Across a Great Divide: Continuity and Change in Native North American Societies, 1400–1900

Abstract

Book Reviews 539Coast mythology has been subjected by nonnative anthropologists, one wishes she had, at least, acknowledged the relatively recent nature of this genre of approved collective versions synthesized by tribal cultural committees-versions that often sacrifice competing claims of clan or subtribe for purposes of presenting a united tribal front. And second, she might have challenged the tribe's disdain for Claude Lévi-Strauss by noting that he remains one of the few scholars to champion these very consolidations in print by Indians themselves of their myths, legends, and highly vernacular, geographically specific histories (1979: 40).

Reevaluating the Suma Occupation in the Casas Grandes Valley, Chihuahua, Mexico

“…Before turning to conclusions, we examine the broader significance of our results for the study of ancient cultural connections by examining CGV Suma research and the assumptions past researchers brought. This inquiry situates our study within larger discussions of how to understand early Native American-European interactions (Lightfoot 1995;Scheiber and Mitchell 2010;Wilcox 2009).…”

“…For example, Riley reconsidered many aspects of Paquimé's legacy but accepted the "Suma as latecomers" narrative (2005:118). The failure to revisit Suma history illustrates the need to contextualize documents carefully, employ multiple lines of evidence, and, not least, be aware of the cultural biases in our narrative arcs (Lightfoot 1995;Scheiber and Mitchell 2010).…”