Choice Review

This volume of the Handbook nearly completes the topical portion of the series (volumes reviewed include v. 3, CH, Nov'07, 45-1222, and v. 13, CH, Jun'02, 39-5560). As in the past, it continues to provide an excellent source of current scholarship concerning Native peoples of North America. In this project (in process for many years), much initial work was scrapped or heavily revised, a wise choice given the need for an up-to-date perspective. Overall it represents the state of scholarship since 2000, and references are current to 2007. The 45 chapters explore a great many topics, some of which, not unexpectedly, are only loosely related. Areas covered range from tribal sovereignty and activism to education, gaming, demography, language, literature, and law. More than half of the authors are of Native ancestry, and a third are Canadian. The result represents a more multicultural and multidisciplinary effort than in most previous volumes. Chapters are generally well written; however, because of the disparate areas of inquiry, they are uneven in reading level, and some are quite specialized. A few gaps (e.g., contemporary music, bison herd restoration) are unlikely to be filled in other volumes. Nevertheless, this is an important volume in the series and, as with the others, a necessary purchase for all libraries. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. J. C. Wanser Hiram College