Historical Introduction to Studies Among the Sedentary Indians of New Mexico

Bandelier, Adolph Francis Alphonse, 1840-1914Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.4

Word count: 265K words
Chapters: 27

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Historical Introduction to Studies Among the Sedentary Indians of New Mexico;Author: Bandelier, Adolph Francis Alphonse, 1840-1914,Language: English, Class: E011: History: America: America, Release Date: Oct 27, 2007

Editor's review

This is Bandelier's historical introduction to studies among the sedentary Indians of New Mexico, a product of early American ethnography and historical-geographical investigation. The book surveys the related peoples' ways of life, settlement distribution, and the background of early colonial contact, reflecting the late nineteenth-century scholar's effort to understand southwestern indigenous society by combining field observation with documentary sources. Its value lies not in offering the latest conclusions but in presenting the questions and methods of material organization characteristic of a discipline in formation; it is useful to those studying Native American history, the regional history of the Southwest, and the early history of anthropology. Readers should keep in mind the author's temporal limitations and habits of expression, treat the descriptions as material for academic history rather than as current authoritative ethnography, and correct them against modern research.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students and researchers studying Native American history and southwestern regional history
Readers of academic history interested in the evolution of early anthropology and ethnographic writing conventions
Readers seeking early documentary leads on studies of the sedentary Indians of New Mexico
Advanced readers interested in historical-geographical investigation and the history of colonial contact

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for contemporary authoritative ethnographic conclusions or the latest archaeological findings
General readers hoping for an accessible narrative history
Readers impatient with academic-introduction style and archaic English expression

Reading tips

Learn about the author's era and scholarly background before reading the main text to better judge his sources and the limits of his arguments.
Note the questions and classifications raised in the book and compare them with modern ethnographic research to observe changes in disciplinary method.
Use the book as a source of documentary leads, consulting modern research to verify specific descriptions of peoples or sites.
Read alongside historical maps to help locate the settlements and regions discussed and strengthen spatial understanding.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Are the research conclusions in this book still reliable today?

The book dates from the late nineteenth century and is an early research document; its descriptions and judgments carry the limitations of their time and should not be used directly as current authoritative conclusions. Its main value lies in academic history and documentary leads, and specific historical facts should be checked against modern archaeological and ethnographic research.

What does "sedentary Indians" in the title mean?

The term is an early documentary generalization for the southwestern indigenous groups who lived mainly in fixed settlements and practiced agriculture, as opposed to nomadic groups. The exact range of peoples meant must be defined in light of the main text and modern research; readers should not equate this older classification directly with today's ethnic divisions.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

A basic framework of the historical geography of the American Southwest is advisable, along with some understanding of Spanish colonial contact and the general outlines of the New Mexico region, and some familiarity with basic concepts of ethnographic writing. Without this background, readers may first consult relevant general-history introductions before turning to this book.

Is this book suitable as an introductory text?

It is not well suited as a zero-background introduction. It is a research introduction that presumes some knowledge of regional history and scholarly discussion. Beginners should first read modern general histories or introductory works, then read this book as supplementary material in academic history.

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About the author

Bandelier, Adolph Francis Alphonse, 1840-1914 Author

Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier (1840–1914) was a scholar of Native American and Spanish colonial history, with five works held in this collection. Public information is limited, but judging from The Delight Makers, a novel set in Pueblo life, together with his bibliographical history of the Rio Grande Pueblos of New Mexico, his historical introduction to studies among the sedentary Indians of New Mexico, and his notes on the bibliography of Yucatan and Central America, his writing spans ethnographic fiction and documentary compilation, focusing on the Spanish occupation of the Americas and the historical context of indigenous societies. His works combine documentary criticism with first-hand observation and remain useful early sources for the study of the American Southwest and Central America.