Includes indexes.

Reader's guide -- Note on terminology: Is Indian the right name? -- Picture credits -- Words to know -- Vol.1: Brief overview of Native North American History: Early immigration to European contact: Archaeology and history -- 11,000 B.C. to 8000 B.C.: Paleo-Indian age -- 8000 B.C.: Archaic age begins -- 2500 B.C. to European contact -- Cultural centers built between 1000 and 1500 -- European contact -- U.S. Native American populations and their lands: Demographic study: Population changes in the sixteenth century -- Seventeenth century -- Eighteenth century -- Nineteenth century -- Twentieth century -- Native groups of the Northeast: With an introduction to the study of major culture areas: Introduction to the study of major culture areas -- Culture groups of the northeastern United States: overview -- Iroquoian peoples -- Native groups of the Southwest: Major culture areas: Southeast culture before European contact -- European contact -- Cherokee -- Native groups of the Southwest: Major culture areas: Early Southwest culture -- Navajo nation -- Hopi -- Pueblo villages of New Mexico -- Native groups of the Northern Plains: Major culture areas: Migration to the plains -- Plains culture -- Destruction of the Plains culture.

Native groups of the Northwest coast: Major culture areas: Diverse populations of the Northwest coast -- Similarities and differences among the cultures -- Alaska -- British Columbia -- Western Washington and Oregon -- Native groups in Alaska: Major culture areas: Traditional Alaska life -- Russian Colonialism -- American Colonialism -- Land claims -- Social and economic profile of Alaska natives -- Native groups of Oklahoma: Major culture areas: Indian territory -- New state of Oklahoma -- Native groups of the Plateau, Great Basin and the Rocky mountains: Major culture areas -- Lewis and Clark expedition -- European settlement -- Ghost dance -- Relocation -- Native groups of California: Major culture areas: Early culture -- European contact -- Spanish colonization -- Gold Rush and white settlers -- Twentieth century -- Canada's native people and their lands: Major culture areas: Culture groups in Canada -- Indians -- Algonkian of eastern Canada -- Iroquoian of the eastern Great Lakes -- Indians of the Plains -- Plateau -- Athapaskan of the western subarctic -- Inuit -- Metis -- Urbanization: Native Americans move to the cities: Non-reservation Indians in the United States -- Canadian urbanization -- Law, treaties, and land claims: Native law -- Treaties -- Treaties between the United States and Native Indians -- Legal status of Native people in the United States - Canadian treaties, land claims , and the legal status of First Nations -- Land claims (Canada) -- Legal status of aboriginal peoples.

Vol.2: Religion: What is religion for Native Americans? -- Native American religious beliefs -- Native American mythology -- Art as sacred expression -- American Indian clowns -- Religious beliefs since European occupation -- Native American church -- Revitalization movements -- Native economics: Native economic systems before Columbus -- Era of profitable trade with Europeans -- Reservation economics -- U.S. Indian Labor -- U.S. government assistance to American Indians -- Native North American languages: Language families -- Geographic and language areas -- Language and culture -- Writing systems -- Preserving Native American languages -- Native American education: Formal education: religious, federal, and Indian -- U.S. Indian higher education -- Education among the First Nations in Canada -- Native American heritage: Healers and healing -- Modern and traditional ways -- European contact and Native American health -- Contemporary native health in the United States -- Contemporary native health in Canada -- Native Americans and the environment: Environmental issues in Canada -- Art: What is Native American art? -- Native North American art history -- Contemporary native North American art -- Ceremonies, rituals, festivals, music, and dance -- Native American literature: Creation myths -- Trickster stories and myths -- Legends and coup stories -- Rituals, songs, and chants -- Speeches -- Life histories and autobiographies -- Fiction and poetry -- Media: Indians in film and theater -- Activism: Native peoples protest loss of lands and right: Activism in the United States -- Canadian activism.