Dating back to the coming of European explorers in the late-15th century, the history of Native Americans has been fraught with conflict, struggles, and hardships. Truth be told, intertribal conflicts existed before and after the arrival of Europeans. Europeans did, however, usher in battles at nearly every juncture over the resources, land, belief systems, economies, and governance of indigenous peoples throughout the Americas. Overpowered by weapons, diseases, and Christianity, indigenous peoples have endured several centuries of forced migration, cultural disintegration, and severe population reduction. One need only recall, however, such historical events as the Pueblo Revolt, the Battle of Little Bighorn, and the Occupation of Alcatraz to realize that indigenous peoples have not been passive historical bystanders.

To learn about these topics and more in Native American history, explore ABC-CLIO's expansive four-volume Encylopedia of American Indian History, edited by Bruce E. Johansen and Barry M. Pritzker. This comprehensive encyclopedia includes nearly 450 entries and hundreds of images on topics as diverse as precontact cultures, European contact, mineral rights, education, blood quantum, and the American Indian wars. It also includes key primary sources, such as Federal treaties and Supreme Court cases. This wealth of reference entries and primary source documents will help students better understand the pivotal events, people, places, and issues in Native American history.

Bruce E. Johansen Bruce E. Johansen is Frederick W. Kayser Professor of Communication and Native American Studies at the University of Nebraskas at Omaha. He is author, most recently, of Native Peoples of North America (2005) and Global Warming in the 21st Century (2006).

Barry M. Pritzker Barry M. Pritzker (MA, UMass/Amherst) is Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. He is the author, among other books and articles, of Native America Today (1999) and Native Americans (1998).