Handbook of the Indians of California, with 419 Illustrations and 40 Maps

by Alfred Louis Kroeber

The Indians of California, in their ethnographic present, offered the widest cultural range to be found in any area of the United States. In the north they approximated the cultures of the Northwest Coast; in the center they developed distinctive, elaborate cultures based on local food supplies; and in the south and east they approximated the more primitive desert groups — all in all showing a host of adaptations within a relatively small geographical area. In addition, despite successive decimations by missionaries, colonial administrations, settlers, and exploiters, enough Indians survived (though sometimes only a couple of each group) to make their study possible. For these reasons they have long been an important topic in anthropological circles.
Far and away the most important work ever prepared about this complex situation was the monumental Handbook of the Indians of California by Kroeber. Based on more than 15 years of exhaustive research by Kroeber, it is a summation of just about everything of importance known about these Indians. Kroeber covered demographic situations, linguistic relations (which are also extraordinarily complex), social structures, folkways, religion, material culture, and whatever else was needed to offer a full picture of each “tribe.” The resulting book is a survey of each group, the typologically more important groups like the Yurok, Pomo, Maidu, Yokuts, and Mohave naturally receiving the most detail. Indispensable for every student of the American Indian, it can be read with great profit by both specialists and lay readers.

Genres: Anthropology, Nonfiction, History, Native American

1120 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Alfred Louis Kroeber was an American cultural anthropologist. He received his Ph.D. under Franz Boas at Columbia University in 1901, the first doctorate in anthropology awarded by Columbia. He was also the first professor appointed to the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. He played an integral role in the early days of its Museum of Anthropology, where he served as Director from 1909 through 1947. Kroeber provided detailed information about Ishi, the last surviving member of the Yahi people, whom he studied over a period of years. He was the father of the acclaimed novelist, poet, and writer of short stories Ursula K. Le Guin.

Reviews

[Laura Hoopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic treatment of the tribes of California by a career anthropologist but out of date in attitudes and approaches in some ways. Relies a lot on naming by association with missions, which is unlikely to give tribes that existed before the Spanish invasion. Lots of emphasis on the northern California tribes which Kroeber studied more. Very brief treatment of some southern tribes, but others are well done. Illustrations of artefacts, events.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing first-hand accounts of cultures & lifestyles that have drastically changed since the first publication. These seem to be from a colonizer's perspective though, with a lot of judging and not true, unbiased ethnographies.

[Õmãr Bëlåbïd]

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