(Planeta.com Journal) - One of the most influential books this year, this work examines the relationship of parks and Indian cultures. Remarkably, this story has not been well told -- until now. The authors point out that "one can find thousands of books about American Indians, a considerable body of literature about natural parks, but almost nothing linking the two." The book draws on extensive research and more than 200 interviews with Native Americans, environmentalists, park rangers and politicians. It also asks important questions such as what are the obligations owed to those displaced by park creation and do aboriginal people have special rights to their homelands. This book is one of the years must reads.
Beginning with Yosemite and Yellowstone, American Indians and National Parks explains how the creation of these two oldest national parks affected native peoples and set a pattern followed with the subsequent creations of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; Canyon de Chelly; Chaco Culture National Historical Park; Death Valley National Monument; Everglades National Park; Glacier National Park; Glen Canyon; Grand Canyon National Park; Mesa Verde National Park; Monument Valley Tribal Park; Navajo National Monument; Olympic National Park; Pipe Spring National Monument; Rainbow Bridge National Monument; and Wupatiki National Monument. Robert Keller and Michael Turek collaborate to show how and why the National Park Service changed its policies and attitudes toward Native American tribes, the response of environmental organizations to native demands, and how the park service dealt with native claims to hunting and fishing rights in Glacier, Olympic, and Everglades National Parks. American Indians and National Parks is a carefully researched, ably presented reference that is highly recommended to students of Native American studies, environmentalists, and National Park Service operatives.
