Native Californians: A Theoretical Retrospective. Edited
by Lowell John Bean and Thomas C. Blackburn. Ramona: Ballena Press, 1976.
Bibliography. 452pages. $6.95.
Reviewed by Chris White, Lecturer, Department of
Anthropology, San Diego State University, and Cultural Resource Manager, Wirth
Associates, Inc., San Diego, author of "Lower Colorado River Area Aboriginal
Warfare and Alliance Dynamics" in Antap: California Indian Political and
Economic Organization (1974).
Dr. Bean and Dr. Blackburn have compiled an anthology which
includes a selection of articles that reflect a renewed anthropological interest
in aboriginal California. The sixteen articles focus on the dynamic
interrelationships between Native California societies and their natural and
social environments, and the often unrecognized and unappreciated, political,
social, ideological, and economic complexity reflected in the Native Californian
way of life. The interest in Native Californian ecology and organizational
complexity has developed in response to general anthropological theoretical and
methodological perspectives adopted during the past decade and the recognition
of the potential value of the information available on California Indians to
answer many of the new questions being generated.
The readings range from general synthesis as exemplified in
Bean's article entitled "Social Organization in Native California," to more
specific topics as Luomala's "Flexibility in Sib Affiliation Among the Diegueño."
While the majority of the articles revolve around the interpretation of
ethnographic and / or reconstructed ethnographic information, an article by King
entitled "Chumash Inter-Village Economic Exchange" does an admirable job in
integrating ethnographic, archaeological, and historical data. Blackburn, in an
article entitled "Ceremonial Integration and Social Interaction in Aboriginal
California" should also be complimented for integrating ethnographic and
historical information in order to address questions of current anthropological interest.
The editors selected readings that reflect the current
thought and research problem orientation of anthropologists who are studying
Native Californians. The readings taken together, therefore, do not provide a
statewide survey of "facts" on California Indians; and a very small number of
aboriginal California groups are actually discussed.
While the majority of readings form around the central themes
dealing with ecology and organizational complexity, they represent a range of
over thirty years in their original publication dates. Such a range invariably
leads to some confusion in the identification and interpretation of concepts and
terms. If the articles had been organized into topical sections with an
introductory discussion included, perhaps some of the confusion could have been
eliminated. The volume could have also been enhanced by including a general
map showing the location of the traditional
California Indian tribal territories, as well as more detailed maps to accompany
the specific readings.
I have assigned the volume as a text in a course on
California Indians and have received an excellent student response to it. The
volume, however, is not oriented towards a general reading audience and a number
of students who did not have a solid introductory background in anthropology had
difficulty understanding a number of the articles.
The volume is highly recommended for the serious student who
is seeking insight into the cultural dynamics of the original inhabitants of California.
