NATIVE AMERICA

An archaeologist’s tour of the history and culture of the original inhabitants of North America.

Archaeologists trace the earliest human settlement of the Americas to the late Ice Age, when a land bridge connected Alaska and Siberia. Those early migrants made their way south, leaving their stone arrow- and spearheads in the southwestern U.S. more than 20,000 years ago—often associated with the bones of mammoths or other extinct animals. People soon occupied every environmental niche of their new continent, from the Arctic tundra to the southwestern deserts, the eastern woodlands, and the Pacific coast. As anthropologist Feder shows, distinctive cultures emerged in each of the areas they inhabited, making use of local resources, whether game animals, edible plants, or mineral deposits. In-demand items that were found in limited areas—copper, for example—became the basis for trade. Not even corn, often thought of as the staple of native diet, was universally cultivated. Feder also makes it clear that any notion of Indians as “primitive” or “savage” is contradicted by the evidence of such sophisticated cultures as the Midwestern mound builders or the Pueblo dwellers of the Southwest. The author looks at how Europeans treated Indigenous peoples, from outright warfare to the eradication of their culture in “Indian schools.” He adamantly denies that Europeans “discovered” anything in the Americas—it was all well known to those already here. Feder provides copious photographs, usually his own, of art and artifacts, along with archaeological sites. Frequent personal anecdotes and popular culture references help to lighten the tone; it’s not hard to believe that his college students thoroughly enjoyed his lectures—as most readers will this fascinating book.

An entertaining and enlightening survey of what archaeology tells us about the first Americans.