Indians of the Pacific Northwest: From the Coming of the White Man to the Present Day

Prior to the onslaught of the Europeans, the Puget Sound area was one of the most heavily populated regions north of Mexico City. The Native Americans who lived there enjoyed a bounty of seafood, waterfowl, and berries, which they expertly collected and preserved. Detailing the associated culture, technologies, and techniques, Vine Deloria Jr. explains in depth this veritable paradise and its ultimate demise. Raising the possibility that the utopian lifestyle enjoyed by the Indians of the Pacific Northwest might have continued in perpetuity had Europeans not sought a Northwest Passage. Deloria describes in devastating detail the ramifications of the Europeans' migration into the territory. With more than two thousand American settlers in the Pacific Northwest by 1852, and with many more to come, the outbreak of disease and the encroachment of land speculators, railroad capitalists, and logging and mining interests forced the Native Americans to give up their ancestral lands and move to reservations. Deloria speaks with a measure of sadness, outrage, and hope, writing a moving account of the Pacific Northwest Indians' struggle that began with the arrival of the white settlers and continues today.

TIME magazine named Vine Deloria Jr. as one of the greatest religious thinkers of the twentieth century, and his research, writings, and teachings on history, law, religion, and political science changed the face of Indian Country, influencing future generations of Native and non-Native Americans alike. In addition to God Is Red, He authored many other acclaimed books, including Evolution, Creationism, and Other Modern Myths; Red Earth, White Lies; Spirit and Reason; and Custer Died for Your Sins.