Grade 6 Up—A look at the origins of the many diverse Native peoples living primarily in what is now the United States. The seven chapters are prefaced by a discussion of the challenges facing archaeological research, caused mainly by the cultural gap between mostly white scholars and the customs and beliefs of Native tribes. The first chapter examines the various theories regarding the populating of North America, such as Native creation myths and stories, biblical inferences, and the more widely accepted Asiatic land-bridge theory. Each subsequent chapter briefly discusses the inhabitants of distinct geographical regions and subregions: the West, Great Plains, Southeast, and the Northeastern Woodlands. The book concludes with a cursory look at Native American weapons and warfare and ends somewhat abruptly with the coming of the Europeans, with mention of the Trail of Tears and the Wounded Knee massacre.
