Native American Hunting and Fighting Skills

This superbly illustrated volume focuses on the changing character of Native American warfare--the tactics, practices, customs, and techniques--under the impact of confrontation with the European colonists and the environmental changes left in their wake. The book begins with a broad overview of the military tactics of the Native Americans, contrasting and evaluating the differences between the various regions. The author places particular emphasis on the tribes of the Great Plains, a region that was home to many peoples who had moved in from other areas. Initially employing the tried-and-true techniques inherited from their original homelands, they quickly adapted their skills to match the new conditions. The book also considers the changing military patterns on the Great Plains under the impact of the horse and the encroachment of white settlers, presenting a fascinating study of both continuity and change. The author has consulted with military officers who have made battlefield studies of the engagements against the whites. As a result, the book provides accounts from the Indian viewpoint of some of the more famous battles of the Plains conflicts, such as the Wagon Box Fight, the Fetterman Massacre, the Battle of the Rosebud, and the Battle of the Little Big Horn.