50 Events That Shaped American Indian History: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic. Edited by Donna Martinez and Jennifer L. Williams Bordeaux. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2016. 2 vols. Acid free $189 (ISBN 978-1-4408-3576-6). E-book available (978-1-4408-3577-3), call for pricing.

Eschewing the conventional alphabetical arrangement of entries, this set is organized chronologically, with subjects ranging from the prehistoric mound builders, circa 1500 BCE, to more current concerns like native protest movements and contemporary laws that strongly affect native peoples. Early entries tend to focus on disease, war, revolt, and other violent outcomes of initial contact between indigenous peoples and encroaching Europeans. Later entries explore issues of cultural assimilation, self-determination, and sovereignty, particularly court cases and legislation.

Entries are authored by scholars in various fields—Native Studies, Anthropology, History—whom are often tribal members themselves. Each entry begins with a chronology to provide context for the period. The narrative body of the entry follows, punctuated by sidebars, biographical sketches of notable people, the occasional black and white picture, and finally, a detailed list of Further Reading resources. The latter is especially helpful for further exploration, and numerous online and government resources are usually included. Users quickly learn the background and context of the events, receive a succinct description of the event itself, and ultimately get a feel for how the event has resonated up to the present day. Particularly helpful for historians, entries contain Document Excerpts, allowing users a glimpse into important primary resources, ranging from eyewitness accounts and personal letters to the actual text of laws, legislation, judicial rulings, and congressional hearings.

While some of the entries focus on predictably well-known historical events, many focus on important subjects likely unknown to most users. For example, the entry on the Violence Against Women Act (2013) is illuminating for the fact that it gave tribal law agencies the right to pursue domestic violence cases on reservations without the permission of the federal government for the first time, allowing for swifter pursuance of presumed culprits. Another entry focuses on the recent Catholic canonization of Junipero Serra, a missionary whose sainthood is considered highly controversial, mainly due to the perceived oppressive tendencies of the mission/conversion model. The entry here clearly outlines the points of contention. Other notable features are a fifteen-page introduction, concisely summarizing ancient to contemporary Native American history, a final list of overall recommended reading, and a detailed index to assist users in finding specific information within entries.

These two volumes ultimately accomplish their goal of serving as an “authoritative and comprehensive resource” on the events covered (ix). Not attempting to cover the entire gamut of Native American history allows a tighter focus on these seminal fifty events.

There are other recent encyclopedia sets focused on American Indian History. A few of them are organized differently—for example, the Native America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 2012) speaks for itself by title. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Native American History (2011) uses the more common alphabetical ordering of entries/topics. ABC-CLIO has previously published the Encyclopedia of American Indian History (2008), which is also organized chronologically. All three of these check in at over 1,000 pages, and cover a wider breadth of material, while 50 Events is able to cover fewer topics in more depth. Even if your library owns one of these other sets, the new 50 Events is worth considering as a helpful complement.

One of the most prominent strategies utilized by native peoples that is highlighted in this resource is education—both of American Indians and non-Indians. Ultimately, 50 Events is a continuation of that education, informing the world of the ways in which they have struggled to maintain their land, resources, culture, religion, and dignity. Because of the scholarly nature and detail contained here, this resource seems best suited for college and university libraries.—Mike Tosko, Associate Professor, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio