This beautifully designed and copiously illustrated book has many virtues: It's largely written by Native American scholars; it includes detailed information on tribes and communities that are often ignored; and it clearly shows the continuing vitality of Native American communities. However, the focus on tribes that receive services from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) keeps this book from being comprehensive. Canadian First Nations are almost entirely absent, for example, other than those located in the country's northern regions. In addition, there is no mention of the largest U.S. tribe east of the Mississippi--the Lumbees of North Carolina--which was excluded from BIA services by the same law that gave the tribe federal recognition. Other groups appear only on maps or in passing references in entries about another tribe (such as the Comanche and Osage nations in Oklahoma). Even with these limitations, this is by far the best single-volume reference on Native Americans north of Mexico currently available. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less