Native Peoples of the World. 3 vols.: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures, and Contemporary Issues

Danver's (history, Walden Univ.) coverage of 400 different groups and selected countries and issues is by an impressive roster of historians and anthropologists from a wide range of institutions. Entries for indigenous people are arranged by continent, then in alphabetical order; the sections on countries and issues are filed alphabetically by country or topic. It is particularly gratifying to see ethnic and native groups included from Western industrialized nations as well as from the more expected developing areas. Photographs and maps illustrate the text and sidebars give additional information on interesting people, places, and topics. The articles are written in clear prose and deal with the geography, history, religion, customs and rituals, and colonial experiences of each group while being respectful of each culture's heritage and customs. Each signed article ends with a short bibliography for further reading, and a comprehensive bibliography and index concludes the set. There are few reference resources available in this area with worldwide coverage. Carl Skutsch's Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities (Routledge, 2004) has a different focus, and Amiram Gonen's Encyclopedia of the Peoples of the World (Holt, 1993) is out of print and outdated.