Nearly all books on Native Americans begin and end with the Indian Wars against the Plains Tribes in the late 19th century. Think horses, buffalo, war-bonnets, tipis and blood and there you have it. But what of the rest of the story of America''s native people - their original settlement, their myths, their songs, their recreations and their organizations? This book takes a fresh approach to the subject of America''s indigenous peoples: it focuses on their way of life instead of the manner of their genocide. And along the way the book communicates all the wisdom and spirituality of the 500 tribes while eschewing the romantic "noble savage" stereotype in favour of an honest, sometimes uncomfortable, appraisal of Native American society and history.