Summary
By the time European conquistadores and colonizers arrived in the Americas, starting in 1492, American Indians had already invented sophisticated hunting and fishing technology. They gathered hundreds of plants for food, fiber, and medicine, and first domesticated three-quarters of the food crops raised in the world today. Food, Farming, and Hunting covers the many contributions that American Indians have made throughout history, including the various tools used in hunting, such as bolas, bows and arrows, and camouflage, and the different methods of fishing for each culture. The volume identifies the many foods North American, Mesoamerican, and South American Indians gathered, discusses the birth of agriculture in the Americas, and describes the plants that were eventually domesticated and farmed. Later developments and improvements in farming, such as irrigation and the use of fertilizer, are also covered.
Specifications
Back-and-white photographs and maps. Glossary. Timelines. Further reading list. Box features. List of tribes. Index.
About the Author(s)
Emory Dean Keoke is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. He received a B.A. in Indian studies and a B.S. in nursing and has worked as a multicultural relations and communications consultant.
Kay Marie Porterfield is an award-winning writer with more than 20 years of experience. She received a B.A. in English and an M.A.Ed. in counseling. She is the author of 12 books, has worked as a reporter for Indian Country Today, and is the winner of a 1996 South Dakota Press Association Award and a 2003 Artist Fellowship Award in creative nonfiction.