Summary
From the beginnings of European colonization of North America, the significance of American Indian women has often been ignored or misrepresented. Many historians have undermined the importance and achievements of women in American Indian societies, leaving the lives and contributions of many important American Indian women in the shadows of history.
A to Z of American Indian Women, Revised Edition profiles 152 American Indian women who have had an impact on American Indian society and the world at large. This volume dispels popular myths and introduces the reader to numerous women whose stories have often remained untold until now. Among the profiles included are those of activists, educators, artists, musicians, physicians, politicians, lawyers, and a range of other professions and careers. Presenting stories of women from all regions of North America, as well as from a vast array of tribes, this revised volume gives these women their proper acclaim, and brings each profile up to the present. More than 60 photographs throughout the book depict the women profiled, and an updated bibliography provides listings of books and Web sites about American Indians in general, as well as specific resources about American Indian women. One subject index allows the reader to search by such activities as "essayist" and "medicine woman." Additional subject indexes organize individuals by tribes such as Inuit and Omaha, and by the era they were born.
New profiles include:
- Lori Arviso Alvord: a surgeon who combines Western medicine and American Indian healing methods
- SueAnne Big Crow: a Lakota Sioux athlete whose short life was part of Ian Frazier's On the Rez
- Rita Coolidge: a successful solo artist and founder of the band Walela
- Sandra Lovelace Nicholas: a Maliseet activist and politician who fights for the rights of Canada's First Nations people
- Mary G. Ross: the first known American Indian female engineer
- Jane Johnson Schoolcraft: Ojibwa writer who recorded and popularized traditional American Indian stories.
Specifications
Black-and-white photographs. General index. Subject indexes. Bibliography. Cross-references. Further reading lists.
About the Author(s)
Liz Sonneborn is a graduate of Swarthmore College who specializes in American and world history, with a particular interest in American Indian culture and history, biography, women's studies, and the American West. For more than a decade, Sonneborn has written nonfiction works for adults and children. She is the award-winning author of more than 50 books. For Facts On File, she has written numerous books, including Chronology of American Indian History, Updated Edition; Performers in the American Indian Lives series; A to Z of American Women in the Visual Arts; and A to Z of Women in the Performing Arts.