Editorial Review
The Navajo - Booklist
This entry in Bellwether’s Native American Nations series (6 titles) centers on the Navajo. Four-page chapters address topics such as traditional and contemporary lifestyles, contact with Europeans and evolving government relations, artistic traditions, and challenges and hopes for the future. The workaday text presents factual statements that don’t always segue smoothly into following concepts; some sidebars and occasional photo captions don’t align with corresponding topical material. A variety of bright, eye-catching graphics (maps, archival photos, reproductions, timelines, charts) appear throughout, resulting in a pleasantly busy layout. Back matter includes a glossary, brief bibliography, and directions for accessing a publisher-supported site with related content. The book also includes a “Statement of Positionality” (the author identifies as a white woman of European ancestry). This is a serviceable selection for larger collections.
—Kathleen McBroom