Nations Within a Nation: Historical Statistics of American Indians

(Hardback)

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As a compendium of historical statistics on native American tribes, Nations will fill a unique niche in most academic and large public libraries with reference or research interests in North American Indian affairs. Drawing upon a wide variety of government documents (mostly federal) and scholarly reports, as cited in his extensive bibliography, Stuart's contribution will appeal to anyone who seeks demographic or economic data about Indians, past or present. . . . Nations is a well-crafted, balanced, convenient tool for reference work and will prove useful to many libraries, scholars, policymakers, and tribal groups. Booklist Professor Stuart has provided a unique research and reference tool covering a wide range of topics relating to Indian history. In his introduction Stuart discusses the scope and purpose of the volume and describes the difficulties involved in obtaining accurate and comprehensive information on Indian affairs, especially prior to the twentieth century. Each chapter assesses the historical significance of the available data and supplies statistical information in table form as well as suggestions on further reading and other avenues of research. Chapter topics include land base and climate, population, removal and relocation, urbanization, vital statistics, health, education, employment, income, resources and economic development, and the activities of the federal government.

Reviews

. . . Data for the continent United States is good . . . the book is a good starting point for a researcher.-American Indian Quarterly
As a compendium of historical statistics on native American tribes, Nations will fill a unique niche in most academic and large public libraries with reference or research interests in North American Indian affairs. Drawing upon a wide variety of government documents (mostly federal) and scholarly reports, as cited in his extensive bibliography, Stuart's contribution will appeal to anyone who seeks demographic or economic data about Indians, past or present. The author, who is associate professor of social work at the Univ. of Alabama, notes that Nations will be most useful as a statistical overview or starting point for schlolarly research into eight major areas: land holdings and climate; population; removal, relocation, migration, and urbanization; vital statistics and health; government expenditures; health care and education; employment etc; and natural resources. Nations is a well-crafted, balanced, convenient tool for reference work and will prove useful to many libraries, scholars, policymakers, and tribal groups.-RBB Booklist
Much as the US Bureau of the Census made available Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1870, for scholars to study and analyze, Stuart has made available a gold mine of historical statistics on Native Americans. Using similar topics, Stuart's volume contains detailed data on land holdings, population, migration, health, education, federal government activities, and the use of natural resources. Each chapters discusses the tables it presents, and admonishes readers that these tables should be used cautiously. Stuart's focus is predominantly 20th century, but the work includes some 19th-century material. Also included are data about tribes recognized only by the state and not the federal government. As an author of several books and articles concerning Indians, Stuart knows where to draw his information, using the Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Services, Congressional investigations, and pertinent studies by demographers and historians. Significantly, he has also included tribal-level material and indicates where additional tribal-level information and sources for other data may be found. This handsomely bound study will be a handy reference too for scholars, policymakers, and Native Americans.-Choice
." . . Data for the continent United States is good . . . the book is a good starting point for a researcher."-American Indian Quarterly
"As a compendium of historical statistics on native American tribes, Nations will fill a unique niche in most academic and large public libraries with reference or research interests in North American Indian affairs. Drawing upon a wide variety of government documents (mostly federal) and scholarly reports, as cited in his extensive bibliography, Stuart's contribution will appeal to anyone who seeks demographic or economic data about Indians, past or present. The author, who is associate professor of social work at the Univ. of Alabama, notes that Nations will be most useful as a statistical overview or starting point for schlolarly research into eight major areas: land holdings and climate; population; removal, relocation, migration, and urbanization; vital statistics and health; government expenditures; health care and education; employment etc; and natural resources. Nations is a well-crafted, balanced, convenient tool for reference work and will prove useful to many libraries, scholars, policymakers, and tribal groups."-RBB Booklist
"Much as the US Bureau of the Census made available Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1870, for scholars to study and analyze, Stuart has made available a gold mine of historical statistics on Native Americans. Using similar topics, Stuart's volume contains detailed data on land holdings, population, migration, health, education, federal government activities, and the use of natural resources. Each chapters discusses the tables it presents, and admonishes readers that these tables should be used cautiously. Stuart's focus is predominantly 20th century, but the work includes some 19th-century material. Also included are data about tribes recognized only by the state and not the federal government. As an author of several books and articles concerning Indians, Stuart knows where to draw his information, using the Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Services, Congressional investigations, and pertinent studies by demographers and historians. Significantly, he has also included tribal-level material and indicates where additional tribal-level information and sources for other data may be found. This handsomely bound study will be a handy reference too for scholars, policymakers, and Native Americans."-Choice

Author Bio

PAUL STUART is Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Alabama.