaves the reader in doubt about on which side he stands (he was of Powhatan-Renape and Lenape descent), although the book is heavily on the factual side. The many wrongs that have been done to Native American tribes in this part of the world are described in detail, as are things like linguistic families. Not always easy to follow for somebody like me with only a limited grasp of Native American history, but nevertheless interesting and worthwhile reading.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info, but a hard slog with lots of statistics.