Product Description
How Native Americans contributed to the early American Republic and its Constitution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

No basis in real fact
It sounds really nice . . . but to support the claims this book makes one needs to have solid, historical records for it. There are no such records, at all. There is a lingering claim that the preamble to the Constitution, beginning with the words "We the People . . ." is derived from a chant used to open the old meetings of the Iroqouis confederacy. If so, the words would have been changed greatly to to something that fits the United States; which is what is in the Constitution.

The laws and structure of the US Constitution come from Baron de Montesquieu's book The Spirit of Laws. The philosophical spirit of the Declaration of Independence, which is inherent throughout the Constitution, (especially in the Bill of Rights) comes from John Locke. Both of these contributions from the Europe of the Enlightenment are long-acknowledeged facts; it has the memoirs and records of people like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton to support it, and is supported by any constitutional scholar or expert one might care to talk with. Also, if one knows the real history, and knows that people like Jefferson where initially opposed to the US Constitution, because they feared a powerful Federal government that would result, then they should realize that this could not have come from the Iroquois, as they had only a very loose and informal agreement of tribal cooperation, between different bands who were united only by proximity and common Amerind language, and themselves probably would have been put off by the Federal system which the constitution created, just as the anti-Federalists like Jefferson were. If anything, the Articles of Confederation, which the Constitution replaced, would have born much greater resemblance to any Amerind system of union.

Once all the facts have been counted in the inventory, then this notion appears to be very silly, and it is laughed at today by the vast majorty of historians, (the one who practice 'solid' history, anyway) and those who support it only have Johanson's flimsy, preciously stated arugument to follow, and have not looked into the issue in an empirical manner.

A must read for all Americans
This is an amazing book!I stumbled across it while looking into the "silly rumor" that the US Constitution was based on Native-American beliefs.

This book tells a factual, fast-paced story about how the Founding Fathers (Franklin, Jefferson, et al) were influenced by the Native-Americans.I am still in awe.Every American needs to hear this story.It makes me wonder what else was I wasn't taught in school.

If you have any interest in US history, government, or philosophy--read this book.

From the foundations of truth, start to build yours
This is one of my favorite books whose foundations in principles surpass even the Egyptians principles that are falsely accredited to Greek so-called philosophers that plagiarized this sacred knowledge.

In search of "Liberty"
While researching a tretise on the American concept of "Liberty" I came across this book.It is well written and provides and easy going but eye opening view of the native american contribution to this basicAmerican concept.Although much of the mainstream literature in politicaltheory and moral philosophy leads to European sources this little gem isequal to all.

Outstanding book. Essential reading for all Americans
I read this book with awe. It is carefully researched with rich archival and primary sources. It is well written and filled with insightful observations in every chapter. It is necessary read for all Americans, infact all who care about government.If you feel that something specialhappened on this continent, but are not sure about the details of what tookplace, this book will reinforce the ideal that democracy as an institutioncame from America.Europeans had no idea how a government by the peoplecould possibly succeed.The native Americans long experimented with a formof representative government that was grassroots, not top down as practicedin Europe. The framers of the constitution fully appreciated the form ofgovernment practiced by the native Americans incorporated those ideals intothe founding documents of our nation.This book will fill a gap ineducation and make you proud of practicing a form of government thatoriginated with the native people of America. It is a spirit of governmentthat at its best is the ideal of all the common people of the earth.Toremain free of tyranny, each generation of citizens needs to relearn thefounding principles of our form of government. This is an extraordinarystarting point. ... Read more

Product Description
Richter examines a wide range of primary documents to survey the responses of the peoples of the Iroquois League—the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, and Tuscaroras—to the challenges of the European colonialization of North America. He demonstrates that by the early eighteenth century a series of creative adaptations in politics and diplomacy allowed the peoples of the Longhouse to preserve their cultural autonomy in a land now dominated by foreign powers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The gold standard for Iroquois
The Ordeal of the Longhouse is an excellent start to gaining an understanding of how the Iroquois were affected by the onset of Europeans in their territory.This book does an excellent job of looking at Iroquoian culture and how it developed both before and after Europeans arrived.Europeans changed the cultures of all groups that they interacted with as each took on some of the characteristics of the other and the Iroquois were not exception.Richter takes great detail to play out the various council negotiations and treaty discussions that led to the formation of the five nations council in the view of the Europeans and how this affected diplomacy in the new world.The British, Dutch and French all were forced to deal with the five nations and having a book that so expertly captures their negotiations is wonderful. This is an essential study for anyone who wishes to understand colonial history.While newer books have been coming out on the subject this still remains the gold standard and one of the excellent studies on the Iroquois.A great addition to any colonial or native American historians library.

Very useful work on the Iroquois Confederacy

I've found this book to be both insightful and easy to understand. Though this is a well researched and referenced academic text it is accessible to the average reader, assuming an interest in the subject matter.

The Iroquois were a centerpiece of North American colonial life and I would highly suggest this book for those interested in History or Anthropology, as Dr. Richter takes broad approach to his analysis and documents cultural practices and history of interest to many disciplines.

The Masterpiece
Daniel Richter, in this astonishing book, does an excellent job explaining social, political and economical aspects of the Iroquois people with strong evidence. This book is a resutl of a big reserach and Richter's dedicationto the subject.I would recommend this book not only to students who needto take Native American History, but also to anyone who is interested inlearning about the Iroquoi's life and their impacts on the French, theEngland, and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries. Even though i am nota native speaker, i really enjoyed reading this book because of Richter'splain English. ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing on archival and published documents in several languages, archaeological data, and Iroquois oral traditions, THE EDGE OF THE WOODS explores the ways in which spatial mobility represented the geographic expression of Iroquois social, political, and economic priorities. By reconstructing the late precolonial Iroquois settlement landscape and the paths of human mobility that constructed and sustained it, Jon Parmenter challenges the persistent association between Iroquois locality and Iroquois culture, and more fully maps the extended terrain of physical presence and social activity that Iroquois people inhabited. Studying patterns of movement through and between the multiple localities in Iroquois space, the book offers a new understanding of Iroquois peoplehood during this period. According to Parmenter, Iroquois identities adapted, and even strengthened, as the very shape of Iroquois homelands changed dramatically during the seventeenth century.
B/W illustrations, 7x10, maps, notes, bibliography, index. ... Read more

Product Description
Illus. in full color. Describes more than a dozen American Indian tribes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

History for Kids
It's a good starting point for my 1st grader -- along with "History Pockets, Native Americans" & other books, we are enjoying our tour through Native American History.

Excellent Book
This is the second time we have bought this book.The first time it came with some curriculum that we used and resold, but we couldn't live without this book so I bought it for our personal library. It has wonderful illustrations and is very informative.

This book is still around?!?!
I was delighted to see "North American Indians" on my children's home school book list.For whatever reason, this was one of my favorite books when *I* was a kid.

Rather than being a trite, stereotypical book about Indians, as so many kids' books are, this one gives a good description of the historical tribes and their locales.
I do wish it touched a little on where those tribes are today and how they are faring, as far too many kids have no concept whatsoever about modern Indians.However, there's only so much that can be squeezed into a children's picture book.All in all, I think it's very well done.

I hope my own kids will enjoy it even half as much as I have.

Greaat Children's Book
My grandsons were fascinated with this book.Now they want more stories like this one.

My daughter enjoyed this book....
My 9 year old daughter enjoyed this book. It is a brief book over the different Indian tribes in the United states as they were before the white settlers arrived. We liked the U.S map at the beginning of the bookthat showed where each tribe lived. It is a short but good book with nice pictures that will add to any Indian study. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a collection of stories and writings of Tehanetorens, a master storyteller in the Mohawk tradition. These ancient stories are presented in pictograph form with English translation, and carry us deep into the Native American culture of the Six Nations Confederacy. The text is supported with illustrations by the accomplished Iroquois artist Kahionhes, son of Tehanetorens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Curriculum for fun
Tehnetoren's `Legends of the Iroquois was devised to instruct Indian school children, and collects some favorite tales for curriculum purposes. Some of the character names clearly denote important historical encounters and events. When I went exploring the idea of the `stone' giants, I found information about American giants and armor skin that repelled stone tipped weapons. There's far more behind that story than what is available to the casual observer.

The assortment of symbols from Indian story telling found in this book seems to draw from various Eastern and Mid-western pictures/pictoglyphs and forms a unit on telling a story as a `visual learner`. I bought my copy from a market-place text book vender, and the student notes in the margin were puzzling around the story of two brothers who go out to hunt, and wind up inside the earth confronting a gigantic ferocious beast (a giant mouse.)

Who hasn't heard:

"the world will build a path to your door, if you build a better mouse trap."

And to the early American, other metaphorically gigantic creatures (because they did and do defy eradication) also included flying insects. If you've never watched the family film, `Mouse Hunt', then you've deprived yourself the laughter of being confronted with the absurdity and the irony of just how un-assailable is the mighty midget tyrannosaurus mouse. (O.K. I didn't have the patience to sit through all of it but it was recommended by the neighbor's kids who played it over and over.)


Mouse Hunt - DTS ... Read more

Product Description
A vividly drawn portrait of the powerful Iroquois nation during colonial America

In the fourth title in The Penguin Library of American Indian History, Timothy J. Shannon tells the story of the most influential Native American confederacy of the colonial era. The Iroquois occupied a strategic region between Canada and New York and engaged in active trade and diplomacy with their colonial Dutch, French, and British neighbors. While they were famous as fierce warriors, it was actually their intercultural diplomacy that accounted for the span and endurance of their power in early America.

By carefully maintaining their neutrality in the Anglo-French imperial wars in North America, they were able to claim an unrivaled influence in colonial America at a time when other Indian nations experienced dispossession and dispersal. Europeans who wanted to remain in the good graces of the Iroquois had to learn the ceremonies and the use of sacred objects that their diplomacy entailed. Shannon’s portrayal contradicts the notion of the “noble savage,” showing just how politically savvy—and at times treacherous—the Iroquois Nation was in the face of colonialism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

incredible history of the iroquois part in french/english conflicts
i read this book to enhance my understanding of my french ancestors who were in quebec from the founding of that city and even though it took me over 3 months to read it since i would get sidetracked to read something or see a movie/documentary in between that would embellish the facts/ideas presented in this book,i finally finished it & found it to be one of the most interesting, well-presented, well-written historical books that i've ever read.timothy j. shannon is an incredible author & i wouldn't hesitate to read something else by him.i got so much more out of this book than i had ever intended to, it was worth the time i invested.

Good and should be read
Timothy Shannon's thesis is simple and clean:The "eighteenth-century Iroquois were neither mercenary killing machines nor idealistic forest-dwelling democrats.They were flesh and blood participants in a scramble for dominion in North America, and diplomacy was their tool of choice."

The former mistaken perception, that of Indians as "killing machines", has long since been out of fashion in our self-criticizing modern American society.Shannon's citation of it as a mistaken view requiring correction seems almost silly.Are many people currently suggesting the Iroquois were mercenary killing machines?This is doubtful.One wonders if Shannon merely sets up this straw-man to deflect possible criticism of one inevitable consequence of his thesis:that no clear viewing of the Iroquois could lead a reasonable person to view them as a race nobler than that which followed it.The latter perception however, that of Iroquois as forest-dwelling democrats that inspired the U.S. Constitution, is a more worthy target and Shannon calmly, methodically, and inexorably vanquishes such foolishness.Shannon indeed shows - through well-written, readable narrative, supported by copious footnotes - the Iroquois were flesh and blood, with all the good and bad that entails.This book is well worth reading for anyone with an interest in the American colonial period, or anyone interested in history at all.

Shannon is much more even-handed than we have come to expect in histories involving Native American interaction with whites.The Iroquois are not always the good guys in this telling, as indeed they were not always the good guys in fact.The book is nonetheless written in what has come to be the modern style:with a hierarchy of moral agency that tends to minimize non-European malfeasance and amplify European iniquities.Shannon is much fairer than most however and this book does its share in making modern scholarship of American colonial history seem more objective than it lately has been, or at least more objective than the layman has seen in popular history writing.If Shannon feels the only atrocity worth describing in detail, during a period with no shortage of Mohawk atrocities, is an atrocity against some Mohawks, he does at least acknowledge Mohawk atrocities also occurred.He can be forgiven for only briefly and vaguely referring to them, but it is somewhat irritating - this is the modern style after all - that Shannon usually labels any Iroquois atrocities as `retaliatory'.

This review is not meant to be negative.On the contrary, this book is good and should be read.That Shannon's book is a product of its time is not remarkable.That the book is as fair as it is despite the times in which Shannon writes it, is so refreshing as to actually seem remarkable to this reviewer.

It is not clear that Shannon ultimately sells the conclusion of his thesis: that diplomacy was the Iroquois tool of choice.The Iroquois certainly used diplomacy, often well, and understood that it was frequently a more appropriate tool than war.It is not clear they preferred it this way, but Shannon makes, or at least starts, a very good argument.

Brilliant, Insightful and Gripping.

I very rarely gush over my Amazon book reviews (just check out my other reviews).In fact, I am usually quite harsh and focus primarily on the negative, but this book review is perforce going to be different.The fact is that I loved this book.

Iroquois Diplomacy by Timothy J. Shannon is a scholarly monograph on the form and substance of Iroquois treaty making and diplomatic/trade interactions with both Europeans and other Native American groups from the origins of the Iroquois as a distinct people until the 1800s.It is a combined work of history and historical anthropology done to the highest standards of Scholarly integrity.This does not sound like the most fascinating or gripping of subjects but somehow Shannon has done it.

The language and narrative style are dynamic and drive the reader onward through what would normally be repetitive accounts of Byzantine and obscure treaties and conferences.This is done without sacrificing scholarly integrity in the least.In fact this is one of the most academically honest books in the best traditions of good historiography.By way of example, the author is necessarily quite limited in his source material for the early days of the Iroquois because of the lack of any written material so he is forced to rely on later accounts.However, when he does so, he points out when and where his material originated and does not make the mistake of reprinting as fact what is only conjecture.He draws on an incredible variety of primary and secondary sources and places each in its context and proper place in his work.

His first few chapters are particularly interesting and explain the format of Iroquois diplomatic ritual and their origins.He then goes on to show how Europeans adopted/adapted these forms in their dealings with the Iroquois.The later chapters are a narrative chronicle of the major treaty conferences and resultant treaties with the European powers.

Finally, and I am really sorry to be so unreservedly complementary of a book, to add to this list of superlatives, is his stunning even-handed treatment of ALL parties.There was little or no detectable bias or agenda behind this text.I truly admire that since it is very hard to accomplish.He shows all parties in their nobility and with all their blemishes and weaknesses.

Despite being a monograph on historical anthropology this book is very accessible, requiring no great amount of additional background knowledge on the part of the reader.This book, or at least selections from it -particularly the early chapters-, could (and should) be incorporated into a high school or undergraduate course on American history, and yet could still be read with profit by a professor of the same subject.Quite simply I recommend this book to anyone, ANYONE, with an interest in American, Colonial, or Diplomatic History as well as Anthropology and Native Americans.

Disclaimer:I do not -to the best of my knowledge- know nor have met the author or the publisher, nor do I have any financial interest in this book's sales.My average book rating is 3 stars and this would get six if I could do it.
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Customer Reviews (2)

The Iroquois in the American Revolution
This book was bought as a gift. I received it in excellent condition! I can not offer a review on the reading of the book.

Excellent
The best book you can buy detailing the Iroquois role in the American Revolution. Very detailed, very well written. Covers all the major chiefs, politions and how the Iroquois played one side against the other,eventually leading to the tribal split which would doom the greatest indiancivilization in North America. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

MY NEW BOOK
An excellent book. Very well researched. The thesis is convincingly confirmed. I would recommend to students and colleagues. ... Read more

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Product Description
In this iconoclastic book, Francis Jennings recasts the story of American colonization as a territorial invasion. The traditional history of early America paints the colonies as a transplantation of European culture to a new continent--a "virgin land" in which Native Americans were assigned the role of foil whose main contribution was to stimulate the energy and ingenuity of European dispossessors. Jennings rejects this ideology and examines the relationships between Europeans and Indians from a far more critical point of view. Shorn of old mythology and rationalizations, Puritan actions are seen in the cold light of material interest and naked expansion.
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Customer Reviews (5)

Fantastic Work
The beauty of this book...the author, though angry, uses the angry energy in a focused, forthright and definitive way.The result is an informative and detailed look at history that most may be surprised to read.Jennings analysis of the events is told in a story-like form, so that the reader is enlightened, then slowly taken in by the intrigue and intriging mischief of the day.Another title for this research could have been {the art of puritan warfare}.The author tells of the barbaric, imperialistic, and destructive engagements with the Irish as a prelude to the western invasion.This invasive group of people had plenty of practice. Word of advice, read slowly, don't miss anything...Fantastic Work...

Very thought provoking
Francis Jennings' first book, The Invasion of America: Indians, Colonialism and the Cant of Conquest was path breaking when released in 1975, a book of "angry, forceful prose [that] still touches readers a quarter century after its publication," according to his 2001 obituary in the newsletter of the American Organization of Historians.In fact, Jennings himself was known for his "irrepressible" devotion to debunking the myths of Native American history of the colonial period, particularly the works of Francis Parkman. As his eulogizer Frederick Hoxie notes, Jennings early on insisted that "America began not with "discovery" but invasion," a belief which set "himself apart from those who viewed the fate of the continent's indigenous people as somehow inevitable or natural." The polemical The Invasion of America was the first in what Jennings called his "Covenant Chain Trilogy," with The Ambiguous Iroquois Empire (1984) and Empire of Fortune (1988) finishing the set.As Hoxie states, The Invasion of America (and most of Jennings' other writings) was a "frontal attack on the generations of scholars who, he argued, had internalized the racist language of the seventeenth century and overlooked the violence and brutality of European settlement." As another reviewer writes, "this is a strong, angry book," the prose of which is characterized by "the author's controlled outrage at what happened and at the misconceptions, distortions, and even lies he sees in the treatment of the period by other historians."

Puritans as imperialists
Francis Jennings' Invasion of America is still usefull reading, but... In the half of 70s' it was almost revolutionary work, and many (not only) historians looked at this as at nearly sacred text. But I think, that Jennings „adversary's" - i. e. Vaughan's - New England Frontier is more balanced view of Puritan - Indian relations in the 17th century.
Jennings book is divided into two different parts. First is thematical (and I think better), and second chronological. Author tries to apply the research done in the first part to the 17th century New England (second part). Jennings offers many interesting ideas, often highly provocative. He shows, for example, how the contention between single New England colonies (especially between Massachusetts and Connecticutt) influenced their Indian policy.
Book has two weak points, of which the second is essential. 1) Jennings' approach, especially in the second part, is not ethnohistorical, although he (in the first chapter) praises this historical subdiscipline. He focuses almost exclusivelly on Puritan policy toward Indians, and largely omits Indian actions. 2) He looks at Puritans from the perspective of 70s' of the 20th century through the eyes of a radical (left-wing ?) intelectual. So he finds nearly all Puritan actions toward Indians as bad. Their only goal was to conquer Indians and their land. They were real imperialists. He absolutely excludes the possibility, that Puritan actions could have been motivated by sincere conviction, for example, that they are just trying to help Indians (missions) or to protect themself (Pequot war; actions toward Narragansett and Eastern Niantic tribes in the 40s'and 50s'). I think, that this too much revisionst and sceptical approach is wrong. Historian should look at actions of his „heroes" through the perspective of time they were living.
In spite of above said, I think this is still an important book (not only) on New England history in the 17th century.

Impassioned Revisionism
A brilliantly-written, well-researched and incredibly impassioned telling of the European conquest of North Eastern America.My only complaint would be that after around 300 pages, the author's anti-european/pro-indiansentiments become a little wearing.

It seems to be a standard orthodoxythese days that 'colonialism' was a bad thing, and that, possibly, Europeansettlers didn't acquire the continent without a spot of realpolitic, but inthe mid-70's,when this book was written, it probably opened a feweyebrows.The accounts of just how quickly the pilgrim fathers took toaggressive expansionism against local tribes certainly made *my* stiffupper lip twitch a little.

Jennings lays it out- you have to make yourself think.
Book offers analyses based on thorough interpretation of primary sources.
It is a seed book portraying the event of European conquest on the North American continent. The magnitude of the underlying falsehoods that American history is based upon are what the reader walks away with after digesting this work.
The list of sources contained in the work are worth the price of the book ... Read more

Product Description
The people who lived in the northeastern woodlands belonged to many nations and spoke many languages including Iroquoian and Algonkian. Life in a Longhouse Village was a way of life all of the nations shared. Children will learn about the fascinating lifestyle of these hunters and farmers and discover what life was like in a longhouse clan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly Detailed, Interesting Book
I first encountered this book, along with others in the "Life in a. . ." series about Native Americans, as I was going through a teacher training program in college.The 5th-grade classroom teacher who I interned with loved these books and used them every year during her Native American Social Studies Unit.And they are great books.With lots of relevant text combined with plenty of descriptive illustrations, this book is one of few that is historically accurate while being interesting.While some critics disliked the pictures, I thought the mix of illustrations and photographs gave the book balance and appeal to a wider range of readers.In addition, the information presented is detailed enough for students to use in reports or class projects.I highly recommend this book for kids 4th through 8th grade. ... Read more

Product Description
Detailed, four-color paintings and a question-and-answer text bring to life the traditional life, customs, and everyday world of the Iroquois - one of the most powerful and influential of the Indian nations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

If You Lived With The iroquois
The book is just as described and quite informative for young readers.I am very satisfied with this purchase.

If You Lived with the Iroquois
This is a great book for middle school aged children. I used it to study the Iroquois in my social studies classes. It is very informative without overwhelming younger children with too much information. The book was fun to read, and held the interest of my students. Also, I made my own worksheets/tests by dividing the book into different sections. The students all enjoyed this unit on the Iroquois and learned a great deal about the Native Americans.

revisionist distortions
I am fascinated by the cultures of the Iroquois, the Algonquins, and the other nations of New York State.Therefore, I can say with a reasonable amount of certainty that any well-read adult will note the many historical inaccuracies in this book.It paints a too-rosy picture of Iroquois life; indeed, they seem like the perfect people with a civilization far outstripping ours in their peacable ways.There are subtly misleading statements regarding religious toleration, women in government, and many other politicaly correct topics.And there was no mention of the continual wars waged by the Iroquois league upon all of the neighboring tribes - a huge omission.

I will point out only one particular error:on page 70, the book states:"There was no such thing as slavery."Unfortunately, the Iroquois were just as human as Europeans and the rest of mankind, and were well known middlemen in the slave trade between their eastern and western neighbors.

I have a great respect for the Iroquois and the other peoples that lived here before us.I don't think we are treating them respectfully by whitewashing their very humanity.Nor do I think we are treating our children respectfully by omitting certain unpleasant facts and prettying up others.

I gave this book more than one star because it did contain some useful information about food, clothing, and ceremonies.

If You Lived With The Iroquois
Ellen Levine and illustrator Shelly Hehenberger have created a delightful book that takes the young reader into a historical look at life as an Iroquois Indian.The eighty page book is divided into subtitles which concisely tell the story of daily living for the early Iroquois people. As the book is written in second person, the reader is drawn into the story and feels as if he or she is experiencing tribal life.The soft muted colors of the illustrations give the book a feeling of serenity while the writing covers an extraordinary amount of information for young readers. ... Read more

Product Description
First-hand investigation of Iroquois songs and dances by a modern dancer turned anthropologist. Includes descriptions, analysis, and diagrams of dance variants and words and music for dozens of songs and dances. Introduction by Tara Browner. Illustrations. Linguistic note. Songs and texts.
... Read more

Product Description
With general introductions, and in some cases, new translations, this collection comprises all of the 38 principle narratives, written from 1634 to 1810, describing the Mohawk valley and its Iroquois inhabitants. It provides a detailed look at an American Indian nation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

40 visitors to the Mohawk Indians
This is probably not a book you will read from cover to cover.It consists of an introduction and the writings of nearly 40 visitors to the Mohawk Valley of New York between 1634 and 1810.The focus is on the Mohawk tribe, the easternmost and perhaps the more important of the five nations of the Iroquois.

The Iroquois held the balance of power between competing French and British interests in North America for more than one hundred years until the French and Indian War ended in 1763.This position gives them outsized importance in American history despite their meager numbers which, after smallpox epidemics in 1635, was barely over 10,000 of which the Mohawk counted about 2,000.

The authors have accomplished a useful service in collecting between two covers this collection of primary sources on the Mohawks. Following an excellent introduction, the selections are presented as written with few notes and little explanatory material.Included are Dutch, French, British, Italian, and American writers. Some of the selections make for good reading; others are probably of interest only to specialists. For the enthusiast about early North American history, it's a good reference book to have on your shelf.I enjoy picking the book up now and then to read one or another of the selections.

Smallchief

In Mohawk Country: Early Narratives of a Native People
I was disappointed by this book. It was difficult to read and offered no historical perspective on the narratives which were included. The narratives were interesting and certainly have a value of their own, but on the whole this book has more utility as a reference source than as entertainment.

An important book on Mohawk history.
As a Mohawk historian I am very impressed with this book, which brings together numerous source which may well have taken me years to find otherwise.It offers us insight into what the early colonists thoughtabout as well as descriptions of what they saw and experienced in visitingthe Mohawk villages.I would love to see a similar treatment of the otherIroquois nations as well as other aboriginal peoples.While there are afew accounts that may come across as racist to the modern reader, it isnevertheless an opportunity to "time travel" to the old Mohawkhomeland.This book should be required reading for anyone who wants tostudy Mohawk history. ... Read more

Product Description
Find the nations from your region and use these books to add depth and interest to your collection. The history and lifestyles are respectfully presented, showing how these rich, impressive cultures have endured. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Quick Review of the Iroquois
This book is more like a pamplet, but it contains all the information that one would get in a tome about the Iroquois People.It is concise and was very useful to me in my research.

The Iroquois: The six nations confederacy
This is an informative book that is targeted towards younger and teenage students whom are learning about Indigenous people in North America.

It introduces the students into the colonial invasion and the many wars the Iroquois fought to survive.The Map is fantastic as this give the students a greater understanding of location.The Strawberry juice is a bonus as the studnets had fun making the drink and understanding the culture through other alternative means.

Fantastic read which engages the students and those around you into the live and survival of the Iroquoian Nation.

The proud story of the first Ameican confederacy
Most American history textbooks touch on the the Six Nations of the Iroquois as the first example on the North American continent of a confederation, with links both directly and indirectly to the original Articles of Confederation and then the United States Constitution that formally codified the relationships between the original thirteen states."The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy" introduces younger readers to the history and culture of this powerful American Indian group that flourished in the area of what is now New York and Ontario.As related by Mary Englar this is the story of a people finding a way to cooperate in peace, as well as the effort to preserve their culture in the face of American settlers moving west across the continent.

Englar beings by defining the Iroquois, which included the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca when it was first formed between the years 1000 and 1500 and added the Tuscarora in 1722.Other chapters are devoted to the traditional life enjoyed by the Iroquois, the changes brought by the Europeans, the life of the Iroquois today, and the traditions that have been passed down.Young readers will probably be surprised to learn that 36 countries today recognize the Iroquois as independent nations within U.S. and Canadian borders.This will be just one of many differences between the experiences of the Iroqhois and other Native American peoples that they will learn about from the basic introduction provided in this illustrated volume.

"The Iroquois: The Six Nation Confederacy" is one of the American Indian Nations series that looks at not only the Iroquois but also the Cherokee, Ojibwa, Pueblo, Seminole, and Sioux peoples.Among the features in the book are a map of Iroquois lands, a recipe for Strawberry Juice, a timeline, glossary, sources for further reading, Internet sites, and even places to write and visit to find out more about the Iroquois. ... Read more

Product Description
Follows the life of the Iroquois leader who contributed to the formation of a league of Indian nations and discusses the actions and effects of this league as it interacted with the white colonists up through the eighteenth century. ... Read more

Product Description
This book chronicles the efforts of two Iroquois wise men who labored for 5 years to bring peace among the tribes of the Iroquois.The Iroquois Confederacy that emerged controlled a territory larger than Europe and stood as a model for the fledgling American government. ... Read more

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A vivid, valuable, keystone work!
Roots Of The Iroquois tells of beginnings of the Iroquois Confederacy or the Haudenosaunee, people of the long house, eventually consisting of 6bands, the Mohawks, Oneida, Onandagas, Cayugas, Senecas, and in the south,the Tuscarorans.These Native American groups established a coalitiongovernment with a Great Law Kalianerakowa, or Great Nice Way.Todayhistorians finally are beginning to realize this confederation and systemof government was in fact a viable model for the early American thirteencolonies.Illustrated by many exquisite black and white ink drawingsand pictures, Roots Of The Iroquois contains both ancient and modernhistory as well as extensive retellings of the Code of Handsome Lake.TheLast Speech of Deskaheh (1925) is very moving, as is the Message To TheFolks At Home, an eloquent appeal for education of Indian children, both intheir native language and the dominant culture 's language, English. The burden of the Requickening Address is similar, stressing education andthe value of learning and preserving one's native language.Reading a FewLaws of the Iroquois Government explains much about the legal regard forwomen as full partners in Iroquois cultural outlooks.Though brief, RootsOf The Iroquois is a vivid, valuable keystone work.

Nancy Lorraine,Reviewer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A seminal contribution to Native American studies.
Legends of the Delaware Indians and Picture Writing is beautifullyamplified by Deborah Nichol's introduction and brief biography of RichardC. Adams(1864-1921), a self educated Delaware (Lenape) Indian who devoted25 years of his life to the furtherance of causes of the many trialedDelaware tribe.The Legends are part of his scholarly and historicallegacy.The tales teach homilies on desirable attributes such aspride, courage, promise-keeping, modesty and courtesy as well as courtingcustoms, gambling games, and other pastimes.The picture writing andphotographs enrich and complement the text as do the appendices of Lenapetranslations of several of the legends by Lucy Parks Blalock and NoraThompson Deane. Legends Of The Delaware Indians And Picture Writingis a very valuable text both because of the enriched script of the talesbut also because of the complex, condensed history of the persecutionssuffered by the Delawares detailed in the introduction.The coverillustration gracing Legends of the Delaware Indians is a color paintingreproduction of Delaware Women by Ruth Blalock Jones.

Nancy Lorraine,Reviewer ... Read more