General Richard Henry Pratt, best known as the founder and longtime superintendent of the influential Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, profoundly shaped Indian education and federal Indian policy at the turn of the twentieth century. His experiences led him to dedicate himself to Indian education, and from 1879 to 1904 he directed the Carlisle school, believing that the only way to save Indians from extinction was to remove Indian youth to nonreservation settings and there inculcate in them what he considered civilized ways.

This history of Native Americans, from the period of first contactto the present day, offers an important variation to existingstudies by placing the lives and experiences of Native Americancommunities at the center of the narrative. Presents an innovative approach to Native American history byplacing individual native communities and their experiences at thecenter of the study Following a first chapter that deals with creation myths, theremainder of the narrative is structured chronologically, coveringover 600 years from the point of first contact to the presentday Illustrates the great diversity in American Indian culture andemphasizes the importance of Native Americans in the history ofNorth America Provides an excellent survey for courses in Native Americanhistory Includes maps, photographs, a timeline, questions fordiscussion, and “A Closer Focus” textboxes that providebiographies of individuals and that elaborate on the text, exposing students to issues of race, class, and gender

Widely used in university courses on Native American history through five editions, The American Indian: Past and Present has been thoroughly revised to present an up-to-date view of Indian heritage. This timely anthology brings together pieces written over the last thirty years—most published in the past decade—that represent some of the best scholarship available. The readings offer a broad overview of indigenous peoples of North America from first contact to the present, showing how Indians relied on their cultural strengths and determination to retain their independent identities. These essays trace the ever changing situations of Indians as both tribes and individuals. They bring readers through Native victory and military defeat, relocation, mandatory acculturation, and militant protests to the present era of self-determination, when the meaning of Native identity is sometimes hotly debated. Editor Roger L. Nichols has selected the new readings and organized the collection to reflect a balance of time periods, geographic areas, and historical and political topics for the student’s first exposure to American Indian history. He also includes suggestions for further reading and study questions as aids to those interested in learning more about the subjects covered. A fresh update to a valuable classic, The American Indian: Past and Present remains an accessible resource for undergraduates and a flexible and authoritative set of readings for the instructor.

Traces the turns of U.S. Indian policy and the effects of white social attitudes on Indian assimilation.

Examines the progress and development of education throughout U.S. history, from the changing theories of education and the differences between urban and rural education to the movements of progressivism and traditionalism to standardized testing.