This book integrates the insights of the disciplines most concerned with the early colonial period and will serve as a useful text for undergraduate courses in both ethnohistory and archaeology, although it will likely be of greatest use to those concerned with historical archaeology of the Eastern Woodlands since it covers ground historians and cultural anthropologists have considered in some ... Read moredepth already. The book is strongest where it reflects the author's expertise in material culture. In particular, Loren's discussion of the construction of identity through the use of material objects will undoubtedly provoke thoughtful discussion. Her critical analyses of various ethnographic, archaeological and visual primary sources are especially interesting. . . . Loren offers a fresh perspective for the North American Eastern Woodlands and one that will be of interest to historical archaeologists and students of the region.
Northwest Ohio History
Diana Loren's exploration of the material and social outcomes of Native and non-Native interactions will clearly be a welcome addition to the literature. She is aware of the terminological morass associated with studies of this genre, and this book does a good job of sorting out the history of anthropological approaches to acculturation, contact, colonialism, and related themes. She also introduces relatively new concepts to frame the processes of contact and interaction as multi-faceted, situational, and negotiated processes.
Michael Nassaney, Western Michigan University Show Less