Native American Tribalism

Abstract This is a reissue of Native American Tribalism with a new Introduction by Peter Iverson. In this book the late D’Arcy McNickle, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Saskatchewan, member of the Flathead Tribe of Montana, and founding member of the National Congress of American Indians reviews the history of almost four hundred years of contact between North American Indians and the dominant - and often domineering - Western civilization. McNickle shows that contrary to the white man’s early expectations, the Indians of North America have maintained their cultural identity, social organization, size, locations of their population, and unique position before the law. He points out that even while stigmatized with the generalization of being an inferior race, harsh treatment by the white North American cultures, and severe obstacles such as epidemics of small pox, Indians have managed to remain an ethnic cultural enclave within American and Canadian society from colonial times through the present. McNickle maintains that Indians are eager to adopt knowledge and technology from the white society, but they want to fit these changes into their own culture. He argues that by emphasizing tribal self-determination, the federal government can best help Indians to modernize and achieve independence while maintaining their ancient heritage. Peter Iverson’s Introduction discusses McNickle’s contribution to Native American studies and provides an overview of recent events and scholarship in the field. He has also updated the appendix describing the geographical distribution of the principle tribes in the United States and Canada.