Hunn, Eugene S. Nch'i-Wana“The Big River”: Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land. University of Washington Press: Seattle and London, 1990. (reviewed by Carissa Sharp)
Summary:
Eugene Hunn's book about the Mid-Columbia Indians is an anthropological work. As such, it has great relevance to the topic of the Columbia River ecosystem. This book covers many aspects of Native American life, such as history, language, ecology, animal and plant resources, society, religion, and from the treaties today. He also includes interesting appendices, such as animal terms, medicinal plants, and the Yakima Treaty from 1855. All of these topics have relevance to the use and or exploitation of the Columbia Basin. Because the Native American people have lived in this region for millennia, they have caused changes to the environment, as Hunn mentions in his book. However, they were also able to sustain the resource in a way that it lasted for millennia, as opposed to the way in which the river has been exploited in the past centuries.
Ecological issues pervade the book, particularly in the ecology and resources chapters, but also in the history, society, religion, language, and contemporary Indian life chapters. As Hunn explains, “This ecological emphasis reflects my bias as an author: my own research on Plateau ethnobiology (...)” (4). He believes that ecology is essential to understanding human relationships, relationships between humans and animals, and “(...) the full range of human strivings” (4). In order to fully understand the relationship between the Native American peoples on the land, it is important to know how they lived and the reasons behind their actions. Anthropological data is essential, because it can provide societal, economical, and spiritual accounts for the actions and inactions of the people. It is also essential for understanding the impact of recent changes in the environment on those native peoples.
Critique:
Hunn's book is very well-written and easy to understand. There are many maps, pictures, charts, and figures, which help to give a visual representation of the concepts of which he writes. Additionally, Hunn is careful to be respectful of the Native American culture, having consulted with Native Americans in the researching and writing of the book. However, while it is important to be respectful of the traditions one researches, it is also important for a scientist to maintain a neutral vantage point. Hunn explicitly states in the introduction that “This book is written for the Northwest Indians in the hope that it will show the strength of their traditions” (7). While this is a perfectly respectable goal, it does make the science in the book somewhat circumspect because it has not been written from a neutral point of view. However, despite these caveats, the book gives a very comprehensive overview of the history, practices, and beliefs of the Native Americans in the mid-Columbia region. While the topic is very large, the different chapters help to parse the information into easily identifiable and readable areas, making it very accessible to the lay reader. This book is a great resource for people looking for information about Native American practices and beliefs, specifically focusing those living in the mid-Columbia region.
Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon
HC 441: Science Colloquium, Columbia River Ecology
Fall term, 2005
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